In I Chronicles 12:32 the tribe of Issachar were described as, “ ... men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do...” As such, they were made keepers of the [religious] calendar. The Hebrew word underlying the English ‘understood’ meant, inter alia, discernment, wisdom, perception and knowledge.
We, as the Church, should be so aware. Jesus made it clear that it
was necessary to be able to discern the times in which the Church has lived and
still lives (Matthew 24:3,4&32f).
Before we proceed, let us clearly understand that what the Bible
calls ‘the last days’ commenced with the birth of the Church, not the modern political
entity called [secular] Israel (Acts
2:17 – cf. 2:2-4). The birth of the Church – the Body of Christ – was of
divine design and origin. The establishing of the nation of Israel in 1948 was
political and fraught with deception, manipulation, and lies (hardly traits one
would associate with a work of God).
The prophets Isaiah and Malachi taught that John the Baptist was to
be an indicator of seasons (Isaiah 40:3;
Malachi 3:1, 4:5&6); he was to announce the advent of Christ. They had
an insight into the plan of God (Luke
10:24; I Peter 1:10-12).
In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist was likened to the
prophet Elijah (Matthew 11:14, 17:9-13).
Elijah, in the Hebrew mind, represented the Old Testament prophets as a whole,
even as Moses represented the Law (Matthew
17:1-8).
It is interesting that Jesus said in Matthew 17:9-13 that Elijah had already come and was still
to come. John, by this time, had been executed by Herod and would not return
physically to the earth until the second coming. So, what was Jesus intimating?
John the Baptist appeared as a witness of the coming Messiah (John 1:6-8). How John came to be that
witness is a story that needs to be understood not only for its historic value,
but also for the symbolic that sheds much light on the role of the Body of
Christ (cf. Luke 1:15-17).
John came in the spirit, as it were, of Elijah as the anointed
forerunner of the initial coming of the Messiah (i.e. the Christ) (Isaiah 40:1-5; Malachi 4:5&6). The
Church, in like manner, is now the herald of the return of Jesus Christ (Luke 19:13; Acts 1:8; II Thessalonians 1:8)
The Baptist, like Elijah, had a priestly background (Luke 1:5-7). The names of John’s
parents, given their proximity to the events that would follow are significant:
- Zacharias = ‘Jehovah has remembered’.
- Elizabeth = ‘God of the oath’.
Therefore, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was about to
remember His covenant promise. Both of them were righteous and, like Enoch
before them, they walked blamelessly before the Lord. In spite of this conduct,
Elizabeth had remained childless and they were by now in their old age (Luke 1:5-7). Their childlessness
carries echoes of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis
18:11).
When Elizabeth was in her sixth month, the angel Gabriel announced
to her relative Mary that she was about was about to conceive as well. Bear in
mind that the number ‘6’ is the number of man. It was
this ‘6’
(the period of man) that preceded the conception of God’s divine ‘7’
(the expectation of the King).
Luke 1:41 records the fulfilment of the
angelic promise uttered in vs. 15.
John, the witness of the coming Messiah, was filled with the Holy Spirit
because of the very presence, prior to His physical arrival, of the King of
kings (cf. Acts 2:1-4 & 17&18).
John’s
mission was clearly outlined in Luke
1:16&17:
- A ministry that turns the sons of Israel back to Yahweh in preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. - The Remnant is to call the ‘backslider’ home (Galatians 1:6, 2:18, 4:9; II Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 10:38; Revelation 2:4).
- A forerunner marked by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. - The Remnant must move in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:15-18; II Corinthians 12:12).
- Bring about family unity. - The Remnant is to proclaim and uphold by living example the centrality and importance of the Christ-centred family (I Corinthians 7:10&11; Ephesians 5:25,28&33; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Titus 2:4&5; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7).
- Address disobedience among the righteous. – The Remnant are to fearlessly bring correction within the Body of Christ (Acts 16:4&5; I Corinthians 5:5; II Corinthians 10:8, 13:2; I Timothy 1:20; Titus 2:15, 3:10&11; Hebrews 13:17; III John 10).
- To prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. – The Remnant is to work towards the presentation of the Bride to the Bridegroom (II Corinthians 4:13&14, 11:2; Ephesians 1:4, 5:27; Colossians 1:22).
The naming
of John on the eighth day after his birth is also rich with significance (Luke 1:59-63) Please bear in mind that
is more than likely that all who were in attendance were aware that over 400
years of prophetic silence were about to end (Luke 1:14-17):
- The family were all convinced that Zacharias would name his son after himself, as was the accepted and established tradition within the Levitical order.
- Elizabeth made it clear his name would be John.
- The family appealed to the absence of such a name in the family.
- Zacharias confirmed the departure from tradition, in writing. Subsequently, nine months of being unable to speak gave way to liberty (vss. 64&67-79; cf. Romans 10:10).
When
Zacharias named his son he said, “His name is John.” As opposed to
Elizabeth who said, “... he shall be called John.” John’s
mother had learned the choice of name second-hand through her husband.
Zacharias, on the other hand, had received direct and divine instruction from
the angel Gabriel (vs. 13; cf.
Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). When God instructs it (His purpose) is
established, no personal choice involved. The issue of covenant is in view
here. Gabriel had named the forerunner; Zacharias merely announced the Divine
mandate. In short, a covenant is that ‘agreement’ whereby God lays down the
terms which man is free to accept or reject, but can in no way negotiate or
change the terms.
So, God did
not call for another ‘Jehovah has remembered’. That would have meant going back
to the old order (Hebrews 8:13). The
name announced was ‘John’, meaning: ‘Gracious gift of God.’ The new order was
the gift of God’s grace. When a promise is fulfilled, the time for newness and
change has arrived (Matthew 9:17).
As it was
for John, so today is the time for the faithful remnant of the Church to come
out of the wilderness where it has grown up alone away from the corrupting
influences of the Pharisees (Luke 1:80).
With regard
to the remnant Church coming out of the wilderness where it has grown up alone
away from the corrupting influences of the Pharisees (Luke 1:80), consider this paraphrase that follows:
Matthew 23:1-12, from a 21st century perspective: Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The
apostles, pastors, leaders, bishops, etc. ... tie up heavy burdens of financial
demands to fund building projects and TV. shows and lay them on the shoulders
of those they lead, but they themselves are unwilling to move those burdens on
the most vulnerable with even one finger. But they do all their acts to be noticed and build personal
profile and influence; for their suits become more expensive and they don gowns
and symbols akin to the most pagan of counterfeits. They love the front seats
and even those on the platform at the conferences and services, and the
respectful greetings in and around town, and being called 'pastor, man of God,
prophet, psalmist, etc.' by all who see them. But do not be called by any
title; for One is your Teacher and all of you are equal. Do not call anyone
father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders;
for there is only One deserving of such recognition and He is Christ. True greatness
is found in the attitude of slavery. If you insist on being praised and
recognised by man, you will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be
exalted in the correct way."
