Introduction
Gen 1:1-2 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Allow me to put it in simple English. In the beginning, there was nothing. Earth was a void. Its existence was deprived of light. Only darkness saw the world we now call our home. The very word void in Hebrew, the word "tohu," is translated into English as meaning formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness. But God came here! There is only one difference between a void and a planet. His name is Jesus Christ. There is only one difference between darkness and light. It is the presence of God. The bible says; Gen 1:3 "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." When God speaks, nothing turns into something. He is the difference between existence and oblivion. Even darkness turns into a brilliant display of glory within the echo of His voice. He is the incarnation of hope, stability and beauty.
Hence we read, Gen 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man..." Gen 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
The only difference between you and the dirt beneath your feet is the commitment, the love and understanding of your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yes, we are made from nothing. Yes, we are living dust, but the breath of God, His tender love, sets us apart from anything else.
You see, we were created to understand. It is within this understanding that mankind can find within the close relationship that God wants with us, our value, meaning and security. Allow me to explain using the Hebrew word for this soul that God breathed into us. The word Nephets, translated into English literally means soul, life force, being or existence. Could it be that in that same way in which you were designed to be the life force, being, motivation and joy of your child, husband or girlfriend; that God wanted to be your life force, a physical part of your being, your entire life?
Does it feel like there is something missing inside your heart? Is there an empty void within your soul? Are you incomplete?
God is the missing link...
Just the fact that He cares makes all the difference in the world. You see, our biggest problem today lies within our inability to understand who God. To many, He is some fictional super hero who can move mountains. To others, he is some divine judge, who we need to appease in order to attain eternal life. We attend church, pay tithing and pray, all to escape the threat of hell fire. Everything we think, do and say is driven by a fear, a longing to find eternal certainty and safety. But in the end, we are nothing but dust. We have reduced ourselves to becoming nothing more than grains of sand in the history of time.
But what if there was something more to religion? What if we missed something so foundational within our daily lives, that it would change everything forever?
Within His identity, His care brings value, meaning and a sense of completion. It's a simple cause and effect based principle. If your president or king came to visit you, it would be a status symbol. Because of His visit, you would feel important, valuable and special. Now when we realise who God really is, His birth on earth, His death on the cross and His interest in our daily lives will bring us a sense of worth that nothing on this planet can ever replace. Without this rich blessing, we are nothing. Limited to the dirt riddled world of sorrow and pain, our lives- in and of themselves- are so empty that we might as well be dead. A life without a sense of identity in God is nothing. This is why man ran from the face of God in Gen 3. Gen 3:7-10 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
Yes, our first parents felt like dirt. They felt threatened by the presence of God. While they knew that something was missing, they ran from the only one who could complete them again. Adam and Eve felt broken, incomplete and naked. However, the bible relates to us; Gen 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
Hence, the results of our sinful actions caused our shame, incompletion and fear. It was not there before man sinned. Neither was it a result of the curse that God placed upon man. In fact, it would appear that the curse placed upon man was meant to be a blessing. Either way, our incompletion, depression and sadness stems from the natural results of sin. God is the missing element. We need our Saviour, for much more than mere salvation. We need Him for every moment of life, pulsing through our veins. There is only one way to find fulfilment. His name is Jesus Christ.
Now we know that everything was very good when God made it. Gen 1:31 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." What if man's incompletion was a result of us taking our eyes off of God's greatness? What if everything that existed was designed to show the beauty, the hope and assurance that we could find within God? What if everything had here to witnessed of the commitment, care, value and meaning that God had designed for us? What if everything on earth was a precious gift from the hand of God-to you?
Yom-ki-pur-year of Jubilee.
Lev 25:8-13 "And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession."
The book of revelation contains seven sets of seven. There is seven Spirits of God. Seven being the number of completion or perfection is an indication of the perfection of the Spirit of God in its completing work within mankind. Then there are the seven stars within the right hand of God. He himself said that the seven stars are the seven angels. An angel in greek means messenger, hence these seven angels are representative of the seven messages to the seven churches. The seven churches are the seven chandeliers. Rev 1:20 "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." There are seven seals. Seals were normally placed on official letters or messages of state. They were only allowed to be open by someone of authority. However, the lamb's authority has been question. Satan brought God into disrepute. Before the seals can be opened, before God's last message can be fully understood, Christ needs to be vindicated. That is partially our job. This is the central theme of the book of revelation. Psa 22:30-31 "A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this." Hence the seven trumpets are a call to war, a war in defence of the God of heaven and earth. It's a call to worship, to praise and to glorify the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Num 10:8-11 "And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God." This starts to make even more sense in the light of the first angel's message; Rev 14:6-7 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Through this praise and worship we will find the seven thunders as a complete revelation of the majestic wonder of our Lord and Saviour. Rev 10:7 "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
The seven last bowls are poured out upon the earth right before Jesus comes back. However, this imagery is related to the sacrificial system too. After the sacrificial blood was sprinkled on the golden altar, from which the sweet incense arose into the presence of God within the Most Holy, it was carried out of the temple and poured out upon the ground at the basin of the sacrificial altar in the outer court. This blood was carried around in a bowl. Lev 4:30 "And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar." This action had two purposes. It indicated that the atonement of man was complete and that the sin was eradicated. But it also served a second purpose. It proved that the blood had no further purpose or use within the redemption of man. As such, it proved that the only part God had to play within this nightmare called sin was the redemption of our kind. It proves that God is innocent. The seven bowls seal earth's history with the blood of the lamb. The first angel appears to stand in relation to this. Rev 8:7 "The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up."
After the seven sets of seven, we find the return of Jesus Christ, this is the fulfilment of the festival of jubilee. Mankind is set free from the bondage of pain, suffering and hurt. Sin looses its grip on mankind for forever. Satan's ability to tempt humanity is destroyed. Mankind sees sin for what it is, and into all eternity, we will become heaven's safe guard against the existence of evil. Our testimony of love will teach the untold universal kingdom of God what His throne entails, for it is written; Rev 22:1 "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." You see friends, the thrown of God is the foundation for all life. It is the premise upon which all happiness is based. Love for God builds stability, hope and security. Joh 1:3-5 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
But how close are we to this universal climax? That depends entirely on you and me. You see, the use of the word sword in the word of God is limited to the meaning as prescribed by Paul. All other references to the sword makes up part of the definition with which He looks at the word of God. Hence we read, Heb 4:11-16 "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Within the book of revelation, we find five references to the word sword. This sword, this power, is not merely the word of God. Rather, its is the revelation of the personal understanding, care and love of our Lord and Saviour. When we find, without a shadow of a doubt, that He understands us completely, His principles will be seen to be the foundation upon which His throne is founded. His reign will be understood to be the most selfless act of benevolence in the history of the universe. God will win the war. The book of revelation is, Rev 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." He is Rev 1:8 "the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending." Once we prove that, once we experience that, once we live that, we will find the freedom that lives within His worship. This is the fullness of the rest of Hebrews 4. It is the fulfilment of the prophecy of the Day of Atonement. He is our jubilee!