091101

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Isaiah 25v6-9        The Banquet on the Lord’s Mountain.

Rev 21v1-6a                   The new Jerusalem

John 11v32-44                       Jesus raises Lazarus

The Assurance of things to come.

1.     v6. On this Mountain, (Mount Zion, / Jerusalem) which is where Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice, where the temple sacrifices happened and where God offered Jesus as a sacrifice. Isaiah 2v2-4 The Mountain of the Lord.

2.     v6. The Feast is the Lord’s banquet. A Wedding banquet where the Groom (Jesus) marries the bride (the church). Rev 19v9 The wedding supper of the Lamb

3.     v7. The Shroud is the veil covering the face of the mourner in death.

v7. “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations”.

It is also the curtain covering the entrance to the holy of holy’s in the temple, that was torn in two at the death of Jesus. Matthew 15v38.

It represented the separation of God and sinful man.

2 Corin 3v14. Only in Christ is it taken away. V16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away.

Hebrews 10v19-20. Jesus has opened for us a new and living way through the curtain, his body. 6v19.  (Hebrews 9v1-end. For further reading)

4.     v6. For all peoples. God’s intention to include the Gentiles.

Isaiah 49v6. “….That you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

On this mountain then, God is bringing all these things together, He is dealing with the separation of man’s sin. He is reconciling man to himself. He is creating a New Jerusalem, where man and God live happily in relationship together.

Some say there is still a further fulfilment where we will indeed live in a physical New Jerusalem with God, in a new creation at the end of the world, the end of time.

Other’s say this has already happened in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is already upon us for those who believe and live in Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is the deposit, says Paul, the guarantee of what is to come. 2 Cor 1v22. 5v5 (5v1-10 for further reading). 

Paul encourages the believer to jealously guard and cherish this deposit of the Spirit by living in obedience to His Holy presence within us.

Eph 1v14.  2 Tim 1v14 “Guard the good deposit that is within you.”

So live in obedience to Christ!   John 14v15-16, 21.

Both in the OT and NT there is a clear separation of the faithful and the idolatrous, immoral or unfaithful. The OT describes them as those who belong to Moab, the NT as the unbelieving.