A pause for thought...

When Jesus went to the Synagogue to tell them... ahem.... "I'm Messiah," there is a breathtaking incident that many miss in the text.  Firstly we must understand that there were no Bible chapters or verses in the scroll that Jesus read out, they were brought in about 1500 years after Jesus spoke the words.  Quoting Isaiah 61 Jesus informs them that what he said is fulfilled in their hearing meaning he was saying Messiah is here in front of you.  What is amazing about this passage is Jesus only quoted the first part of the text. 

 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me;
because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

Jesus stopped right there and sat down!  It is the most incredible pause in history because the rest pertains to his second coming!  This is what his first coming was to fulfill and the rest his second coming.  Because Israel rejected Messiah, the Gentiles were grafted into the Covenant God has with Israel.  Two thousand plus years later and we are all waiting for this...

 and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all that mourn;
3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Ill let you read the rest.  Jesus didn't say this because that was not pertaining to his first coming.  This prophecy is about Israel (and indeed the whole world) who have to endure the Wrath of God in the Tribulation so they can recognize Yeshua Hameshiac - that Jesus is the Messiah.  

This pause phenomena also occurs in Daniel Chapter 9*.  The Angel is giving Daniel time spans to inform us in the last days what to expect.  The first time span is fulfilled to the day when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey.  We can also measure the seven year period between the rapture and his second coming.  However the time we are in... the time of the Gentiles in between these times is not shared with us.  Even the Millennial reign of Christ is given us... 1000 years.  So God's program is clear from Scripture ... we just have to daily walk with the Lord in repentance and faith waiting for the glorious appearing of the Lord.  

Come Lord Jesus!

Gary Ward

*This is a big study for another time

Scripture used in this blog

Daniel 9

Luke 4

Isaiah 61