He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
He who sits enthroned in heaven is God watching all human works and assemblies, and His laughing is His scorn for all raging opposition to Himself and His Anointed as weak, foolish and vain and unable to thwart His purpose. That scorn mocks those who refused His call, despised His counsel and reproof and hated knowledge, falling upon them when their fear comes as desolation and leaves them to eat the fruit of their own ways. It was displayed when priests, rulers, Pilate and soldiers sealed the tomb and set a guard to hold the Lord of life, yet neither Roman arms nor rulers nor the prince of darkness could prevent His resurrection by His own power under heaven's guard, and their precautions only strengthened the testimony of His victory. He sees the plots Satan and his hosts form against Christians and overrules them to carry out His own deep designs, permitting the fiery ordeal not from delight in affliction but as essential to final victory, then speaking to opposers in wrath while setting His Son as King on Zion to inherit and break the rebellious powers. He therefore scorns the pretensions of worldly-wise men and self-exalting leaders who turn from His word to human ideas, selfishness and pomposity in councils and education, and calls them to count themselves fools, learn humbly from Christ and submit to the Son with fear lest they perish.
Heaven's Laugh at Futility
The One who sits in the heavens is God enthroned in heaven, acquainted with all the works of men and present as a Watcher in every assembly, especially in councils and committees. He sees when responsible men turn from His word to human ideas and plans, leaving them without excuse. He abominates selfishness, self-exaltation and pomposity, and requires a different spirit to control proceedings, because selfish principles injure all within their reach and develop a character so objectionable that its possessor cannot find a place among the redeemed, and He will not long bear with perversity in those who have had great light and great opportunities.
His laughing and having in derision is mocking and scorning those who refused His call, set at nought His counsel, hated knowledge and despised reproof. That mocking falls when their fear comes as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind and leaves them to eat the fruit of their own ways. All opposition to the Lord and His Anointed is heathen rage and a vain thing, weak and foolish in the sight of God and His holy angels. It is powerless and futile and unable to thwart His purpose, for human power raised against the Lord does not overcome Him. He can intervene to prevent the blood His enemies intend to shed.
This was displayed at Jesus' tomb, where priests, rulers, Pilate, kings, and Roman soldiers took counsel together, sealed the stone and set a guard to confine the Lord of life and prevent His resurrection. Roman guards and Roman arms could not hold Him, for Christ had power to lay down His life and take it up again, and the hour of His victory drew near. Neither rulers nor the prince of darkness and his army could prevent the Son of God from rising, for God's heavenly host guarded the sepulcher. The measures taken to prevent His rising only strengthened the testimony that He had risen.
Corrupt men who plot wickedness as if no overruling Providence will cross their designs are mocked in heaven. So it was seen when Ahithophel based the success of Absalom's treason upon the crime of incest, proving that despite his reputation for wisdom he lacked the enlightenment that comes from God.
Sovereign Overruling Through Opposition
God in heaven sees the plots that Satan and his hosts form against Christians, plots which Christians themselves little know, and He overrules those devices to carry out His own deep designs and accomplish His purposes, so that hostile plans are made to serve to glorify Him. The rulers' opposition to the Lord and His Anointed is futile and cannot thwart His purpose. At Christ's resurrection Roman guards and Roman arms could not hold the Lord of Life in the tomb, and the very measures taken to prevent His rising only strengthened the testimony that He had risen.
He permits His people to face the fiery ordeal of temptation, not because He delights in their distress and affliction, but because the trial is essential to their final victory. Its very purpose is to prepare them to resist all the allurements of evil, and He cannot consistently with His own glory shield them from it.
Human power raised against the Lord does not overcome Him, and He can intervene to prevent the blood His enemies intend to shed. His laughing and having opposers in derision is mocking and scorning of those who refused His call, set at nought His counsel, hated knowledge and despised reproof, with the mocking falling when their fear comes as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind and leaves them to eat the fruit of their own ways. That derision is followed by speaking to them in wrath and vexing them in sore displeasure. In that wrath He sets His King, His Son, upon His holy hill of Zion to receive the heathen for inheritance and to break rebellious powers in pieces, so that kings and judges of the earth must be wise, serve the Lord with fear and submit to the Son lest they perish when His wrath is kindled.
Warning to Humble Submission
The laughter in heaven is scorn for the pretensions of learned, worldly-wise men who dishonor God by cutting and carving the Scriptures and by judging education from a human standpoint instead of as God and Christ regard it. In that sight they are counted as mad. God enthroned in heaven is acquainted with all the works of men and is present as a Watcher in every assembly, especially in councils and committees. He sees when responsible men turn from His word to human ideas and plans, and that turning leaves them without excuse.
He abominates selfishness, self-exaltation and pomposity in such proceedings. Selfish principles injure all within their reach and develop a character so objectionable that its possessor cannot find a place among the redeemed. He requires a different spirit to control proceedings. He will not long bear with perversity in those who have had great light and great opportunities.
The One seated in heaven looks with disapproval on those who exalt themselves and do strange work. Their failure is refusing to recognize their weakness and depend on God. Such pride should give place to counting themselves fools and learning from Christ so they may become truly wise. Instead of exalting self they are to come to God humbly.
He who sits enthroned in heaven is God watching all human works and assemblies, and His laughing is His scorn for all raging opposition to Himself and His Anointed as weak, foolish and vain and unable to thwart His purpose.
That scorn mocks those who refused His call, despised His counsel and reproof and hated knowledge, falling upon them when their fear comes as desolation and leaves them to eat the fruit of their own ways.
It was displayed when priests, rulers, Pilate and soldiers sealed the tomb and set a guard to hold the Lord of life, yet neither Roman arms nor rulers nor the prince of darkness could prevent His resurrection by His own power under heaven's guard, and their precautions only strengthened the testimony of His victory.
He sees the plots Satan and his hosts form against Christians and overrules them to carry out His own deep designs, permitting the fiery ordeal not from delight in affliction but as essential to final victory, then speaking to opposers in wrath while setting His Son as King on Zion to inherit and break the rebellious powers.
He therefore scorns the pretensions of worldly-wise men and self-exalting leaders who turn from His word to human ideas, selfishness and pomposity in councils and education, and calls them to count themselves fools, learn humbly from Christ and submit to the Son with fear lest they perish.
Heaven's Laugh at Futility
The One who sits in the heavens is God enthroned in heaven, acquainted with all the works of men and present as a Watcher in every assembly, especially in councils and committees. He sees when responsible men turn from His word to human ideas and plans, leaving them without excuse. He abominates selfishness, self-exaltation and pomposity, and requires a different spirit to control proceedings, because selfish principles injure all within their reach and develop a character so objectionable that its possessor cannot find a place among the redeemed, and He will not long bear with perversity in those who have had great light and great opportunities.
His laughing and having in derision is mocking and scorning those who refused His call, set at nought His counsel, hated knowledge and despised reproof. That mocking falls when their fear comes as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind and leaves them to eat the fruit of their own ways. All opposition to the Lord and His Anointed is heathen rage and a vain thing, weak and foolish in the sight of God and His holy angels. It is powerless and futile and unable to thwart His purpose, for human power raised against the Lord does not overcome Him. He can intervene to prevent the blood His enemies intend to shed.
This was displayed at Jesus' tomb, where priests, rulers, Pilate, kings, and Roman soldiers took counsel together, sealed the stone and set a guard to confine the Lord of life and prevent His resurrection. Roman guards and Roman arms could not hold Him, for Christ had power to lay down His life and take it up again, and the hour of His victory drew near. Neither rulers nor the prince of darkness and his army could prevent the Son of God from rising, for God's heavenly host guarded the sepulcher. The measures taken to prevent His rising only strengthened the testimony that He had risen.
Corrupt men who plot wickedness as if no overruling Providence will cross their designs are mocked in heaven. So it was seen when Ahithophel based the success of Absalom's treason upon the crime of incest, proving that despite his reputation for wisdom he lacked the enlightenment that comes from God.
Sovereign Overruling Through Opposition
God in heaven sees the plots that Satan and his hosts form against Christians, plots which Christians themselves little know, and He overrules those devices to carry out His own deep designs and accomplish His purposes, so that hostile plans are made to serve to glorify Him. The rulers' opposition to the Lord and His Anointed is futile and cannot thwart His purpose. At Christ's resurrection Roman guards and Roman arms could not hold the Lord of Life in the tomb, and the very measures taken to prevent His rising only strengthened the testimony that He had risen.
He permits His people to face the fiery ordeal of temptation, not because He delights in their distress and affliction, but because the trial is essential to their final victory. Its very purpose is to prepare them to resist all the allurements of evil, and He cannot consistently with His own glory shield them from it.
Human power raised against the Lord does not overcome Him, and He can intervene to prevent the blood His enemies intend to shed. His laughing and having opposers in derision is mocking and scorning of those who refused His call, set at nought His counsel, hated knowledge and despised reproof, with the mocking falling when their fear comes as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind and leaves them to eat the fruit of their own ways. That derision is followed by speaking to them in wrath and vexing them in sore displeasure. In that wrath He sets His King, His Son, upon His holy hill of Zion to receive the heathen for inheritance and to break rebellious powers in pieces, so that kings and judges of the earth must be wise, serve the Lord with fear and submit to the Son lest they perish when His wrath is kindled.
Warning to Humble Submission
The laughter in heaven is scorn for the pretensions of learned, worldly-wise men who dishonor God by cutting and carving the Scriptures and by judging education from a human standpoint instead of as God and Christ regard it. In that sight they are counted as mad. God enthroned in heaven is acquainted with all the works of men and is present as a Watcher in every assembly, especially in councils and committees. He sees when responsible men turn from His word to human ideas and plans, and that turning leaves them without excuse.
He abominates selfishness, self-exaltation and pomposity in such proceedings. Selfish principles injure all within their reach and develop a character so objectionable that its possessor cannot find a place among the redeemed. He requires a different spirit to control proceedings. He will not long bear with perversity in those who have had great light and great opportunities.
The One seated in heaven looks with disapproval on those who exalt themselves and do strange work. Their failure is refusing to recognize their weakness and depend on God. Such pride should give place to counting themselves fools and learning from Christ so they may become truly wise. Instead of exalting self they are to come to God humbly.