Prepare the way of the Lord

[elijah23]

[1] In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
[2] "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
[3] For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight." Matt 3:1-3 RSV

What does this mean?

 

[olympia]

quote: elijah

Prepare the way of the Lord
by elijah23 on Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:30 pm

[1] In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
[2] "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
[3] For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight." Matt 3:1-3 RSV
What does this mean?

John the Baptist was a forrunner to Christ. The land was called a wilderness because it was without redemption at the point of John's preaching. God sent him to tell the Jews that their long awaited Messiah has come.

No longer were they going to be held captive to the Law of Sin and Death, a law that the Jews had come to believe was their salvation. But it was not their salvation and they must repent (turn away) from the Law and believe in Christ. And so John baptized with the baptism of repentance that represented being cleansed from sin and raised in newness of life; that life is in Christ Jesus, the way the truth and eternal life.

 

[elijah23]

I tend to believe that heaven is a clear conscience. Therefore, the words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,†makes perfect sense.

I guess what confuses a little is “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.â€

 

[olympia]

elijah,

Amen! I also see heaven as a clear conscience.

Could John's cry be that he wanted his people to turn from their evil conscience which the Law imposed and turn to Christ, the offer of a pure conscience before God?

Hebrews 10:1, "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.
2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins."

 

[Vic C.]

I tend to believe that heaven is a clear conscience. Therefore, the words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,†makes perfect sense.

I guess what confuses a little is “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.â€

You may or may not know this, but here is the context:

Isa 40:3
Mal 3:1

 

[glorydaz]

Heaven is the dwelling place of God...His throne is in heaven...it has a direction - up.

 

[elijah23]

elijah,

Amen! I also see heaven as a clear conscience.

Could John's cry be that he wanted his people to turn from their evil conscience which the Law imposed and turn to Christ, the offer of a pure conscience before God?

Hebrews 10:1, "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.
2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins."

Certainly we need to turn towards Jesus.

My own experience, though, is that there were certain sins the Lord wanted me to repent of, and when I did repent of those sins, an indescribable peace came over me. Fear evaporates when you repent of your sin.

 

[olympia]

glorydaz

Heaven is the dwelling place of God...His throne is in heaven...it has a direction - up.

I should have known that I would have to explain myself. Here goes...

The pure conscience is the bottom line to salvation and standing before God unashamed. What Christ did for the world offers a pure conscience if we believe. Heaven at this point is by faith and is spiritual and then one day will be manifested, but until then we who believe are sojourners here in a pure conscience.

Eph 2:5, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

 

[elijah23]

You may or may not know this, but here is the context:

Isa 40:3
Mal 3:1

Yes, I was aware there was an Old Testament tie-in. I’m just trying to understand the words:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

 

[elijah23]

Heaven is the dwelling place of God...His throne is in heaven...it has a direction - up.

Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half what you see.

Is it possible that some of the commonly accepted ideas in Christianity are false?

Where in the Bible does it say that heaven is not a clear conscience?

I’m not saying heaven IS a clear conscience. I’m just saying I TEND to believe that—I SUSPECT that is what heaven is. I invite people to show me Scripture that says heaven is NOT a clear conscience. If I am wrong, then it would be good if someone showed me.

 

[Andrew]

elijah,

Amen! I also see heaven as a clear conscience.

Could John's cry be that he wanted his people to turn from their evil conscience which the Law imposed and turn to Christ, the offer of a pure conscience before God?

Hebrews 10:1, "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.
2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins."

Certainly we need to turn towards Jesus.

My own experience, though, is that there were certain sins the Lord wanted me to repent of, and when I did repent of those sins, an indescribable peace came over me. Fear evaporates when you repent of your sin.

You are mature beyond your years. Your words are so true, fear evaporates. Keep going.

 

[Andrew]

[1] In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
[2] "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
[3] For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight." Matt 3:1-3 RSV

What does this mean?

In everything that God has done in this world He has announced it through His servants the Prophets.
So as to help avoid confusion; the Apostles were church planters, and the letters they wrote (which we have in the New Testament) were to help new believers understand the New Covenant in Christ Jesus and how it was the fulfillment of what the Prophets announce in advance in the Old Testament.
John the Baptist was the Elijah who was announced in advance. The one to announce the Messiah in advance.
Jesus announced to John His Revelation in advance. The Revelation announces His two witnesses to come in advance, and the two witnesses testify to the truth in Jesus' testimony and announce His second coming in advance.
So getting to the meaning; prepare your hearts for the return of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Make your paths straight. John the baptist used the words, "Repent and believe".

 

[glorydaz]

Heaven is the dwelling place of God...His throne is in heaven...it has a direction - up.

Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half what you see.

Is it possible that some of the commonly accepted ideas in Christianity are false?

Where in the Bible does it say that heaven is not a clear conscience?

I’m not saying heaven IS a clear conscience. I’m just saying I TEND to believe that—I SUSPECT that is what heaven is. I invite people to show me Scripture that says heaven is NOT a clear conscience. If I am wrong, then it would be good if someone showed me.

I see nowhere in the Word where heaven is a pure conscience.
I do see many verses that tell us heaven is the dwelling place of God.
His throne is in heaven...earth is His footstool.

I see heaven is a destination and a place where only righteousness dwells.
God is Spirit, so heaven is in the spiritual realm, but I just don't see where man's conscience fits any of it's descriptions. A clear conscience could be the key to entering into the presence of God, but that's as close as I can come to putting the two together.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

 

[Vic C.]

There is a word called onus, which states one has the burden of proof. In this case of Biblical silence, the onus is on you, elijah23.

Now, I'm not picking on you but if you want to establish a precept or concept concerning a Biblical doctrine or belief, it needs to be proved in Scripture.

Thanks. :yes

 

[elijah23]

There is a word called onus, which states one has the burden of proof. In this case of Biblical silence, the onus is on you, elijah23.

Now, I'm not picking on you but if you want to establish a precept or concept concerning a Biblical doctrine or belief, it needs to be proved in Scripture.

Thanks. :yes

My question was simple: Is there anything in the Bible that says heaven is not a clear conscience? I am not trying to prove anything. I merely am asking a question.

 

[elijah23]

I see nowhere in the Word where heaven is a pure conscience.
I do see many verses that tell us heaven is the dwelling place of God.
His throne is in heaven...earth is His footstool.

I see heaven is a destination and a place where only righteousness dwells.
God is Spirit, so heaven is in the spiritual realm, but I just don't see where man's conscience fits any of it's descriptions. A clear conscience could be the key to entering into the presence of God, but that's as close as I can come to putting the two together.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Do we know that heaven is a physical place, as opposed to a spiritual place?

 

[elijah23]

I see nowhere in the Word where heaven is a pure conscience.
I do see many verses that tell us heaven is the dwelling place of God.
His throne is in heaven...earth is His footstool.

I see heaven is a destination and a place where only righteousness dwells.
God is Spirit, so heaven is in the spiritual realm, but I just don't see where man's conscience fits any of it's descriptions. A clear conscience could be the key to entering into the presence of God, but that's as close as I can come to putting the two together.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Let me add to my previous statement that, after all, I don’t think the Lord’s feet are PHYSICALLY using the earth as a footstool.

 

[Vic C.]

There is a word called onus, which states one has the burden of proof. In this case of Biblical silence, the onus is on you, elijah23.

Now, I'm not picking on you but if you want to establish a precept or concept concerning a Biblical doctrine or belief, it needs to be proved in Scripture.

Thanks. :yes

My question was simple: Is there anything in the Bible that says heaven is not a clear conscience? I am not trying to prove anything. I merely am asking a question.

Oy... is there anything that says Heaven is not on the dark side of the moon?

This is Apologetics and no offense, but your logic is less than sound.

 

[elijah23]

Oy... is there anything that says Heaven is not on the dark side of the moon?

This is Apologetics and no offense, but your logic is less than sound.

I’m guessing that heaven is a clear conscience. I don’t know that for sure, though.

 

[elijah23]

Oy... is there anything that says Heaven is not on the dark side of the moon?

This is Apologetics and no offense, but your logic is less than sound.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

What is the Lord telling us here? He’s telling us to repent—to have a clear conscience. He’s saying: Have a clear conscience, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. That makes no sense at all to me, unless a clear conscience IS heaven.

Try this: Repent of all your sin, as Jesus told you to do here, and see what happens. See if the most indescribable peace descends upon you, like the New Jerusalem described in the book of Revelation.