By comparing the first two chapters of Genesis with the last two chapters of Revelation, it becomes clear that Man's purpose is to build the City of God, the New Jerusalem.
God gives the blueprints
Man does the work
God gets the glory
The Hebrew word for "glory" is related to the word for "weight." In the Bible, gold makes better money than paper. [Explore this theme] Man's purpose is to create real wealth.
In the third chapter of the Bible, Satan enters the scene and tempts Adam and Eve to build their own city instead of God's City. "Ye shall be as gods" Satan said, by drawing up your own blueprints, determining for yourself what constitutes "good" and "evil," and building the City of Man.
We see this in Genesis 11: The Tower of Babel. "Let us make us a name," Man said.
If you're not building a city for the glory of God, you're building a city for the glory of Man. The City of Man is inevitably The Society of Satan.
Two Cities
Augustine wrote a book called De Civitate Dei, "On the City of God" (Civitas Dei). The first words of the City of God are ‘gloriosissimam civitatem Dei,’ ‘the glorious city of God.’
The opposite of the City of God (Theonomy) is the City of Man (autonomy), although for Augustine, the opposite was civitas terrena, the "earthly city," which tends to confine the City of God to heaven. Augustine was not always correct. The conflict between these two cities is not geography (location), but authority (moral legitimacy). Jesus told us to work and pray that God's will would "be done on earth as it is in heaven." Peace is not just for heaven, as we see in Luke 2:
10 And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earthpeace, among those with whom He is pleased!”
If we follow God's Blueprints, we get peace, purpose, and life.
1. Violence
The City of God is built with plowshares.
The City of Man is built with swords.
Jones has a blueprint.
Smith has a blueprint.
Whose blueprint will be followed?
The Sword will determine this.
The City of Man is tyranny. The City of God is Liberty.
But man soon tires of tyranny.
2. Chaos
When Man attempts to escape God's blueprints, he tries anything and everything.
"Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." Psalm 2:3
If God sees black and white, autonomous man will find "50 shades of [sadomasochistic] grey." He attempts to overthrow God's order by descending into chaos. Revolution is the religion of chaos. "Through revolution everything returns to chaos, and out of chaos comes “a new and regenerated world” (James Billington, former head of the Library of Congress).
The City of God is order. The City of Man defies God through chaos. But to say there is no meaning, no law, is usually just an excuse to impose one's own law on others.
Is the universe a meaningless, random event?
Or does life have meaning - a meaning that reflects
the design and morality of a personal Creator?
Here is the answer of one evolutionist:
“I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; consequently I assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption.
Most ignorance is vincible ignorance. We don’t know because we don’t want to know. It is our will that decides how and upon what subjects we shall use our intelligence.
Those who detect no meaning in the world generally do so because, for one reason or another, it suits their [purpose] that the world should be meaningless.
The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics, he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do, or why his friends should not seize political power and govern in the way that they find most advantageous to themselves....
For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy [worldview] of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom; we objected to the political and economic system because it was unjust. The supporters of these systems claimed that in some way they embodied the meaning (a Christian meaning, they insisted) of the world. There was one admirably simple method of confuting these people and at the same time justifying ourselves in our
political and erotic revolt: we could deny that the world had any meaning whatsoever.”
(Aldous Huxley, Ends and Means, Chatto & Windus: London, 1946, pp. 270, 273)
The "Military-Industrial Complex" loves the dogma of purposeless evolution. It allows them to "seize political power and govern in the way that they find most advantageous to themselves...."
And we're back to tyranny.
3. Escape
Some folks, seeing the violence (imposed, centralized) on the one hand, and the chaos (libertinism) on the other, seek to escape. They choose drugs, mind-numbing mantras, or suicide.
Your Choice
If Man reject's God's blueprints, and attempts to draft his own blueprints, we get:
Violence, statism, war
Chaos, meaninglessness
Death
These are the three forms of the City of Man.
God has called out a "church" to build the City of God. But Christ's "church" is not Jewish or Roman in its character. In the New Jerusalem, unlike the Old Jerusalem, there is
no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Revelation 21:22
Man's purpose is to build the City of God, the New Jerusalem.
God gives the blueprints
Man does the work
God gets the glory
God's Choice
If we think we might want to repent of building the City of Man, what does the City of God look like? What do God's Blueprints say?
God's Blueprints cover every area of life. The Bible will re-create everything and lay in place a new foundation:
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Genesis 18:19
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Genesis 26:4-5
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Galatians 3:8
"The blessings of liberty" -- "Good News" indeed -- come only through obedience to God's Law.
If the Bible is not true, there really is no such thing as "Law" except the "positive law" of the State.
Every home school curriculum needs to teach children ""The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," that is, Biblical Law.
It was one of the most important features of early American public schools that they inculcated "religion and morality," a.k.a. "piety and virtue." America's Founders believed that religion and morality were "necessary for good government and the happiness of mankind," and this was the explicitly stated reason why schools were created.
One of the centerpieces of early American education was the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It was in virtually every single classroom in America, and in nearly every home. One of the finest features of that work is an exposition of the Ten Commandments, including "the duties required" and "the sins forbidden" by each commandment. This is the foundation of the Common Law and American Law. A school curriculum is not complete without a daily study of the Ten Commandments. Rushdoony's The Institutes of Biblical
Law would be an appropriate text for home-schooled high-schoolers. Here is an outline of a home-study program that I still haven't finished, as well as links to the Westminster Standards.
The Secular Messianic State will always allege that your exercise of religion is "political," because politics is a substitute for true religion:
James 1:27 says
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
This verse, according to some churches, says true religion is "social action," and the "church" must not be involved in "social action."
Politicians are happy to put up a façade of social action, because they do so with other people's money. But social action which is not an extension of the reign of the Messiah, through His Body, is not real social action.
More than any other metals, gold and silver show forth the glory of God. In every time, in every clime, in every land and nation, gold and silver come to be regarded as valuable. There are two points to be made concerning this.
First of all, gold and silver, especially gold, are heavy. The Hebrew word for "glory" literally means "heavy." A few years ago, in American slang anything that was impressive was "heavy," and this reflects a sound linguistic instinct. Part of the attractiveness and glory of gold, then, lies in its weight.
Second, not only is gold heavy, it is also radiant and shining. God's glory appears as a flaming fire and a burning furnace, and gold more than any other mineral ties into the human tendency to appreciate this glory. The walls of the Tabernacle and Temple were both lined with gold, creating a golden glory environment all around. Similarly, the fiery tree or lampstand in the Tabernacle - an abiding replica of the burning bush - was made of gold, as were many other items.
It is the task of "the Church" (The Body of Christ) to "build." We build the Body of Christ into the Lord's House. We build the earth into the Lord's Temple. We tear down the city of man and build the City of God. And when the New Jerusalem is complete, Christ the Master-Builder will get all the praise and credit.
The Empires of the world will say this interferes with their agenda. It violates "the separation of church and State."
The Empires are correct.
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.
would be an appropriate text for home-schooled high-schoolers. Here is an outline of a home-study program that I still haven't finished, as well as links to the Westminster Standards.
, has found more than 40 references to the “Vine and Fig Tree” vision in Washington's Papers.