8th Dec, 2012-
In the book The Last Trumpet: The Mystery of God is Finished and a New Age Begins, author Robert Johnston explores biblical prophecy and the promises of God that relate to the end times. This excerpt is from chapter 1.
A FATHER’S TWO SONS
To illustrate that the age of grace had come to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people throughout the world), Jesus told a story about two sons whom their father had asked to work in his vineyard (Matt. 21:28–32). It was obvious that the two sons represented two nations or people whom God had asked to work in his kingdom. The first son (the nation of Israel) told his father that he would work in the vineyard but later did not. The second son (Gentiles) said he would not work in the vineyard but later regretted his decision and did so. Jesus asked the chief priests and elders who were questioning him about where he had received his authority. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” (v. 31 NASB). They answered that the latter son did. Jesus bluntly told them that the tax collectors and harlots were like the second son; they would enter the kingdom of God before the religious leaders in Israel would.
Jesus immediately followed this story with another vineyard story. This story was even more relevant and clear as to the reason his Father had sent him to earth and to God’s plan for the Gentile nations, which would extend from that time well into the tribulation period. In this story Jesus made it absolutely clear that the kingdom of God would be taken from Israel and given to another.
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINEPRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine- growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.”
—Matthew 21:33–43 (NASB)
THE ROAD TO APOSTASY
The chief priests and Pharisees understood that he was speaking about them, and they began to plan how they might seize him by entangling him in his talk. The Sadducees were the first group to go to Jesus with their carefully planned questions, but Jesus answered them with such wisdom that, astonished by his doctrine, they were silenced. When the Pharisees heard how the Sadducees had been silenced, they sent a lawyer to tempt Jesus with this question: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” (22:36). Jesus gave an answer that convicted the lawyer and the religious leaders of using the law in an unlawful way and explains how apostasy can take hold.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
—Matthew 22:37–40
With this simple response Jesus showed how far the nation had drifted from keeping the commandments God had given to Moses. They were trying to keep the commandments and teaching others to keep them without the motivations of love and faith, as if human effort or works alone would justify them.
To read all book excerpts from The Last Trumpet, please use the search bar. Thank you.
References for pictures:
http://www.pinoyworld.eu/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Parable-of-the-Two-Sons-A.jpg
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