MATTHEW IN THE NOW/CITN's 24th ANNIVERSARY...

Hey bloggers...well, I finally finished Matthew In The Now!...but I'm not going to post Chapters 26, 27, and 28 here on the blog...for one thing, Chapter 26 has 75 verses, and Chapter 27 has 66, which makes them both too long, really, for this format...but the main reason is that I want to save something for the publication of the book that will hopefully be out soon...but I am very pleased with the way the last three chapters turned out.

As always, I have mixed feelings about coming to the end of writing a book...of course I'm happy to get it done, but also a little sad because the experience of paraphrasing this powerful Gospel has been very rewarding...I've learned a lot, and the writing has been cathartic for me...sort of like my own, personal secret place of the Most High.

I want to thank all of you for your support and feedback as I have been completing this project...your insights and regular commentary have been invaluable...

I really wanted, for some reason, to get the writing done before CITN's 24th Anniversary this coming Sunday...in fact, in celebration of it all, I think I may open up the other blogs for a couple of days before I get started on Mark In The Now (MkITN), to be followed by Luke In The Now...

Thanks, again, for being a source of inspiration...

Peace!

MITN XXV

1. "Now, back to the subject of the Kingdom of/from the heavens...it's comparable to ten young bridesmaids who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom.

2. Five of them were silly and undiscerning...and five were smart and perceptive.

3. The five who didn't have a clue took lamps, but no extra oil.

4. The intelligent bridesmaids took flasks of oil to keep their lamps burning for an extended period of time.

5. Well, the bridegroom didn't show up when expected, so as they sat around waiting for him, the bridesmaids all fell asleep.

6. But sometime in the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's here! The bridegroom's here! Go out and greet him, as is customary for dignitaries, and accompany him into the city, and to the wedding feast!'

7. Then all ten of the bridesmaids got up and readied their lamps for use.

8. But the five who were irresponsibly unprepared said to the other ones, 'Our lamps are going out...lend us some of your oil.'

9. They answered them, 'There might not be enough to go around...you need to go buy your own.'

10. And they did go to buy their own, but while they were out making the purchase, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

11. Sometime later, the other bridesmaids, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, 'Sir, we're here. Let us in.'

12. But he answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think I know you.' And he treated them as strangers.

13. Now, obviously the Son of Man knows the people who are His own creation, the foolish ones, as well as the wise ones...but I use this illustration to remind you to stay alert at all times. The operation of the Kingdom is very much about personal responsibility, and you have no idea when a visitation...an answer...a missing piece...a 'bridegroom' for a wedding, if you will...might arrive. So keep your eyes open, and stay ready for Kingdom manifestations!

14. And, speaking of personal responsibility, I could also say that the Kingdom operates like a man who was about to take a long journey, and called his servants together, and entrusted them with his property and investments in his absence.

15. To one he gave about $5,000. To another he gave about $2,000. And to another he gave $1,000...to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country, leaving the whole operation of the business with them.

16. The one who had received $5,000 got busy immediately, and in a smart investment deal, quickly made another $5,000.

17. Likewise, the one who had received $2,000 used his skills to double his money, as well.

18. But the one who had received $1,000 just decided to maintain, rather than to multiply...so he went and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money in it.

19. Now after a while the master of those servants returned, and settled accounts with them.

20. And the servant who had received $5,000 came and brought him $5,000 more, saying, 'Master, you entrusted to me $5,000, and here I have made another $5,000!'

21. His master said to him, 'Nicely done, you good and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little bit of finance, and now that I see what you're capable of, I will put you in charge of a lot more. Consider yourself promoted to live the lifestyle that your master enjoys...consider yourself a master, as well!

22. And then the one who was given $2,000 came forward, saying, 'Master, you entrusted $2,000 to me, and here I have gained $2,000 more!'

23. His master said to him, 'Nicely done, you good and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little bit of finance, and now that I see what you are capable of, I will also put you in charge of a lot more. Consider yourself also promoted to live the lifestyle that your master enjoys...and consider yourself a master, as well!

24. Then the one who had received $1,000 also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed the grain. I know that you were just lucky in life, and that's why you have what you have.

25. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your money in the ground. But you'll be happy to know that every penny of it is here!

26. To his surprise and dismay the master answered him, 'You lazy, good-for-nothing loser! Do you indeed know that I "reap where I have not sowed, and gather grain where I have not winnowed?"

27. You don't know the first thing about how I acquired my wealth...but you should have at least invested my money with the bankers, so that at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest! Did you honestly think that I would be impressed with the hole in the ground idea?

28. All right, here's what's going to happen. The two of you who doubled your money can keep what I gave you, along with your profits. But take the $1,000 away from this guy, and give it to the one who has the $10,000!'

29. And the master spoke something that is indicative of how the Kingdom works, for he said 'To everyone who has will more be given...and he will be furnished richly so that he will always have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away from him.

30. And throw the good-for-nothing servant outside in the cold, where he will weep over his missed opportunities, and grind his chattering teeth in regret!'

31. One more thing...when the Son of Man is fully revealed in all His glory, and all His messengers with Him, then He will sit on the throne of Kingdom authority.

32. And the people of this nation will be gathered before Him, along with those from every other nation, and He will cause a separation in them as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats.

33. And He will have that which is compassionately righteous and sheep-like in them to be at His right hand, but that which is wickedly indifferent and goat-like to be at His left.

34. Then the King will say to those who appear to be at His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit as your very own the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35. For I was hungry and you fed Me...I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink...I was a stranger and you welcomed, entertained and took Me into your home...

36. I was naked and you clothed Me...I was sick and you visited Me, and ministered to Me...I was in prison and you didn't forget to come to see Me.

37. Then the just and upright people will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?

38. And when did we see You as a stranger and welcomed and entertained You? When did we see you naked and clothed You?

39. And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to visit You?

40. And the King will reply to them, 'This is the absolute truth...in so far as you did any of these things for one of My brethren, especially for one of the least in the estimation of men...one of the disenfranchised...one of the unfortunate ones... one who is overlooked and ignored...you did it for Me. My Kingdom is built on these principles.'

41. Then He will say to those who appear to be at His left hand, 'It's a different story with you...this part of you that is cold and uncaring needs to be gone and cursed...purged in the fires of judgment!

42. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food...I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink...

43. I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me or entertain Me...I was naked and you did not clothe Me...I was sick, and in prison, and you did not remember to visit Me, nor did you care at all about ministering to me.'

44. Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we ever see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to Your needs?

45. And He will reply to them, 'This is the absolute truth...in so far as you failed to do it for the least of these in the estimation of men...as you failed to care...as you didn't even notice the suffering going on all around you...you failed to do it for Me. In your callousness you have violated the most basic principles of My Kingdom, in which the first will be last, and the last will be first!

46. Then those who are uncaring...indifferent...unfeeling...will go into the fire for a period of time...into a fiery trial that will ultimately burn out everything in them that is beastly and goat-like...until, at last, they are empathetic and compassionate to 'the least of these'...until they are like righteous sheep, humble, and fit for the Kingdom...and then all those who are just and upright and in right standing with God will enjoy the fullness of the eternal life."

MITN XXIV

1. Jesus then left the Temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him and began to discuss the buildings of the Temple, and how imposing and impressive they thought the architecture to be.

2. But He said to them, "You may be rightfully impressed with what you see before you...the Temple is, indeed, something to behold. But the truth is, there is not one stone in that magnificent building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble."

3. Later, as He was sitting alone on The Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem, His disciples came to Him and said, "Tell us more about the destruction of the Temple that you mentioned before. When are these things going to happen? Will that be the sign of Your fully coming into power, and of the completion and consummation of this age and era?”

4. Jesus said to them, “Be careful that no one deceives or misleads you on these points…understand these beginning events, marking the period between My resurrection and the Temple’s destruction…

5. For during this time many will come in falsehood, claiming, ‘I, alone, am the Christ’, and they will lead many away from the truth of Who and what the Christ is, in reality.

6. Also, during this time you will hear of wars and rumors of wars…see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place…wars will come and go as they always have…but the end of the age is not yet.

7. And nation will fight nation…ruler will fight ruler…famines and earthquakes will occur in various places, as they always have.

8. These events are a part of the natural order of things...but, in another sense, they are also the birth pangs of the destruction that is coming on this nation.

9. And they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation, and even put you to death…you should know this now, a period of time is coming when you will seemingly be hated by all nations because you carry My name.

10. In fact, the conflict will become so intense that many will be offended and repelled, and will stumble and fall away from My truth, even betraying one another and pursuing one another with hatred because of My testimony.

11. And in all the confusion, false prophets will rise up in opportunism, and deceive a lot of gullible people.

12. And, worse yet, the love of the majority of people will grow cold because of the multiplied chaos and iniquity.

13. But whoever endures until the end of this period of time will find that their salvation is real, durable, and fully intact.

14. And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the entire, known world as a testimony to all the nations (Colossians 1:5, 6, 23; Romans 1:8, 10:18), and then will come the end of the age…the end of the Temple, and its sacrificial system…the consummation of the Law…the end of the covenant nation of Israel…in a word, the end of the world as you now know it.

15. So when you see the sacrilege and the appalling abomination spoken of by the prophet Daniel…the desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary, when armies come to destroy both Jerusalem and the Temple…let the one who has read the prophecy take notice and realize that this is its fulfillment.

16. And if you're living in Judea at the time, you’ll need to run for the hills.

17. If, at that time, you’re up on the roof of your house, or working in your yard, don't even go into the house to get anything

18. If you're out in the field, don't go back to get your coat.

19. Unfortunately, pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard during this time of persecution.

20. Even though this is inevitable, you should pray that it won't happen during the winter or on a Sabbath.

21. Seriously…what’s about to happen to this Temple…this city…this nation... will be on a scale beyond what the known world has ever seen, or will see again.

22. In fact, if this Great Tribulation…these dark days of destruction…were left to run their course, nobody would survive. But on account of the ones that God has chosen, the trouble will actually be cut short.

23. But, if during this period anyone says to you, ‘Look…this person right here is the Christ!’ or ‘That man over there is the Christ!’…do not believe it for a second.

24. For after my resurrection and ascension, the Christ will no longer be manifested and revealed as an individual person…so when these singular false Christs and false prophets arise, be aware of what’s really happening. And don’t be deceived by their tricks, for some of them will show great signs and wonders so as to lead many astray, and to cause many to view them as an individual Christ. In fact, if it were possible, they would attempt to deceive even the ones that God has chosen as the first-fruits of salvation.

25. Now, see and remember…I have warned you of all of this beforehand.

26. So, if they say to you, ‘Look…He’s out there in the wilderness’, don’t even bother to go out there and look. And if they tell you, ‘He’s in some secret place’, do not believe it."

27. This revelation...the true appearing of the Son of Man...isn't something you can go somewhere to see. On the contrary, it comes to you as fast as lightning!

28. But, in the same way that a gathering of vultures indicates that there is a carcass nearby, so these signs will reveal that the end of an era is near.

29. Then, speaking to them in poetic, prophetic vocabulary, or in a symbolic language of prophecy that his audience understood from their familiarity with the Law and the Prophets (Genesis 1:14 - 16; Isaiah 13:9, 10; 34:4; Amos 8:9; Ezekiel 32:7, 8), He said, "Immediately after this Great Tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (In this way He used the same imagery that the Prophets of old had employed to speak of the downfall of earthly authorities and governors).

30. And He went on to say, "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, or in the heavenly realm...the sign indicating that this destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple means He is now enthroned in heaven, ruling over the whole earth...this cataclysmic series of events will show that the Kingdom has been taken away from a visible nation, and given to an invisible one...that the destruction of the natural Temple has made way for a Temple of the Spirit to be built in the heavenlies." And, once again using the imagery of the Prophets of old (Psalms 104:3; Isaiah 19:1; Nahum 1:3), He said, "And all the tribes of the earth will repent with great emotion when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (an almost commonplace Scriptural symbol for His presence, judgment and salvation) with power and great glory!

31. And He will send out His messengers...ministers of the gospel who will sound out His good news like a loud trumpet call...and they will gather His chosen ones...the ones He has chosen in Him from the foundation of the world...they will call them in from the four winds...from every part of the earth...into His New Temple in His New Nation...His New Synagogue of the Spirit...from one end of the universe to the other.

32. From the fig tree learn this lesson...as soon as its young shoots become soft and tender, and it starts to put out leaves, you know for a fact that summer is near.

33. And so it is with you...when you see all these things coming to pass, you'll know the full revelation of Him is at the door.

34. I'm telling you the truth, so do not take this lightly, or assume that this is some far-off, futuristic prophecy that has no relevance to you. I'm not saying all this for some generation that will live hundreds of years from today. This is for all of you who are alive right now! And this era continues until all these things take place.

35. Count on the validity of these words...the sky and the earth will fade away before any of my words do, because my words are eternally and absolutely true.

36. I've told you these things to prepare you for the imminent judgment coming on this nation...but concerning the full revelation of the Son of Man, and when, exactly, it will occur...no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37. But I can tell you what I do know about it...this great, global revelation of the Son will take place in times like Noah's.

38. It will be just as it was in those days before the flood...there were no signs...nothing out of the ordinary happening...everyone was carrying on as usual, eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah went into the ark.

39. The population, at large, knew nothing of God's intention until the flood hit and swept everything that was unrighteous away...only the righteous were left behind. The revelation of the Son of Man will be like that, only this time it will be a flood of grace.

40. As the darnel will be separated from the wheat in you...as the catch in the dragnet will be divided in you...so 'two men', as it were, will be working in the field...one will be taken, one left behind. The full revelation of the Son of Man will take away from you the man that needs to be purged, and will leave behind the real you...the righteous you...the man that He has chosen.

41. In the same way, 'two women' will be grinding at the mill...one will be taken in the Son of Man's flood...the part of that woman that is subject to His judgment...but one...the real one...will be mercifully left behind, safe in the ark of His redemption.

42. Even so...regardless of the promise that the real you will ultimately be left behind...you should stay awake and alert. You have no idea when this revelation will come, so, until it does, you should make every effort to live righteously.

43. In fact, you should be as vigilant as a homeowner looking out at all times for a burglar.

44. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to be revealed, so you should live in a prepared state of expectation at all times, simply because you want to please Him.

45. Who is a faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food and supplies at the proper time?

46. Blessed, indeed, is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing.

47. Without a doubt, he will set him over all his possessions.

48. But if that servant acts wickedly and says to himself, 'My master is delayed, and is going to be gone a long time...and besides, he's always going to take care of me, regardless of what I do',

49. And begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat up all the food that should be going to the hungry, and stays drunk all the time,

50. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour in which he has let down his guard, and is clueless,

51. And will judge him harshly, cutting him off from what he should have been paid as a steward, and will put him out of the house, along with the other pretenders...outside in the cold, where his teeth will chatter as he weeps over what he has lost."

MITN XXIII

1. After that Jesus turned to address His disciples, along with the great crowd that had gathered there with them.

2. He said to them all, “Look, when it comes to teaching the Law of God strictly from a legal standpoint, the religion scholars, particularly the Scribes and Pharisees, are completely competent. In that sense they sit on Moses’ seat of authority.

3. So, if you’re just interested in being informed about the letter of the Law, they’re the ones to see. In fact, you won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses... but following them is a different story. The bottom line is they don’t practice what they preach because they don’t have a relationship with God…and without relationship, keeping ‘the rules’ just becomes a pointless exercise in absurdity.

4. That’s why they continually bundle up heavy loads, which are hard to bear, and place them on your shoulders, loading you down like pack animals. Then they seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these burdens of endless rules and regulations…commandments that they themselves can’t and don’t even keep…and never think of lifting a finger to help you try to figure out how to live up to this impossible lifestyle-standard which they have created.

5. And the laws that they do, in fact, keep, they only do so to be seen of people. That’s why they make their phylacteries, which are typically just small cases enclosing certain Scripture passages, worn during prayer on the left arm and forehead, so big and obvious! And even though all male Israelites, according to the command, wear fringes on their prayer garments, they make theirs extra long! It’s as if they’ve totally missed the point of these external things, and have turned something that should actually be meaningful into an empty fashion show.

6. And then there’s the whole other aspect of it which has to do with their love for public places of honor, and having the best seats in the synagogues, which really speaks to their insatiable need for validation…

7. And they bask in the sunlight of public recognition and flattery, going beyond the normal use and appropriateness of titles. Their love for being called ‘Rabbi’ is a whole other thing, entirely…it’s as if their entire identity is wrapped up in the power that comes from that title.

8. But the title of ‘Rabbi’ is irrelevant for you…you don’t need to be put up on a religious pedestal, nor is the approval of men necessary or essential for you. Simply put, you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.

9. Furthermore, don’t even call anyone on earth ‘father’. You obviously have earthly fathers to honor, and mentors who are father figures in your life…but concerning the things of God, you have one Father…One Parent who watches over your life, and has rightful authority over you…Who is manifested in the heavenly realm.

10. I’m helping you to change your perspective on who and what is important in the Kingdom…that’s why I even say that you must not be called ‘masters’ or ‘leaders’ or even ‘teachers’…if you have Kingdom authority, it will be recognized without the trappings of human notoriety…your gift will make room for you…you won’t have to convince anyone of your importance by demanding that they recognize you by a title. But the real issue at hand is that you have one Master/Leader/Teacher…the Christ!

11. In the Kingdom there is a new order…in a word, whoever is greatest among you shall be your servant...so the way to stand out is to step down.

12. In the Kingdom, whoever exalts himself/herself…the person who puffs himself/herself up publicly with pride…will be publicly humbled and brought low. But whoever humbles himself/herself, and is content to just be real and authentic, and keep his or her importance in perspective, will be raised to a place of real honor.

13. What sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you Scribes and Pharisees...you frauds and pretenders...your obsession with control prevents your followers from entering the Kingdom of/from the heavens. It's not enough that you yourselves refuse to enter in...you don't want anyone else to enter in, either.

14. (Verse 14 doesn't exist in any original manuscripts.)

15. What sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you Scribes and Pharisees...you frauds and pretenders...you travel halfway around the world to make one convert, and when you find one, and turn him or her to your way of thinking, you make that victim twice as fit for ending up in Gehenna, the garbage dump, as you are!

16. What sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you blind guides, who say that if anyone swears by the sanctuary of the temple, it's no big deal...the oath isn't binding; but at the same time you say that if anyone swears by the gold of the sanctuary, that person is totally bound by his oath!

17. Do you honestly not see how ridiculous your religious rules have become? Your preoccupation with the precision of these points of order has turned you into fools, and has blinded you from seeing what really matters to God. Anyone with any sense would know that there is no logical way to decide which is greater...the gold, or the sanctuary of the temple that has made the gold sacred.

18. Then you say that whoever swears by the altar is not bound to keep his or her promise, but whoever swears by the offering on the altar is absolutely bound by their oath.

19. How could men like you who are supposedly intelligent allow yourself to become so dumbed down by details like this? It's a silly question, but which is greater...the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred?

20. I mean, if you're going to split hairs over this issue, a simple observation would cause you to conclude that whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21. Furthermore, whoever swears by the sanctuary of the temple swears by it and by Him Who dwells in it.

22. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him Who sits upon it.

23. Again...what sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you Scribes and Pharisees...you frauds and pretenders. You're faithful to pay your tithes...meticulous about it, even...but you have neglected and omitted the weightier and more important matters of the Law, which are righteousness and justice and mercy. Look, I'm not saying that you shouldn't tithe...in fact you should...but not at the expense of missing the big picture. Everything that you care about, including tithing, should be about your relationship with God...without that, none of the religious mechanics matter.

24. Your misguided myopia has degenerated into total blindness. Your thoughtless theology has caused you to become so trivial that you're like someone who constantly filters his drinking water to avoid swallowing a gnat, but has become so insanely compulsive about the filtering process that he doesn't even notice when he swallows a whole camel!

25. What sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you Scribes and Pharisees…you frauds and pretenders…you worry yourselves silly over how things look on the outside…things like the appearance of cups and plates…but you completely ignore all of the gross filthiness that is inside those spotless-looking containers.

26. How could you have descended into such blind insanity? First, scrub the insides, and then the clean appearance on the surface will actually matter!

27. What sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you Scribes and Pharisees…you frauds and pretenders…you are like tombs that have been externally whitewashed…you look impressive on the outside, and appear as beautiful memorials to the lives of the men and women buried within, but, in fact, on the inside there is only the harsh reality of death…only dead men’s bones and inevitable decomposition.

28. The people look at you and think that you are authentic, but beneath the surface there is nothing about you that is real.

29. What sorrow you bring upon yourselves, you Scribes and Pharisees…you frauds and pretenders…you build these great granite tombs for your prophets, and these magnificent marble monuments for your saints.

30. And all the while you say that, had you lived in the days of your forefathers, you would not have aided them in shedding the blood of those prophets and saints.

31. Truth be told, you shouldn’t even mention your forefathers in this context, because everyone knows that you’re just like them, and when you protest too much and try to make yourselves look good in everyone’s sight, it makes it obvious to all that you are their descendants.

32. In fact, you are even now doing the very same things your ancestors did…you add to the death-count of the prophets daily.

33. Let me put it this way…you’re just a bunch of snakes…vipers, full of the dangerous poison of dead religion! How do you not see that this whole, obsolete system of yours just needs to be dismantled and thrown into the garbage dump at Gehenna?

34. It's on account of people like you that I keep sending prophets and seers and scholars who actually understand the Law, and what it is and isn’t…I send them generation after generation…but you never discern them, and when you hear them speak new truth and greater ideas to you, you automatically go into attack mode. You only know how to kill what threatens you, and to destroy what you don’t understand.

35. Look, all of this treatment of the prophets is going to come back on your own heads…the blood of the righteous shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel, to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered while he was praying between the sanctuary and the altar of burnt offering.

36. I’m telling you, the harvest from all this is about to come down hard on this nation, and on this generation.

37. Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets…killer of the ones who brought you God's gospel throughout the ages! Do you have any idea how often I've literally ached to embrace your children, the way a mother hen gathers her little chicks under her wings? Yes, I admit it…I wanted to love you like that, but you just wouldn't let me.

38. And now look at you…your own stubbornness has left you forsaken and desolate and abandoned.

39. So, what is there left to say? I only have a few more hours in this dimension, walking in the incarnation in which you now see Me. On one level, I weep for you…you have no idea of the destruction that’s about to come on you as a nation…and yet, you will see Me again in the revelation of the Spirit…I mean, really ‘see’ Me…and when you do, you'll say, ‘Blessed…adored…exalted is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Let us worship the One Who has brought God’s rule to the earth!”