Knowing The Time Of Visitation

[Mr. M]

Luke 19:41-44 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this, your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes...                                                   because you did not know the time of your visitation.

Why were so many of the leadership in Israel blinded to Messiah?

Acts 2:22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 

Before Christ, came John...

Luke 7:28-30 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

Knowing the Work of God requires a sincere desire to do His Will

John 7:

16 Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 

17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God

or whether I speak on My own.

Believe in the one sent by God

John 6:

28 Then they said to Him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Matthew 21:24-26 But Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?  And they reasoned among themselves, saying,  If we say, From heaven, He will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?  But if we say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet. So they answered Jesus and said, We do not know. And He said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Mr. M
cosmetic

[AdHoc]

1 hour ago, Mr. M said:

Luke 19:41-44 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this, your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes...                                                   because you did not know the time of your visitation.

Why were so many of the leadership in Israel blinded to Messiah?

Acts 2:22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 

Before Christ, came John...

Luke 7:28-30 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

Knowing the Work of God requires a sincere desire to do His Will

John 7:

16 Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 

17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God

or whether I speak on My own.

Believe in the one sent by God

John 6:

28 Then they said to Him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Matthew 21:24-26 But Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?  And they reasoned among themselves, saying,  If we say, From heaven, He will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?  But if we say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet. So they answered Jesus and said, We do not know. And He said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The burning question is; Was Israel blind at first, or later. In Romans Chapter 1 the wrath of God is directed at those, "who hold the truth in unrighteousness". But it goes further ...

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (Ro 1:18–19)

That is, they "hold" the truth, but deny it. Thus, in the parable of Vineyard it is made clear that the Pharisees knew Who Jesus was - the Heir - and yet set out to murder him. This would indicate that men are not blind at first, but it is given to them later fro ignoring the truth.

If this be true, your posting addresses a grave situation for us Christians. The Jews are upbraided for not knowing the time of their visitation. SO ALSO THEN THE CHRISTIAN! When one follows the various threads on prophesy, it at once becomes clear that 90% or more will be caught unawares at their visitation. The spectrum of belief among Christians ranges from the denial of a Rapture to a "get-free-ticket" totally at odds with the warnings to the Church. Unlike Israel, to whom God accorded signs, the Church has no signs. they have no John Baptist to declare Jesus coming. There will be no warning of the rapture. The Lord and His day come as "a thief".

In the grand type of the Rapture, Noah is warned 120 years before the fact, and 7 days before the fact he is ensconced in the Ark. I ask the Christian; Are you looking out for some event? Are you ready to be raptured and face the Bema Seat of a Christ Who has changed the age from grace to judgment? Is your fruit hanging heavy from your branch of the Vine? Is your talent multiplied? Do you have extra oil in your Vessels? What was your last action when dealing with your brothers and sister in the Lord? Where you harsh and acrimonious? Have you filled your tax form in honestly? What were your thoughts in the last Assembly when that good-looking sister smiled at you across the meeting hall? Did you covet your brother's car as you both arrived for the meeting? Have you been intimate with our Lord Jesus the whole week, or did you give Him 5 minutes of your busy days? Do you really know Him? And worse, are you familiar with the "fellowship of His sufferings"?

Great was the rebuke by the Lord Jesus against the Jews. What will it be for those who had the Holy Spirit and still didn't care?

Studying prophecy IS NOT AN OPTION! Do you know the signs and times of your visitation??? Ignorance is not an excuse. It is heaped accusation with consequences.

[Mr. M]

9 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

The burning question is; Was Israel blind at first, or later. In Romans Chapter 1 the wrath of God is directed at those, "who hold the truth in unrighteousness". But it goes further ...

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (Ro 1:18–19)

That is, they "hold" the truth, but deny it.

The details of the OP show definitively that the reaction to John the baptist

either opened eyes, or permanently closed them.

You are spot on that those who refuse to accept God's Word as Truth

experience this hardness of heart.

Consider the amount of divorce within the church. 

Is this not a denial of Truth?

Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said to them, Have you not read that

He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.

Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.

16 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

If this be true, your posting addresses a grave situation for us Christians. The Jews are upbraided for not knowing the time of their visitation. SO ALSO THEN THE CHRISTIAN!

Nice! Precisely the reason for the thread.

Will there be pastors and teachers sent by God in our time?

Will they be accepted?

Jeremiah 3:15-17 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, that they will say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord. It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.

[Sower]

5 hours ago, AdHoc said:

Studying prophecy IS NOT AN OPTION! Do you know the signs and times of your visitation??? Ignorance is not an excuse. It is heaped accusation with consequences.

"Studying prophecy IS NOT AN OPTION! Do you know the signs and times of your visitation"

I Probably do not study prophesy as good as some here believe I should. But I believe my 'want to's' have displaced my 'have to', coming from a works based religion.  I simply believe that God could come before I finish typing this sentence, and knowing he would be here next week/year etc would not change my study of 'be caught unawares at their visitation'. I am aware now, and last week, last year.....

I'm not sure about something that may be implied here, but is there some idea that scriptures above apply to the lost, saved, both?
Or just those already saved to get ready for the possibility of a 'unscheduled' inspection. Shouldn't all believers have their house in order now, and so much more as the days approach?

Or is this focused on those     "That is, they "hold" the truth, but deny it"

Thanks AdHoc...

 

[AdHoc]

5 hours ago, Sower said:

"Studying prophecy IS NOT AN OPTION! Do you know the signs and times of your visitation"

I Probably do not study prophesy as good as some here believe I should. But I believe my 'want to's' have displaced my 'have to', coming from a works based religion.  I simply believe that God could come before I finish typing this sentence, and knowing he would be here next week/year etc would not change my study of 'be caught unawares at their visitation'. I am aware now, and last week, last year.....

I'm not sure about something that may be implied here, but is there some idea that scriptures above apply to the lost, saved, both?
Or just those already saved to get ready for the possibility of a 'unscheduled' inspection. Shouldn't all believers have their house in order now, and so much more as the days approach?

Or is this focused on those     "That is, they "hold" the truth, but deny it"

Thanks AdHoc...

 

Hi Sower,

It was meant to provoke the Believer. Paul did it in 1st Corinthians 10:1-11 and the author of Hebrews does it too. In the gospels we have our Lord approaching Israel with the Kingdom. Israel missed it. In Galatians we have ex-Gentile Believers trying to be perfected by Law. Strong language is used by the Holy Spirit. In Hebrews ex-Jewish Believers found that the sufferings and loss of goods as a Christian inferior to the blessings of Moses, and were in the process of turning back. Just imagine that the Master returned and found us involved in these things. Or what if we were so successful financially that we secretly would NOT like the Lord to return till after we could enjoy it a bit. To "watch" is to 1. be awake, 2. know what the enemy looks like, 3. know what the enemy is doing, 4. be in a position to recognize a distraction, and 5. be tuned to the orders of our Commander.

Have you noticed that Matthew 24 and 25 have three natural divisions? The are Matthew 24:1-31 where everything is Jewish - from the Temple through Judea, Jerusalem, Daniel and the Abomination of Desolation, ending with gathering that people who were scattered to the "four winds" - Israel.

Then, from 24:32 on we have a Parable, the world's moral condition, servants of the Lord and Virgins - all things to do with the Church.

And then from 25:31-46 we have Christ's dealings with "ALL Nations".

In the middle section the issue is being diligent, being faithful, being patient and avoiding the relaxed morals of the "days of Noah". The two in the field and two at the mill are Christians because "YOUR LORD" is about to come (vs.42). And the House is the Church for the "Son of man" is the thief who comes from something valuable (v.44). The remainder of Chapter 24 is about a faithful servant, who, when his Master delayed, "THAT servant" began to beat his fellows for "HIS Lord" came at an inopportune time. This leads us to Virgins who were wise and Virgins who were still Virgins after being foolish. Finally, servants with "natural ability" received talents from Christ that add a divine element to their earthly ability for service.

Of this diverse crowd, one worker was LEFT when the Son of man came as a thief to snatch away that which was vauable - the other one. The servant who was entrusted like Peter "to feed the sheep" did so well until there was a delay. He did not "keep the word of Christ's patience" and fell away. Ten Virgins is the number of responsibility, but five though everything was for free. Salvation is, but the Kingdom of Heaven isn't. One requires faith and the other requires righteousness. And THREE servants get Talents for 3 is the number of resurrection. They were born again believers  who received gifts after He, Jesus, was risen and ascended (Eph.4)

Our sins being put away, rebirth, eternal life and being made heirs to the Promises made to Abraham all happen because of FAITH. But the REWARD for our service is actually INHERITING co-kingship with Christ (see Luke 19:17-19).

[Mr. M]

9 hours ago, AdHoc said:

Studying prophecy IS NOT AN OPTION! Do you know the signs and times of your visitation??? Ignorance is not an excuse. It is heaped accusation with consequences.

 

7 hours ago, Sower said:

I Probably do not study prophesy as good as some here believe I should. But I believe my 'want to's' have displaced my 'have to', coming from a works based religion.  I simply believe that God could come before I finish typing this sentence, and knowing he would be here next week/year etc would not change my study of 'be caught unawares at their visitation'. I am aware now, and last week, last year.....

The problem with relying on the study of the prophetic scriptures alone, is the manner in which their interpretation divides people. For example:

John 7:

26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? 

27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from. (??)

40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 

41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 

42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” 

43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.

52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

53 And everyone went to his own house.

Note that the end result of the dispute is that everyone went their own way.

This is a serious regression!

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; 

everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Does divisions over interpretation of prophetic scripture sound familiar?

The only true hedge is to know Him. His Spirit with our spirit.

To remain faithful, "take heed to your spirit"!

Malachi 2:16 “For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
 

Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Mr. M
spelling

[Sower]

1 hour ago, Mr. M said:

The problem with relying on the study of the prophetic scriptures alone, is the manner in which their interpretation divides people.

 

2 hours ago, AdHoc said:

It was meant to provoke the Believer.

I guess they thought there was a delay so then they could go to the worldly ways and try to anticipate the return to 'clean up the house' just before his 'anticipated' return, and guessed wrong.
I assumed believers were to always keep the house swept and clean and not worry when the return, being always ready.

Again, I have trouble keeping OT stories/books interlinking properly to make a faith based determination on meaning.
So as said in previous posts, I study mostly on the here and now, my walk, keeping the house swept daily and clean.
I suppose for some it comes easy, for myself it takes much effort. There is so much dust that keeps showing up....
To be frank, I understand, I relate to Paul, who said he was the chiefest of sinners.
(He could SEE all the dust/dirt, the more he cleaned ) his house.  In a clean house any little dust really shows.

 When I have maybe fasted some, or had real honest conversations with God late at night recalling that day's victories through Christ, and my defeats on my own, I think I become more aware of my spiritual senses becoming acute, sharp,  focused, and I see the (dust) that was hidden...(sin)  Like cleaning a looking glass with some dust on it, and the more you clean, the more you see.......

And He paid His blood to cover it all.

[AnOrangeCat]

19 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Why were so many of the leadership in Israel blinded to Messiah?

Good question. Looking over the OT we see a lot of instances where Israel collectively doubted God despite things like the ten plagues and being delivered from Egypt. It's no reason for the rest of us to feel an inflated ego over it, though. Many not of Israel would have complained, doubted, or at least entertained the notion that God brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert in the hardships they faced. It's just human nature to focus on the immediate and pressing issues and the small picture. If we look at the Jews of the day they certainly had their share of issues, being under Roman authority and all. Jesus pointed out quite often that the Pharisees in His time were largely hypocrites. The dominant trend of their era seemed to be toward temporal power and money, and like Jesus said you can't serve two masters. Based on driving the money changers out of the temple and the envy and fear they had toward Jesus it seems like the master they served was abundantly clear.

[AdHoc]

7 hours ago, Sower said:

 

I guess they thought there was a delay so then they could go to the worldly ways and try to anticipate the return to 'clean up the house' just before his 'anticipated' return, and guessed wrong.
I assumed believers were to always keep the house swept and clean and not worry when the return, being always ready.

Again, I have trouble keeping OT stories/books interlinking properly to make a faith based determination on meaning.
So as said in previous posts, I study mostly on the here and now, my walk, keeping the house swept daily and clean.
I suppose for some it comes easy, for myself it takes much effort. There is so much dust that keeps showing up....
To be frank, I understand, I relate to Paul, who said he was the chiefest of sinners.
(He could SEE all the dust/dirt, the more he cleaned ) his house.  In a clean house any little dust really shows.

 When I have maybe fasted some, or had real honest conversations with God late at night recalling that day's victories through Christ, and my defeats on my own, I think I become more aware of my spiritual senses becoming acute, sharp,  focused, and I see the (dust) that was hidden...(sin)  Like cleaning a looking glass with some dust on it, and the more you clean, the more you see.......

And He paid His blood to cover it all.

 

2 hours ago, AnOrangeCat said:

Good question. Looking over the OT we see a lot of instances where Israel collectively doubted God despite things like the ten plagues and being delivered from Egypt. It's no reason for the rest of us to feel an inflated ego over it, though. Many not of Israel would have complained, doubted, or at least entertained the notion that God brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert in the hardships they faced. It's just human nature to focus on the immediate and pressing issues and the small picture. If we look at the Jews of the day they certainly had their share of issues, being under Roman authority and all. Jesus pointed out quite often that the Pharisees in His time were largely hypocrites. The dominant trend of their era seemed to be toward temporal power and money, and like Jesus said you can't serve two masters. Based on driving the money changers out of the temple and the envy and fear they had toward Jesus it seems like the master they served was abundantly clear.

If I were to venture an opinion, I would say that the bottom line is fig leaves. The first thing that Adam and Eve did after sinning was to make a garment. In allegory a "garment" is one's works (Rev.19:7-8). And the thing is, until God appeared on the scene, they were satisfied. It was only when God appeared on the scene that Adam said that he was naked. So it was in Jesus's time and now. We men create a set of works, whether honesty, philanthropy or religious rites, and so create our "righteousness". This works for us UNTIL God shines His light, OR we are tested by circumstance. Then the true nature of things is revealed. In Deuteronomy 8:1-8 God said that the trials Israel experienced in the wilderness was so that they saw what was in THEIR hearts.

Israel then, KNEW that the Man Jesus was special. But He did something they hated. His light showed their nakedness. Their troubles were not caused by the Romans. Their troubles were because they broke the Law. Since Moses, they confess to keep the Law, and within minutes or hours, break it. And if you are a prophets sent by God to point this out, they kill you. They love Fig Leaves but are essentially still naked. And this attribute can be observed on this Forum. We debate, and maybe one is correct. Instead of admitting it, and learning from it, the losers of the debate try with all their might to vindicate themselves, and part of their defense is to assassinate the character of the one who was right. I am guilty. When shown up as wrong, my fist thoughts are not to admit and learn, but to build a plausible defense. It lies in he intrinsic nature of man.

Then there is a thing I call "The Crossroads". Whether in life's decisions, or our study of scripture, a wrong turn always compounds the consequences. The further one goes down a wrong road, the greater the problems are. And you can't just jump from the wrong road to the right one. You have to retrace your steps. You have to unravel and admit the wrong turning, the wrong journey and/or the wrong doctrine. This is painful, and some men would rather stay on the wrong road that make the awkward journey back to truth. It's true name is "repent". "Repent" means to change course by 180°. And this is what John Baptist called for and later, Jesus. This what Daniel was doing in Chapter 9 when Israel's recovery was revealed to him. Moses did it and David too.

The light of Jesus is harsh. Those who walk with Him can never be satisfied. Their every blemish shows. It's humbling to walk with Christ. Your ego gets trashed. Your cherished opinions of yourself are shown to be vain. You squirm. Your self-opinion is drastically modified. You are humbled. And then comes the real test. Do you possess the appreciation that this is all doing you good, or must one cover it with fig leaves. And so the Jews decided to claim Abraham's lineage and the Law kept as their defense - a crossroads. This road they took ended in national disaster. And any Christian who cannot stand, or walk in Christ's light, will miss the day of visitation. It is a big day. It will decide your future in the coming age. 

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt.24:50–51)

"THE LORD OF THAT SERVANT" - he was a Christian!

[BibleStudent100]

1 hour ago, AnOrangeCat said:

Looking over the OT we see a lot of instances where Israel collectively doubted God despite things like the ten plagues and being delivered from Egypt. It's no reason for the rest of us to feel an inflated ego over it, though. Many not of Israel would have complained, doubted, or at least entertained the notion that God brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert in the hardships they faced. It's just human nature to focus on the immediate and pressing issues and the small picture.

Hi OrangeCat,

I enjoyed your thoughtful responses.  I too was/am sometimes "critical" of why the Israelites so bitterly complained of their years in the wilderness and their lack of faith, DESPITE personally observing so many eye-popping and visually stunning miracles that broke the "laws of physics"!  I used to think, if I had SEEN those 10 plagues and water being held back on the Red Sea while I crossed it (those walls of water could have been 60 feet high), I would have NEVER have complained about the Lord's hand being short.  But then I visited the Masada in the Negeb Desert and then I saw:  that is the barrenest desert I have ever seen and I live in the Mojave Desert!  There is barely a scrub bus in much of that area.  Can we imagine the hardships of wandering from place to place for all those 40 years?  Yes, one's faith could be tested as we frail humans think way too much in the present and we focus on our current comfort level versus thinking about our future salvation.