Speaking of the Pharisees, all those who are familiar with the Bible know that generation after generation they served God in the temple, taught people to keep the laws and the commandments, and compassed sea and land to spread the gospel. However, when the Lord Jesus came to work, they resisted and condemned the Lord, and even colluded with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus. Eventually, they were cursed and punished by God. Having served God for many years, how could they resist God like this? Understanding this aspect of truth is very critical to our welcoming the Lord in the last days. Let’s analyze the reason for the Pharisees’ failure below:
It prophesied in the Bible: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14) and “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). According to the literal meaning of the prophecies, the Pharisees believed that a virgin must be an unmarried woman, but in fact, Mary had a husband. The Bible prophesied that the One who would come should be called Emmanuel, but in fact, His name is Jesus. The Bible prophesied that the Messiah would come to take power, so the Pharisees thought that He would be like David, being a hero in the strife and saving them from the Roman power, but in fact, the Lord Jesus taught people to love enemies and pray for those who persecuted them… The Lord Jesus they saw was completely different from the Messiah in their imaginations. Instead of seeking or investigating the word and work of the Lord Jesus, they condemned Him blindly and nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross finally.
The last days are here now. The Prophecies of the Lord’s return have mostly been fulfilled. It’s the time for the Lord to come back. But in the matter of the Lord's return, do you have the same imaginations and notions as the Pharisees? For instance, the Lord Jesus should descend upon the white clouds and be seen by all people, and then take all believers to meet Him in the air. Is such an imagination after God’s will? If the Lord Jesus’ coming to work is at odds with our notions or imaginations, will we judge, resist and condemn the Lord’s return just as what the Pharisees did?
God says: “The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit. I advise you to tread the path of belief in God with care. Do not jump to conclusions; what is more, do not be casual and thoughtless in your belief in God. You should know that, at the very least, those who believe in God should be humble and reverential. Those who have heard the truth and yet turn their nose up at it are foolish and ignorant. Those who have heard the truth and yet carelessly jump to conclusions or condemn it are beset by arrogance. No one who believes in Jesus is qualified to curse or condemn others. You should all be someone with sense and who accepts the truth. ”
From these words, we understand that we can’t treat the Lord’s return by our notions or imaginings. Instead, we should be very cautious, have a God-fearing heart and seek humbly because God’s work is so almighty, wise and unfathomable. When we hear someone preaching the Lord has come, we should put our notions and imaginings aside, and seek and investigate it carefully. Only in this way can we avoid walking the Pharisees’ path and welcome the Lord’s return.
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