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THE GOLDEN AGE – When will it dawn? Part 2

“‭The wilderness‭ and the solitary place‭ shall be glad‭‭ for them; and the desert‭ shall rejoice‭‭, and blossom‭‭ as the rose‭.‭ ‭It shall blossom‭‭ abundantly‭‭, and rejoice‭‭ even with joy‭ and singing‭‭: the glory‭ of Lebanon‭ shall be given‭‭ unto it, the excellency‭ of Carmel‭ and Sharon‭, they shall see‭‭ the glory‭ of the LORD‭, ‭and‭ the excellency‭ of our God‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Isaiah 35:1-2.

I was prompted to consider this subject by the foolish boasting of the recently inaugurated president of the United States, Mr Donald Trump. He is a man renowned for his swank and swagger and vain-glorious self-promotion. But even he ‘outstrips’ himself when he claims that his election is an indication that America’s ‘Golden Age’ has begun.

Screenshot from a YouTube video

Our last study brought us to the end of this age. What will follow is clearly stated to be so in the Word of God.

THE NEXT AGE WILL LAST FOR 1000 YEARS

The following quotation from Revelation chapter 20, follows on from the closing verses of Revelation chapter 19.

“‭And‭ I saw‭‭ heaven‭ opened‭‭, and‭ behold‭‭ a white‭ horse‭; and‭ he that sat‭‭ upon‭ him‭ ‭was‭ called‭‭ Faithful‭ and‭ True‭, and‭ in‭ righteousness‭ he doth judge‭‭ and‭ make war‭‭.‭ ‭ His‭ eyes‭ ‭were‭ as‭ a flame‭ of fire‭, and‭ on‭ his‭ head‭ ‭were‭ many‭ crowns‭; and he had‭‭ a name‭ written‭‭, that‭ no man‭ knew‭‭, but‭ he himself‭.‭ ‭And‭ he ‭was‭ clothed‭‭ with a vesture‭ dipped‭‭ in blood‭: and‭ his‭ name‭ is called‭‭ The Word‭ of God‭.‭ ‭And‭ the armies‭ ‭which were‭ in‭ heaven‭ followed‭‭ him‭ upon‭ white‭ horses‭, clothed‭‭ in fine linen‭, white‭ and‭ clean‭.‭ ‭And‭ out of‭ his‭ mouth‭ goeth‭‭ a sharp‭ sword‭, that‭ with‭ it‭ he should smite‭‭ the nations‭: and‭ he‭ shall rule‭‭ them‭ with‭ a rod‭ of iron‭: and‭ he‭ treadeth‭‭ the winepress‭‭ of the fierceness‭ and‭ wrath‭ of Almighty‭ God‭.‭ ‭And‭ he hath‭‭ on‭ ‭his‭ vesture‭ and‭ on‭ his‭ thigh‭ a name‭ written‭‭, KING‭ OF KINGS‭, AND‭ LORD‭ OF LORDS‭.‭ ‭And‭ I saw‭‭ an‭ angel‭ standing‭‭ in‭ the sun‭; and‭ he cried‭‭ with a loud‭ voice‭, saying‭‭ to all‭ the fowls‭ that fly‭‭ in‭ the midst of heaven‭, Come‭‭ and‭ gather yourselves together‭‭ unto‭ the supper‭ of the great‭ God‭;‭ ‭That‭ ye may eat‭‭ the flesh‭ of kings‭, and‭ the flesh‭ of captains‭, and‭ the flesh‭ of mighty men‭, and‭ the flesh‭ of horses‭, and‭ of them that sit‭‭ on‭ them‭, and‭ the flesh‭ of all‭ ‭men, both‭ free‭ and‭ bond‭, both‭ small‭ and‭ great‭.‭ ‭And‭ I saw‭‭ the beast‭, and‭ the kings‭ of the earth‭, and‭ their‭ armies‭, gathered together‭‭ to make‭‭ war‭ against‭ him that sat‭‭ on‭ the horse‭, and‭ against‭ his‭ army‭.‭ ‭And‭ the beast‭ was taken‭‭, and‭ with‭ him‭ the false prophet‭ that wrought‭‭ miracles‭ before‭ him‭, with‭ which‭ he deceived‭‭ them that had received‭‭ the mark‭ of the beast‭, and‭ them that worshipped‭‭ his‭ image‭. These both‭ were cast‭‭ alive‭‭ into‭ a lake‭ of fire‭ burning‭‭ with‭ brimstone‭.‭ ‭And‭ the remnant‭ were slain‭‭ with‭ the sword‭ of him that sat‭‭ upon‭ the horse‭, which‭ ‭sword‭ proceeded‭‭ out of‭ his‭ mouth‭: and‭ all‭ the fowls‭ were filled‭‭ with‭ their‭ flesh‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Revelation 19:11-21.

The conjunction, ‘and’ with which chapter 20 begins indicates clearly the time of the events in the chapter — they immediately follow the return of Christ to this earth! (more…)

Christ deemed guilty of ‘‘Contumacy’ by His accusers!

“‭And‭ Jesus‭ stood‭‭ before‭ the governor‭: and‭ the governor‭ asked‭‭ him‭, saying‭‭, Art‭‭ thou‭ the King‭ of the Jews‭? And‭ Jesus‭ said‭‭ unto him‭, Thou‭ sayest‭‭.‭ ‭And‭ when‭ he‭ was accused‭‭ of‭ the chief priests‭ and‭ elders‭, he answered‭‭ nothing‭.‭ ‭Then‭ said‭‭ Pilate‭ unto him‭, Hearest thou‭‭ not‭ how many things‭ they witness against‭‭ thee‭?‭ ‭And‭ he answered‭‭‭ him‭ to‭ never‭ a‭ word‭; insomuch‭ that the governor‭ marvelled‭‭ greatly‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Matthew 27:11-14.

‘Contumacy’ simply means a stubborn refusal and is used within ecclesiastical circles for the refusal of any who will not bow to the authority of a church court.

I have no doubt that the refusal of the Saviour to answer some of the questions put to Him by His accusers would have been seen as that termed today as ‘contumacy’.

It is to be noted that the Saviour did not refuse to answer all questions put to Him. In our text above we have Him answering the question, “Art thou the King of the Jews?”. But it also says that; “when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.”

Why was that so?

May I suggest that had He refused to answer the first question it would have left the impression THAT HE WAS NOT THE KING OF THE JEWS! Silence would have implied He was unable to truly affirm that He was the Messiah.

However, His silence in response to the other questions, based upon the lying testimonies of false witnesses, clearly indicated that such accusations were unworthy of a reply.

DAVID

David likewise chose this course of action in the face of false accusations. “‭They also that seek‭‭ after my life‭ lay snares‭‭ ‭for me‭: and they that seek‭‭ my hurt‭ speak‭‭ mischievous things‭, and imagine‭‭ deceits‭ all the day‭ long.‭ ‭But I, as a deaf‭ ‭man‭, heard‭‭ not; and ‭I was‭ as a dumb man‭ ‭that‭ openeth‭‭ not his mouth‭.‭ ‭Thus I was as a man‭ that heareth‭‭ not, and in whose mouth‭ ‭are‭ no reproofs‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Psalm 38:12-14. (more…)