A Word from the Lord? "Come Weep with Me"

 

A Word from the Lord? “Come Weep with Me” (2-10-2021)

Two thousand years ago Jesus was troubled and wept as He stood before the tomb where His friend Lazarus was laid after he had died. “Jesus wasn’t so much sad at the scene surrounding the tomb of Lazarus. It’s more accurate to say that Jesus was angry. Jesus was angry and troubled at the destruction and power of the great enemy of humanity: death. Jesus would soon break the dominating power of death.” (Calvin)

 “Our Lord probably left Bethabara the day, or the day after, Lazarus died. He came to Bethany three days after; and it appears that Lazarus had been buried about four days, and consequently that he had been put in the grave the day or day after he died.” (Clarke) After Mary and Martha had cried out to the Lord that Lazarus was ill, Jesus waited three days before He went to them and raised Lazarus from the grave.

[Jhn 11:1, 4, 6 NASB], [Jhn 11:11, 17, 21-26, 33-35, 39-41, 43-44 NASB]

There is a pattern in these events. The Lord’s friends cry out to Him in a time of great distress. Rather than respond immediately, the Lord waits three days before He goes and raises Lazarus back to life. These three days had to be days of wondering why Jesus had not come, why He tarried, why He let them endure days of trouble, agony, and why He let Lazarus die. But after three days He did come and He raised the dead.

Could this pattern repeat in our day? God’s people are crying out in distress as the world around us falls into demonic turmoil. What if the Lord waits for a season (a three) then comes and raises the dead?

[1Th 4:16-18 NASB]

Then there was Passover. As Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, He looked over the city Jerusalem, really over His people the Hebrews, and He wept. He had come to save them but they rejected Him and instead would cry out before the government official (Pilot), crucify Him!

[Luk 19:41-44 NASB], [Mar 15:12-14 NASB]

The events of Passover were prophecies of events that were fulfilled when Jesus of Nazareth walked into Jerusalem one day almost 2000 years ago.  On the 10^th day of Aviv about 30 AD, Jesus wept over Jerusalem; entered the city; and was questioned for four days by the Rabbis.  On Aviv 14, Jesus the Lamb of God was fixed to the tree at 9:00 am (John 1:29). Jesus died at the ninth hour (i.e. 3:00 pm) with these words, "It is finished" or literally translated, "paid in full" (1 Cor. 5:7).  Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Ramah (Ramah means “seat of idolatry”) on the 15th. Jesus' tomb was found empty on Sunday, Aviv 17.

There is a pattern to be found in these events also. After raising the dead, Jesus weeps over the people that will reject Him and because He knows the fate that awaits them. Jesus is then tested for four days, crucified, and after three days is resurrected, defeating sin and death for those that accept His gift of life eternal by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.

Putting these two patterns together, we see God’s people crying out in distress, Jesus waiting for a “three”, then raising the dead. He then weeps over the people, enters the city, is tested for a “four” and He is crucified. Then after a “three”, He is resurrected to defeat sin and death forever.

Could this possibly be a pattern for our day? As the wars, tribulations, and turmoil of the events of Revelation 6 unfold and God’s people are crying out for help, could there be a period of time, like “a three” (possibly years) that God waits until He raises the dead and saves His people. Could it be that Jesus weeps over the people of the world as they are tested for “a four” (possibly 4 years)? Could it be that then there will be “a three” (possibly three years) of great darkness, trial, and death before Jesus comes in great power to defeat the evil and darkness that the earth has been experiencing, a total of ten years of testing and trouble before Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords?

In Revelation 2, Jesus told the Jews in Smyrna that they would have tribulation for ten days. Could these “ten days” possibly be ten years?

[Rev 2:10 NASB]

Could the time of the wars, death, and destruction of the events of Revelation 6 be three years like the “three days” Jesus waited before raising His dead friend? Could the “four days” Jesus was tested be symbolic of the first four years of testing of the great seven-year tribulation (the first four trumpet judgments – Rev 8:1-13)? Could the three days He spent in the grave be symbolic of the last three dark, terrible years (the three woes) of the great tribulation (Rev 3:10 - the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth)? Interesting speculation in light of His word to us to “come weep with Me”.

The first woe - [Rev 9:1, 3, 5, 12 NASB]. The second woe - [Rev 9:13-15 NASB]. The third woe - [Rev 15:1 NASB].

These days of testing end with the Lord’s glorious return to the earth. “Behold He Comes” - [Rev 19:11-16 NASB] 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."