But first, judgment…
Jeremiah 23: 1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.
We have seen plenty of that lately….
Jeremiah was active as a prophet for almost forty years, spanning the reign of five kings of Judah and up to and after the fall of Jerusalem.
[Jeremiah’s] prophecies, among the most stark and pessimistic in all of biblical literature, were aimed as a rebuke to Jews who had surrendered to idolatry and depravity. … Much of the Book of Jeremiah is a lengthy tirade against the people for their faithlessness and ominous warnings of the destruction to come if they do not mend their ways.
I read Biblical prophecies, especially those regarding rebuke and judgement, as equally valid for all generations as it was for the generation to which or for whom it was delivered. If God, speaking through His prophet, was against something in the sixth century before Christ, it seems reasonable to conclude He is against the same things today.
Jeremiah 22: 3 Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
God isn’t really asking much here – it certainly isn’t the Golden Rule. It can be summarized as the bare minimum of morality – enforce the non-aggression principle.
4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.
Loving one’s enemy is hard, but all God is asking of Judah is to not violate even one’s neighbor.
5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.
It is clear that Judah did not hear these words. It has been true for some time, that we in the West have not heard these either.
Jeremiah 22: 21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.
Has there been any civilization more blessed with prosperity than the West – and especially the United States? But the West has turned its back on the source of that prosperity. God is dead, as Nietzsche’s madman famously proclaimed, and not in triumph:
The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his eyes. "Whither is God?" he cried; "I will tell you. We have killed him -- you and I. All of us are his murderers.
The murderer of all murderers, the madman would go on to say.
Returning to Jeremiah, and his prophecy against Judah:
Jeremiah 23: 10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
11 For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.
They also killed God, even to bring their wickedness into His house. The rot can be seen from the prophets and the priests; thereafter, what can be expected of the flock in their care?
There comes a point – as it came for Judah and as appears to be the case for the West – where God basically no longer cares:
Jeremiah 23: 33 And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the Lord? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the Lord.
36 And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.
The burden of the Lord – other translations clarify this as the spoken word of the Lord. What is the spoken word of the Lord? The Lord answers – you will have nothing more of a spoken word from the Lord. You have perverted these words.
You know this feeling, when you have given up trying to work with or talk with someone. There is no point, they are going down the path that you know will lead to destruction, but there is nothing you can do about it.
When God decides to no longer speak to you, let’s just say that what follows is not something good:
Jeremiah 19: 15 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
It is the evil of the people, led by the priests and pastors, that causes such judgment to be brought down upon them. This should give no true prophet any comfort, however: Pashur, the son of Immer the priest, had Jeremiah beaten and put in the stocks for this prophecy.
We should expect no less for speaking the truth in the face of those who do not listen to God.
Conclusion
Jeremiah 23: 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
There was hope. However, this hope would come after the judgment. The remnant will be gathered out of all countries. Hence, first there would have to be a remnant scattered in all countries. The fall of Jerusalem would come before the gathering of the remnant.
We have this scattering to look forward to….
NB: I have borrowed the title from this post on Jeremiah.
The issue of collective judgment is closely linked to the matter of felt responsibility for the state of the world that you expressed in the previous post.
ReplyDeleteA lot of libertarians (I was one of them) condemn the Bible for being collectivist: Adam fell, so all his descendants bear the burden of sin; most of Judea turned their backs on God, so all of Judea was punished. It sounded egregiously wrong to my one-track NAP mind back in the day.
Since then, and especially after the recent opportunity to experience the madness of crowds firsthand, I've come to realize that collectives do indeed matter. No one can claim to be unaffected by the soil on which they grew. And no one can protest innocence of what's affecting the world all around them.
It kind of sucks that life isn't a single-player game, and that other players around you can affect your own outcome. I've always preferred that kind of game where I can quietly hone my skills without owing anyone anything. Unfortunately for me, that's not how the game of reality works. Society may be decentralized, but it's tightly connected nonetheless.
cosmic dwarf, the collective issue in Jeremiah and other prophets is that the nation was under the Mosaic covenant. That covenant was between the whole nation and God. The judgments come out of that specific covenant. They were also blessed out of that covenant.
DeleteIt also dealt with allowing Israel to live in the land. The ultimate punishment was to remove them. How do you do that but by force.
Also bear in mind, you find that there were those who weren't removed, Jeremiah being the most prominent case. God allowed him to remain due to his faithfulness. There were also a group of the poor that were allowed to remain. This shows up either at the end of Jeremiah or the end of 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings. They all describe the same time period.
https://thecrosssectionrmb.blogspot.com/
The me of 10 years ago replies: "I didn't sign that covenant! COLLECTIVISM!!!"
DeleteThe me of today is thankful for the references.
Cosmic and RMB, thank you both.
DeleteFortunately, some of the less guilty will not suffer - as much. But some of them will suffer tremendously. Through God's guidance and wisdom, I hope to be in the former group.
I've already become scattered.
ReplyDeleteI had to leave Canada for another continent. It saddens me but I had to realize that Canada has truly fallen. I'm powerless to stop it and I had to escape quickly, else I would become a prisoner of the coming gulag there.
Since the start of this nonsense I've talked to everyone I could about the coming tyranny, the 'vaccine' dangers, the evil that is clearly dominating the western world. Not one of my friends or extended family have listened to me and they've all taken the jab. I've also lost most of my friends. They have become vicious and nasty toward "anti-vaxxers" and I have had to remove them from my life as I choose my friends carefully, and they are anything but 'friends' now.
The most heartbreaking for me was my brother. I spoke with him daily from June 2020 to Feb. 2021. I shared the best articles and videos of the truth of this covid nonsense and he was 100% on board with me. He was resolute. "I am not taking the vaccine" he said. Then, one day on a Zoom call, he informed me, "I've taken the vaccine". He was the last one of my friends and family to fall to the evil tyranny and it was particularly tough for me. He is a religious man. Belongs to a church. Everyone at the church was vaxxed except him, including the pastor. What kind of pastor is this, one who will lead his sheep to slaughter?
I'm not a religious person and I tend to steer well clear of bible thumpers. You can easily be in a church and never know God. Not one of those church people had the strength to resist this pervasive evil. How is it that I, a simple man with a simple spiritual understanding, have been spared when so many have fallen? I am truly blessed to be given the strength and understanding to stand alone, at a time when I need people more than ever. God has truly blessed me and for that I am grateful.
If I survive the coming apocalypse, I hope to become 'unscattered' and perhaps join a community of like-minded people.
It is difficult to do, but it is possible to find a church led by a properly godly man. I encourage you to do so, as community will be important in the coming days.
DeleteCanadian Refugee, there are some good replies to your post below. Please take a look.
DeleteCanadian
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when only seven thousand of the worlds population had not bowed to the devil. I don't believe anyone knows how many people lived at that time. Probably a lot. Millions maybe, or many more than that?
I can imagine that you have wondered how many there are today. I have and continually do search for them. I am hoping that I find one, or some. "one of a city, two of a kindred..." comes to mind.
I certainly have feelings for you and the spot you are in. It can get lonely until you remember that the Lord knows and He is in control. Patience can be a hard thing to keep.
Don't ever give up because God and His Kingdom is all there is. I hope you get to read this.
roger
Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17) As a pastor, we pastors, have failed miserably and compromised almost completely. As Bionic says, it is possible to find the exception, but you have to search diligently. I feel your frustration (even disgust) CR. I have tried over the years, as I pursued Truth, to teach it .. only to find as Jeremiah and you did, strong resistance. Pursuing and following Truth is very costly and requires tremendous courage. Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher of the past century, said that most people seek affluence and personal peace. As long as I have what I want, who cares. We are all going to care soon. God knows how to deliver the remnant through the fire. Hold on.
ReplyDeleteJesus said, "I will build my church AND the gates of hell will not prevail against it."
ReplyDeleteTwo things.
1. If we believe this to be true, then we must also believe that some of us, at the very least, will make it through the mess we are now in and be able to pick up the pieces on the other side. If this is true, there will always be someone, a remnant, left after the carnage and devastation who can start again. No guarantees as to who that will be. That is above my pay grade.
Of course, this is all a matter of belief. I choose to believe because the alternative is unthinkable.
2. The phrase, the gates of Hell, as expressed in this promise, does not mean that Christians are on the defensive and must try to hold on until the White Knight on a steed arrives to rescue them. Rather, the imagery shows Hell as being under siege by the Church, which will not be denied a victory...if we do our part.
We must believe that we are victorious in His Name and that we can and will exercise godly authority on Earth, in time and in history, over the evil which is so prevalent today. This will require an enormous mental shift in thinking on the part of so many Christians today whose faith is purely spiritual, but have nothing to say about the conditions of the world today.
I am completely confident that my God and Savior, Jesus the Christ, is totally able and willing to do what is necessary to overcome all His enemies. I am absolutely certain of this and, therefore, am willing to do what I can to make it happen. Even if I die before I see a victory does not matter. All that is necessary is that I know what I have to do...and carry out my orders.
May He and His kingdom be blessed forever. May I be a part of that. May I hear the words, "Well done!", when I see Him face to face.
Roger, this is very good. I will only add / comment on a couple of things:
Delete1) The remnant that gets to the other side might be our children or grandchildren, not us. So proper care must be taken with these.
2) Your point on the gates of hell is sound. The gates defend against a siege. We were not told that the gates of heaven would withstand the attack.
It is the Christians that are (should be) on the front foot, not in defense.
BM
DeleteI'm not trying to start a fight, but what is your take on Christ's Kingdom "not of this world". All I ever hear is "Peaceful Protest".
Do thinking people honestly believe that the Thugs and Criminals will willingly walk away from their control and just quit if enough people say no?
And yet Christ says that His servants will not fight for "this world". This Physical kingdom.
roger
Roger, the best I can describe it...and a very recent experience for me:
DeleteI recently attended an Eastern Orthodox service. In the church, on the ceiling of the dome, was Christ Pantocrator - Christ almighty or all-powerful.
All around the church, from ceiling to floor - icons: Old Testament prophets, the Gospel writers, the disciples and the Apostle Paul, saints from the day of Pentecost. Maybe a hundred icons.
Then two or three hundred parishioners.
This is an image of Christ's Kingdom. Is it of this world? Not exactly, as it includes both those who are no longer in this world and those who are.
"Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
This verse works if the picture I described in that Orthodox Church is to mean anything.
Now, part two....there are some Protestant denominations that are pacifist throughout, even regarding self-defense. I don't see things this way, as I have written before. It isn't a question of using the sword to bring on or protect Christ's Kingdom (it is for this that Peter was stopped), it is a question of loving my neighbor if my neighbor comes under unjustified attack.
A good example is Charles Martel at Tours, turning back the Muslim invaders who, by then, had reached into France.
In some ways, it is a different attack we face - much of it not direct physical violence (although with the jab, this has clearly changed). And this is where I see Christian leaders failing. Start by speaking truth to power, instead of aligning one's self with Satan.
When will the time come for physical confrontation? I cannot speak for others, but it may come. If we get to the point of jab or no job, jab or no food, jab or no bank account, it will happen.
Unfortunately, all of this was avoidable if one year ago in March, Christian leaders said, "No. We are staying open."
BM
DeleteThanks for that reply. I had not thought about the incident of Peter and the sword in that way.
I think how exciting it will be for those still here when He does return. And then I have to imagine how it will be to go through all that will go on before that day comes. I'm 82 and don't know how much longer it will be, but at the rate things are moving now, that temple could get built at any time.
From all I have read and heard about these "shots", to me it would like asult with a deadly weapon in which case I would want to defend myself against it.
There's no question when it comes to God being Just. His final judgement on everyone and everything will be exactly as it should be and who can question it?
As to all this being avoidable? I don't disagree that maybe it could have been avoided, but I have a real hard time with the Christian leaders part.
I don't disagree with you about those aligning themselves with Satan. But if those you refer to as Christian leaders are being led by the Spirit of God? I have a real hard time with that. I know that you know that no man can serve two masters.
I've only met one pastor who would not align himself or his church with the infamous 501c-3 bondage. So I have to think, where are our Christian leaders now? Those Watchmen on the walls?
I could go on and on with this but I've said enough for now.
Again, thank you for your reply. It has some good stuff to chew on.
roger
“Gates of Hell” could also be called “the council of death”, since the leaders of a town conducted their business at the gates.
ReplyDelete