WHAT SPIRIT?
See! Your house is left to you desolate.
Throughout the history of mankind God has revealed His plans to walk with us and lead us into the wonderful plans of His heart to bless us in every way. “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” Israel was the nation through which He intended to release this message to the entire world. But they were not willing to come to Him, set aside their agenda and hear His heart. Instead, they continued in their fathers’ footsteps; killing the prophets and stoning those Father God sent to them.
Though God had waited through every generation for the nation to learn of His faithfulness and turn in repentance and learn to trust Him, instead they had set their faces to murder His Son (these rulers would unwittingly play their part perfectly), not recognizing that this was the time foreordained for their glory. This was the generation! It was time for the New Covenant to be ratified in the blood of the Christ. Jesus fulfilled to the letter the former covenant and would lead those who were willing into the reality of the New Covenant by the Holy Spirit of Promise!
To help, even, His disciples and followers to step fully into the full blessings of this New Covenant, He predicted the complete destruction of the temple and all the old covenant elements of service. “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” To His disciples He explicitly said, “Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
24 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Matthew 23:37-24:2
What Spirit Influences My Theology?
Jesus frequently challenged His disciples’ ways of thinking. He wanted them to recognize that they were unwittingly yielding to old mindsets that would not work as they represented Him. The punishment paradigm of the old covenant was about to be replaced with a New Covenant paradigm that He was revealing to them as He dealt with the sins of the people; forgiving, healing and setting them free. He often confronted the disciples abruptly, as in the case of James and John wanting to call fire down on those who would not receive Jesus. He rebuked them saying, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.”
51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Luke 9:51-56
What spirit influenced them? It was not the Holy Spirit, obviously. What spirit influenced the Scribes and Pharisees as they sought to kill Jesus?
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.” . . . 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it John 8:39-41, 44
It’s obvious what spirit influenced the thoughts and choices of the Jewish rulers. But it was not obvious to them. Jesus knew their thoughts and that their hearts were not yielded to His Father, but to the father of lies. They did not understand God’s purpose for the Law and the Prophets. They were too consumed with protecting and exalting their place and interpreted everything in the Scriptures in their favor. The only voice they heard when confronted by the Scriptures was the voice of the deceiver. When Jesus spoke in parables, His purpose was to uncover the enemy’s devices and prompt them to search their hearts. He also knew that most of them would harden their hearts, even as Pharaoh had done while God used Moses to offer him the choice to repent. Consider the reaction of the chief priests and the scribes as Jesus used the parable of the vinedressers to confront them.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ 14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.”
And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”
17 Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?
18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. Luke 20:13-19
They did not realize that the Scriptures they used to justify their position pointed to Jesus and, by His coming, the end of the covenant era they still clung to.
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
John 5:39, 46, 47
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jeremiah 31: 31-33
What spirit influenced their interpretation and their expectation of their present time? Maybe a spirit of self-protection? They were under Roman rule and hoping for a Messiah who would deliver them. Even the disciples had this hope. Though Peter knew by the Father that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, he did not understand that the Prophets declared a very different deliverance. Jesus, through the cross, would bring salvation to not only the Jews, but to all mankind.
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:15-17, 21-23
As the crucifixion drew near, Jesus would declare what He would suffer openly to His disciples, but in parables to those who could not receive Him. After His resurrection, Jesus expounded for His followers the Law and the Prophets, so they could see Him in all the Scriptures. In the days between His ascension and the destruction of the temple (and everything related to observing the Law to justify one before God), the disciples were not confused when the Romans showed up in force. The Jews and Romans would fulfill, in great detail, all that Jesus prophesied would befall Jerusalem within one generation.
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; Matt 23:31-36, 38
When Jesus answered the disciples questions about the temple in Matthew 24 (Mark 13 and Luke 21), they were not yet ready to comprehend it all. Jesus would further their understanding as they walked with Him for 40 days before His ascension (Luke 24:25-28; Acts 1:1-3).
These were the warnings the Apostles and disciples declared in Jerusalem with increasing urgency until the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem the first time and then departed, conveniently allowing opportunity for every Christian in Jerusalem to heed Jesus words to them in Luke 21:17-22.
17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19 By your patience possess your souls.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Luke 21:17-22
The Christians remembered the words of Jesus and fled Jerusalem to the rock city of Pella. The unbelieving Jews, however, rejected the warnings and scurried into the city (a renowned strong fortress of that time) for safety.
We have in view the period of Jewish history between AD 66 and AD 70; the year the Roman army finally surrounded Jerusalem until the end. Jewish believers in Christ, in and around the city, numbered nearly half the population (almost a million souls during feast days).
Knowing by prophetic words what was coming soon, believers urged unbelievers to hear the evidence pointing to Jesus, as the Christ, in the Law and the Prophets. They could cite the details of Christ’s predictions leading up to what they were experiencing as the Roman army destroyed one city or village after another in what Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, called “The War of the Jews with the Romans.” Believers in Jesus knew the Romans would destroy everything and whoever stayed in the city would perish or be carried away as slaves (97,000 enslaved). The Romans allowed no one to escape. Over one million died, clinging to hope in a Messiah they did not recognize, rejected and murdered in the hardness of their hearts. It came to a fiery conclusion on September 26 of AD 70.
The temple and everything in it was burned and every stone thrown down; not one stone remained upon another; just as Jesus said. Before they were done, the Romans destroyed the city, leaving only three towers on the horizon scene.
The temple and the elements of worship were all types and shadows of everything they pointed to in Christ. They are no longer necessary in our worship. Today the corporate body of Christ and each individual believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit, according to the revelation given to Paul (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Because the disciples accepted Jesus and received the Holy Spirit within them, they had what they needed from God to receive His warnings and His wisdom to escape the destruction without losing a hair on their heads (Luke 21:18). Without the Holy Spirit, those who rejected Jesus were susceptible to the lies of the deceiver who led them to kill their Messiah. After His resurrection, the Holy Spirit continued to reveal the truth about Jesus and many turned to Him. Thus the nearly one million who were prepared to flee Jerusalem at any moment, escaped. Had they listened to the deceiver along the way, they may have been persuaded to remain in Jerusalem because, after all, this was the holy city of God.
Is there a lesson we should pay attention to, here?
How does my theology influence how I interpret present events in view of our near future? Is my future scary and dark? Is my future full of hope and bright? Do I see the kingdom of darkness prevailing until the end? Do I see the Kingdom of God continually expanding, according to Daniel 2?
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44
Those who are in agreement with deceptive doctrines are susceptible to lying spirits to use dreams and false visions to confirm doctrines of demons, as Paul warned. Those who remain open to God to show His heart, knowing that He is good, can be led by His Spirit with liberty into, and even deeper into, the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and the New Covenant.
Hard Hearts
While Jesus walked with His disciples He knew they were having a hard time with the reality of miracles at a level they had not seen nor heard of in their short lifetimes. He pointed out the hardness of their hearts, stuck in unbelief.
49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. Mark 6:49-52
Later, still hardened to what was possible; they were not able to understand what he was leading them into. Therefore, He warned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Mark 8:14-17
Leaven starts small but infiltrates and influences all the thoughts and emotions of one’s heart. The Pharisees were still stuck in the paradigm of punishment as they interpreted the Law and the Prophets. They had no grid for the reality of the New Covenant Jesus would soon initiate between Himself and Father God. The leaven of the Pharisees would lead us today to believe we must still observe the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5; 21:20, 21), including circumcision and every feast day the Jews still observe; which nullify the reality of the New Covenant and lock us in the punishment paradigm of the old covenant (Acts 15:10, 11).
The kingdom of God is also like leaven (Matthew 13:33). The disciples’ eyes were being opened to who Jesus was and all that was available to them in the Kingdom of God which He was ushering them into. Of course, as believers are in the body of Christ, we benefit fully from this New Covenant; as we understand it and walk in it by faith.
What do we believe? What theology influences our interpretation of events? Where did we learn that? Was it from favorite Bible teachers? Are we open to challenges to our doctrine? Would we recognize the Holy Spirit showing us something we’ve never seen or heard before?
Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 reveal God’s promise of a rest for the people of God. But there is also the real possibility that we may harden our hearts by listening to deceptions of sin. Paul said anything not of faith is sin (missing the mark) (Romans 14:23).
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:12-15
Is there a sin we are easily deceived by; a besetting sin? Ask the Hoy Spirit. We may not be clearly aware of such sin, but the Holy Spirit knows our hearts. Can we risk what He might reveal to us? Do we trust His forgiveness in the sacrifice of Christ? Do we trust that repentance can lead to the peaceable fruit of righteousness? If we have walked with Him through such searching of the heart, we already know we can trust His goodness and unending love.
Still, be cautioned further. We are able to deceive ourselves (Galatians 6:3). If we have developed or been taught a belief (doctrine) around a deception – we can become so attached to that deception that we lead others into it – as Joseph Smith led his followers in Mormonisn. Then when we ask God questions, we hear only what lines up with the deception we are attached to.
We cannot afford to lock in any doctrine that is not clear in the word of God and cannot be validated by other credible teachers/theologians of God’s word. The word of God always points to Jesus as Savior; by grace alone.
The Lesson
In AD 70 the unbelieving Jews perished while they clung to the old, now obsolete order (Hebrews 8:13). Jesus warned them and clearly foretold those events (Matthew 23:35, 36). But they had become so corrupt in their unbelief that they murdered their Messiah and persecuted His followers; even to the death. Their hearts had become hardened and attached to their interpretation of the Law and the Prophets, who their fathers had killed.
The High Priest, Pharisees and elders worked so hard to silence the message of the Gospel; forbidding those who heard Jesus and the Apostles from entering into the Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, the Apostles and Prophets continually built on the foundation of faith in Christ and spread the Gospel everywhere they went with signs and wonders; night and day. Today one third of the world believes.
If you hadn’t noticed, this is relevant to what is happening in our nation today and in many others around the world. Leaders always bear responsibility for the message they preach and the souls that follow them. We all bear responsibility for who we follow, how we hear and what we do with the message we believe. Elevate no person, no spirit, no message above the Son of God, the Holy Spirit and the word of God. Jesus is our first love. Stay focused on Him. He commands us to love one another as He loved us (John 15:12). Then also remember that the Holy Spirit is the only Spirit of Truth.
The Spirit of Truth
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come John 16:13
We must remain open to the Holy Spirit to challenge any pet-theologies and lead us into the grace and truth of Christ, which produces the peace that passes understanding (beyond the peace of human understanding). The Law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus (John 1:17).
The truth that the Holy Spirit leads us into empowers us to trust the finished work of Jesus on the cross. When we are led deeper into that truth we become secure in the love of God and know for certain that the goodness of God must be at the heart of the justice of God. Knowing these things in the depth of our hearts arms us with the peace which only God can give. So armed, we will not easily fall prey to the wisdoms of this world, traditions of men, seducing spirits, doctrines of demons or any paradigm of a heartless god, ready to punish every indiscretion. God declares of Himself that His mercies are new every morning and He waits with long-suffering; not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He leads us to know that, . . . in Him we live and move and have our being, Acts 17:28