This series, in 12 parts, brings understanding of the two different kinds of people Jesus addresses throughout the gospels. There were those who loved and followed Him; but the far greater number at that time followed those who wanted to destroy Him. The story of their very humiliating judgment which finished their theocratic nation absolutely in 70AD is told in these posts.
You may think this is just history with little to concern those who call themselves Christians today. In my own country of Australia, churches fall into two broad categories: on one end of the spectrum there’s the flashing light concert type with threats of the end of the world. On the other end of the spectrum is the traditional old model of a steeple under which pious prayers are offered on Sundays. From what I have seen, I think this may be a world wide picture. Neither model is biblical.
Both churchianity extremes have hierarchies, buildings, a separate clerical class system and loyalty to brand. Both are monetized and run on a business model. Both need people to join them, ostensibly to “get saved”; but in reality the monetization is more often a driving factor for membership growth. Although the former may promise prosperity for one’s
“tithes” and generous offerings, it often becomes merely a monetized rapture cult. Fear instead of love frequently operates in keeping people in attendance. The traditional model, currently, limps along in Australia with rapidly diminishing numbers of ageing membership, waiting to die. Sickness is rampant, not just physically, but spiritually.
How do I know these things? In seeking to be a follower of Jesus, over many, many decades, I have tried many different denominations, been trained in their seminaries and been disappointed by the business model in them all.
In all our travels, my husband and I only found one “church” which taught without monetization. Believers in Christ are meant to be generous givers to the poor, sharing the provision of good meals and accommodation with those who teach them and collecting is only mentioned to give to the poor. There is no New Testament mention of paying for buildings, insurance or salaries. There is no mention of links to government, or indeed tax exemption.
But the Bible has some things to say about the opposite of some of these things.
True followers of Christ are known for their outstanding fruit in the community; not their buildings, not their ratings, not a count of their miracles, nor their social or political clout – nor even their riches or poverty.
Generally, the huge disconnect between the Word of God and ecclesial practice is an impassable chasm called legalism. As a consequence, sadly, we have found, over seven decades, more genuine followers of Jesus outside of church structures than in them. We have also seen a lot of spiritual abuse inside heirarchies.
One of the key ecclesial errors has been a centuries long inability to read without our Greco-Roman glasses on. If we would only read to see the writers’ purposes from thier ancient Semitic paradigm, the Hebraisms of both Testaments would bring us into the complete picture to obtain the liberty of Christ.
The biggest problem is letting go of our religious mindset.
This is my thesis: Until we understand what happened in 70AD, we will continue to fail to understand why our own health, well being and peace suffer. Meanwhile nations and the earth itself, are still groan waiting for us to manifestly come into all the Lord has won for us.
In Luke 19: 41-44 we hear that Jesus grieved over Jerusalem and spoke of these dreadful ends that Daniel had written – the absolute desolation of the Jewish religious system and indeed, of Israel as a national theocratic entity.
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
And from verse 47 to 48
“And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”
… we see why Jesus said Jerusalem / the land of Israel would be made desolate. Many of the leaders not only rejected Jesus in favour of their own law, they “sought to destroy Him” and finally, incited the masses to cry “Crucify Him!” to their Roman overloads. And it was these Roman Empirical “nations” that so many had expected Jesus to throw off with military might. They wanted the physical reign and failed to understand the far greater reality of the spiritual reign which was intended to transform the physical without war.
Therefore, forty years after the ascension, they suffered war, “such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21b
This trouble didn’t just come by surprise. It had been brewing quite a while.
What is important, is that this war was a judgment of all that had come against the believers in their Christ. The details of this war are prophesied in Revelation. Understanding the war and God’s cleansing purpose changes the way we should think about the Kingdom of God now, in this age. So few people who desire to follow Jesus Christ, have any real idea of what happened in this war that Jesus and the apostles all pointed to. I, myself lived decades, reading the Bible and even having biblical dreams about being unable to “read” and “see” clearly, until I learnt about the events and consequences of the final war of ancient Israel in 70AD.
This was what was to happen “shortly”, meaning not long after the epistles were written. What they were promised with this war was that Satan would be crushed under the believers’ feet. And when we grasp this understanding, it changes our lives and shifts us powerfully into life abundant in the spiritual realm with an ability to share from our abundance. Not to share religious rules of the Old Covenant, as that would be a backwards step. But to share the best victorious life, with a capital “L“.
My prayer is that others will come to understand the liberty Jesus offers us, the healing of bodies, minds and relationships for this age; for us now. Only then do we stop judging the world and turn to light the Way.
