Written by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley |
Friday, September 13, 2024
One of the most beautiful ways in which God’s Word describes the church is through vivid metaphors that illuminate the identity and corporate life of the church in union with Christ. Some of these metaphors, such as Christ’s bride and body, are so familiar to Christians that we often fail to think about the amazing implications that such images have for the church. Other metaphors are less well known but also are worthy of our attention and meditation.

There is a richness to the church that defies human comprehension. God draws from a treasury of terms to describe his magnum opus, including words related to the family (seed, sons, and brethren), the gathering of worshipers (assembly, congregation, and church), the identity of a distinct group (people and nation), the holiness of his people (saints and priests), the divine cause of their existence (the elect, called, and faithful), their submissive allegiance to Christ (disciples), and God’s great love for them (special treasure and inheritance).
One of the most beautiful ways in which God’s Word describes the church is through vivid metaphors that illuminate the identity and corporate life of the church in union with Christ. Some of these metaphors, such as Christ’s bride and body, are so familiar to Christians that we often fail to think about the amazing implications that such images have for the church. Other metaphors are less well known but also are worthy of our attention and meditation.
1. A Flock
One of the oldest metaphors for the church is the flock of God. A flock of sheep depends on a shepherd for guidance, provision, and protection. Jacob blessed Joseph in the name of “the God who has been my shepherd [ra‘ah] all my life long” (Gen. 48:15 ESV; cf. 49:24). The Lord is the “Shepherd of Israel,” who leads his people “like a flock.”1 Hence, David says, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1). Israel also had human “shepherds,” sometimes translated as “pastors,” especially the kings from the house of David.2 When God’s people lack a qualified leader, they are “sheep” without a “shepherd.”3 The Lord brought David from tending his father’s sheep to “feed” (ra‘ah) or “shepherd” the people of God (Ps. 78:70–72). Hence, we see that the shepherd-flock metaphor is deeply rooted in God’s covenantal promises to the patriarchs, the nation of Israel, and David. This was another way of saying that he would be their God and they would be his people through his appointed king.
With the incarnation of the Lord, the flock of God becomes centered on Christ and defined by its dependence on him. Christ is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11–15). He is also “the door of the sheep,” through which they find salvation and life (John 10:1–10). Christ says he came for the “lost sheep” of Israel (Matt. 10:6; 15:24; cf. Jer. 50:6). His disciples are his “little flock,” to whom the Father gives the kingdom (Luke 12:32). His love for sinners is like that of a shepherd seeking lost sheep (Luke 15:4–7), and the church should seek people who go astray (Matt. 18:12–13). His death is not the end; he takes up his life again and calls his sheep from inside and outside Israel to make one flock (John 18:16–18).
2. A Garden, Vineyard, or Field
Agricultural metaphors, such as garden, vineyard, and field, communicate that the church flourishes by God’s blessing and must bear good fruit. Isaiah told a parable in which “the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,” and though God gave his vineyard every advantage, it produced oppression instead of the fruit of justice (Isa. 5:1–7).4 Christ tells his own parable of the vineyard, in which the tenants mistreat the owner’s servants and kill his son rather than render up the fruit they owe him (Matt. 21:33–41). Christ’s application is sobering: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matt. 21:43). The identity of this fruitful “nation” is revealed in Christ’s parable of “the true vine,” in which he says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:1, 5). Christ claims to embody the true Israel, in which no one can participate except by union and communion with him.5
The image of God’s people as a living, botanical organism shows us the unity of the church through the ages. The prophets spoke of Israel as an “olive tree” (Jer. 11:16; Hos. 14:6). Paul compares God’s people to an olive tree in which both “root” and “branches” are “holy” to God (Rom. 11:16). When some of Abraham’s physical offspring rejected Christ in unbelief, these “branches” were “broken off” by God, but he grafted new branches, Gentiles, into the same tree, warning them, too, that they would remain only by faith (Rom. 11:17–24). Though many Jews presently do not believe in Christ, God is able to graft them into the tree when they turn to the Lord in faith (Rom. 11:23). There is one tree, one people of God, rooted in the patriarchs and including all who believe in Christ alone for salvation.
Paul describes the church as a field cultivated by the ministry of the Word: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6–7). Paul explains, “You are God’s field” (1 Cor. 3:9 ESV).6 The lesson is that preachers, like servants hired by a farmer, are responsible to work faithfully but only God can cause the church to grow by his grace.
3. A City, Jerusalem, or Zion
From the beginning of David’s monarchy, Jerusalem, also called the city of David or “Zion,”7 had a central place in God’s plan.8 Solomon built God’s house there according to the Lord’s covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:4–17), which itself was a partial fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel (2 Sam. 7:23–27). In Scripture, the city can represent the whole people of God.9 For the prophets, Zion became the focal point of Israel’s hope, symbolizing the redeemed and faithful people of God who enjoy his presence and serve his purpose to influence the world.10
Read More
Related Posts:

The last days began in the first century and ended with the end of Jerusalem and her temple. That isn’t to claim that the Bible contains nothing in our future; it does. But when we consider this text and the ones that have come before, we can conclusively conclude that these events have already happened.

Swing and A Miss
When Christians hear the phrase “The Last Days” or “The End Times,” what images come to mind? For some, a clandestine government laboratory where a pseudo-scientist whose name rhymes with Dr. Ouchie is busily brewing the next super woo-flu that will kill a quarter of the population is well in view. For others, it could be a one-world cryptocurrency, planes falling from the sky, a maniacal and blood-lusting monarch, or the Romish pope (if you’re really old school). Whatever the case, for the vast majority of evangelicalism, we have utterly missed it.
Now, when I say we have missed it, I don’t mean a booming foul ball ovah tha Green Monstah, kid! No. We missed it like an undersized middle schooler trying to make contact against a Randy Johnson slider. It wasn’t even close.
Instead of the final fleeting moments at a cataclysmic end to human history, when the Bible talks about the “Last Days,” it means the last days of the old covenant era. It refers to the winding down of that redemptive epoch where priests mediated between God and us, temples were where you traveled to meet with God, and animal blood sacrifices stood between you and the almighty. The “Last Days” picture the close of that significant era and the dawning of the final chapter of human history, where the world will know God through His one and only Son.
We are not waiting for that great eon to materialize in the uncertain future. The old covenant has been closed already, the new and final covenant era is fully here, and the events we will look at today, from Acts 2:17-21, will overwhelmingly confirm this.
The Text
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.Acts 2:17-21 KJV
Ten Proofs the “Last Days” Are Past
A Bit of Background
Whenever one of the three great pilgrimage feasts prescribed in the Law occurred, Jerusalem’s population would swell from a couple hundred thousand to well over a million. This is because all Jewish males were required by the Law of God to attend these three festivals every year. And, since most Jewish males were also married with sizable families, the city would balloon up rather quickly.
Intriguingly, history reveals that numerous Jewish pilgrims embarked on journeys from the farthest reaches of the known world to partake in these festivals. While some hailed from nearby Judea and Galilee, a significant contingent had settled in the distant corners of pagan cities, towns, and nations across the vast reaches of the Roman empire. This widely scattered group bore the title of “diaspora Jews,” they arrived in Jerusalem, each carrying the rich history and traditions of their native people and the languages from their far-flung homelands.
Now, on the morning of Pentecost, downtown Jerusalem would have been packed with no shortage of extra bodies. Once-quiet city blocks, home to only a handful of families, now teemed with hundreds, even thousands, of individuals pressed tightly together. According to the account of Luke, as the Spirit descended, a deafening crescendo of sound erupted, undoubtedly piquing the curiosity of neighbors, onlookers, and the naturally inquisitive.
They found a group of very ordinary, a run-of-the-mill assortment of blue-collar Galileans. But, with one extraordinary twist. Instead of those Galileans praising God in Aramaic, the common tongue of the Jews, everyone present heard them praise God in their native tongue. For instance, picture those from Rome hearing hymns sung in Latin or Greek while those from Egypt listened to Peter’s preaching in the elegant flow of Coptic. Even pilgrims journeying from as far as Seluecia, modern-day Iraq, were met with the disciples speaking fluently in their Parthian tongue. They all collectively saw the ancient curse of Babel being miraculously reversed before their very eyes. Well… Not all of them.
Among them stood a few who remained untouched by the Holy Spirit’s power, hearing only an incomprehensible babel crescendoing from a cacophony of gibberish. Instead of recognizing the nature of this event as a fulfillment of eschatological prophecies, they hurled derision and ridicule upon the disciples, accusing them of inebriation.
For the one group, God had chosen to freely give them the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That outpouring caused them to praise Him, to hear His praises in their own dialects and languages, and to go on to serve Him for a lifetime. For the skeptical party, God intentionally chose to withhold His Spirit, leading them from skepticism to utter ruination, poignantly demonstrating His total sovereignty over election and regeneration.
To clear up any confusion between these two groups and let everyone in earshot know what was happening, Peter stood up and declared precisely what was happening from the prophet Joel. Within those very poignant words from Peter, we will see ten undeniable proofs that the end times have already come.
This week, we will look at the first five that Peter mentions, describing the situation for those who love Christ and receive Him. They are the ones who will experience the Holy Spirit’s power, inherit the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit, and they are the ones who will endure to the end, and be saved in those last days.
Next week, we will look at the final five signs that Peter mentions from Joel’s prophecy, which concern those who hate Christ and reject Him. For them, incredible signs and wonders will demonstrate they are on the wrong side of the end-times debate. They will not make it alive into Jesus’ Kingdom; they will be buried in the ashes of Jerusalem, along with all of the other old covenant trappings and shadows.
With that, let us look at the first five proofs that the “last days” concern the events in the first century, focusing on how that applies to believers and Christians.
Read More
Related Posts:

As you read the Scripture, pay attention to the imagery. Ask God to awaken your imagination. Instead of filling your mind with the endless images of television and YouTube, let the Word of God prompt your creativity. Begin to imagine what you can do to serve others and to share the message of Christ’s cross and resurrection, the only message that sanctifies the mind and brings peace and justice to the world.

A few months ago, I attended a conference where the speaker shared about his counsel to those battling sexual sin. Paraphrasing, he said, “Imagine every impure action as another thrust of the spear into the side of Jesus.” Woe! What a sobering and sickening image! Can you say that? Should you think that, really?
Never before had I heard someone speak so graphically about the need for the use of imagination in our fight against temptation. However, as I have reflected on his point, I am increasingly convinced he is exactly right.
Imagination, when rightly used, is one of the most powerful tools God gives us to put off the old nature and to walk in the new. After all, Jesus himself said to those battling lust, “gouge out your eye” and “cut off your hand” (Matt 5:29–30). But it is not just for lust. In every area of life, we need to train and retool our imagination for the purpose of sanctification and greater gospel service.
Imagination in the Bible
The Bible is filled with imagery. From the Spirit brooding over the waters (Genesis 1) to John’s vision of a glorious city, dressed like a virgin bride (Revelation 21), the Bible drips with word pictures like the Matrix rains green code. Jesus regularly employs parables to capture the imagination of his disciples. The prophets of old spoke of Israel as a harlot, while Paul speaks of the church as a radiant bride.
The question is, do you see it? In a way that most fast-paced Americans don’t appreciate, Scripture begs to be pondered s . . l . . o . . w . . l . . y.
When Psalm 32:8-9 says, “Be not like a horse or a mule, . . . which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you,” it moves us to stop and reflect: What is it about these animals that must be avoided? Is it the same thing for each beast? Or are these they expressing two opposite errors—e.g., the error of running ahead of God like a wild horse and the error of lagging behind God like a stubborn mule?  The imagery fires the imagination and impresses upon us the need to walk humbly with our God.
Moreover, Scripture calls us to discipline our imaginations. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we are to “take captive every thought to Christ.” Because Satan wages war with words of deception, Jesus’ disciples “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” by means of ‘thought-control.’ Only this mental exercise is not some metaphysical séance. Rather, it is meditation on the propositions and poetry of God’s Word.
To wield the Sword well—another image, I might add—takes not only a right doctrine but a sanctified imagination. Such an imagination begins with learning the gospel and God’s view of the world (Rom 12:1–2), but soon this renewed mind must and will generate new thoughts that serve the needs of those around us. While some believers may be more creative than others, imagining acts of kindness for others is not limited to creative-types. It is a universal calling for everyone purchased by God to do good works. We all must employ our minds to imagine that which is excellent and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8).
Three Places Where Imagination is Key: Sincere Sympathy, Holy Outrage, and Practical Service
Let’s get more specific. Instead of talking in the abstract about imagining concrete ways of doing gospel-empowered good, let’s consider three ways imagination serves as the link between good intentions and good works.
First, a sanctified imagination creates sincere sympathy.
Think about the last time you heard sad news. How did you feel? Chances are if you have experienced a similar pain, you were quick to empathize.
Read More
Related Posts: