Posted on 01/04/2015 3:28:14 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law…
… And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:25-38)
Most of the worshippers who crowded the temple on that day when the infant Jesus was dedicated and the service of purification was performed for Mary, had no idea that on that day the scripture was fulfilled, that “The Lord whom you seek shall come suddenly to His temple …”.
There was no way other than a revelation from God himself, to discern in the poor couple squeezing through the crowds with a swaddling babe in their arms and the poor person’s offering of two turtle-doves; that it was the Messiah himself that they held in their arms. Flesh and blood could not reveal this mystery but, the Father in heaven did to those who were ready and had ears to hear.
Simeon was an aged man whose life embodied those qualities which exemplified the pure and simple piety of the true remnant of Israel. He feared God, and was just towards all men, and longed expectantly for the hope of the promise to Israel. The 25th Psalm proclaims, that “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him…”, and true to his word God shared a secret with Simeon.
Simeon was told that He would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
As Simeon passed through the temple on that day, He saw Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in their arms. Quickened by the Holy Spirit, the aged man began to prophesy, as he took the child up in his own arms.
* Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation … Jesus takes the sting out of death; seeing him who had come to die for us, allowed the aged saint to pray to “depart in peace”, having seen God’s salvation.
* Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; Jesus would either make or break all of Israel, depending on her response to Him. He would be a stumbling stone, a contradiction, even a crisis to the nation. The nation will be divided by him, neutrality towards him would be an impossibility.
The remnant of Israel who would recognize in him, the salvation of God, and consequently would fall upon him in humble faith and dependence, would be saved. Those who would reject him would one day be crushed at his second coming, thus utterly and eternally destroyed.
* (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) The effects of His coming would be personal as well as national. No one would be exempt from having to take a side, not even Mary and Joseph. The coming of Jesus would run a dividing line straight through the heart of every man.
* … that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. The truth about every individual’s inner disposition towards God would be revealed by the coming and ministry of this child. The effect of the life of Jesus would be to strip away the mask of both good and evil. Those who truly love God will be drawn to Jesus, and inevitably will accept Him as Immanuel, God with us, in the flesh.
Those who only pretend to be pious and devoted will be exposed as frauds for they will either reject Jesus or seek to redefine Him to fit their own (false) self-serving ideas of what God is like. In this way the child would be like a touchstone, a revealer of motives and true intent.
The child would indeed provoke an incredibly intense and lasting strife between good and evil, in the soul of everyman, and throughout the world until the end of time. The nearer Jesus comes to the heart the more conscious one is of his own guilt. Either a person will be compelled to seek God’s forgiveness or to reject God entirely. Either way a person is never the same after encountering this child.
Simeon wasn’t alone, for out of the mouth of two witnesses let all be confirmed.
There was a widow named Anna who made the temple her constant refuge. She had only been married for seven years, when she was widowed and was 84 years old at this time. She too recognized the LORD in the lowly infant, and spoke of Him to all who would listen, awaiting the consolation of Israel.
Amazing how Mary and Jesus did not seem to mind Simeon picking up baby Jesus. The same Holy Spirit who told Simeon he would see the Messiah, and who let Mary and Joseph know Simeon was no threat, is at work today in the lives of those who love Jesus.
Thank you for this passage, love it. I have always interpreted part of Christ’s coming has to do with how “the thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed” to mean that the Holy Spirit reveals the secrets of many hearts... i.e. it is a prophetic function/unction.
Do you interpret Simeon’s idea as an indicator of the small “p” prophetic gifts in the New Covenant?
And Pastor B., was reading last night in Jeremiah 14 how the Lord says that false prophets who prophesy peace when the Lord will bring a sword will die by the sword... reminded me of the Kansas City IHOP/NAR people.
Jeremiah 14:14-15
And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name.
I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—‘By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!
True and well put.
It’s interesting how the name of Jesus can evoke such reaction in people.
It was until you brought it up.
Thanks for polluting the thread by bringing it up.
I Corinthians 14, in discussing a church with full functin of the gifts, says, “The secrets of mens hearts will be revealed”. There is a similarity, but Simeon was prpophesying of the effect of Jesus upon all men, their reacion to him will reveal all that is hidden in them. BTW I wrote a book about the NAR and IHOP false prophets. It is called Beware the NEw Prophets and is currently being updated o discuss the heretical teachings of Bill Johnson
Is there any connection between this post and the topic of transubstantiation?
Those of use who challenge that doctrine are not “denigrating” transubstantiation but the wrong doctrine being described by that term. We do not believe transubstantiation exists as Catholics teach it. We do however believe in a “transubstantiation” of our mortal bodies into members of Christ’s body by the Holy Spirit. In that sense, everything a member of the body of Christ eats is potentially “transubstantiated” into His body, which is the church.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Believers’ bodies are literally parts of Christ’s body. But Catholic doctrine has it backwards. It is those indwelt by the Holy Spirit who sanctify the bread of communion rather than the bread of communion sanctifying them.
Those who advocate the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation are the same ones who violate Paul’s teaching to “discern the Lord’s body”.
1 Corinthians 11:29
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Ephesians 5:30
For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
Discerning the Lord’s body includes both the recognition that Christ died bodily on the cross AND also that through the Holy Spirit, believers have been transformed into His body, the church.
But Catholic doctrine denies that believers are the Church. They teach that a hierarchical system leading up to Rome is the Church, as if believers themselves are something distinct from the true Church of God. THEREFORE, Catholicism, by advocating against the true Church and the Biblical definition of it, fails to “discern the body of Christ” and is guilty of the severe offense Paul warned against in 1 Corinthians 11.
I hope it’s proof-read...
Dear Pastor Bill: I know re: your books, thanks again.
Bill Johnson — good. How about Cindy Jacobs and Patricia King? I was witness to some of how the Lord dealt with Jill Austin after she endorsed Todd Bentley and died (her intestines burst ala King Herod — very scary). Austin was the “spiritual daughter” of Cindy Jacobs and really “bowed down” to her NAR elitism and false prophetic crazy and caused a lot of damage to the faith of young people desperate for the Gospel.
The thing that most people don’t understand is these NAR people pass themselves off like Old Testament prophets — which we have no need for under the New Covenant — and then they make money off these non Biblical “prophetic ministries”. What travesty. Paul tells us that all of us “should be ambitious to prophesy”.
“Jeremiah 14 how the Lord says that false prophets who prophesy peace when the Lord will bring a sword will die by the sword...”
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Jeremiah is writing about the impending fall of Jerusalem to the armies of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. The false prophets mentioned here are those who were telling the king and the people that no such invasion would occur: that they would continue to enjoy peace in their lifetime.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
LOL, sorry I was in a big hury, but the books are proofed- thanks
I know. And for us today, we don’t want to be like those who did not heed Jeremiah’s warnings, those on whom “God will send strong delusion” because “they no longer loved the truth”.
“And for us today, we don’t want to be like those who did not heed Jeremiah’s warnings...”
The point is, Jeremiah’s warnings are not for us today. They never were.
Jeremiah’s warnings about false prophets and ancient Babylon are as relevant for us today as Christ’s warnings about false prophets and mystery Babylon are relevant today.
“Jeremiah’s warnings about false prophets and ancient Babylon are as relevant for us today as Christ’s warnings about false prophets and mystery Babylon are relevant today.”
No, they are not, and continuing to repeat this falsehood is destroying the church, as no one takes it seriously anymore.
How many Harold Campings, Hal Lindseys, Jack van Impes, and Tim LaHayes are going to have to be wrong before people wake up to the truth: the church has been wrong about apostolic eschatology for a very long time, and needs to repent of the fraud its perpetrating on people.
(It is precisely that type of thinking, that the Book of Revelation is "too hard" that no one believes anymore, that no American in the Age of Obama can dare believe anymore...)
Or are you saying we are not supposed to study the Old Testament in a manner that gives perspective on our faith under the New Covenant?
If I had to guess, I'd say the "church damaging" men you mentioned were freemasons like the founders of the N.A.R., Oral Roberts, Paul Cain, Rick Joyner and even earlier, William Branham, who was into all that masonic Egyptian whacked thinking and who damaged the faith of many with his false healings and false prophecies.)
You really should get Pastor Randles' books, they are primers on the NAR.
“Or are you saying we are not supposed to study the Old Testament in a manner that gives perspective on our faith under the New Covenant?”
I’m saying that to read and understand both testaments correctly will lead one to concluded that everything in the Bible has been fulfilled in the past: whether it’s the false prophets in Jeremiah’s time misleading the people about Jerusalem’s impending judgment via the Babylonians in 586 BC, or Christ’s prophecies of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans in 70 AD.
Everything has been fulfilled and there is no eschatology that applies to us. None. What was future to Paul, the other apostles, and the first century church is 2,000 year-old history to us!
If there are false prophets today, they travel and preach under the name of “futurism”, and try to control and manipulate people through fear and false hope!
Is that what you believe? Are you a Christian or a Freemason?
Here’s a few unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible — off the top of my head:
The coming one world government, the one world currency, the one world religion, the coming Great Apostasy, The Second Coming of our Lord, the New Earth, the False Prophet, the Abomination of desolation, etc., etc. etc.
How do you explain what the Lord says when He prophetically lamented:
“When the Son of man returns to the earth, will He still find faith”?
Here’s more unfulfilled prophecies. Google around. This took five seconds.
http://www.end-times-bible-prophecy.com/bible-prophecy.html
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