Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
The Coming of the Lord
22 And when the days of her [Mary's] purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord;23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law,28 Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,29 Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word:30 For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,31 Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people;32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of Him.34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:22-38
Those seventeen Verses in Luke constitute one of many examples in Scripture which are prophetic of the second coming of the Lord. The whole Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, speaks of the Kingdom of God and of the coming of the Lord. Verses 22-24 speak of the time when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to God and to offer a sacrifice according to the law of the Lord. The Bible gives us NO details about that presentation or sacrifice. Instead we are given details of two other people ... Simeon and Anna, who bear witness to Jesus in the temple. The Bible specifies, and in some cases in the Old Covenant Law even requires, the evidence of two witnesses to establish an important legal charge (Deuteronomy 17:6-7). Also, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Corinthians 13:1). Simeon and Anna are the two witnesses here, and they form a complementary pair. Both are devout and patiently waiting for Israel's redemption. They represent the whole human race, male and female. Simeon is the male witness and Anna is the female witness. The man comes first, but it is not good for him to be alone, so the woman then comes and joins in the work of the man, and together they complete their service to the Lord. After they complete their function and purpose on earth, we never again hear about them.
We should also note that eleven verses are devoted to Simeon, and primarily what he spoke, whereas only three verses are devoted to Anna, but primarily not what she spoke but her "hidden" work of God. Both aspects of the functioning of the body of Christ are equally important and divinely ordained.
Naturally speaking, Simeon and Anna had little to commend them. They were not people of position or power. They had no "official" part in the required ceremony of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. In fact, it is somewhat amazing that they were even allowed to say and do what they did in the temple. That was indeed the sovereignty of God.
Simeon, which means "one who hears and obeys," is a prophet, because God includes him in divine council, and Anna is a prophetess whom God blesses with favor and grace. Both confess Jesus is the Christ. Their combined evidence is greater than if only one confessed this truth. Simeon confesses Jesus as the Lord's Christ, and Anna confesses Jesus as the Redeemer of Israel. They both declared in truth that He was the one to redeem Israel.
It is important to remember that they were in the temple. Jesus' first appearance at the temple, which occurred at the time of His presentation, was a very significant event. The Old Testament prophets had spoken of the appearance of God's Messiah at the temple:
Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:1
Jesus' second visit to the temple was at the age of 12. His next visit to the temple in Jerusalem, as recorded by John's gospel (John 2:12-25), began with the cleansing of the temple, and with strong words of rebuke, just as the Old Testament prophecies concerning Messiah's appearance foretold.
God announces to His faithful people the birth of His Son and welcomes Him into His temple. What a contrast to unfaithful Israel! Herod already wants Jesus dead, and when Jesus grows up, temple leaders will scream for His crucifixion. Praise God for preserving a true people unto Himself. Unless God adopts us into His family, we would be blind to His Son and oppose His work in the world.
The occasion for the appearance of our Lord at the temple was His presentation, but nothing is actually said about that ceremony. It is not the ceremony, the ritual of the presentation of Jesus, which is most important, but the proclamation of these two saints, Simeon and Anna. We have no record here of the ritual, nor are we given the names of any of the priests involved in the ceremony. While the primary intent of Joseph and Mary was to fulfill the requirements of the Law pertaining to the birth of Jesus, the purpose of the passage in Luke is to disclose two more divinely inspired proclamations of the identity of this child as God's Messiah, God's Anointed One, God's Salvation. Simeon and Anna informed the godly Israelites, those looking for the Messiah, that He had come.
Here is a confession of Simeon's faith, that this Child in his arms was the Savior, salvation Himself. It is remarkable that Simeon sees Jesus' salvation as extending to all people ... Gentiles and Jews alike (Verse 32). This is the same message the angel spoke to the shepherds on a winter night: "I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10).
Simeon is a man who is somewhat like the Old Testament characters, Elijah and Melchizedek, in that he suddenly appears out of nowhere. We are told very little about this Simeon. We do not know what tribe he came from, although undoubtedly he was an Israelite. We know nothing about his family, whether he was married or had any children. We are told nothing about his occupation, but it does not appear that he was a Levitical priest, for he was directed by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple. In reality, Simeon was a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
The only things we are told about Simeon are those things which matter most to God ... things which pertain to his faith and his character, things which tell about his relationship with God. We are told that Simeon was righteous and devout (Verse 25), which speaks of his personal walk with God and his integrity. He was a man of faith and hope, for he "looked for the consolation of Israel," an expression which summarizes the faith of the Old Testament saint in the promises of God concerning the restoration of Israel through the coming of her Messiah.
Most importantly, Simeon was a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had directed Simeon to the temple on the particular day that Jesus' parents brought Him to be presented to the Lord. Finally, it was the Spirit of God who revealed to Simeon that this child was indeed the Messiah. While Simeon was a devout Jew, he did not view the Messiah's coming as only for the benefit of Israel. Messiah came as God's salvation to all men, not just to the Jews. This truth was taught in the Old Testament, and Simeon's words seem to reveal his knowledge of such Old Testament prophecies of a salvation for Gentiles as well as for Israel. For example, "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God" (Psalm 98:3).
We are not given the age of Simeon, but only of Anna. Because he was ready to die, he must have been elderly, like Anna. The fact that he was in Jerusalem, that he was familiar with the Old Testament, that he was "righteous and devout," and that he was "looking for the consolation of Israel," all point to his being an Israelite. His highest priority was loving and serving God, and so at the Spirit's leading, he was at the temple, where he was enabled to recognize and proclaim God's Messiah.
Imagine the impact which the actions and prophecies of Simeon must have had on Joseph and Mary. "And His father and mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of Him" (Verse 33). Little wonder! It is quite amazing when a man who was probably a total stranger walks up and proclaims your child, a child who looks like any other six-week old boy, to be the Messiah of God. Simeon went on to bless Mary and Joseph and to direct a specific prophecy to Mary:
"Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Verses 34-35).
But now Simeon unveils Old Testament prophecies, such as those of Isaiah 53 ... prophecies of the rejection, crucifixion and death of Messiah, prophecies of His substitutionary atonement. Simeon's prophecy views the coming of Christ as revealing the hearts of men and of dividing men, so that because of Him some will rise and some will fall. Moreover, Simeon's words prepare Mary for the grief she must suffer, as the rejection of her Son by men will cause her to witness His death on the cross. This will be a sword that will pierce her soul.
Now that Simeon had seen God's Messiah, he was ready to leave his earthly dwelling behind. A number of years ago a well-known evangelist said that God would take his life if 8 million dollars were not donated to him within a few months. How sad! Why the frantic effort to stay alive if one's faith is in God? Simeon was ready to face death because he had seen God's Messiah; we should be ready to face death for in so doing we will see Him. As Paul wrote, death no longer has any sting (1 Corinthians 5:55). Paul also said,
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. Philippians 1:21-24
Does life hold for us one single, dominating purpose? For the Christian, the Lord Jesus Christ must be our focal point of life, the governing principle and priority of life.
Next Luke gives us a brief summary of Anna's life. She was married seven years from the time she was a virgin, and then she was a widow until she turned 84, which is also symbolic. Eighty-four (7 x 12) represents the fullness of God's will in Christ. Seven is the number of spiritual perfection or completion, and 12 is the number of governmental perfection (for example, the twelve tribes of Israel). So 84 speaks of the fullness of time when God sent forth His only Son to earth. Anna's age represents the completion or perfection of God's chosen people in Christ.
Anna, like Israel, has come to the fullness of time. With the coming of Jesus, Anna shows us that the Old Covenant system is complete. Before Jesus, tribal associations were important. The Gospels record the genealogies of both Joseph and Mary, and they both go back to Abraham. From now on, Jesus replaces the genealogies. What matters is no longer what tribe we are from, but if we are born from above. These events signal the completion and fulfilment of the Old Covenant in Christ. Now, Jesus brings in a New Covenant. He will destroy the old temple and build a new one.
Verse 36 tells us Anna's name, her tribe, and her father's name. The meaning of each name is important. Anna is the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. The name Anna, which means favored or gracious, reminds us of the other famous Hannah in the Bible. Hannah presented her son Samuel in the temple as a boy before God. Now, Mary is presenting Jesus in the temple as a boy before God. Eli met Samuel in the temple and blessed Samuel. Simeon met Jesus in the temple and blessed Jesus. Just as Israel knew Samuel to be a prophet established over the whole land, so all of the true Israel knows Jesus to be The Prophet declaring the whole will of God. We see a replay of the events of Samuel in the life of Jesus. He is the new Samuel to judge all of Israel.
Anna was a remarkable woman. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Anna was a faithful and godly Jew who received Jesus. She was a humble widow, so in her humility, she was able to see Jesus. Even many important Jewish leaders in her day could not recognize Jesus as the Son of God, but Anna saw Him and spread the word to the faithful Jews awaiting their Messiah. God exalts the humble but resists the proud.
Although we are told less about what she actually said, we are given more information about her background than Simeon's. Anna was an Israelite, of the tribe of Asher, one of the ten "lost tribes" of Israel which were scattered in the Assyrian captivity. Anna was a very godly woman who was very aware of Israel's sins but a woman who was looking for the coming of Messiah. The details of her life speak of her character. As a young widow, the natural thing for Anna to have done would be to remarry. She probably had a few such opportunities. Her greatest womanly contribution, as well as her natural womanly fulfillment, would have been marriage and child-bearing. Nevertheless she remained single and lived out her life in the temple, occupied with prayer and fasting.
Anna holds very high God's standards for singles. Anna is living testimony to the great contribution people can make who devote their life to God. No wonder Paul can instruct the churches to financially support such women (1 Timothy 5:3-16).
Phanuel is not mentioned in any other Scripture. The name Phanuel brings to mind the place where Jacob received his limp, Penuel (Genesis 32). Phanuel, like the limping Jacob, suggests a people wrestling with God. She was a faithful Israelite, waiting and longing for the redemption of Israel. Usually when a woman was married she was known by her husband's name. But Anna was identified by her father's name, Phanuel. A widow could either re-marry or go back to her father's house. Perhaps Anna went back to her father's house for a period of time until she made the temple her home.
The name Phanuel means "face of God." Anna has seen the face of God named Phanuel, her earthly father. Today, however, something better than seeing her earthly father, Phanuel, happens. Anna sees the face of God in Jesus Christ, the face of her Heavenly Father.
Jesus is Phanuel in the flesh. Paul calls Jesus "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). John 1:18 says, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." To see God we look at Jesus. Jesus is Phanuel, the face of God.
Asher was Leah's son. In Genesis 30:13 Leah says, "Blessed am I! For women have called me blessed." Therefore she named the child Asher, which means blessed. Leah's words resonate with Mary and her child Jesus. In Luke 1:48-49, Mary says "from now on all generations will call me blessed, for He who is mighty has done to me great things, and Holy is His name." Mary sounds just like Leah. Because of her child from the Lord, she is blessed and so she celebrates. Mary has become a new Leah and Jesus is her Asher.
In Anna's days, there were plenty of reasons for her to avoid going to the temple. Her fasting and prayers speak to a dilemma in her day. Anna's fasting recognizes the need for a redeemer. She removes herself from the desecration, the all too common leaven of self-righteousness, the distraction of people who want the temple to serve their purposes rather than God's, a distraction even today found in God's house. Anna's plea is for God to bring about the redemption of Jerusalem. Anna's fast makes a statement against the sinful activities hindering the activity of God among His people, and she prays to God for salvation.
The religious officials looked with disdain on people like Anna. She was always there, always under foot. And her kind of super-spirituality was probably viewed as creating an unwanted environment. After all, if she were mourning over and confessing Israel's sins, then she was backhandedly condemning the religious leaders. Because Anna was a widow and the Lord condemned the religious leaders for taking advantage of widows (e.g. "you devour widows' houses," Matthew 23:14), Anna may well have been a victim of the religious leaders with whom she continually came in contact. Anna is faithful to meet God at His place and pray for redemption. She witnesses injustice, but her faithful prayers, night and day, are heard. The Redeemer of Israel has arrived.
There are many ways in which the lives of Simeon and Anna apply to us believers today. The most important is as a reminder of what really matters in life. For Simeon, his occupation was not the most important thing, for we are not even told what his life's work was. It was not even "full-time Christian service," which some think to be the ultimate calling in life. What set Simeon apart from many others, including the religious leaders at the temple (none of whom are named in this account), was that he was a man who trusted in God, who obeyed His Word, who looked for His kingdom, and who was indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit. What ultimately mattered in Anna's life was not marriage or family, but faithfulness to God. The seemingly unproductive activities of prayer and fasting, proclamation and praise was, and still is, most important. The early church devoted itself to such activities. The apostles made prayer and the preaching of God's Word the priority of their ministry (Acts 6:1-4). The coming of the kingdom of God was the one great hope, the one great motivation, the one great occupation of these two saints, and it should be ours as well.
Another great system of Christianity has been built up on this earth. It is a very earthy system. Too many Christians are bound up with this historic Christianity, but that whole system must be shaken. The second coming of the Lord will be accompanied by a terrible judgment upon this earth, when everything that is not heavenly will be shaken, so shaken that it will just collapse.
The church is a broken thing on earth, but we no longer belong to this world. The real church is a spiritual thing, not an earthly, temporal thing. We have become members of a new Israel, a heavenly people with a new spiritual nature (Romans 9:6 and Galatians 3:16).
The world-wide natural disasters, of which we have already seen many, are only the beginning of sorrows. These signs in the earth speak of the soon coming of the Lord. They also speak of tribulation. Then those signs are followed by signs in the heavens, which speak of even greater tribulation and the imminent coming of the Lord. Further, the Lord is going to bring about an economic collapse world-wide. This soon coming economic collapse will make the Great Depression in the United States back in 1929-1932 look like a tea party. I have been waiting and hoping for 50 years that all religious organizations would be taxed. After all, they are all big businesses too. The time is soon coming when no one can buy or sell unless they have received the mark of the beast.
The last book of the Bible is a record of the events which will occur in the last days, at which time the Lord will come and establish His eternal kingdom. His second coming, just as with Simeon and Anna, should be the preoccupation of our lives.
Now if what we have just declared only stirs up our emotions for a season, then we miss the most important part of this passage in the Book of Luke. There must be and there will be a repeat of the actions of Simeon and Anna in our time. There must be a preaching of the Person of Christ in truth, not simply what He has done, is doing, or will do, and not simply to stir the emotions with some new revelation. Preaching was Simeon's part when Jesus first came to the temple. Anna's part has not yet been fulfilled in our day.
Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Joel 2:17
And what follows that? the second coming of the Lord. That will be the final coming of the Lord to His temple, which is His body.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22:20-21
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