Circular Letter Edition 2001
“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever”
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”
Dearly beloved chosen of God in Christ, scattered all over the earth, I greet you in the most holy and precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The most important task now is our preparing for His second coming to be taken to Glory, for thus it is written in Mt. 25:10 and Rev. 19:7, “…and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage.” “… for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife has made herself ready.”
Two scriptures are to be our guideline throughout this exposition.
I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth (1 Jn. 2:21).
We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error (1 Jn. 4:6).
As in every teaching sermon and in all our books, we shall let God’s Word richly dwell with us in this circular letter. Two things are recorded from the very beginning: the Word, which came forth from the mouth of the Almighty, and the interpretations whispered by the old serpent. The Word is Spirit and Life, the interpretation is a deadly poison. Those who believe as the Scripture says (Jn. 7:38) and remain in the Truth of the Word (Jn. 15) are the true children of God. The other ones who go for the interpretations are the mixed seed. Right and wrong, understanding of the Scripture and misunderstandings accompanied humanity in general, also Israel and the church all the way through and will right to the end of time.
The Word is the seed (Lk. 8:11). This can never be overemphasised. When the seed of the Word comes up, it is manifested in the children of the Kingdom (Mt. 13:38a), and the tares are the children of the wicked one (Mt. 13:38b). Two different sowers are sowing two different seeds, which grow on the same field. At harvest time the wheat will be taken into the heavenly garner and the tares, which lived by the same rain and ripened under the same sun, will be burned (Mt. 13:30).
The warning not to explain and interpret what God said should be taken seriously. In the beginning was the Word, the interpretation followed after. The Apostle John commences his epistle in saying, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us …” (verses 1-2).
The New Testament began with the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies. Reading the four Gospels, we find the record right from the birth of the Saviour to His ascension to heaven. God promised to make a new covenant, to give us a new heart, a new spirit and a new life. In the New Testament all the promises are fulfilled. John the Baptist was a promised prophet according to Isa. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1. When the time of fulfilment came, God watched over His Word, sent the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, announcing the birth of the forerunner, “… And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord, their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk. 1:15-17).
In Matthew, chapter 3, verses 1-2, also in chapter 11, 7-14, our Lord confirmed the fulfilment of the prophecy with John the Baptist’s ministry as the one to prepare His way. In Mark, chapter 1, 1-3, the two scriptures from the Old Testament are placed at the very introduction of this respective Gospel. It is also confirmed in Luke 1:67-80.
In John, chapter 1, the man sent from God was asked, “Who art thou?” “And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. … What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet, Isaiah.” (19-23).
The writers of the Gospels by the leading of the Holy Spirit have put the emphasis upon the fulfilment of all the prophecies from the Old Testament. Luke at the beginning speaks about his “declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us. Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” (1:1-4).
The men of God at the beginning, as also the Apostle John writes, were eyewitnesses, they could testify of what they saw, heard and experienced. They were not just reporters, but they were ministers of the Word — having received perfect understanding from God about the things, which took place according to the Scripture, before sharing them with us.
The Apostle Peter is one of the main witnesses at the first coming of the Saviour, but also speaks about His return. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. … We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place … knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not at any time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Pet. 1:16-21). At the time of fulfilment the revealed Word shines as a bright light in the religious darkness.
The Apostle John does mention the messenger — the forerunner, but makes Christ, the manifested Word, the main subject of his teaching. A true servant of God preaches the Word, but Christ is the Word. A true man sent from God can show the way, but Christ is the way. An apostle can show forth the light, but Christ is the light. Preachers can speak about the resurrection, but Christ is the resurrection and life.
God does all things according to His Word, wherein His ways and will are expressed. Every man sent from God with a ministry will first receive perfect divine understanding of the perfect Word and place it into the perfect order according to the perfect plan of salvation. From Matthew, chapter 1, we can follow the footprints left behind, showing forth all the prophecies, which were fulfilled. That is the divine — the convincing part in the New Testament, wherein 109 prophecies are shown in their fulfilments.
When Christ the Saviour was born, we find the statement in Mt. 1:22, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet …(Isa. 7:14)”
As to where: “And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet …” (Mt. 2:5; Micah 5:1).
As to the journey to Egypt: “And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Mt. 2:15; Hos. 11:1).
As to the killing of the children: “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet …” (Matth. 2:17; Jer. 31:15).
Moving to Capernaum: “…leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphthali: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah, the prophet …” (Mt. 4:13-14; Isa. 9:1-2).
In Luke, chapter 4, our Lord read from the prophet Isaiah and then made the statement, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (4:21; Isa. 61:1-2). Even to the last moments, all the way through from His birth, Scripture was being fulfilled.
In John 19, on His way to Calvary, we read several times, “…that the scripture might be fulfilled …” (v. 24; Ps. 22:16-18).
“After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst …” (Vv. 28-30; Ps. 69:21).
“For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken” (v. 36; Ps. 34:20)
“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” (v. 37: Zech. 12:10). Within His last 24 hours precisely 24 scriptures were fulfilled.