Why the Bible?
Written by Elinor Montgomery – em*********@****co.ca
September 24, 2016
The Bible is a book of books like no other book that has ever been written, within which the issues are presented in the first book of Genesis and are resolved in the last book of Revelation. The pages in between are like a symphony composed in variations on the same theme. There is only one Conductor but many players, each responsible for playing his/her own part on his/her own instrument, all together, making up a beautiful, complete works for those who have ears to hear.
The theme is introduced in Genesis, with a good God of truth creating all things good in the beginning. To do so, He brings forth the Light of life, His Son, who is the Creator of all. He becomes as a soloist throughout the symphony, with the performance taking place in the open air under the lights of heaven – a reflection of the music itself. There are all sorts of music going on, but there is one recurring, beautiful theme, which comes to a climax, as one might suggest, like Beethoven’s fifth symphony, with the clanging of cymbals and the roaring of the cannons.
What is the theme? It is the battle for the souls of man between God and the devil – the Christ and the Antichrist, good and evil, truth and religion, liberty and liberalism, right and wrong, mercy and judgment, grace and works, heaven and hell, righteousness and unrighteousness, the empire nations and Israel, life and death – with the theme weaving its way throughout the battle.
At the heart of it all is a world government ruled by Satan and his rivers of deadly, spiritual waters, which always lead to wars, terror, violence and a death culture. This is only on one side. On the other side is a separated people and nation ruled by God, which He has taken from out of the empires in an exodus through the seawaters, to which all the deadly, spiritual, river waters empty, and to a land prepared for them. This is a people whose earthly father is Abraham, a man of faith and obedience to God.
God called Abraham from out of the East, from his father’s house and from his relatives and their religion, with God moving him westward to a land promised to his descendants. The devil was always in hot pursuit in his effort to destroy God’s people and fill the entire earth with a One World Order of evil. The works of his cults of death are continually moved by the empires toward a unity of religion, allowing no truth through cracks of light, where life might surface.
God made a covenant with Abraham to bless all the families of the nations of the world through him, blessing those who would bless him, and cursing those who would curse him. The covenant served as a marriage vow between God and man.
Hence we see the church as the bride of Christ, the author of the crossover blessing, becoming alive in Him, when she is born again of the spiritual waters of the river of life, which will replace the spiritual waters of death. Much in the same way Adam was created a living being from the dust by the breath of life being breathed into him by the Lord God. Without the spiritual waters being changed in mankind, there can be no life.
The theme of the symphony is based on the love story between the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride, into whom He pours His Spirit:
You have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; you have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace. How fair is your love, my sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, and the scent of your perfumes than all spices! Your lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue; and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon (Song of Solomon 4:9-11).
Satan aims to bring death to the entire world, so it will be returned to the darkness, which the light dispelled at creation. His weapons are weapons of mass destruction, wielded as a sword to the flesh. However, the ultimate weapon is the double-edged sword of truth, the weapon of God whose victory is assured by His Son going to the cross. His kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven, but not without first the chastising and purification of His own people – the full house of Israel from both sides of the river banks – from that of the Old Testament and from that of the New Testament.
The nation was situated on the Jordan River, but the church, being the new Israel, is situated on the St. Lawrence River, which runs through the heart of America, the land of promise and liberty. From the Sea of Galilee the Fisherman of the Galilee fished out His own before they would enter the fast moving waters of the Jordan River leading to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on the face of the earth.
From the five Great Lakes, symbolic and representative of the Babylonian system of empires, comes the last great harvest of the same Fisherman, before His own are caught within the swirling, rushing waters of Niagara to briefly settle in the last smooth waters of this world. From there the religious cults will draw the fish, which remain, into the spiritual waters of the St. Lawrence River, with their destination becoming the deadly seawaters of the Atlantic. They will return to dust on the ocean floor where the iron Titanic lies to this day, slowly becoming the dust of the ocean bed, like the iron empire of Rome, itself.
The prophets and apostles have been the voices for God, writing His music under the guidance of the Spirit, composing the greatest symphony this world has ever heard. They did not sign their names for God was the Composer/Conductor; they merely are His agents whom He has prepared for the job. The bride will be the last of the voices to come through the fire judgment unscathed, among the friends as the Beloved of the Lord Jesus. He is the only true God who can save anyone from death when the clanging of cymbals begins and the cannon shots are heard in the distance.
The story is so vividly portrayed, one variation to the next. How different is the music of this world, which is under the influence and direction of the devil, himself, who wants his part in the events leading up to the cannon fire! He is like a dying serpent, writhing and twisting to the end. Oh, the glorious release when peace at last comes to earth and the demons have been driven out! The King of kings and Lord of lords shall reign forever and ever more, in a kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
And so, the Conductor shall turn to the audience with a bow of acknowledgement to receive a standing ovation from those who see Him enthroned by the glory of the works, which He has conducted. No one else could have composed such an amazing symphony, or have given such a splendid performance.
How very foolish are those who are caught in the river waters and never open their Bibles to such an amazing symphony of life! Good does prevail over evil and the River of life once again flows to mankind from the very throne of God. No longer will the empire rivers of Satan hold the world in bondage, as the two banks of the River of life are both fruitful beneath the bursting lights of heaven. One sun goes down, but the true Son rises up to His full stature.
Let me conclude with words taken directly from the book of Daniel, written like an encore for such a perfect performance:
Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans (Babylonians) came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up (Daniel 3:8-18).”
