Christ Leads The Way

“When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” – Deuteronomy 18:22

I hope that you enjoyed your holiday. Much love to everyone who shows me love and respect. I cannot express how much it really means to me. As always, I appreciate you!

It’s so neat how a person from a totally different time period who had no natural knowledge of people or things to come in the future could foretell what would come to be hundreds of years later by the Spirit of God.

The Scripture says, “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). According to Strong’s Concordance, a prophecy is “an inspired message, sometimes encouraging obedience to God, sometimes proclaiming the future as a warning to preparedness and continued obedience.”

So a prophet, or one who prophesied, was an individual who communicated a message from God. There are many messages communicated about the church of our Lord, which is His kingdom. Let’s consider some of the prophecies about the kingdom of God – His church – and how they were and are fulfilled.

1. The Lord’s church is universal. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it” (Isa. 2:2.). The phrase latter days (or last days) is used to refer to a future time period, usually the last dispensation or the time of Christ. We know that the Lord’s house is His church (1 Tim. 3:15). Jesus said, “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). God is impartial to Jew and Greek, slave and free (Gal. 3:28), and God opened the door of the church and faith to Gentiles – all the nations (Acts 14:27). Isaiah and other prophets, like Micah, prophesied that the church would be open and accessible to all people, and it is today and until the Lord returns.
2. The Lord’s church is lasting and will be forever. Isaiah prophesied of the church: “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isa. 9:7) The Hebrews’ writer said of Christ: “But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Heb. 1:8). And, again, the Scripture testifies to the eternal nature of the church: “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).
3. The Lord’s church brings salvation. Notice Isaiah 62:11. “Indeed the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world: ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, “Surely your salvation is coming; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.”‘” Zion or daughter of Zion typically refers to Jerusalem. But, in Christ, we have a new Jerusalem, one that is heavenly (Heb. 12:22-23). We see similar language in Matthew 21:5. Those who are in the church are “registered in heaven” (Heb. 12:23). So, there is salvation in the church. It was prophesied by Isaiah, and it remains firm today.

The characteristics of the church, which is the kingdom of God, are unmistakable. They were foretold long before its birth in Acts chapter 2 on the Day of Pentecost. And they endure to this day.

Don’t you want to be a part of a kingdom like that? It’s universal; everyone is welcome to be a member of the Lord’s church. It’s open to all nations and all people. The church is also everlasting; there is no end to it. And it brings salvation to all who will enter it.

You can have that salvation if you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, if you will repent of your wrongdoing, if you will confess that Jesus is Lord, and if you will be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you can be a part of that great kingdom that was prophesied about long ago and is still standing. Won’t you obey the gospel today?

“And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive’” -Matthew 13:14

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