God Depends on Nothing

Then they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. (2 Chronicles 36:19)

Solomon’s temple had been the hub of worship for the Jewish nation for 410 years.  Its importance was not only spiritual, but historic, political, and patriotic.  It was the representation of the heart and soul of Israel.  And with its fall, the nation was carried off to Babylon for 70 years.

The nation had become smug and self-satisfied.  God had sent word again and again, but each herald was mocked, each word was despised, each prophet was scoffed.  This took place until the anger of the Lord rose to the point of no return.

But the people of God felt that they were protected because the Temple was in Jerusalem.  They were the chosen ones!  God’s home was in their hometown!

 

For the next 70 years, the nation was reminded how little God depended on them!  They had 70 years to contemplate their need for God.  These 70 years were fulfilling the 70 Sabbath years that should have been observed over the previous 490 years—Sabbath years which the people had chosen to disregard.

God gets His way!  We must be humble ourselves before Him.  God does not need us, but we are in desperate need of Him!

In His Grace;

Dr. Randy White

Observing the Passover

Thus the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  (2 Chronicles 35:17-18 NASB)

Josiah the King, having had a revival of the Word of God, came back to a complete obedience to the Torah.  This involved a cleansing of the temple as well as a cleansing of the heart.  It also involved coming back to a correct observance of the Feasts of the Lord.  In Josiah’s day, after revival, the people came together and celebrated the Passover in a manner that had not been observed since the days of Samuel—over 400 years earlier!  In this lengthy period of time the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread had become meaningless, the sacrificial lamb had been left unslain, and the heart of the matter had been forgotten.

In modern times, it has been nearly 2,000 years since the Jewish people have fully observed the Passover.  Without a Temple, which was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans, it is impossible to carry out the sacrificial system required in the Passover.  For these thousands of years the Jews conclude their Passover with the prayer, “next year, in Jerusalem!” 

Since 1967 the Jews have been able to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.  However, they still do not have a Temple and are thus unable to sacrifice the Passover Lamb in the manner prescribed in the Law.  The prayer, “Next year, in Jerusalem!” now has the meaning of praying for the rebuilding of the Temple.

Observant Jews are in a state of mind to rebuild the Temple.  This state of mind is stronger than at any time in the past 2,000 years.  The forces toward rebuilding are monumental.  The reconstruction of the Temple will open the door for the final days of mankind with the arrival of the Antichrist.  The temporary mosque will be removed and the next Temple will be reconstructed.  The end is near.

If you are a gentile, you can have a Josiah-like reformation of your own worship.  As you get back to church, get into the Word, or ask God to renew a right spirit, you will experience personal revival that may—as in Josiah’s day—spread beyond yourself and affect the entire community…or even nation!

In His Grace;

Dr. Randy White