On a routine trip to the doctor today I found the front office staff all wearing festive "Happy New Year" party hats. Probably most Americans have already forgotten about
Christmas, unless they're still picking tinsel and glitter out of the carpet. Only a handful of people are observing "The 12 Days of Christmas," and nobody is
trying to draw parallels between Christmas and libertarianism.
Except us, of course. And instead of using this "Third Day of Christmas" to talk about "three french hens," we're going to talk about an Anarchist King.
Speaking of doctors, we're going to begin looking at a prophecy recorded in Dr.
Luke's Gospel, that of John the Baptist's father, Zechariah. Here is how Luke records the announcement of the birth of John:
Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division
of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God
in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of
the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw
him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their
God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah was obviously a devout Jew, even a priest. Six months later, when John was born, Zechariah was filled with the Spirit and prophesied of the new King, Jesus:
Luke 1 68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has
visited and redeemed His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the
house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And
from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74
To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His
people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To
give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Zechariah, familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures, sees in that first Christmas the fulfillment of those themes and promises. In the next couple of days we're going to focus
on these:
"The House of David"
"His Holy Prophets"
"Saved from our Enemies"
"His Holy Covenant to Abraham"
"Serving in Holiness and Righteousness"
"The Way of Peace"
Together these themes give us a picture of the libertarian Kingdom of Christ, a Kingdom rejected by the religious leaders at the time of the first Christmas, just as their
ancestors rejected it in the days of Samuel, and as "premillennialists"
of the "Religious Right" reject it today.
This Kingdom is not a purely "spiritual" or "private" Kingdom, as Herod understood, as evidenced by
his attempt to assassinate Jesus the Child-King. If King Jesus has His way, it's the end of business-as-usual for all earthly kings. Jesus is not a king like
all the other kings. But He claims jurisdiction over the same social, political, military, and economic issues that earthly kings, presidents, prime ministers, and
dictators-for-life claim to manage "for the people."
At the first Christmas, the religious leaders and the people were expecting the arrival of the Messiah, but they were not expecting a Messiah who would also be a “suffering
servant.” The concept of Christ’s Kingship was completely misunderstood by the Jews in His day, and is widely misunderstood in our day. Many in our day hold the same
anti-Scriptural views that were held by those in Christ’s day, who rejected the Christ of the prophets and desired instead a rival Emperor and an army of armed shock-troops to
violently overthrow the Roman Empire and an army of bureaucrats to establish another top-down empire––with themselves at the top, of course. They really didn’t want an end to
all injustice and oppression; they hoped that the oppressors (Rome) and the oppressed (Israel) would simply change places. They
wanted to do to their conquerors as their conquerors had done to them. And they wanted a king much like those of the demonic empires that had dominated human history up to that
time. When they attempted to make Jesus the kind of king that would rule them from an earthly throne, He fled them (John
6:15).
From the beginning, God accommodated the hard hearts of Israel. They never wanted the kind of King God promised to be (Isaiah
33:22). They wanted a king “like all the nations” (1
Samuel 8), and God gave them a better king than they deserved. But when it came time for them to choose the man who would be king, they did not even choose David himself:
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For
the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And
he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 1 Samuel 16:7-8
And in the eyes of those living at the first Christmas, Jesus was even less kingly than David:
He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and
rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:2-3
But Jesus was the King promised by God's prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus was the heir of David’s Throne.
Read those two sentences again. They are truly momentous. Quite possibly, a majority of Christians today don’t believe this to be the true message of Christmas.
The Angel told Mary:
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:32-33
This is a reference to many prophecies in the Old Testament. One of the most important issues in Christian thought today is whether Jesus fulfilled these promises. Stated
another way, Did the Jews correctly interpret the Old Testament prophets when they rejected Christ as their King? They expected a certain type of king. Were their expectations
Scriptural? Millions of Christians today have these same expectations.
King David was told that his was not true Kingship; rather, one of his descendants would be established as the True King:
11 And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed
after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his Father, and he
shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his
throne shall be established forever. 1 Chronicles 17:11-14; see also 2 Samuel 7:12,13
The Psalmist sang,
The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. Psalm
132:11
This descendant is also called the Branch, a stem out of the root of Jesse (David’s father):
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “ That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King
shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by
which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:5-6
“For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 nor shall the
priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’” Jeremiah 33:17-18
That last prophecy is very important. The Protestant Reformation emphasized a neglected Scriptural doctrine called “The
Priesthood of All Believers.” In contrast to the Roman Catholic Church, with its sacerdotal priesthood and sacraments, the Reformation returned to the New Testament
declaration that all believers are a new priesthood, building a new House, that is, a new Temple:
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones,
are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the
Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And
he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to
those who are disobedient, ”The stone which the builders rejected Has
become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of
stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being
disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim
the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people
of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10)
This whole concept was rejected by the guardians of the old temple, those who carried out the old sacrifices. They preferred “The Priesthood of Some Believers.”
Here’s the million-dollar Christmas question (and it really is worth millions of dollars, if only because best-selling
fiction is based on the wrong answer): Is Jesus the final High Priest, are believers a “House,” a spiritual temple, and was Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary the final
shedding of propitiatory blood in human history? Millions of Christians have bought millions of copies of books on prophecy which suggest that God is going to re-build the Old
Testament temple and re-establish Levitical animal sacrifices. What does this say about the sufficiency of Christ’s work?
Obviously these are “leading questions,” and if you’re uncomfortable with where they lead, that’s understandable. But please accept the challenge to rethink your answers
like the Bereans did, searching the Scriptures daily to find out the most Biblical answer (Acts
17:11).
The Protestant Reformers and the authors of the Westminster Confession believed that the Babe born in
Bethlehem was this prophesied King. The most famous of all Christmas Carols and oratorios proclaim the Kingship of Jesus.
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will
be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of
David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah
9:6-7
which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was
born of the seed of David according to the flesh, Romans 1:2-32
“I,
Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16
Most of the New Testament was written by Jewish writers to a Jewish audience, and all this talk about "the House of David" is driving home the claim
that Jesus is the promised New King David.
We have two very different views of the Kingdom of God in conflict. The Jewish majority always had a distorted view of the Kingdom. But there was always a remnant that was
faithful. The prophets spoke for this remnant, looking forward to Christmas in Jesus’ day (John
8:56; Matt 13:17; Heb 11:13). Again, this is not how the Jews of Jesus’ day saw it. They rejected a Kingdom which made progress by suffering and peace-without-strength,
which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and
those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. Acts 3:21,24
The New Testament quotes the Old Testament prophets over and over again. Nothing could be clearer than the attempt by the writers of the New Testament to claim that Jesus
fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about Davidic Kingship.
The most frequently-quoted prophecy in the New Testament is Psalm 110:
1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 4 The Lord hath sworn,
and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus is not only the Christmas King, but also Priest. How can Christians believe that Christ is their Priest without also believing that He is their King? In fact, the very
word “Christ” means “anointed King.” "Jesus Christ" is not a name like "Bob Smith." It's a title:
Jesus the King. Is Jesus really the Christ, the Messiah, the world-ruler? According to the New Testament writers, yes.
“But Jesus is not on David’s throne in Jerusalem,” some will say. “And what about His enemies, like Osama bin Laden? Surely it’s obvious that Jesus will not really be
the Christ until He comes again in great glory.”
This question is huge. It is not only an important theological question, but it has significant impact on our nation’s foreign policy, which has been influenced by tens of
millions of voters who hold certain ideas about prophecy and the Middle East. Billions of dollars and billions of lives, literally, are at stake in understanding the Biblical
answer to these questions.
Let’s first look at how the New Testament answers these questions. If nothing else, the New Testament answer is consistent, but not necessarily clear to those who have been
raised hearing another answer.
Jesus is everywhere in the New Testament spoken of as the Christ, that is, the King spoken of by the prophets. This is the central theme of Christmas. The Wise Men from the
east knew this:
saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship
Him.” Matthew 2:2
The Angel told Mary,
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. Luke
1:32
Zecharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:
And has raised up a horn [symbol of a powerful ruler] of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, Luke
1:69
The shepherds were told
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke
2:11
His disciples believed that Jesus was the One foretold by the Prophets, and Jesus did not tell them they were wrong:
Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John
1:49
In fact, Jesus often criticized the disciples for not believing everything that was said about Him:
50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will
see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son
of Man.”
Jesus was willing to ride into Jerusalem and perpetuate this belief:
saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace
in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:38
“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to
you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of
a donkey.’” Matthew 21:5, Zechariah 9:9
took
branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed
is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” John 12:13
Blessed
is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:10
Jesus outraged the Jewish leadership with His Kingly claims to being the Christ, which they saw as blasphemous:
And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the
Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. And I say to you, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of
heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66
What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.” Matthew 26:63-66, and Mark 14:62, Luke
22:69
Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a
king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John
18:37
Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is
another king—Jesus.” Acts 17:7
For He must reign
till He has put all enemies under His feet. 1 Corinthians 15:25
Now
to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1
Timothy 1:17
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at
the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, Hebrews 8:1
But His Kingdom does not derive its power from the political machinery of the old world, He does not administer justice from any earthly throne in the capitol of any nation, nor
does He claim any one nation as “His nation” (John 18:35-36). This is probably what
confuses many people. They believe that if Jesus is going to “rule,” He must be physically located in Washington, D.C., or on a literal throne in Jerusalem. That's where real
power is wielded, after all.
Christ’s accession to the Davidic throne is at the heart of the Christmas message, and was at the heart of Peter’s sermon on the Day of
Pentecost. When David prophesied of the coming King Who would sit on his throne, he had in mind the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ to the heavenly throne, which is called “the
right hand of power” (Mark 14:62), and not to any finite, earthly throne in Jerusalem ––
or in Washington D.C. As Peter explained:
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is
with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up
Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. . . . This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David
is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, “The LORD said unto my
Lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes
thy footstool.” Therefore, let all the House of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye
have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:29-36
The writers of the New Testament wanted to make sure it was clear to their readers that Jesus was the Christ foretold by the Old Testament prophets.
That the Messiah now sits at the right hand of God (the position of True Power and Might) is claimed of Jesus again and again in the New Testament (Matthew
26:64; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3-13; 8:1; 10:22; 12:2). This is clearly the fulfillment of Psalm 110, and
is said to be so in Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. The very term “Christ” means “Anointed
King,” and for His co-conspirators to claim that Jesus was the Christ was a dangerous political act (Acts
17:7). Can any true Christian claim that Jesus is not the Christ,
the Anointed King?
“But what about Osama and the commies?” you ask, still unconvinced. “Isn’t the ‘millennial reign of Christ’ a time without troubles, responsibilities, challenges, or
enemies of any kind?”
We’ll look at that question on the 4th day of "The 12 Days of Liberty." We’ll also look at these other themes from Zechariah's prophecy:
"His Holy Covenant to Abraham"
"The Way of Peace"
“Serving in Holiness and Righteousness.”
We'll see that Christmas means working today for a global anarcho-capitalism.
This online celebration is sponsored by a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization called "Vine & Fig Tree."
Our offices were destroyed by a tornado a couple of years ago. We're requesting a $12 "cover charge" for this party. Your donation is tax-deductible. No donation is
required to participate in the "The 12 Days of Christmas."
If we get 100 people to donate $12, we'll be able to pay our bills this month.
Or mail your check to
"Vine & Fig Tree" P.O. Box 179 Powersite, MO 65731
The Program 12 Days Bringing to Mind The Most Significant Event in Human History
Each day you'll receive an audio for your morning commute to work, and another audio for your commute back home. The morning audio will look at Micah's Vine
& Fig Tree prophecy, and in the evening we'll show how that vision began to be fulfilled at Christmas two millennia ago.
Day 1 - Jesus is the culmination of thousands of years of meticulous genealogical records preserved by "the Chosen People," Israel.
Day 3 - Jesus will be given "the throne of his father David."
• Luke 1:5-25 - John the Baptist prepares the way for the Messiah, as prophesied of
Elijah.
• Luke 1:26-38 - The Angel Gabriel announces the conception of the Messiah:
"And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:33)
• Luke 1:39-45 - the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy when he encounters the
unborn Messiah. Planned Parenthood attempts to sell them both for body parts. (That last part is "not in the earliest manuscripts.")
Mary sings a song of praise composed of Old Testament quotations, saying that the real meaning of Christmas is good news for the poor and lowly,
and bad news for the rich and powerful:
50And His mercy is on them
that fear Him from generation to generation. 51He
hath shewed strength with His arm; He
hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He
has put down the mighty from theirthrones, and exalted them of low degree. 53He
hath filled the hungry with good things; and
the rich he hath sent empty away.
71That we should be saved
from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 79To
give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the
way of peace.
Day 6 - Matthew 1:18-25 - the Incarnation is explained to Joseph
"Jesus" means "salvation" "Immanuel" means "God with us"
The Prophet Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Jesus'
parents lived in Nazereth. Therefore God predestined Caesar to issue a decree (probably relating to taxes) that would bring
Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem before Jesus was born. Evil empires serve God's purposes.
An army of angels announces the birth of the Messiah to lowly shepherds, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on
earth peace to those with whom He is pleased!”
The most important family on earth could not afford the top-level offering required by the law of Moses. They took advantage of a provision for low-income families.
Day 10 -
• Luke 2:25-35 - Simeon had been told he would not
die before he saw the Lord's Messiah. He says Jesus is "The One."
• Luke 2:36-38 -
Anna the Prophetess is another well-known Godly person who acknowledges that Jesus is the Child promised by the prophets. (Christianity offered a view of women which was quite
unlike that of the Empire that occupied Israel at the time.)
Day 11 - Wise men worship Jesus
• Matthew 2:1-8 - "Wise men from the East"
(Babylon, perhaps) knew of Micah's prophecy that the King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem.
When Herod got word of the birth of a rival king, he behaved in a perfectly logical way (for someone who wants to protect his power): he
massacred all male babies the age of Jesus. Herod recognized that Jesus was a threat to Herod's power.
Each day along the way, we will compare these historical accounts of Christmas with Micah's Vine & Fig Tree prophecy
predicting:
The message of the angels to the shepherds on the first Christmas:
And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And peace
on earth among men with whom He is well pleased. Luke
2:8-15
His lord said unto him, `Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over
many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' Matthew 25:21
The Vine & Fig Tree Worldview
The phrase "Vine & Fig Tree" comes from the Old Testament Prophet Micah, the fourth chapter. You can find out
more about the Vine & Fig Tree Worldview on our home page:
During the next 12 days, you'll see the "real meaning" of Christmas in the Bible like you've never seen them before.
Many Christians today believe Jesus came to get us a ticket to heaven when we die. In the meantime, Satan rules the planet. Their story of the Bible goes like this:
God created planet earth;
God put man on earth to be a good steward, and transform the Garden of Eden into the City of God;
Satan tempted man;
Man rebelled against God, choosing to be his own god instead;
Satan now controls the world;
Jesus came to pay the penalty for this rebellion;
Things are going to get worse and worse;
Since Satan and man are not playing God's game by God's rules, God is soon going to take his cosmic football and go home.
In other words, Satan wins.
Pretty dismal story, isn't it?
Sure, God sent His Son, who died on the cross, so that some of the players can be forgiven for their rebellion and go home with God, but God's original purposes for man and the
creation were thwarted by Satan, the ultimate victor.
Some of George Washington's favorite passages of the Bible were those that spoke of every man dwelling safely "under
his own vine and fig tree." Other Founding Fathers also referred to this "Vine
& Fig Tree" ideal.
(George Washington would recommend that you enroll in The 12 Days of Christmas
program. He read the Bible for an hour each morning, and another hour in the evening.)
George Washington was motivated by the Vine & Fig Tree vision revealed in the Bible. Washington's Diaries are available
online at the Library of Congress. They are introduced with these words:
No theme appears more frequently in the writings of Washington than his love for his land. The diaries are a monument to that concern. In his
letters he referred often, as an expression of this devotion and its resulting contentment, to an Old Testament passage. After the Revolution, when he had returned to Mount
Vernon, he wrote the Marquis de Lafayette on Feb. 1, 1784:
"At length my Dear Marquis I am become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac, & under the shadow of my own Vine & my
own Fig-tree."
This phrase occurs at least 11 times in Washington's letters.
"And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree" (2 Kings 18:31).
Peter Lillback, author of a 1,000-page
study of Washington's life and thought,
has found more than 40 references to the “Vine and Fig Tree” vision in Washington's Papers. "Vine
& Fig Tree" is the original "American Dream."
The phrase occurs a
number of times in Scripture. These references are visual reminders of the Hebrew word for salvation, which means
• peace,
• wholeness,
• health,
• welfare, and
• private property free from pirates and princes.
When today's Americans hear the word "salvation," they usually think about going to heaven when they die. When the writers of the Bible used the word "salvation,"
they wanted you to be thinking about dwelling safely under your own Vine & Fig Tree during this life -- much
more often than they wanted you to be thinking about what you'll be doing in the afterlife.
Vine & Fig Tree is also a phrase from the prophet Micah, the idea of everyone owning property and
enjoying the fruits of their labor without fear of theft or political oppression, of sitting peacefully under your "Vine & Fig Tree."
Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet Daniel spoke of the first Christmas, the
birth of the Messiah in the days of the Roman Empire. That barbaric, debauched empire was destroyed, and the Kingdom of Christ began growing like a mustard tree, like leaven, like
a field (Matthew 13). The Emperor Justinian began Christianizing the Eastern Roman Empire, and in the West kings like Alfred and Ethelbert made the 10 Commandments the basis of new
legal systems. The "Common Law" began, with a Christian foundation, and eventually found its way into the Constitution of
the United States, "a Christian nation." From 12 dejected disciples, Christianity has spread across the
world, and billions of people claim to be Christian. Though there have been ups and downs, the progress of Christianity has been undeniable -- at least to those who have been
taught the facts of history.
Most Americans in the 21st century have not.
If you enroll in this Home Study Program, you will learn the story of the "Vine & Fig Tree." You will learn that the
Bible says the purpose of the first Christmas was that "the knowledge of the Lord should cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah
11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). This has been going on for 2,000
years now. This is a wonderful story that isn't being told.
And the story is really just beginning.
You're invited to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Join our online party and accomplish the following over the next 12 days:
read the historical accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ
discover "the real meaning of Christmas" by comparing the Gospel accounts of Christmas with a neglected Old Testament prophecy (Micah 4:1-7).
The "real meaning of Christmas" is:
Peace on Earth (Luke 2:14).
Everyone dwelling securely under his own Vine & Fig Tree (Micah 4:1-7).
Jesus is the Christ ("Christ" means "messiah," or
"anointed King").
What we've already witnessed:
The prophet Daniel predicted that during the Roman Empire, a rock would crush the empire and turn into a mountain
and fill the whole earth. Jesus is the Rock. He has been reigning for 2,000 years, ever since He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father. His Kingdom is
the Mountain, it's filling the earth, and the planet is being progressively Christianized. Before He rose from the dead, He had 12 dejected and confused disciples. Today
over two billion people claim to be followers of Christ. The empire that executed Jesus soon collapsed under its own depravity.
Christians began Christianizing the world. Early kings like Ethelbert made the Ten Commandments the foundation of the "common
law" legal system in Europe. At one time the United States Supreme Court declared that America was "a
Christian nation." "Western civilization" is Christian
civilization. There have been ups and downs, but the progress cannot be denied. The Mountain is filling the earth.
Controversy:
Christ's Kingdom advances peacefully through works of service, not the
sword. A non-military, "pacifist" Messiah was not the kind of Messiah expected by most Jews 2,000 years ago. (Nor
by many Christians today.)
There are two groups that oppose this concept of Christmas:
"Premils"
"Pinkos"
"Premils" are "pre-millennialists" who believe the "millennium" (described by Micah 4 and
other passages) cannot take place until after a Second Coming of Christ, when Jesus returns and sets up a strong, military, "police-state"-style
centralized government, with armed believers dispatched from a throne in Jerusalem to put down unbelievers. "Premils" believe Christmas only secured for believers a
ticket to heaven when they die, or a ticket on "the Rapture" if they live that long. Not
global transformation.
"Pinkos" are those who believe that Jesus is not King enough to bring about the "millennium"; we need strong centralized government for that. Pinkos
call us "anarchists."
During the next 12 days, we'll find out why the Premils and the Pinkos are both wrong, and why you and I can and should work to bring "Peace on Earth" so
that everyone can dwell prosperously and securely under their own Vine & Fig Tree.
For more about the "Vine & Fig Tree" vision, see our
home page.
,
has found more than 40 references to the “Vine and Fig Tree” vision in Washington's Papers.