The "blank page" between the Testaments represents spiritual darkness, a period without any light or new revelation from God for around 400 or 500 years. During this period, the Jews went back and forth between oppression and freedom. The Jews briefly won their independence back in 164 BC, at which point the Maccabean family of priests began to rule over them. The following is from the ESV Study Bible (p. 1784): "From the second generation onward, the Maccabean rulers became progressively dictatorial, corrupt, immoral, and even pagan." Dictatorial. Corrupt. Immoral. And pagan, or rejecting God. That sounds eerily similar to the state of America today -- and I'm including the leading politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle, including President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Mr. Trump. "Internal strife led Jewish leaders to ask the Roman general Pompey to come and restore order." In America, faced with a similar situation, we are on the verge of turning to General Trump to "restore order." Some of you may cheer at that. But then read the next passage (and these quotes are all in order, and in context): "Pompey did so, but he also brought Roman rule, which began in 63 B.C. and lasted into the fourth century A.D. When Pompey took Jerusalem, he entered the temple and even the Most Holy Place. To the Jews, this was the ultimate insult and sacrilege." My Christian friends especially should realize the arrogance and sacrilege associated with that, the complete disrespect for God and His Ways. Sort of like rejecting the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage, and the sanctity of Holy Communion, although this was admittedly even more bold. "The Romans could not understand why the Jews resented the various exercises of privilege and control by their conqueror." The same is true today for the left's inability to understand why their "tolerance" of sin and "progressiveness" away from God's ways are so offensive to the right, and particularly to the conservative Christians on the right. "Hence deep suspicion and ill will began growing, lasting over a century until the Jews rebelled and the Romans destroyed the Jewish state. The NT reader must remain aware of this seething undercurrent that colors much of what takes place, even during the ministry of Jesus." Deep suspicion and ill will. I can hardly think of better words to describe America today. Each party deeply distrusts the other, and in a great many cases that has manifested itself in a thinly-veiled hatred for "the other side." Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. But fortunately, the solution today is the same as the solution was 2000 years ago: Jesus Christ Himself. The difference between now and then is that today's church is powerless. We are so focused on historical Christianity that we fail to make history of our own. So focused on doctrine that we forget about obedience. So focused on life that we forget about Jesus' command to die to ourselves. So focused on comfort that we forget about carrying our Cross, which isn't just a burden but a complete surrender of this life, complete death to self so that we may FULLY live for Christ. The early church had the Holy Spirit in full measure, but lacked most of the New Testament. But relying deeply on God and on His teachings in the Old Testament, they "turned the world upside down." (Acts 17:6) Church, what's stopping us from doing the same today? Our politicians cannot save us, nor can church history or even perfect doctrine (if there was such a thing). Christ and Christ alone can save us, and God's power through the Holy Spirit can change us and the world around us. Only when we turn back to doing things God's ways, to becoming clean vessels that are completely empty of self, and thus completely prepared to be filled by the Holy Spirit, only then can we truly make this country -- or even our individual communities -- great again.
3 Comments
Kirunda samilu
3/14/2024 05:52:26 pm
Who noted these silenced message in that blank page
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Angel
3/25/2024 02:08:37 pm
I asked GOD what do you want to tell me , then I picked up the bible and I picked a random spot and it was the blank page. I had a dream a couple years back about a book with a bunch of ancient text and the devil apeared and said you must write your own story. I'm not sure of wheat is right or wrong since people keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again maybe it's time to write our own story of life instead of following what the crowd or what society wants.
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