I fell for the September 2015 prophecies on YouTube that Jesus would return or the great tribulation would begin. So I interrupted my regular study cycle and focused exclusively on my Romans study for a time. Be that as it may I never thought I would return to continue this study. But as I read, especially the New York Times article, about the capital of the Islamic State I was reminded of my own thoughts about the thousand years.
About forty years ago I expected the millennial reign of Jesus Christ to look a lot like Raqa, Syria looks today—all over the planet. I thought justice was punishment. I thought Jesus would return to earth as a righteous, omniscient Judge who regarded anger and lust as murder and adultery, both capital offenses. I had heard of Jimmy Carter’s Playboy confession:
“I try not to commit a deliberate sin. I recognize that I’m going to do it anyhow, because I’m human and I’m tempted. And Christ set some almost impossible standards for us. Christ said, ‘I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.’
“I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do–and I have done it–and God forgives me for it.”
And I heard the scandalized reactions of my people to his confession. It is a major reason I pursued the woman who became my first wife. I’m better when I can focus my sexual energies on one woman.
President Carter had much more confidence in Jesus’ forgiveness than I did (Hebrews 10:26, 27 NASB):
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.
I reasoned that mass executions would be a daily ritual in the millennium, at least until all of the people like me were exterminated (or raptured?). Confronted by that memory I looked up “reign of Christ” online and found an article by John F. Walvoord.
John in his vision in Revelation does not occupy himself with the details of the millennial kingdom but only with the fact and duration of it. The character of Christ’s reign on earth is fully described in many Old Testament passages such as Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:4-9; Psalm 72, and many others.
Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. In the future the mountain of the Lord’s (yehôvâh, יהוה) temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills.[1] The words translated future are ʼachărı̂yth (באחרית) yôm (הימים) in Hebrew or ἐσχάταις (a form of ἔσχατος) ἡμέραις (a form of ἡμέρα) in the Septuagint in Greek. At present Mount Zion is 2,510 feet high and Mount Everest is 29, 029 feet tall.
Perhaps Zion’s prominence is more spiritual than literal: All the nations will stream to [the mountain of the Lord’s (yehôvâh, יהוה) temple], many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s (yehôvih, יהוה) mountain, to the temple of the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards.” For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; the Lord (yehôvih, יהוה) will issue edicts from Jerusalem.[2] Or perhaps the ʼachărı̂yth yôm or ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις comes to pass after another prophesied event (Revelation 16:17-20 NET):
Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” Then there were flashes of lightning, roaring, and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake – an earthquake unequaled since humanity has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed…Every island fled away and no mountains could be found.
He [yehôvih] will judge disputes between nations, Isaiah’s prophecy continued, he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war. O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the Lord’s (yehôvâh, יהוה) guiding light.[3]
A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock, Isaiah prophesied, a bud will sprout from his roots. The Lord’s spirit (rûach yehôvâh, רוח יהוה) will rest on him – a spirit (rûach, רוח) that gives extraordinary wisdom, a spirit (rûach, רוח) that provides the ability to execute plans, a spirit (rûach, רוח) that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה). He will take delight in obeying the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה). He will not judge by mere appearances, or make decisions on the basis of hearsay. He will treat the poor fairly, and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth.[4]
I’m being a bit subversive quoting the first three verses of this chapter. My people believe they apply to Jesus’ first appearance on earth. Only verses 4-9 apply to the thousand years. My only point is that it is difficult to make that distinction in this passage alone, except perhaps for the next part of verse 4: He will strike the earth with the rod (shêbeṭ, בשבט) of his mouth, and order the wicked to be executed.[5] And that brings me back to Raqa, Syria:
It’s called Heaven Square, but after the Islamic State group started using the roundabout in Raqa for gruesome public executions it earned a new name: Hell Square.
In the year since the jihadist group announced its “caliphate” last June, its de facto Syrian capital of Raqa has been transformed into a macabre metropolis.
Human heads are displayed on spikes at the central roundabout and crucified bodies hang for days to terrorise local residents, said Abu Ibrahim Raqqawi, a Raqa resident and anti-IS activist.“From the first moment of its control over Raqa, IS adopted a policy of horror and terror, resorting to executions, beheadings, cutting off hands and legs, and crucifixion,” said Raqqawi, who uses a pseudonym…
It touts the implementation of its version of Islam, with life coming to a halt five times every day for prayers and all residents required to declare their assets and pay “zakat”, Islamic alms.
It also revels in meting out punishments for crimes ranging from collaboration with Syria’s regime and theft to “witchcraft” and homosexuality.
The group regularly carries out beheadings, but also stones victims to death or throws them from building tops.
I’m not particularly concerned with cosmetics here. Whether Jesus orders the wicked to be executed in “gruesome public executions,” or secretly in concentration camps or antiseptic hospitals, is immaterial. What concerns me is whether this is the Justice [that] will be like a belt around his waist, the integrity [that] will be like a belt around his hips.[6] Consider by contrast the impact of his presence on animals (Isaiah 11:6-9a NET):
A wolf will reside with a lamb, and a leopard will lie down with a young goat; an ox and a young lion will graze together, as a small child leads them along. A cow and a bear will graze together, their young will lie down together. A lion, like an ox, will eat straw. A baby will play over the hole of a snake; over the nest of a serpent an infant will put his hand. They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain.
Why? For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s (yehôvih, יהוה) sovereignty, just as the waters completely cover the sea.[7] To order the wicked to be executed sounds strangely incongruous to me. But I’m biased. I’m not an ancient widow descended from Israel, plagued by an adversary and an unrighteous judge. I’m an old white American male, one of the most privileged people on the planet.
So, “my persistent prayer for justice is for the mercy on which everything depends, for it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on [You] who shows mercy (ἐλεῶντος, a form of ἐλεέω),[8] and, [You have] consigned all people to disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, a form of ἀπείθεια) so that [You] may show mercy (ἐλεήσῃ, another form of ἐλεέω) to them all.”[9]
I don’t believe I am, or have been, free to disregard his mercy. I can see how those who believe they are free to disregard it, but have not, could distinguish themselves from those who do not yet rely on his mercy, and approve of their deaths. I did, too, when I believed in that freedom. Now when I realize that the words translated order are rûach śâphâh (וברוח שׁפתיו; “wind” or “breath of the lip,” or “spirit of the language” or “speech”) I wonder if Jesus is returning to order the wicked to be executed or to preach the Gospel to them—very effectively. Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?[10]
The Septuagint reads: καὶ πατάξει γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ; “and he shall strike the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the breath through his lips he shall do away with the impious.”[11] To realize that the rabbis translated the wicked (râshâʽ, רשע) ἀσεβῆ (a form of ἀσεβής) led me inexorably to, But to the one who does not work, but believes (πιστεύοντι, a form of πιστεύω) in the one who declares the ungodly (ἀσεβῆ) righteous, his faith (πίστις) is credited as righteousness.[12]
I believe in the one who declares the ungodly (ἀσεβῆ) righteous; again, my bias. I don’t know when to believe He ceases to be the one who declares the ungodly (ἀσεβῆ) righteous. I don’t know how to stop believing He is the one who declares the ungodly (ἀσεβῆ) righteous, as long as He fills me with the faithfulness (πίστις) of the fruit of his Spirit. If we live by the Spirit (πνεύματι, a form of πνεῦμα), let us also behave in accordance (στοιχῶμεν, a form of στοιχέω) with the Spirit (πνεύματι, a form of πνεῦμα).[13]
Given my bias I’ll look into the meaning of râshâʽ next, just who the wicked are.
Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 10
Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 11
Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 12
[8] Romans 9:16 (NET) Table
[11] http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/33-esaias-nets.pdf