And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)
The rising popularity of reformed theology at the present makes the topic of regeneration a timely one. For those unfamiliar with the teaching of Calvin and others, let me briefly explain how reformed Christians typically use the word.
They define regeneration as the act of God which makes a person spiritually alive prior to faith. It allows the individual to "see" and respond to God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Those who are not regenerate can never have faith and be saved.
I don’t want to get derailed here so let me just say that God obviously makes the first steps of our salvation possible. We are totally helpless. Indeed we are dead and unable to act on our own behalf. The issue at hand is, however, "Is that action of God biblical regeneration" or is the word being misapplied?
The verse above is one of only two places in the NT that uses palingenesia - regeneration. Literally, we might understand the word to mean "repeat of genesis" or "genesis again."
We should note the punctuation in the text is not contained in the original. The placement of the commas is the interpreter’s attempt to help the reader understand which words belong in each phrase. Not being proficient in such things, I rely on the accuracy of the interpreter. Nevertheless, it is obvious that significantly different meanings could result if the commas were placed differently. That aside ...
In the text, we get the idea that regeneration is an event or specific period of time rather than a personal experience. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) makes a distinction between this passage and the only other place the word is used in scripture, Titus 3:3-7 "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (NKJV)
At this point we need to chase a rabbit very briefly. Some see Paul as saying that "the washing of regeneration" and "renewing of the Holy Spirit" are the same thing. This suggests that regeneration occurred at Pentecost. That is something of a problem but there may be some truth contained in the idea.
We know from scripture that the Holy Spirit was given as an earnest of the regeneration promised. He was the seal which marked people of faith and assured them they would be beneficiaries of all the fullness that was yet to come. Though the promise was guaranteed at Pentecost it was not fulfilled at that time. Here is the core of the "already but not yet" sense of fulfillment that runs throughout the New Testament. We are reminded again that just because events were future to the original audience does not mean they are future to us.
The ISBE article attempts to deal with the problem by understanding the Matthew usage as referring to the restoration of all things at the end of the age, and the Titus passage as referring to the experience of the individual. Once again we see the importance of getting a handle on eschatology.
If the Parousia of Christ is yet future, such a distinction might be possible. On the other hand, if the consummation of the ages is a reality, that interpretation leaves considerable room for discussion. Contrary to the conventional wisdom of most Christians, it does matter what eschatological view you hold.
Let’s remember that in Matthew Jesus is speaking to His disciples, not us. He is very specific in saying "you who have followed me" not "all those who follow me" will rule over the tribes of Israel. When? In the regeneration. When was that? When Jesus took His seat on His glorious throne. When was that? It could not have been before Pentecost: "But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:39 NASB)
We’ve ripped this passage from its context but that doesn’t impact the point being made. The glorification of Christ was necessary before the Spirit would be given. Therefore, the regeneration could not have occurred prior to Pentecost.
The question remains then, when did it occur (or, for the futurist, when will it)? Those holding a future view of eschatology necessarily hold that regeneration is future because they understand its fruition is inseparable from the Parousia.
Where does that leave us? As we’ve discussed previously, those given faith in Christ certainly become new creatures, but is it proper to refer to that transformation as regeneration? Only in the most limited sense possible. Those living prior to the consummation of all things in Christ eagerly anticipated the completion of that transformation at the end of the age.
They were repeatedly encouraged to remain faithful because it would only be a very short while until that which they longed for would appear. Their vindication came in AD 70 when Christ put down His enemies, obliterated the old world and ushered in the kingdom. It was indeed a palingenesia!
What about those of us living post AD 70? We are not waiting for regeneration as those in "that generation" were. Our faith in Christ immediately identifies us with the ongoing new creation. Though we continue in the flesh and wrestle with all the practical implications of doing so, we are eternally alive and dwell spiritually in the presence of the Father in Christ.
At death, we exchange this fleshly body and are given a spiritual one suitable for that realm: a regenerated body for a regenerated creation.
Much more could be said, but this broader perspective of regeneration seems to conform to the biblical text best.
The Potter’s House
Jeremiah 18 contains a portion of the prophet’s ministry that should be very instructive to us. He is told to visit the potter’s house where God will speak to him.
We tend to think that God talking to us might be a happy occasion, but it is important to remember that the prophets were outcasts from their own people as a result of the message they bore. A quick reflection on Jonah helps us realize that it wasn’t a comfortable thing to be called as God’s mouthpiece.
Faithfully, Jeremiah heeds the call and what he experiences is of no small consequence. Jeremiah watches as the potter attempts to make a vessel but the clay collapses in his hands and he begins anew with another vessel. The problem was not the skill of the potter but the material with which he was working.
Then God confronted Israel through Jeremiah saying, "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it." (Jer. 18:6-10 NASB)
The message of the prophets was two-fold: condemnation and consolation. Here, we get a glimpse of both. God makes it clear that He will not regard an evil nation. Repentance could lead to restoration, but continued rebellion would result in the loss of His promised blessing.
God then summarizes their disobedience and reveals not only His plan to scatter them but to turn His back on them "in the day of their calamity." In arrogance, the people respond, "Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words."
Jeremiah responds to their arrogance with an imprecatory prayer concluding with, "Do not forgive their iniquity or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be overthrown before You; Deal with them in the time of Your anger!"
That’s pretty stout! We don’t hear much about this kind of prayer these days and I won’t get sidetracked with it here, but do be aware that there is yet room for it in our world today. Asking God to deal with His enemies is always in order!
In Chapter 19, God has Jeremiah buy a jar from the potter and sends him to the potsherd gate where he will be given a message for the people. You have to get the full picture here. People are already mad at him, and God orders Jeremiah to go out and confront them with words which he will be given. That’s a pretty terrifying scenario!
Jeremiah again proclaims the coming calamity which climaxes with "I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I will give over their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. I will also make this city a desolation and an object of hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its disasters. I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them."
This is more than just an ugly picture. It represents the complete overthrow of the Jewish world and they knew it. Following the pronouncement of the coming judgment, God orders Jeremiah to break the jar before the people and say, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired....’"
Here the prophetic word becomes most telling. No longer are we at the potter’s house where the pliable clay can be remade. The potsherd gate led from the city to the valley of Ben-hinnom (Gehenna). Here the fired clay of Old Covenant Israel, permanently set in its way, is to be broken and cast off. The significance of the moment must have been chilling.
Nevertheless, their judgment is not immediate. In Chapter 20, Jeremiah laments that God has made a laughingstock out of him. He proclaims the coming wrath, God delays, and the people, ever more overcome by their rebellion mock the prophet. His experience as well as that of the other prophets help us to understand their cry, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6:10)
It would be over about 700 years before Jeremiah was vindicated. He died having never seen the day, but his words were not forgotten. Fast forward to Romans 9 and see how Paul recalls this prophecy and its implication in verses 20-21, "The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?"
Anyone who thinks Paul just pulled this example at random needs to remember that he was well educated in the law and the prophets. Considering the context should convince us that this is no random choice of a metaphor.
Paul begins Romans by announcing that the gospel message is for everyone and demonstrating that everyone needs it. He establishes the fact that the Old Covenant could not and did not bring righteousness. Righteousness came by faith, not obedience to the Law. The Law merely demonstrated how utterly evil mankind is. It was a covenant they couldn’t keep. God would certainly have honored His promises had they kept the covenant, but He knew from the beginning they would not.
Nevertheless, He created Old Covenant Israel as a vessel for destruction and dishonor that His promise to Abraham might be fulfilled. It seems clear that this is the image Paul is drawing from with the reference to the potter.
As Paul continues in Romans 11, he makes it clear that Jews who repent can be grafted back into the vine and that anyone who does not remain faithful to the end will be cut off.
By now, we should understand that the end in view is not the "end of time" or the "end of the planet earth" but the end of Old Covenant Judaism. Anyone who did not repent prior to AD 70 suffered the wrath of God. It would be an interesting study to see if any unbelieving Jew came to faith after AD 70. If you know the answer to that musing, share it with the rest of us.
Some understand these passages to teach that God arbitrarily chooses individuals to honor or dishonor. That seems to take the message here beyond the context. Peter proclaims in Acts 10 that "God is not a respecter of persons" as the KJV has it. The NASB is clearer in stating that He shows no partiality. To suggest that He does is to question the attributes of God as they are revealed in scripture. God is limited only by Himself. I see no compromise of His sovereignty if He has chosen to allow individuals to choose or reject Him based on the revelation they have received.
Understanding the significance of the events in Jeremiah should help us better understand the imagery employed by Paul in Romans 9.
The Time of The End
Some of you will immediately groan, "Here he goes again!" but I continue to study prophecy and continue to share things I think are important. While I can’t take credit for most of these observations, I am persuaded they are worthy of careful consideration.
Recently, my attention was drawn to Daniel 12. I read in verse 4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." (NASB - emphasis mine)
That got my attention because my ongoing study suggests that scripture does not speak of "the end of time." My Bible gave a reference to Daniel 8:17 where exactly the same Hebrew phrase is used, "So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end. ’" (my emphasis)
The NASB is my favorite study Bible but it really appears to miss the boat here. Inquiring minds want to know why translators use the same phrase by the same author in the same context to mean two different things! Every other translation I own has "time of the end" in both places. One has to wonder what motivates translators to engage in such verbal gymnastics.
I can only surmise in this instance that the translators have become commentators. They know that Daniel 12 has to do with the consummation of the age and wish to make a distinction between the end of the Jewish age and what most folks call the end of time.
In fact, Daniel makes no such distinction. He is well aware that the age (aeon) in which he lives will end with the coming of Messiah (Dan. 9:25). That coming was a much anticipated event. Nevertheless, Daniel is told to seal up the book of his vision until the time of the end. It is this same vision John sees in Revelation but he is told not to seal his book because "the time is at hand" (Rev. 22:10).
Was it? Is Revelation wrong? How do we know? One way is to go back to Daniel 12 where we are told when these things will be fulfilled, "And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed." (vs. 7 - emphasis mine)
Who were the "holy people" (i.e. the consecrated nation)? Is it possible to understand this as any group but old covenant Israel? When was their power shattered? History (secular, rabbinical, and Christian) tells us that happened in AD 70.
So, when were the events seen by Daniel and revealed by John to take place? "As soon as" Israel fell.
What Daniel saw and did not understand, John sees, understands and records in terms so imminent that to ignore them is to do an injustice to the message he brings.
Perhaps you’ve never read Revelation from that perspective. With that in mind what follows is several of those statements which should get our attention. I've used bold type to emphasize the imminency of these passages.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place...." (Rev. 1:1)
"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." (Rev. 1:3)
"‘Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.’" (Rev. 2:16)
"‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly....’" (Rev. 3:10-11)
"And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there shall be delay no longer...." (Rev. 9:5-6)
"‘These words are faithful and true’; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. ‘And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.’" (Rev. 22:6-7)
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." (Rev. 22:12)
"He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." (Rev. 22:20)
How can we ignore these and other passages in scripture which insist upon fulfillment in that generation? Christ in Revelation 22 says three times in thirteen verses, "I am coming quickly." Did He?
Our answer to this question has serious implications for our theology and our life. It is time for us to read the scripture for ourselves and let it correct us where tradition fails.
"...let God be found true, though every man be found a liar...." (Romans 3:4)
The Apprentice’s Journal
It is hard to believe that The Carpenter’s Apprentice is now entering its fourth year. It doesn’t seem possible that much time could have passed so quickly, but it is something of a milestone that causes me some reflection.
Since the first newsletter that was sent to my unsuspecting family and friends in January 2000, the number of recipients has doubled due largely to you sharing CA with your friends. A few have come by way of the website, but most because of your personal contacts. That means a great deal to me.
It means you trust your friends and acquaintances with me and that you trust their diligence in handling God’s word. That is a vote of confidence that blesses all concerned.
You have been most generous in helping with the costs of printing and mailing and I am grateful. This is a not-for-profit endeavor which began as a gift to a select group of people. It pleases me to be able to share it with others as long as we have the resources to do so.
That brings me to the matter of stewardship. Some of you are on the mailing list at the request of others, and you may not wish to receive the newsletter. I understand that completely because others add me to lists without consulting me. I hate to see resources wasted on things I won’t read (time limitations).
If you are not reading the newsletter, please contact me and let me know to take you off the mailing list. You don’t need to give a reason. You can call, write or email me using the information on the back page, but please do let me know.
At the same time, if you know others who you think might enjoy receiving CA, just send me their information and they will receive three issues and then be given the opportunity to become regular subscribers.
Those of you who provide feedback do me a valuable service. I truly appreciate your input: positive and negative. I consider you all my friends and depend on you to keep me on my toes!
I really want this monthly meeting to be something that blesses and challenges us all. You can help me fulfill that desire by sharing your thoughts, questions, etc. Of particular interest to me are topics that you struggle with as you study the Bible.
We can address them here and open dialogue to everyone. None of us live in a vacuum. We need each other to bounce ideas off of as we refine our understanding of God’s word. I hope you will play an active part in what happens here in the coming year. I won’t share your thoughts with your name without your permission, but I do want to hear from you!
What would make this time together more helpful to you? What would you like to see added? What about the format? How could it be improved?
This newsletter began as a personal way for me to communicate my thoughts on scripture to people close to me. It will continue to have that primary purpose, but it has also grown beyond that and your perceived needs are important to me.
Last year, we kept a particular theme for the year. As you can see from this edition, I have not settled on one over-arching concept and probably won’t. While I do have several articles in mind, no theme has emerged.
Finally, as our elected officials continue to pursue the escalation of hostilities against foreign nations, I know that many of us have family members caught in the middle. They volunteered for military service because they love this country and some are torn about being involved in aggression toward peoples who have not even threatened our shores. Know that my prayers for their wisdom and their true faith and allegiance to the law of this land are offered daily.
If it is now our goal to rid the world of potential enemies, one has to wonder where that effort will end. You see, each one of us is now a potential enemy and the legislation being enacted these days treats us as such, not as citizen-rulers as established in our Constitution. God help us to recover our way.