The Vine: A Wide-Angle Panorama of the Church from Eternity to Eternity

Contents

Author’s Preface

Introduction

Part I The Vineyard

1.  The Revelation of God – the Vinedresser

2.  Providence

3.  Covenants

4.  Covenants (Continued)

5.  The Rainbow – God’s Autograph

6.  Dispensations

7.  Dispensations (Continued)

8.  The Church in Mystery

Part II The Vines

1.  Revelation of Jesus Christ

2.  Church in the New Testament

3.  The Primitive Church

4.  Revelation of the Holy Spirit

5.  Revelation of Evil in the False Vine

Part III The Branches

Prologue to the Seven Churches in Asia

1.  The Lampstand – the Golden Candlestick

2.  Love Letter to the Ephesians

3.  Love Letter to the Church at Smyrna

4.  Love Letter to the Church at Pergamos

5.  Love Letter to the Church at Thyatira

6.  Love Letter to the Church at Sardis

7.  Love Letter to the Church at Philadelphia

8.  Love Letter to the Church of Laodicea

Part IV The Enemy

1.  The True Vine and the False Vine

2.  Laodicean Church Age Development

Part V Fruit of the Vine

1.  The Church – The Bride

2.  The Parousia

Epilogue Perhaps Today

Author’s Preface

Some time ago I ran across a large wall – sized chart which showed a rather elaborate genealogy from Adam and Eve to Jesus Christ. As I traced the various family trees my mind was racing as a magnificent panorama of Bible history unfolded. In a reverent moment, there came a mental picture of a vine growing through the ages, through the life and times of the patriarchs, the kings, the prophets and simple, ordinary people like the disciples, you and me. Jesus said, I AM the true vine. This sparked a desire in me to write about this topic in a way that others might catch a vision of the majesty of Scripture given by our God.

For much of my adult life I have been studying the Bible but more often then not I was searching for some immediate answer for life’s lessons gravitating to New Testament teachings with Old Testament stories for backup – fragmented theology. Then my life hit the fan as they say, and I embarked in what I called God’s PhD program. No professors, no teachers to show a schedule, no counselors and sometimes not even friends, only God and me. There were many rough, dark days, deep, rocky valleys and steep mountains and times when I thought there was no way. But we made it and in my heart there rings a happy melody, a melody of love for Him who was there all the time.

I did not start with a book in mind, but my journaling seemed to lead me from one topic to the next and to the next. I recognized an amazing seamlessness and unity in the Scriptures. But as the pieces have come together, this narrative does not flow as gracefully as a novel but perhaps each subject will inspire others to dig deeper into God’s Word finding their own special messages. The topics I have selected all concern and lead to the discovery of God’s purpose and plan for mankind, the Body of Christ and in particular, the fruit of the vine. Most of the themes can stand on their own but in doing so some repetition is required. So perhaps we can look at it as a grape vine in progress, each development built around the vine motif and its varying stages. I would like it to be a symphony but the parts and pieces want to act more like a train, albeit on a track to a fantastic destination.

That vine of the Spirit of Christ, begun in eternity, found a beginning in Genesis and by its tenacity of holy will and divine purpose, wound its winding pathway through the ages. It clings to a strong trellis of covenants, unfurls God’s truth in revelations, burrows its roots through hard and stony places. In the right environment of warmth and sunshine, the vine flourishes and grows quickly, yet at other times it languishes in dark and unfriendly places, holding tightly to its place in the world as it waits for the early and latter rains. The vine, nourished by living water from its far home, produces luscious fruit for the waiting Husbandman.

But not all is sunshine for the vine of the ages and its branches. It has an adversary. A false vine has grown as well. Right from the beginning it has contested the true vine’s place in the world, challenging its life and purposes by causing disruptions, delays and diseases. Sometimes the fragile tendrils of the true vine have been cruelly crowded out of sunshine and space. Sometimes they have been bullied into the shade of fear and obscurity.

Yet amid all the adversities, Jesus Christ the true vine, endures. The vine portrays the living union between Jesus Christ and the believer. He is the Life of the vine. Without his Water of Life this long, long line of faith would not have endured. It would have perished long ago. It’s life is supernatural and encompasses much, much more than this little treatise can hope to address.

The Bible that contains the story of the vine tells it with such grandeur, elegance of poetry, flawless unity, supreme majesty of purpose, that the heart and mind cannot comprehend it at once, nor are there enough superlatives to describe its excellence and beauty. It is a seamless wonder. Michaelangelo’s words well support my theme, Trifles make perfection but perfection is no trifle. The casual reader who flits through its pages like a butterfly, will not ever be graced by its wonder. But an earnest seeker whose soul longs for the Living Water will be blessed over and over again with sparkling water from the fountain that never runs dry. Like Michaelangelo he will experience both the agony of its burden and the ecstasy of its reward.

Over the years I have gathered bits and pieces of this glory and like stars sprinkled across the heavens perhaps that is enough for my human eyes. If all the bits and pieces were rolled into one, I for one, would not be able to bear the light of it. I would be overcome like John who fell as a dead man at the sight of the glorified Christ or I would be blinded like Paul when Jesus spoke to him on the road.

I have had no great visions like Isaiah or John. But Scripture has given me glimpses here and there of the glory of the story and how it all fits together – how remarkably seamlessly it grows. When one has the opportunity to see a vine growing in slow motion on a documentary, it puts to mind the exact nature of the scriptural vine of God’s faith line – here a little, there a little, line upon line and line upon line. All the invisible, imperceptible bits and pieces of our life and all history that is open for everyone to see, together with the monumental pieces of covenants, revelations of God, of Jesus, and of Holy Spirit, the unfolding of dispensations, moving like a mighty river towards the ocean of consummation in Christ.

With the Psalmist I say, O, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day, And with the Shulamite I agree Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend. My highest hope is that readers will catch a vision of the glory of the written word of God, the joy of finding him on every page, to be completely immersed in his love as he reveals himself to the seeking heart.

As I have compiled a few thoughts and observations God has graced me with, I submit them humbly because it is only because of his leading that this book can be a reality. I have been encouraged to put these thoughts together to help Christians who love the Christ of God, to love, understand and appreciate his Word just a little better. Therefore, as coming from a layperson it is not a technical treatise nor an academic exercise. Since the construction is fairly dense, may I suggest that it be read one chapter at a time to let God add his blessing. My hope is that it will engage the reader’s heart and to spurn them on to study more for themselves finding joy that comes only from Him. Mapping the trail of the True Vine in all his perfections, is something that only God, who watches the sparrow fall, can do.

Introduction

Come Walk With Me is the title of the book of our family heritage. Like all heritage collections it contains ethnic history, genealogies, anecdotes and photographs of recent babies as well as those of four hundred year old patriarchs and matriarchs of the clan. Come Walk With Me is an invitation to visit the family roots, to appreciate what once was, what is now and an opportunity to imagine how our lives might be in the future.

In our book of heritage are recollections of our maternal grandfather. Grandfather was an orchardist in Manitoba, Canada. Although Grandpa’s farm was on the very southern edge of the province, Manitoba can have harsh weather that makes keeping an orchard a test of perseverance and skill. Our ancestral family migrated from the Russian steppes where the farmers planted millions of trees. Trees for wind breaks, trees for fuel supply, trees for landscaping beautiful yards and lane ways and fruit trees to supplement the diet. When those Russian immigrants had selected the location for their village in Canada, the natural thing to do on the Manitoba prairie was to plant trees. Grandpa’s front yard had a fenced tree garden on both sides of the lane. No manicured lawns or flower beds, just trees planted in a simple checker board style. Beside the house, by the front porch was a monstrous poplar and by the time I was old enough to notice there had grown a giant Virgina creeper which covered a large portion of the house.

At the back of the main yard, past the smithy shed and a hen house, was an orchard. The orchard was fenced on all sides and as well a row of ordinary maples and poplars were planted along the fence line as windbreakers and snow catchers. But in the center of the five acres of rich sandy soil, were Grandpa’s prize fruit trees. Many varieties of trees – eating apples, baking apples, jelly apples and storage apples. Yellow, red and purple plums. Sand cherries, choke cherries and goose berries. There were two huge, sprawling Brazil nut trees which I thought belonged in Florida. Grandpa was experimenting with a pear tree and when he was eighty years old he started to practice with peanuts as well. Often he went to town where he colluded with a horticulturist at the experimental station, sometimes wagering on who would grow the largest apples that year. Grandpa was a pro at grafting. As one would walk through the orchard you could see on various trees his homespun cloth bandages where a new graft was being babied along. Long poles here and there propped up branches heavy with fruit. In one nook among the trees he kept honey bee hives and in another place tucked in among sheltering trees was the grape arbor, a wooden structure about six feet high. And there hanging in the shade of the vine were the luscious black bunches of concord grapes.

As you can imagine maintaining the orchard consumed a lot of time. Early in the morning, Grandpa and Grandma, hoes in hand, made their way to the orchard. Walking quietly together they stopped at the hen house long enough to unlatch the hatch letting the gawking chickens out into the morning sun. One after the other Grandpa and Grandma passed through the steel gate, carefully latching it behind them, they proceeded to meticulously weed that whole orchard. They discussed each tree, when the fruit would be ripe and who had placed an order already. The early yellow apples would have to be picked before Sunday! Grandpa, peering out from under his slouch cap, would be examining the latest graft and saying he needed to go back to the house to get some suave for it and maybe a new bandage. The medicine cupboard in the kitchen was chock full of all sorts of ointments and liniments for plants and animals and sometimes people. Here he would create some secret odious concoction for that graft.

In late fall, after all the fruit was gone, or maybe early in the spring, the pruning hook was put to work and many dead and useless branches were carried out of the garden. Although I have never taken up the art of growing grapes, Grandpa’s love of trees and all growing things from rhubarb to grapes, has made a lasting impression on me.

More recently, I watched a television documentary featuring a rock musician who decided he wanted to plant a vineyard for the purpose of making wine. This documentary led the viewer through all the stages of growing a vineyard and at last producing a specialty wine. He purchased property in Arizona and for all intents and purposes it appeared to be a dry, dusty place not at all conducive to growing anything, least of all grapes. But there was a water supply on the property and the soil content seemed satisfactory as well.

The soil was cultivated and the stakes inserted in rows in preparation for the planting. Soon the grape vine roots were carefully planted beside each stake and watered. As television goes, soon the roots were sending out gangling sprouts and leaves. That was the first year. In the fall the first pruning took place, leaving only a naked stem for next year. It was already being secured to the stake. Next year the young sprout shot up exponentially and again it was pruned and secured. It was now ready to be putting out the fruit bearing branches. The branches securely bound along the wire, the pruning knife was applied again, leaving knops on the branches where the fruit would set on in the spring. By the fourth year, the branches trained to go along the horizontal wires, would bear fruit.

Many hours of cultivation and moisture management went into this unlikely vineyard. In the spring or early summer when the vines were about to bloom, smudges were built to keep the small, rather inconspicuous blossoms from frost bite. For sleepless nights on end they tended the smudges for fear of frost spoiling the crop before it was started. When the vines were set and growing fruit, the owner draped veils over the grapevines to protect the fruit from birds and the sharp autumn sun.

In his excitement to get his project under way, this city boy turned novice vine dresser, had planted his vineyard being unaware of pests or intruders and therefore had failed to put a fence around his vineyard. At the time when the grapes became ripe, wild boars in the region came one night and helped themselves, destroying a quantity of his grapes. It was a learning curve and soon a barrier was built to prevent further marauding.

In this orchard, some of the stakes and arbors were about six feet high. The main stem of the vine, thick as a man’s arm, now boasted several rows of horizontal branches. They had discovered that the content of the soil was such that their grapes had a unique flavor which enhanced the taste of their wine. In due time, the vineyard produced its crop and at a certain time, when the night temperatures were just right to create the right sweetness, the harvest began. The clusters picked and carried to the winery were ready for the crushing, the fermenting, the aging and finally with the thrill of accomplishment came the joy of tasting new wine.

Most of us will have experienced watching wine tasting contests. The judges pass along a table set with prospective wines. They lift the glass, look at its color, watch it move as they swirl it in the cup and then they hold it to their noses to smell its perfume and then taste the wine. How they can differentiate one among so many brands I do not know. Did you know that there are wine connoisseurs who order their wine from specific vineyards and specific vintages? God said that Israel was a choice vine and from it he expected a very special wine.

The rock musician and my Grandpa had undying passions for their orchards. With the patience of artists they attended their projects with unwavering devotion to the minutest details. A curled leaf was examined for worms, a bunch of leaves white with mildew became cause for concern, and then a proud smile flared across a wrinkled, suntanned face as he showed off the first fruit. Many setbacks and hurdles are crossed in the journey from a dry, brown root to a flourishing healthy green vine and ripe fruit that smells of sweet wine.

In the following pages we will see our Heavenly Father’s passion and devotion to the growth and world-wide extensions of his vine, a vine, not of grapes, but of faith and the fruit of the Spirit in his people. Walk with me now through the pages of the scriptures as if we were walking in my Grandpa’s orchard. As we walk with our heavenly Father we will see and feel his love for the world which is his vineyard. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches and my Father is the husbandman. We won’t see everything there is to see in this vineyard but we will get to feel his heart’s desire for his people and all the effort he makes to grow them into choice branches bearing fruit. We will see how mankind has strayed and detoured away from the Father’s plans and how again and again he picks us up, dusts us off and begins again. We will see how the fruit is growing and coming to be fully ripe.

Vines and Vineyards

Methods of vineyard husbandry have remained virtually unchanged and unimproved from earliest times of which there are records. It is the only branch of agriculture which demands considerable outlay for someone in the Middle East. The preparation of a vineyard is the most costly and onerous of all Eastern husbandry.

In early times when people were nomadic following the needs of their grazing animals, a vineyard could have been seen as a formidable lifestyle change. Rather than being ‘men of the plain or desert,’ to make a vineyard would require that he stay in one place, protecting his investment, reaping and processing the fruit.

Firstly, the vineyard must be carefully enclosed by a permanent fence, which would not be required by any other crop. Pasture lands are unfenced and boundaries simply marked by well-known stones or landmarks. Grain fields are equally open or only protected by thorn branches strewn on the ground. Also olive gardens are equally unprotected. But the vineyard must be hedged.

Once the enclosure is made, the next step of the operation requires the gathering of stones - large boulders are heaped in long rows like a ruined wall. Small stones are left as indispensable for water retention. The owner could do this work by himself or he would hire workers to help him. The large stones become the trellis on which vines are trailed to protect the leaves and vines from damp. For the first while as the vine is developing, the little vines will creep along the ground getting coated with dust. When it rains they get muddy and mildewed. The branch becomes sick and useless. The vine dresser lifts up the fallen vines, then washes the leaves and secures the vines to the rocks, training them where they would not naturally grow. All unnecessary leaves, branches and vines are pruned away. Only those branches that the vine dresser selects to produce fruit are secured. A finished vine will look like a stubby coat rack.

Next the owner must have a wine press on site. Grapes are always pressed on the property lest they be bruised or injured being carried a distance. The wine press consists of two parallel troughs, one above the other, with a perforated conduit between them. The bunches of grapes are thrown into the upper vat where they are trodden. The juice flows into the lower one. These wine vats are found in abundance through the whole land and even far into the southern desert, silent witness to its former fertility.

Then unless the vineyard adjoins the village, there must be a temporary lodging or booth erected on poles; but generally a tower is a permanent fixture for the watchman. During the grape season this was necessary to guard against thieves or jackals. So we can see the considerable amount of intense labor and material outlay needed to establish a vineyard.

Mosaic regulations of the grape harvest in the Old Testament were clearly laid out. The Mosaic ritual was governed by strict guidelines and customs.

During the first three years after the planting of the vineyard it was contrary to the Law to eat of the fruit. The fourth year all the fruit was holy to the Lord, to praise the Lord withal. In the fifth year the produce of the vines fell entirely to the owner’s disposal.

In later years, while it was still wrong to eat of the fruit during the first three years, the rule was greatly relaxed concerning the fourth year. It was customary for travelers or poor people passing by to be allowed to eat of the fruit so in order to distinguish the three year’s fruit from other years, various markings were adopted to distinguish one from the other signaling fields under the law.

The vine in the Mosaic ritual was subject to the usual restrictions of the seventh year. In the seventh year it was required that the vineyard shall rest and lie fallow. This year the poor could reap the fruit and what they left over was left for the animals. Also in the fiftieth year they were asked not to sow or reap the fruit of that crop which produced without cultivation. The produce could be eaten from the field but not harvested.

The vineyard was to be kept pure - not sown with diverse seed. This rules corresponds with the rules of not yoking together ox and donkey, mixing wool and linen or saved marrying unsaved. - How can two opposites work or live together? Was it symbolic reminder for the Hebrew people to respect the created order? Mixing plants, animals or people, spiritual with unspiritual, holy with unholy, may have been a reflection of pagan practices. Was this rule simply a God-given measure to prevent cross-pollination which would by its very nature corrupt the true vine?

The vintage began in September. It was a time of general festivity. The towns became deserted as the people lived in the vineyards in lodges or tents. The grapes were gathered clipped with shouts of joy by the grape gatherers, put into baskets and carried to the winepress.

Still today in the Middle East, the finest grapes are dried as raisins. Fermented grape juice of course, find its way to the wine cellar, as was the case with Noah. The juice of the remainder is boiled to a syrup dibs and is much used as a condiment with food. Chopped meat and rice are rolled up in a single leaf and boiled to make a very agreeable dish. Excess leaves are used for fodder and the wood for fuel. All that remains after the cuttings can be used as compost in the fields.

Figuratively, Israel was a vine brought up from Egypt. God, so to speak, planted her in the land of Canaan, a very fruitful hill and provided all the aforementioned necessities for her fruitfulness and protection. To live under one’s vine or fig tree is an emblem of domestic peace and happiness.

Isaiah 5:2-4 shows God’s exasperation with his vine. Instead of good grapes it produced wild grapes. The rebellious people of Israel had disobeyed the rules of diverse seed and became the degenerate plant of a strange vine and thus became an empty or fruitless, useless vine.

Jesus symbolizes the spiritual union between himself and believers, I am the vine, you are the branches. People who merely profess Christianity and produce no spiritual fruit are regarded as unfruitful branches. A living vine grows very quickly. This quality is symbolized in the growth of saints in grace. Its rich clusters of fruit symbolize the grace of the saints. The wood of the vine being totally gnarled and weak is worthless, except as fuel to be burned and shows the unprofitableness of the wicked. Jehovah had rightful expectations of Israel but she did not respond in bringing her fruit to maturity. Instead the men of Israel turned to injustice, bloodshed, unrighteousness and idolatry, and thus God proclaimed woe upon woe to these rebellious ‘plantings’. The failure of the vineyard presupposes severe calamities - a pruning and a burning will take place.

Just as Israel is the planting of the Lord, so also is the church, a grafted-in planting. The true vine is now planted in the hearts of believers, where God tends it with the same care and love as He did for Israel. Jesus is the true vine growing in our hearts. That vine is nurtured with extreme personal care by the husbandman. In co-operation with him the believer needs to refrain from mixing diverse seed of the world which has potential of corrupting the vine and its productivity.

Part I

The Vineyard

Chapter 1

The Revelation of God – the Vinedresser

God, the Great Vinedresser, wants to reveal himself to man. God has made known to man truths and realities that men could not discover by themselves. Given by God we may call them divine revelations. General revelations are given to all men: nature with all its workings and displays, the nature of man himself (if he takes the time to explore), and history, are revelations open for all to see.

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Psalm 19:1-4

Many are the cases when man has observed these general revelations that he has been overcome with awe and humility. In earlier times people observed the sun, moon and stars in the heavens and were so overcome by their observations that in many cultures these heavenly bodies were then worshiped. Astronomy and astrology have grown out of ancient awe, reverence, and confidence in the precision and predictability of the heavenly bodies in their courses.

If we were to study, observe and compare historical events we would come to great realizations and deductions about the course of God and man, the interactions and the detours. In Old Testament, Christ was hidden in symbols and angelic appearances and in obscurity. Even his birth and early life was lived in obscurity. The Shemite faith line believed and looked for the promise of his coming. Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. God had revealed himself to Abraham and yet was hidden in a mystery. The Hebrew mind understood the mysteries of revelation. God was hidden from view but they understood him by his names. His names are impressive and in the Bible we find hundreds of attributes by which God made himself known through his names.

In contrast, the New Testament records the revelation of Jesus at his baptism – exposed to view – John proclaiming, Behold the Lamb of God. The secret mystery of salvation was revealed and those who, like Anna and Simeon, had waited long for the consolation were rewarded. Simeon cries, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation." ( Luke 2:29,30.)

The glories of the earth and most history stands open for all to see certain truths and realities. As we study ourselves and the human condition we should be able to tap into God’s general revelation that man is sinful and that we need Him to save us from ourselves. But although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God… and their foolish hearts were darkened… and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image… (Rom 1:21-23). These foolish people refuse to acknowledge God and their sinfulness, their sin and sinful thoughts. By turning away from God their ability to see clearly reduced or nullified the power of the revelations of nature and became blinded to the true nature of man and God. Even Adam and Eve living amongst the Edenic perfection of nature were seduced and blinded.

Sin came into the world. The economy of redemption was established by God but nature alone even in Eden, could not convey the truths adequate to furnish redemption. This short-coming of the general revelation necessitated making known new truths. In a series of special covenantal revelations God revealed himself to man. Not only that, but we have the prophetic word confirmed which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20,21)

My sister-in-law collects Royal Doulton figurines. These southern Belles wear romantic flowing silk and satin gowns, blue and pink and white. Viewing the intricate, lacy detailing all around with sparkling gems they gleam in exquisite glazing. The scriptures, like a perfect porcelain figurine, can also be turned all around and its perfect designs can be viewed from every angle. The Bible stands perfect in imperial posture. It moves across time, as though it does not move at all, yet it graces all who adore it. The face of God smiles through it amicably, sometimes frowning, but always maintaining strong and perfect, constant serenity. The physical presentation of its words beautifully dressed, infinitely pure and true and faithful – infinitely polite like a gentleman even in addressing the lowest of humanity, calling whosoever will may come! The perfection of manner comes only from heavenly aristocracy. Occasionally, when beheld in cool aloofness, the scriptures appear marionettic to those who are too proud or too busy. The scriptures if met by an ordinary man, can be most agreeable or instead, can be excruciatingly sharp with those who think themselves above it. But no on can argue with a work of art.

The scriptures, though perfect in its manner and aristocracy sees no need to patronize but joyfully meets us at our individual level letting each man know that he is infinitely loved and valuable. Someone has said that the Bible is God’s love letter to mankind and indeed, its pages are replete with his voice constantly calling mankind into fellowship. God wants to reveal himself to man.

The fantastic panorama of history, the portraits of Biblical heroes and villains combine ineffably to reveal a Great Hand gently guiding the reader to some monumental and carefully calculated purpose of its own. God, in uncountable ways, revealing himself to us.

Life is an entanglement of secrets. No one but the ardent searcher will be given the precious light that guides him to discover the pathway of truth in the scriptures’ sublime perfection and simplicities. There are mysteries that are not exposed until all the unexpecting