I love how the Bible fits together better and better the more you read it, meditate on it, and compare it to itself. One of the most important principles of handling the Bible is that Scripture interprets Scripture. Now, as we look through a mirror darkly, we know that we will have to continue learning everyday in this life and we will still not grasp all of the Scriptures perfectly. But that is what we should expect. The Bible reveals to us an eternal Lord who existed before creation, who is above all creation, and to whom we are called to surrender and trust. Even the Apostle Paul said,
“33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).
Paul saw Gods sometimes inscrutable ways as a reason to worship. And so should we.
Full text:
https://revmatthewlittlefield.substack.com/p/jerusalem-is-babylon-in-revelation?publication_id=1182452&utm_campaign=email-post-title&r=y7h5a&utm_medium=email
Some might wonder, also, why I write so much about the issue of who the people of God are, and also why I challenge so many of the modern evangelical claims regarding the nation that calls itself Israel in the Middle East today. It is because I see dispensationalism[1] as a scourge on the Church, one that needs to be rebuked, corrected and challenged. Others might feel more inclined to address prosperity heresy, new age movements in the church, pagan influences in the Church, and things like this. And I will at time address such things, in fact, I have a book coming out soon which does a lot of this. But dispensationalism is a serious error that I see often in my context, with people I know, and also effecting events on the world stage, and so I have constant reminders around me of this error. I don’t associate with many new age types, or prosperity teachers. I am constantly encountering dispensationalists. I have seen this doctrine split families, churches, and cause all sorts of havoc, and it just happens to be a form of the same Judaizing error that the New Testament addressed often. This is why I address it regularly. Because I was raised in it, I also have insight into what it is from a personal perspective. But fear not, I will address many other things in my writings too.....
.....God did judge the city of Jerusalem in the first century. One of the most powerful images in the ancient world is the inscription of Rome’s victory over Jerusalem showing the soldiers carrying out the Menorah from the temple. This is inscribed on the arch of Titus in Rome.
This is a powerful image of God’s judgement against his Apostate people for having rebelled against him. Taking out the lampstand represents the removal of the Spirit or God’s light from the temple system. It has not been rebuilt since, and even if it was rebuilt it would not be a true temple, as God has moved on from that system. The lampstand had been taken.
