Should we listen to the Prophets in our Bible even if they don't line up with our theology? By Tommy Waller
December 4th, 2020 🌿 18th, Kislev, 5781
The most glorious sunrise met me when I walked outside this morning. Immediately I was reminded of Jeremiah's prophecy in chapters 31 and 33, in which God speaks through the prophet, saying, "If My Covenant with day and night can be broken then My Covenant with David as well as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob may also be broken." In other words, it is still a go, and nothing, not even a misinterpretation of Scripture, can undo the Covenant God has established.
What amazes and inspires me about this prophecy is that God spoke this to Jeremiah as he sat in a dark prison cell, (33:1) a place where most of us would have lost hope in any promise God had made. But to Jeremiah, the Word of God would never return void just as God had spoken to Isaiah (55:11). The hard, cold reality of the situation would lead any rational person to believe Jeremiah to be hysterical or even insane. To add more credibility to this accusation is that from the same prison cell (32:2), he purchased property in Israel (32:8-15) as the Babylonians were conquering and removing all the Jews from their homeland.
In chapter 32 verse 15 God speaks again to Jeremiah and says, "Put this deed in an earthen vessel so it will last many days." The God of all creation goes on to say, "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."
How do you think Jeremiah would respond today after seeing "houses and fields and vineyards possessed in the Land?" Let's say you just hired Jeremiah as a pastor/teacher for your congregation. How often would he teach on the current Restoration of Israel the Word God gave him over 2500 years ago? After all, it was the understanding of the prophets that were opened to those who seriously followed Yeshua. (Luke 24:44, 45) Could we expect that Yeshua would say to us today what he said to His disciples then: "The prophets have desired to see what you see and hear what you hear." (Luke 10:23, 24)
Imagine what the response was at that time from those who witnessed or read the words coming from appeared to be a certified lunatic. Seriously? He said what?
"The captives will return!" he says. "Israel will be a joy and a praise, and an honor before all the nations!" You can expect those around him saying, "Somebody shut this man up! Is there a deeper dungeon we can throw him in? Please!"
Jeremiah is beside himself declaring the Word of God, "You will one day say this place is desolate, there is nothing here - no man, no beast, nothing. You will take Israel completely out of your religion because you believe Israel is no longer relevant to the Good News I am declaring."
But listen again to what this unwavering prophet is saying, "It shall be heard in this place you call desolate, in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem ...the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say, 'Praise the LORD of host, for the LORD is good, for His mercy endures forever!'" (Jeremiah 33:10,11)
Again, imagine a discussion with Jeremiah concerning the Bride and the Bridegroom in a Christian circle. Would Jeremiah understand a discussion regarding the Bride and the Bridegroom without Israel? Without Jerusalem? Do you think he would understand Revelation 21:2-3 differently? What if Jeremiah saw the Tabernacle of God - the place where God dwells with His people in a place that was once desolate, but now by the Hand of God - a New Jerusalem. We've all prayed for it, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done - on earth as it is in Heaven." We've talked about it - the Tabernacle of David being restored in Amos 9:11, but what exactly was the Tabernacle of David Amos was referring to? "...I will raise up that which is fallen down and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it (How?) as in the days of old." The days of old when the Presence of God filled the Temple - when we heard the voice of joy and the voice of gladness in Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 5:13,14)
Where will they bring this sacrifice of praise? Into the House of the LORD! The place Yeshua called, "My Father's House." Remember? John 2:16 - "Do not make My Father's House a house of merchandise!" Mark 11:17 says, "This House [My Father's House] will be called a House of Prayer for all nations."
I am praying that God will bring back the Hope that has been stolen from Christianity. The hope that Jeremiah had - the same hope and desire Yeshua had - that one day the nations would gather in the New and Restored Jerusalem - the dwelling place of God.
It all may sound crazy to you right now. The fact is we have not learned to read the Scriptures with the hope of the physical reality of prophecy as Jeremiah and Yeshua did.
Come join us as we walk in this hope - where faith becomes sight.
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