Epaggelia

Key Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

The new covenant of Christ is not an after-thought from God.  He has planned and desired this since before the foundation of our world. Even after he established older covenants with Abraham & Moses, he declared that our heart was and is at the center of his covenant. Read Dueteronomy 10:16, 30:6, Jeremiah 4:4 & 9:26, Romans 2:28-29 & Philippians 3:3, Colossians 2:11-12.

Jeremiah’s prophecy centered on the fact that God would write his law on human hearts, Jer. 31:33. The apostle Paul declared this was fulfilled and happening to Christians, 2nd Corinthians 3:3-8. The law of God is very powerful, his words created the world and his message or instructions written upon our heart can make a new creation, 2nd Corinthians 5:17 & Galatians 6:15. Since Jesus is the very word of God incarnate, it makes sense to expect him to enact the law of God in our hearts by His Spirit of Christ, Jn. 1:1,14 & Rom. 8:9. His Spirit writes His law upon our hearts. Do you believe this?

The better & superior covenant of Jesus is offered to all races, sexes and classes of people.  The necessary & authoritative command of baptism is not an option, it is a mandatory requirement in the new covenant of Jesus, offered and made available to us by God’s grace, so that we can be included in the covenant by faith when we are born again by water and the Spirit, John 3:3-5.  We are either inside the covenant of God’s grace or we are outside.  We all need to submit to God’s operating venue in baptism and be circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, made without hands, a spiritual cutting away, an inner cleansing of our heart or soul. Colossians 2:11-12, 1st Peter 3:21. There is a link between God’s intention in circumcision under the old covenant and God’s intention in baptism under the new covenant, offered to us today.  Baptism as immersion into the death & resurrection of Christ, is an act that God uses to cut away sin from your heart and add you to the list of souls being saved in the church, the Lamb’s book of life, Acts 2:38-47 & Romans 6:1-8 & Revelation 20:12-15 & 21:27.  Whether or not we have a real working fellowship in Christ with other Christians is entirely up to the new Christian after baptism. It is our own individual responsibility to continue steadfastly in the apostle’s teaching, the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers of the church, Acts 2:42.  Will we live out this law of faith in Christ with each other in the same church we have been baptised into, the body of Christ? Romans 3:27 & Colossians 1:18.

Covenants have consequences, the new covenant is consequential in a better way. The word “new” is in the Greek as, “Kainos”, meaning a newness which is in “form or quality, of different nature from what is contrasted as old” –  from Vines Dictionary of New Testament Words.  This implies a unique prototype covenant. What is so special about it? The love from which it is made. It is a promise coming from and based on the love of God, now ours, but his love. To reject His covenant is to reject his love. Do you know what consequence that has? To reject God’s love, covenant, word and promise, is to reject him.  What is he promising? Forgiveness, Life and His Spirit, Acts 2:37-39. How can he make this covenant?  By His blood, Mt. 26:27-29.

Key Text: Revelation 19:11-16 

The Conquering Christ, v11, is named Faithful and True because his victory is real and dependable. No matter how large, evil and painful the enemy becomes, Christ’s victory is sure! For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done, Mt. 16:27 & Rev. 20:12, Rev. 22:12, Psa. 62:12, Jer. 17:10.

The Crowned Christ, v12, here in Revelation is very similar to what Daniel saw, Dan. 10:1-21, (emp. v6). Daniel’s term “Son of Man” was used most by Jesus himself. Christ had to keep this vision of victory emphasized in his life, speech and ministry. The many ‘diadem’ crowns above his head, must represent the many kingdoms Christ conquers, they are innumerable, Rev. 11:15 & Heb. 4:13 & Jer. 23:34.

The Slaughtering Word of God, v13. His clothing being bloody, is indicative of how victorious he rules in comparison to Roman generals of his day. They often wore cloaks of purple or scarlet. John is the only writer that assigns Jesus to be the very word of God, Jn. 1:1-3,14 & Isa. 63:3 & Isa. 11:4 & Heb. 4:12.

The Warring Leader, v14-15, of an army that also sits on white horses. Our battle is spiritual, not physical, Eph. 6:12-17.  Why? Because now, since the resurrection, Satan’s chief tool is defeated, so the closer Jesus comes into our life and into the world, more and more of Satan’s devices are defeated, until eventually everything including death will be conquered, 1st Cor. 15:22-28.  Read Mt. 25:31, 2Ths. 1:7-9, Jude 14-15.

 The Sovereign King, v16. We are “to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time–he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,  who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.” 1Tm. 6:14-16. Pliny the Elder recorded in AD68 (Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 35. c. 9.), that Zeuxis had his name interwoven with gold into his garments on his thigh. Zeuxis was a general in the service of the Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great (223–187 BC). He was engaged in 221 BC in the war with Molon, general of Media, whom he prevented from crossing the Tigris. He also took a prominent part in the siege of Seleucia on the Tigris. In the decisive battle with the Romans in 190 BC, Zeuxis was one of the commanders of the front line, and after the defeat of Antiochus IV, was one of the ambassadors sent to Scipio Asiaticus and Scipio Africanus to seek a treaty for peace, on which mission he proceeded to Rome. Never forget the first readers of Revelation would have these events as easily known and remembered, as we do 9/11. To them, Jesus was their victorious General, now turned King !   Read Rev. 1:5 & 17:14.