(2) The Fall Brought Chaos Back Into Creation
(3) The Kingdom: God’s Plan to Restore Peace to the World
(4) Jesus Was Sent for This Purpose
(5) What is the Kingdom?
(6) Patterns of the Kingdom in Scripture
- The Garden of Eden
- The Wilderness
- The Promised Land
- The Kingdom of Solomon
(7) The Days of the Apostles The Life and Ministry of Jesus
(8) Attributes of the Kingdom
- Prosperity and Joy
- Peace
- Righteousness
- Holiness (Part - 11)
- Knowledge of the LORD
(9) The Millenium Kingdom
(10) The Believer’s Responsibility to Progress the Kingdom
ATTRIBUTES OF THE KINGDOM: Holiness
“It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy — everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.” (Isa 4:3)
“In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the LORD'S house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day.” (Zech 14:20-21)
In the days of the fullness of the kingdom, the entire city of Jerusalem, not just the temple, will become “holy to the LORD.” This is indicated by the fact that “bells of the horses” are holy, which means the horses are holy, along with "every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah." The city is made holy, “When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,” (Isa 4:4). If everyone and everything in Jerusalem is “holy,” there can be no suffering or pain, which implies no death. The residents of Jerusalem must be the resurrected saints, as it says of those remains in Jerusalem, “everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem,” (Isa 4:3).
“Holiness” means “sanctification,” to be set apart for a specific purpose. Believers are called to “be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44), a phrase that predominately appears in the Book of Leviticus because the priests served in the temple. The priests become an example for believers and a pattern for the kingdom, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified,” (1 Thes 4:3).
“Therefore, ‘Come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the LORD. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you,” (2 Cor 6:17).
A condition of holiness was the only condition that a person could approach the throne of God in His earthly temple. As such, the holy can not be interwoven with the common or unclean things (a metaphor for sinful acts) of this world. The New Jerusalem is described as a place where “nothing unclean, and no one who practices abominations and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life,” (Rev 21:27).
Zechariah comes very close to describing the New Jerusalem, “there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security,” (Zech 14:11). However, this Jerusalem will rise from the earth (Zech 14:10)(Isa 2:2), as contrasted with the New Jerusalem of John’s vision that is seen “coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God,” (Rev 21:10).
Whereas the New Jerusalem has “the glory of God,” the existing Jerusalem must be “washed” and “purged…by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning.” The prophesies of Isaiah and Zechariah speak of people “who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem (in war),” (Zech 14:16). These people will go up to Jerusalem every year “to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.” If the people of a nation fail to come up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths (Sukkot), they will have no rain.
It seems fitting to thank the LORD Who sent rain last night (7/18/12) in Indiana to save the crops in answer to Rich's prayer at Church.
(to be continued - Scott)
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