The Heart of God: The Messenger of the Covenant (7)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Daniel 7.13-27, 1 Corinthians 15.20-28, and Revelation 19.
It’s increasingly clear that Jesus, the Messenger of the covenant, is the central theme and fulcrum of all Scripture. Scripture teaches that He is also the focal point and driving force of all history.

For reflection
1.  In Daniel’s vision, the Son of Man received a Kingdom and gave it to the saints of the most High God. What happens then? According to this vision, where is history going?

2.  In 1 Corinthians 15.20-28, Paul builds on the vision of Psalm 110 – a vision both of refreshment and struggle. In what ways does this complement Daniel’s vision? Where does the vision of Psalm 110 end up? Who is directing all this?

3.  Meditate on Matthew 28.18-20, Acts 1.8, and Matthew 6.33. How does the Kingdom of God relate to human history? What is our role in the unfolding of history?

4.  Meditate on the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43. Is the world, and its history, a weed field, waiting to be burned, or a wheat field to be sown, tended, cultivated, and harvested? Explain.

5.  According to Revelation 19, how does human history end? Then what? How should we be preparing to enter into the consummation of history?  

Summary
History is the stage on which Jesus is working out the implications of God’s covenant for all nations and peoples. We are part of that process, as agents and ambassadors of His Kingdom. We know where history is going, and it is our duty and calling, having been sent as Jesus was sent (Jn. 20.21), to seek, embody, and proclaim the rule of King Jesus until He comes. What does this require of you?

Closing Prayer
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documents provides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your God develops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.