GREAT
THOUGH THE ART OF CREATION BE, BETTER FAR IS DESTINY
EPILOGUE
To
1
Sin,
it is the one ground of the disorder.
Mercy
is the stay that limits the response.
Thus,
in part, the decline falls from the natural order,
as
its violation vitiates it, its sanctions ignored, its sanity disregarded,
Its
sanctities despised or even denied.
In
part, it falls from the supernatural, as judgments arise,
passing
all the sublime barriers of restraint,
where
love regards and opportunity exists.
Grand Design, Greater Destiny
2
The
day is darkened despite the successive tenderness of new dawns (Lamentations
cresting
the rises and sending prongs of new light into the rest from which day arises.
His
mercies are new every morning, but in the gross darkness (Isaiah
masses
mouth mockeries or shunt disregard at the Eternal Light, even Christ,
by
many not received, such as
where
this Light was not loved,
nor
yet by Pilate the Roman, governor in the greatest Empire of the day,
who
gave reluctant but crucial concurrence
with
the national adventurism of
to bring ruin on himself, the nation.
And yet
come
new avenues of everlasting mercy to reach to the ends of the earth,
the Way of Light Himself, eternal,
as
Isaiah predicted (49:6, 24:16, 48:16), when the nation failed;
nor
was the Light loved by Herod the Idumean,
symbol
of the irascible hatred still seen in the
Pilate
the Roman, and Caiaphas the High Priest, may not have been friends;
But
in action, their resultant was one: TURN OUT THE LIGHT!
3
Because
the Light of this world still continues shining brilliantly,
probing
the darkness, multi-sourced and incremental though that gloom be,
its
denizens ever dabbling more dimly in things little understood
with
all the brio of a Scotch Terrier on his morning walk,
with sundry sallies and tasks:
there
is yet hope, but not for this world
(John
17:9,14-16,20, II Peter 3:10-13, Matthew 24:35).
Witless,
with unhallowed and irreverent hope, and deeds unspeakable,
this
present world pursues its love of itself, its spluttering wisdom,
daft
as to its beginning, blind as to its end.
It
wallows in darkness, as a film star in her suds,
but
this, it does not clean.
Yet
time, though straitened, still remains (cf. Revelation 10:6)
to
find the very Light of God, for He is the one thing vital,
the
word of God, Jesus Christ, the righteous
(Revelation
19, John 1, 5:19ff., Acts
Inapplicable! irrationality screams in the
throat of many an academic
(Ancient Words, Modern Deeds Chs. 9,
13, A Spiritual Potpourri Chs. 1-9, TMR Chs. 1, 8).
Intolerable! more frankly fulminates the
ruler,
as wars, a stack of them, line
up for take-off, creating traffic jams at the airports:
Islamic jihad with its rank
sanctions competing
with other lust and lovelessness:
while the seats for instruction
in other passions
to promote the art of grasping,
domineering, imposing,
these are all sold out (SMR
Chs. 8-10).
This
world, in its negligent disorder,
ignores
its Light as the worm ignores the beauty of the apple,
and
that one God who is gracious and kind, has for all that,
ordained
that the end is not quite yet (II Peter 3:9).
The
juices wax sour, but some substance remains.
This
spinning globe does not care to see, for its eyes it has closed (cf. Matthew
but
its spiralling tornadoes of conflict, billowing with subtle plans and evil
thought,
give
no uncertain testimony to the judgment to come,
which
arises in its time, as surely as the ocean breakers follow the storm.
4
It
seems to many necessary that sin should continue in its squalid war,
justified
in rationalisation,
rampant
in specialisation,
as
if mice could think only of cheese, from any source,
fascinating
by the part, ignorant of the whole,
as that there is a household or a cat to help keep it clean.
Nevertheless,
in this life, the ultimate source of the storm can be met, as one meets
an enemy.
It
can be met with the bright and shining light which dismisses darkness and
commands peace,
stilling
the squall with spiritual strength (Matthew
where
space and place for it is found.
When
He is ready, the Prince of this world will come
and
it is He who will rule this world, whose name is truth,
whose
heart goodness and whose way is righteousness (Isaiah 11, Psalm 2, 110, Micah 4):
not
in the social flurries of imagination, as if a crowd constitutes right,
nor
in the brimming, scalding potions of philosophy, as if ignorance held wisdom
(I Corinthians
but
with that eternal Light which both lightens man when he comes to this world
(John 1:1-3,14),
and
is put out, in the scurryings of his detached soul, and the blindness of his
closed eyes.
Of
His kingdom and peace, there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7, Daniel
but
out of it, there will be no end to its absence.
5
If
the world is a stage, the end is not a play.
This
failed and fallen world, however abrupt
in
its dark and dismal dismissals of the Light,
has
an end.
That
is reserved for it (II Peter 3),
fitting
for its fabrications, for both it and its evil works are to be burnt up,
just
as the implements of hatred and the belligerence of spirit are
to go
to
their place.
To
those within it, who love God (John 1:12), whose walk is with Him, whose work is from
Him,
whose
trust is in the Christ whose word of redemption is 100% over,
sufficient
and available (Hebrews 9:12-28, Romans 3:23-27, Ephesians 2:1-12),
whose
Maker He is,
and
whose Saviour (Isaiah 43:10-11, Acts
there
is a new organisation of life, a peace past any storm (Isaiah 26:1-4),
and
a mission into the doom of induced darkness (Philippians 2:10,15-16),
as
ambassadors of the Light.
And
that Light is within them (John 9:5,
6
THE LIGHT OF CHRIST NEEDS NO CLIFF
When at last this world is dismissed (Matthew 24:35),
His
salvation stays (Isaiah 51:6).
It
is merely, for these His children, like a former house demolished.
If
it is a little saddening that it is gone, for so much occurred in it, much
good,
yet
it is vastly gladdening that the Creator both of it and oneself, is still
with one,
unabashed
in beauty, despite the woes incurred in securing our redemption (Isaiah
50, 52:12ff.),
magnificent
in holiness, doing wonders as is fitting for the infinite Light (Exodus 15,
Micah 7:15ff., Isaiah 59:20-21).
It
is then, for His children, who alone He has redeemed (Isaiah 53:3-6),
Who
by His stripes are healed,
A
gap indeed, that this world is gone, when that comes to be, but no more:
For
although this world goes, as a house sold,
the
new is better (Revelation 21-22).
7
But
what of the Jew ? that chosen vehicle of the Lord,
Who
though he went nationally astray, is yet by appointment
For
a thousand generations, that is for all time on this earth,
Given
a place
(Psalm 33, Genesis 22, Galloping Events Ch. 4,
SMR Appendix A ).
They have been right from the first, as to the structure,
the Scripture;
wrong in rejecting its truth, the Christ when He came by appointment,
on
time like some ultra-spatial train arriving by expectation (Highway
of Holiness Ch. 4).
The
Jews of
they
are back in their land by strong guarantee,
and the very thought is a war on the words of false prophet and false ruler alike.
Disobedient
or obedient, they are not welcome in their divinely donated site
(cf. Galloping Events Ch. 4).
Their
arrival of 1948 smells of a victory for the Lord of life,
not
for the force of jihad or imperial arms.
It
shines like a light, and promotes darkness where darkness dwells.
Hell howls at the audacity of the Almighty, to state His intentions and then do
His will (Isaiah 48, Amos 3:7), or to tell His ancient people of what is to come
for them.
It howls in vain (cf. SMR pp. 829ff.).
In
turn, the Jewish nation will not itself have peace without Christ.
Their
refusal of Him is more than mere disappointment:
it
is rebellion;
and
so the rebellious of the Gentiles dig their fangs into them, and eat, and eat …
though to
jihad, it seems, the meat is not hard.
The
rebellion alas of Israel the nation, it is one with that of the Gentile,
who plays his game by his own rules:
For
in this there is no difference, all have sinned, and fountains of wickedness
stop at no race but in oily fountains mock the beauty of godly cascades (John
7:37-38).
They
continue the lust for ruling THEIR WAY, in God’s world
as
if the Maker were mere absentee,
and sin were not the voider of light.
Yet it is only in its own hearts its voids: the light remains, unavoidable and robust,
exposing the shame.
The
cauldron heats, and the steam itself creates mist.
8
What then has arrived since 1948 ?
In
highlighted sweeping victories as predicted
(for
God does not leave His people without adequate words (Zechariah 12,14, Amos
3:7),
they
have swarmed back into (national) existence,
exercising
patience and artistry,
the
aridities of Arab yore prophetically blossoming as the rose (Isaiah 35),
the
very forests abounding, as the sign for so long said, is fulfilled (Isaiah
55:1-3,12-13).
In
these, are the vast preliminaries to Zechariah 12:10, 13:1,
which
stretch themselves out, conspicuous and clear,
like
a high altitude vapour trail, for all to see.
As
they dismissed the Son of God
(not
some visiting card but the ONLY Saviour for ANY of our race,
designate
and definitive, for man, for earth, for heaven indeed
(Colossians 1:19ff., Acts 4:11-12, Hebrews 1)"
so do their sons die in a somber and macabre aftermath.
The Gentiles clamour to join the unbelief, and tottering fall in their own devices (Matthew 24:8-14).
9
In
the end, salvation is as the Saviour said, of the Jews (John 4),
for
it is so in this, that both the word of God written and living have come
through
them (Romans 9).
But
alas, the nation is yet not far from the word of Romans 10, and far from Christ.
Indeed, until, as in Romans 11 - esp. following verse 25,
their (spiritual) blindness is removed,
and in
Christ’s light, they see light, there is
no foundation for sin's demise, nor fountain for its removal:
no
fountain as yet flows for uncleanness,
publicly open in
But
it will !
It
is then, with many in
suddenly
brought home to repentance from (diverse) rebellion against the God of the
Bible,
the
Christ of God,
that
marvels follow until at length
she
who once was a centre of Christianity (including Augustine, Bishop of Hippo)
is
in much brought back into line,
while
there
being none without its Prince, at any price:
and
what prices already have been paid, on all sides!
Those
who follow the Pharaoh complex,
can then see the fruits of their non-exodus from impending judgment (Micah 7:15ff.);
but
to the penitent in the Prince, comes peace (Isaiah 9:7),
whether
Jew or Gentile.
10
So
the long odyssey of enlarged odium is replaced
by the eternal love of the Light,
who
shone into the abyss of sin, and descended to evacuate His people,
who
are His.
Then, that blessed fountain for sin
will open at last even in
even that of the Lord who came
and was pierced (Zechariah
and so the
Lord Himself returns (Zechariah 14), in Person,
thus
completing the triptych, restoration, remission and royalty.
It
is then that Christ’s birthplace and death-site alike, honoured in spirit
rather
than in endless geographical tours,
physical
proximity often mistaken for spiritual closeness to the Lord,
are
yet honoured in spirit: not for their architecture,
but
for their divine art,
as
the means He used to bring what no mere means can produce,
Himself
to the vagrant hearts of men.
It
is then the Christ gives to this world its taste of peace,
before
it goes!
when the day star arising in the hearts, God's own adopted children
of all races, see God face to face (Job 19, Revelation 22).