All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before You. For kingship belongs to the Lord. He rules over all the nations. All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down. All those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him - even the one who cannot preserve his life. Their descendants will serve Him. The next generation will be told about the Lord. They will come and tell a people yet to be born about His righteousness - what He has done. (vs. 27-31)
Psalm 22 promises a Messiah who suffers. Surrounded my men like mauling lions; poured out like water; bones out of joint; heart like wax, melting within Him. Strength dried up like baked clay, His tongue sticks to the roof of His mouth. His hands and feet are pierced and while hanging naked on the cross, His ribcage is prominent and His bones can be counted. People stare and jeer as the clothing of the bleeding Messiah is divided among the crowd. And, most utterly devastating, His God has forsaken Him.
Why would He have to go through this? Why did God, the Father, plan this from before the before? I do not know the answers to these whys, but it is clear from the beginning that this was Yahweh's plan of salvation. Sin is so heinous to the holy sensibilities and nature of the Godhead that it must be atoned for with blood. The crimson history of slaughtered animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of Israel is well chronicled in history and the scriptures. Something must be our scapegoat if we are allowed to enter into the presence of God. So, a better question might be, "Why did God Himself decide to come to be our sacrificial Lamb?"
This I can answer. The blood of God is holy. The sacrifice, the ultimate payment that reconciles man to Yahweh. There is nothing higher. No Lamb so perfect. No death so shamefully executed, for He was sinless. Naked, bleeding and deserted, our Lamb was taken outside of the city and hung, for all to see, upon a cross made of the wood He had created by people He had known since before they were conceived. Ironic. It is the story of the entire Bible. For, enter the Lamb in the last book of Scripture, Revelation.
Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated upon the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even look at it. And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even look at it.
Then one of the elders said to me, "Stop crying! Look! The Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.
Then I saw One like a slaughtered Lamb standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the elders.....He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne. When He took the scroll, the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slaughtered and You redeemed Your people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth."
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and also the living creatures and the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice:
"The Lamb Who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
Then I heard every creature in heaven, in earth, under the earth and in the sea, and everything in them say:
"Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever!" Revelation 5
For the joy set before my Christ, He endured the shame of the cross. He knew on the other side of His bloody slaughter was the scroll. The power to see this earth through to an end in which everyone and every thing everywhere will see Him in a different light. Clothed in majesty, directing all the events of earth until its demise, our Lamb was worthy. How He must thrill for the moment when all is made right. When ALL people everywhere will know Who He is and bow down. Not to a Lamb languishing in the blood of its execution, but as the only worthy sacrifice in heaven or on earth. As the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That day will come when atheists, agnostics, tyrants and monarchs, women, men, children and animals, stars, planets, whales and starfish will acknowledge, prostrate before Him, that the shame of the cross bought all of creation redemption and restoration. Cheering Him on will be the kingdom of priests we have become because we have adored Him even now. No longer pinned to a cross crying out for His Father, this Lamb wields a scepter in His name and judges the whole earth and those who have slept in the dust.
At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of great distress such as has never occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape. Many of those who sleep in dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life and some to shame and eternal contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and forever. Daniel 12
All Hail King Jesus!!! All Hail Lamb that was slain!! Your ignominy forgotten save for the scars in Your hands and feet that bought forever my salvation! All Hail!
Psalm 22 promises a Messiah who suffers. Surrounded my men like mauling lions; poured out like water; bones out of joint; heart like wax, melting within Him. Strength dried up like baked clay, His tongue sticks to the roof of His mouth. His hands and feet are pierced and while hanging naked on the cross, His ribcage is prominent and His bones can be counted. People stare and jeer as the clothing of the bleeding Messiah is divided among the crowd. And, most utterly devastating, His God has forsaken Him.
Why would He have to go through this? Why did God, the Father, plan this from before the before? I do not know the answers to these whys, but it is clear from the beginning that this was Yahweh's plan of salvation. Sin is so heinous to the holy sensibilities and nature of the Godhead that it must be atoned for with blood. The crimson history of slaughtered animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of Israel is well chronicled in history and the scriptures. Something must be our scapegoat if we are allowed to enter into the presence of God. So, a better question might be, "Why did God Himself decide to come to be our sacrificial Lamb?"
This I can answer. The blood of God is holy. The sacrifice, the ultimate payment that reconciles man to Yahweh. There is nothing higher. No Lamb so perfect. No death so shamefully executed, for He was sinless. Naked, bleeding and deserted, our Lamb was taken outside of the city and hung, for all to see, upon a cross made of the wood He had created by people He had known since before they were conceived. Ironic. It is the story of the entire Bible. For, enter the Lamb in the last book of Scripture, Revelation.
Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated upon the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even look at it. And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even look at it.
Then one of the elders said to me, "Stop crying! Look! The Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.
Then I saw One like a slaughtered Lamb standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the elders.....He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne. When He took the scroll, the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slaughtered and You redeemed Your people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth."
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and also the living creatures and the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice:
"The Lamb Who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
Then I heard every creature in heaven, in earth, under the earth and in the sea, and everything in them say:
"Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever!" Revelation 5
For the joy set before my Christ, He endured the shame of the cross. He knew on the other side of His bloody slaughter was the scroll. The power to see this earth through to an end in which everyone and every thing everywhere will see Him in a different light. Clothed in majesty, directing all the events of earth until its demise, our Lamb was worthy. How He must thrill for the moment when all is made right. When ALL people everywhere will know Who He is and bow down. Not to a Lamb languishing in the blood of its execution, but as the only worthy sacrifice in heaven or on earth. As the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That day will come when atheists, agnostics, tyrants and monarchs, women, men, children and animals, stars, planets, whales and starfish will acknowledge, prostrate before Him, that the shame of the cross bought all of creation redemption and restoration. Cheering Him on will be the kingdom of priests we have become because we have adored Him even now. No longer pinned to a cross crying out for His Father, this Lamb wields a scepter in His name and judges the whole earth and those who have slept in the dust.
At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of great distress such as has never occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape. Many of those who sleep in dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life and some to shame and eternal contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and forever. Daniel 12
All Hail King Jesus!!! All Hail Lamb that was slain!! Your ignominy forgotten save for the scars in Your hands and feet that bought forever my salvation! All Hail!
No comments:
Post a Comment