| << | Contents | >> |
Articles 2021-2023
The Lord knows how to make His name known. In the days of Moses, the surrounding nations became fearful when they heard how God had delivered His people from the power of Egypt.
Then many years later, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would also judge the city of Babylon.
O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. For You have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin; a palace of strangers is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt. Therefore, a strong people will glorify You; cities of ruthless nations will revere You.
Again, people would fear Him because of His judgments. And He held forth the promise that because of those judgments, all will ultimately see that – the song of the ruthless is silenced (Isaiah 25:5). God had definite plans for the earth and specifically for tyrants.
And He had a strategy to achieve His goal – He would invite the world to a feast.
The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish (Hebrew, SHEMEN) banquet for all peoples on this mountain (i.e., Mount Zion – see Isaiah 24:23); a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine.
Notice that Heaven’s invitation would go out to all peoples and that the feast would be held on Mount Zion. In the New Testament, this mountain is one that cannot be touched, i.e., it is not a physical but a spiritual mountain. It is where the Lord, His Church and myriads of angels are found (Hebrews 12:18 - 24). And today it is worldwide. So, the gathering of Christ’s Church among the nations is to be a spiritual feast, a banquet.
It is interesting that the Hebrew word SHEMEN in the above verse is the same word found in Exodus 30:25 referring to the holy anointing oil. So, we could say that we are to feast on Heaven’s oil – the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and then we are to feast on refined, aged wine – the presence, power, and joy of the Holy Spirit. To put it another way, God has invited us to come and to partake of Him, to feast on His presence.
While we should continue praying that God would send forth from heaven the new wine of fresh visitation of His Spirit, the feast Isaiah referred to in Zion is of aged wine. And Jesus had something to say about old wine. After teaching that new wine requires fresh wineskins – hearts that are pliable, flexible, and tender, He then made a startling statement.
And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, “The old is good enough.”
After tasting the aged wine, no one wants the new (at least not immediately according to the NKJV). And yet we know that we must pray for it to come. But then when it does come, nobody wants it. What? The point is that the only reason people do actually move into fresh visitations of the Holy Spirit is because God has had mercy on them. Left to themselves, nobody would embrace Him in the new expressions of His presence. You might think, “Not me. I’m given to prayer. I would immediately recognize and welcome God’s work.” But Jesus said, “No one”. This thought should have a humbling effect on all of us.
And it should also cause us to be thankful. If we do get involved in fresh visitation, let us appreciate God’s mercy and recognize that pride toward others who are not participating makes no sense. Again, we are not involved because we are somehow more spiritual or theologically wise than others. Our only qualification is that God has had mercy on us.
As for me, I love the old wine of the Charismatic renewal. I have been involved with the Lord and enjoying His presence since 1971. When I look back and remember how He arose among the nations in those days, it brings great joy to my heart. So many were saved, healed, and filled with His presence. In those days, He called me to teach His word and then opened doors for me to do so in many places. What a privilege.
Then in the 1990s, He touched me deeply in the visitation that became known as the Toronto Blessing. In those days He brought me to a new depth of worship that I had not known before.
Again, I love what God is presently doing in my life as I at the same time look back with thanksgiving for the outpourings of the Holy Spirit in my past. Yet I know there is more to come. And so, I pray.
So, if we are partaking of Christ at this feast on Mount Zion, what is God eating?
And on this mountain He will swallow up (Hebrew, BALA – to gulp down, to consume) the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched (Hebrew, NASAK – woven) over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time.
When Isaiah prophesied this word, the veil of death was stretched over the whole earth. Spiritual darkness was everywhere. The fact that it was woven reveals that there was a thought–out strategy by God’s enemy to hold the nations in the grip of spiritual death. God’s answer was the cross. …that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil… (Hebrews 2:14 NKJV).
Calvary was the beginning of Satan’s destruction. If he had understood God’s wisdom, revealed at the cross, he would not have been involved in crucifying the Lord of glory (1Corinthians 2:6 - 8). But once the power of sin was broken and thousands began coming to Heaven’s feast, God arose and began swallowing up the woven veil of death. When we compare with today the days of Isaiah when the planet was shrouded simply everywhere in death, the change is remarkable. Today, millions over the whole earth are saved and filled with God’s Spirit and attend Heaven’s feast. Spiritual illumination has broken into many cultures of the nations. And God’s word is preached in regions that we could say are in the ends of the earth when compared to Israel.
Not only that, God has released intellectual illumination among the nations. Think of the many medical advances and other scientific insights that have so benefited mankind. While the world will simply point to science and applaud the institutions of education, the Lord is the one who turned on the lights in peoples’ minds and allowed them to discover wonderful things in His creation. As a result, they really should turn their faces upward and thank Him.
Then, think of artists. They should thank the Lord that He allowed them to see something in their minds so that they could then attack the canvas with paint and express what they saw. Similarly, God allows musicians to see in their thoughts the notes to be played and then enables them to coordinate mind and body to communicate them. The truth is, everyone should thank the Lord for whatever light there is among the nations. After all, He is the Father of lights (James 1:17). Personally, when it is hot and humid, I thank Him regularly that He gave someone insight on how to invent air conditioning! 😀)
And yet the spiritual darkness is still great among the nations. And we know that death will not be finally defeated until the day of Christ’s return (1Corinthians 15:54). So, we must continue attending God’s banquet. It is not enough to simply go to meetings, sing songs, and listen to Bible teaching. We must gather to Him. He is the bread of heaven. He is the only food that satisfies the longing/the hunger of the human soul. To the degree that we settle for an outward form of Christianity without partaking of Christ our necessary spiritual sustenance, we have not actually come to the mountain of feasting where His people feed on Him and He feeds on the woven veil of death.
The hope for the nations is not in the various governmental strategies to unify mankind and to heal the planet. Into what can they gain insight if God does not open their eyes to see what needs to happen? And how will they see if God does not arise to consume the veil of death smothering their souls? In this article we are considering two foundational elements of Heaven’s strategy to address this problem. 1) Those who are called must attend the feast. 2) As they do, He promises to arise and swallow up the veil of death.
Again, we know that death will not be finally destroyed until Christ returns i.e., it is not that the whole world will be saved. But we must respond to Heaven’s summons, and in our own generation, see more ground taken against the pervasive darkness. Don’t be discouraged at the spiritual opposition that the enemy throws at us to hinder us. This feast is an act of war; it is a table prepared for us in the midst of our enemies (Psalm 23:5).
As we gather to Him, …the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces (Isaiah 25:8). Here is His personal touch for us at the feast when we are struggling and experiencing mourning. And to top it all off, let us take heart that He has assured us of ultimate victory in the war.
He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
Donald Rumble – August 2022
Search Comments
This page has been visited 0082 times.
| << | Contents | >> |
1 Name : Theresa Swartz Click to compress comments
Subject: August teaching
Time : 2022-08-04 08:24:26
Praise the Lord, I am encouraged by this teaching and humbled by the knowledge you have of His Word. Psalm 23:5-just what is on that table (war table in the presence of my enemies) ? Courage, steadfastness, strengthen faith...praise God for a teacher to stir up the search. May you also be encouraged.
10 per page