In the Fulness of Time/Part 86

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When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a “sign” the first two signs He gave them were the sign from Typology (Matthew 12:38-40) and the sign from Prophecy (Matthew 12:41). We continue on from there:

The Sign from Royalty: Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Matthew 12:42

Mt. 12:42 “The queen from the south shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the farthest parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”Like the men of Nineveh, the Queen of Sheba responded to the truth when it was presented to her; but unlike Nineveh, no prophet was dispatched to the far southern end of the Arabian peninsula over 1,000 miles away. Rather, through some unknown travelers this royal lady heard of the wisdom and fame of Solomon and came to hear and see for herself! Her testimony against “this generation” at the day of judgment will be even more condemning, since her effort to get to Israel far surpassed any demands of time and trouble by the Ninevites to hear Jonah. Her desire was completely fulfilled; in fact, she confessed that “the half was not told me” (1 Kings 10:7). No wonder that the generation of the Jews will be condemned by her. They had the very Logos, the Wisdom of God Personified (1 Corinthians 1:24) in their midst and would not have Him as their King/Messiah!

The Sign from Demonology: The “last state” of that generation. Matthew 12:43-45

Mt. 12:43-45 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then He saith, I will return into my house from which I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”Like the three preceding statements this one also has a direct reference to the “wicked generation” of Christ’s day, and can thus be applied to Israel’s worsened state after rejecting the miraculous proofs of Messiahship presented by Jesus. In giving this analogy, Christ reveals several enlightening truth about the demon world.

First, demons do not necessarily have to be driven out of a person. This evil spirit was “gone out” (exlthe) in verse 43, and in verse 44 he says “I came out” (exelthon).

Second, demons can inhabit barren, wilderness places, but seem restless unless they indwell a live body: “He walketh through dry places, seeking rest and finding none” (verse 43). In Revelation 18:2 fallen Babylon becomes “the habitation of demons and the hold of every foul spirit.”

Third, demons can return to re-enter the body of a person who has not become a Christian. This man’s body was swept and put in order, but was still “empty” (verse 44). Had the man been saved, the Three Persons of the Godhead would be permanently there, preventing entrance by the demons.

Fourth, demons actually “enter in and dwell there (verse 44) in the man’s body. This confirms the reality of demon inhabitation of a person’s body; it is not merely harassment from the outside.

Fifth, space is not a problem since eight demons enter one human body. In Mark 5:9-13 there was a “legion” of demons in the maniac of Gadara, which numbered 2000 or more.

Sixth, demons have different degrees of wickedness according to verse 45. How this is possible is not revealed, except that in Ephesians 6:12, principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness suggests ranks among the wicked spirits.

Seventh, a possessed person is “worse” when more than one demon inhabits his body.

The Sign from Theology: True Relationship with the Father. Matthew 12:46-50

Mt. 12:46-50 “While He yet talked to the people, behold His mother and his brethren stood outside, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said unto Him, behold thy mother and they brethren stand outside, desiring to speak with thee. But He answered and said unto him that told Him, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”This final aspect of the “sign” does not contain a direct reference to the “generation” of Christ’s day, but in content it is in itself a stinging condemnation of those same Jews who refused to be spiritually related to Christ. Christ is still talking to the people, “the crowd” (tois ochlois) so that what He is about to say in reply to the man who called His attention to His mother and His brothers, aptly applies to the Jews.

A lot of discussion has centered on the identity of the family of Jesus, but in the very next chapter, Matthew 13:53-58, the names of His parents, Mary and Joseph, are listed along with His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas; “sisters” are mentioned as well. There is no reason to think that these are not the real siblings of Jesus through Mary His natural mother and Joseph His legal father. It is quite possible, however, that John 7:5 was still true at this time, “for neither did His brethren believe in Him” and that their desire to see Him is reflected in Mark 3:21 which says that His friends (hoi par autou) “those related to him” went out “to lay hold on Him; for they said, He is beside Himself.” Perhaps the accusations of the scribes and Pharisees gave His family real concern for Jesus. They may have thought that He was becoming emotionally disturbed and overworked; but the truth is that if they needed a right relationship with Him spiritually, they would be just like the unbelieving crowd.

Whatever the details of the situation, one thing is clear; Jesus used this as a final thrust against that wicked and adulterous generation to show them that His spiritual family included only those who “do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Certainly this was one of His ways of giving the Jews “a sign from heaven.” If they could not understand enough to receive Christ as Savior, then nothing would convince them, and they would meet Him as their judge, “in the fulness of time.”

Read Part 87