We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it
is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am
in the world, I am the Light of the world. (John 9:4-5)
The Son of God spoke these words to His disciples, prophesying
of a time that was still in the future. After the light
of the world was no longer in the world, a time called "night" would
come when no one would be able to do the work of God. What
was He talking about? What was the light of the world?
According to the Master's own words, He was the light
of the world. But He also said in Matthew 5:14 that His
disciples were the light of the world. So, according to
His prophecy, "night" would come when neither He nor His
disciples were in the world. At that time, no one would
be able to do the work of God. But when would this happen?
Has there ever been a time when Yahshua was not on the
earth and also had no disciples on the earth? Will there
be in the future?
When Yahshua finished His mission on earth and ascended
to His Father, the work of God was left in the hands of
His disciples. They were His Body on earth, the dwelling
place of His Spirit, carrying out the deeds prepared for
them. [1] Their primary
task was to serve each other and build each other up until
they all became like their Teacher in every way. [2] They
were a witness of the coming Kingdom. Their life together
showed what it will be like when Messiah returns and the
whole earth obeys His commands. [3]
Once every nation has seen this demonstration, the end
will come. At that time, according to Revelation 19:7-8,
the Church, the Bride of Messiah, will be ready for Him.
She will be clothed in righteous deeds, the works that
He prepared for her.
So, if the Church did the works of God in the beginning,
and will be doing them at the end, what did the Master
mean by "night, when no man can work"? Could there have
been a time in between that the light went out? Surely
this prophecy must have a fulfillment. The Son of God Himself
spoke it. Did the works of God ever stop being done? Could
this be what Revelation 2:4-5 was talking about?
I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love
you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen,
repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will
come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless
you repent.
What was going on at the end of the first century when
this was written? If the churches had "abandoned love," and
God is love, did this mean that they had abandoned God?
If they weren't doing the works of love they did at first,
does that mean they weren't doing the works of God? If
God "removes your lampstand," does that mean you are no
longer the light of the world, as far as He is concerned?
Is it possible that the people this was written to disregarded
it? [4] Did they not
have ears to hear this warning that the Spirit spoke to
the churches?
What if the light of all the churches actually went out
at some point in history, between the bright beginning
recorded in Acts and the glorious end prophesied in Revelation?
Could such a thing be possible? In John 8:31, Yahshua said, "You
are truly My disciples if you keep obeying My teachings." Did
He mean that if the churches stopped obeying His teachings,
then they wouldn't be His true disciples anymore? It was
His true disciples who were the light of the world. If
there were no more true disciples, would the light of the
world cease? What does it take to be His disciple?
We know that He said, "None of you can become my disciple
if you do not give up all your possessions." [5] We
also know that the twelve apostles left everything to follow
Him [6] and that they
taught others to do the same. [7] The
first church in Jerusalem lived this way in obedience to
His commands:
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one
claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they
shared everything they had. With great power the apostles
continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons
among them. For all who owned lands or houses sold them,
brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles'
feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
(Acts 4:32-35)
This sharing did not come from mere external obedience,
out of a sense of obligation. Obviously, they had a deep
concern about each other's pressing needs. It was greater
than their consideration for their own future security.
This was the result of God's love being poured out in their
hearts by the Holy Spirit. [8] These
deeds of care were the "works of God" that had been prepared
for the "light of the world" to do in the sight of the
watching world. [9]
So if the light of the world ceased, as the Master predicted,
how would we know? Would there be no more true disciples
on the earth? How could we tell? Would it be that they
didn't obey His commands? Would they no longer give up
their own possessions? Would they stop sharing everything
they had and start becoming rich? Would they start to have
poor and needy people in the churches? How disobedient
would they have to get before God no longer considered
them the light of the world?
If the churches stopped being the light of the world,
what would they be like? [10] If
they no longer had God's love in them, would they start
loving the things of the world? [11] Would
they get involved in the world's politics? [12] Would
they fight in the world's wars? [13] Would
they persecute people who disagreed with them? Would they
claim to have God's light in them, when really it was darkness? [14]
If all the lampstands of the first century churches went
out, as Revelation 2:4-5 warned, [15] it
would explain a lot of things in history. It would explain
Christianity becoming the state religion under Constantine.
It
would explain the atrocities of the Crusades, the horrible
tortures of the Inquisition, the flagrant corruption of
the Popes, the religious wars of the Reformation, and the
splintering of Christianity [16] into
over 36,000 current denominations. It would explain why
the Christian Church, supposed to be the dwelling place
of God in the Spirit, [17] has
for nearly 2000 years been filled with what Galatians 5:19-21
calls the obvious deeds of the flesh.
Is it possible that humanity has been dwelling for centuries
in the "night" that the Son of God prophesied? And if so,
would the loving God who sent His Son to die for us be
so gracious as to give the world another chance? Would
He consent to light new lampstands, [18] after
such a long time? Could the same life that the first disciples
had be restored to the earth again? [19] And
if the light of the world were once again on the earth,
what would it look like? Would they do the works that the
disciples did at first, like Revelation 3:4-5 talks about?
Would they obey the Master's teachings to love each other, [20] like
the first Church in Acts 4:32-35? Would they leave everything
to follow Him?
And if the light were once again on the earth, how would
people respond to it?
How would you respond?
While you have the light, believe in the light, that you
may become sons of light... I have come into the world
as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay
in darkness. As for the person who hears my words but does
not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to
judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the
one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very
word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. (John
12:36,46-48)
[1] Ephesians 2:10
[2] Ephesians 4:11-16;
Luke 6:40
[3] Matthew 24:14; Daniel
7:27 (RSV, NRSV, ESV, NJB)
[4] It seems that the
church in Ephesus had not taken to heart Paul's encouragement
in Ephesians 6:24 many years earlier.
[5] Luke 14:33
[6] Matthew 19:27; Mark
10:28
[7] Matthew 28:19-20
[8] Romans 5:5
[9] Ephesians 2:10;
1 Peter 2:12
[10] Philippians 2:14-15
[11] 1 John 2:15; 1
Corinthians 16:22
[12] 2 Timothy 2:3-4
[13] John 18:36; Matthew
26:52; Luke 22:50-51
[14] Matthew 6:22-24;
Luke 11:35 (Make sure that the light you think you have
is not really darkness.)
[15] See also Romans
11:21-22
[16] Possibly the most
divided of all religions, in utter disregard of 1 Corinthians
1:10-13
[17] Ephesians 2:22
[18] Establish new
churches full of disciples who obeyed their Master's commands.
[19] John 1:4; 8:12;
1 John 5:12-13
[20] John 13:34-35;
15:12-15
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