“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. So, I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “TO MEASURE JERUSALEM, to see how wide it is and how long it is…For the LORD of armies says this: “After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, TOUCHES THE APPLE OF HIS (God’s) EYE…the LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and WILL AGAIN CHOOSE JERUSALEM.” (Zechariah 2:1-2,8,12)
“The LORD did not make you His beloved nor choose you because you were greater in number than any of the peoples, since you were the fewest of all peoples, but because THE LORD LOVED YOU AND KEPT THE OATH WHICH HE SWORE TO YOUR FOREFATHERS, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)
It all began with Abraham, “God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and OFFER HIM THERE as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” (Genesis 22:1-2) This mountain was the same mountain that Jesus was crucified on. So, Abraham obeyed the Lord knowing that even if he killed his son, God could raise him up. “And Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son…the angel of the LORD called to him, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, for now I know that you fear God, since YOU HAVE NOT WITHHELD YOUR SON, FROM ME.” (Genesis 22:10-12)
God said to Abraham, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, indeed I will GREATLY BLESS YOU, and I will greatly MULTIPLY YOUR SEED as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. “And IN YOUR SEED ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:16-18) The writer of Hebrews divinely expresses like this, “…when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will BLESS YOU AND MULTIPLY YOU.” So when God desired to show the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two UNCHANGEABLE THINGS, in which it is IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, we might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:13-18)
Where on earth is Jesus going to touch down? “On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives THAT LIES BEFORE JERUSALEM on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.” (Zechariah 14:4) Guess who will be with Him? “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called FAITHFUL and TRUE (that’s Jesus), and THE ARMIES OF HEAVEN, ARRAYED IN FINE LINEN (that’s us), white and pure, were following Him on white horses.” (Revelation 19:11-14)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham