Real Heroes

And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.—Isaiah 1:26

Richard Kindig

Our society seems preoccupied with the search for "role models." We are constantly beseiged with talk of heroes, champions, winners, success stories—models for the young to copy, for underachievers to emulate. Yet most of the names we are given are glaringly defective in their moral character.

For 6000 years the eyes of the LORD have been going to and fro among the human race, looking for men and women of "perfect hearts" to show himself strong on their behalf (2 Chron. 16:9). Like a farmer or a vintner, he has patiently pruned and nurtured this precious fruit of the earth (James 5:7).

During the Christian era, brave martyrs and unheralded saints have quietly been added to the church of the living God, whose names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3). In the world’s estimation, brave hearts are proven on the battlefields of war and politics. But in God’s eyes, the courage of convictions, the obedience to and labor on behalf of principle, the nurturing of the downtrodden, loyalty to spiritual family and love of enemies—these have been the humble, godly qualities he has sought.

The just and godly in all ages are in one sense viewed as one family—God’s family. Yet, Jesus and the Apostles were careful to distinguish between the brave heroes of Christianity and those of the prior ages whose lives were spent serving the same God, but without the benefit of Jesus’ shed blood and the "new and living way" that it consecrated for us (Heb.10:19-24).

The precious ancient heroes of the Patriarchal and Jewish ages are among the greatest treasures of human history. They often have been called "ancient worthies" or "heroes of faith." They are the foundational layer of the "cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) referred to as our source of motivation and example. Among them are those who, as individuals, are called by the word of God "the father of the faithful," "the friend of God," "the meekest man in all the earth," "a man after God’s own heart." Hebrews assures us that the world was unworthy of these noble men and women of faith and obedience.

In the same breath it is clearly stated that a better thing was reserved for "us"—the Christian church. Though they gained "a good report" (Heb. 11:2) through faith, and their faith was "counted as righteousness" (Rom. 4), Jesus is the "perfecter" of faith (Heb. 12: 2). Jesus’ cross— his sacrifice as the great anti-typical bullock of sin offering—was necessary to atone for the sins of the faithful; and so those who died prior to that sin offering "received not the promise" God had made to Abraham (Heb. 11:39).

As Moses literally died within sight of the promised land, so all the "ancient worthies" passed away without having their faith perfected. And so as we turn to the prophetic word respecting them, we need to bear in mind that their role will require some additional seasoning and perfecting under the tutelage of Christ and his church of the firstborn (Heb. 11:40; 12:23). Before we consider the nature of that additional growth, let us look at prophecies and their role in the Messianic kingdom.

Ancient Worthies in the Kingdom

Jesus assured us that the ancient worthies will be prominent in his kingdom (Luke 13:28). But Jesus made a covenant with his apostles that they (the twelve) would in the Messianic Kingdom be sitting on thrones, judging Israel—a higher honor (Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30).

In the prophetic picture of the new government of the earth Jesus gave us (Rev. 21) the "city" is the bride, which descends from heaven. Its wall has twelve foundations—the apostles (vs. 14). It has twelve gates named for the twelve tribes, possibly referring to twelve qualities of the church; and each of the gates, or ways of access for the world of mankind, is a pearl (v. 21)—a beautiful emblem of the type of jewel that God was developing in the church: a coating of divine character applied in layers upon a coarse pebble that had no value before God selected it for transformation.

When walking in the city, the nations of earth will be treading upon golden pathways —possibly referring to the golden way in which the church walked, through humility and obedience; or perhaps showing that the world’s feet will be upheld and kept from stumbling by the golden acts of kindness and example that the church, then divine, will hold forth to them (v. 21).

Missing from this heavenly picture is the distinctive role of the ancient worthies, and of Israel—possibly because the Revelation 21 vision only shows those who have already submitted to the rulership of the heavenly kingdom. As such, it is a vision of things as they will be when the work of restoration is complete, at the end of the millennium.

The Counselors Restored

The prophet Isaiah gave us perhaps the most complete pictures we have of the operation of the earthly peaceable kingdom (Isa. 2:1-4). In one of these accounts, the heavenly city of Revelation is described after it arrives on earth as the "New Jerusalem" (Rev. 21:2).

In the verses leading up to chapter 2, Isaiah speaks of the house cleaning that God would accomplish among the corrupt leaders of Isaiah’s own day and later (reminiscent of Jesus’ statement to the Pharisees in Luke 13:28). One of the governing techniques God will use, according to the prophet, is to "restore [Israel’s] counselors as at the first" (Isa. 1:26).

Who were Israel’s counselors? When did they first appear, and how did they work? Surely any list of Israel’s counselors must have included Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other respected patriarchs of the tribe, such as Joseph. The counselors must have included Moses, who gave them their laws and was their first real governor; and such other notables as Job, David, and Daniel. But the counselors must also have included the faithful men whom Moses appointed as Israel’s first judges.

For the Jews, the "beginning" was at Sinai, when God added the Law to the Abrahamic covenant he had already established. Shortly after Sinai God set the precedent of raising up judges from among the people to settle disputes and resolve controversies.

Read the remarkable account in Exodus 18:1. Moses in humility acquiesces to the advice he received from his father-in-law. To a practical tribal leader like Jethro, unschooled in the autocratic ways of Egypt as Moses had been, it was obvious that the best judicial system for both Moses and God’s people was a bottom-up approach in which men who best knew the people and were their closest possible kin should hear each case first. Cases that remained unresolved at the lowest levels would be bumped up to a higher level, probably some sort of inter-tribal council of elders. And if they did not suffice, Moses with his direct connection to heaven became the supreme court of the land.

Let us consider the benefits of the system as Jethro outlined them: First, the people would learn the laws themselves (vs. 20).

Second, the able men, who fear God, men of truth and hating covetousness, would form successive levels of wisdom and authority. This authority would be derived from the people’s voluntary submission to them on the basis of their age, wisdom, and proven honesty. These duties would have developed an increasing storehouse of practical wisdom among the counselors and the people whom they served.

Third, this system left Moses free to deal with the toughest cases as well as the other important duties of his office—picturing how the dignity of the heavenly rulers will not be interrupted for every little question and dispute of the peaceable kingdom. Fourth, the people benefit by getting immediate attention to their concerns and by having their cases heard by men of experience, who were known to them and in whom they trusted.

Another clear point of comparison between Moses’ "first counselors and judges" who will be restored is that they do not make the laws but apply them and help enforce them. The laws themselves, according to the prophet, will come "from Zion"—the heavenly courts (Isa. 2:3).

Another Line of Evidence

Psalm 45 contains another apparent reference to these restored counselors, in language that is also mentioned by Isaiah.

Verse 13 describes the church as the "king’s daughter"—which the bride becomes when she marries the king’s son. The golden clothing identifies her as in the heavenly condition.

Verse 14 describes the other virgins, her companions who follow her. These may refer to the other spiritual class mentioned in Revelation 7—the "great multitude," who are referred to as virgins of a lesser stature in the pictures of Song of Solomon 8:8, 9 and our Lord’s parable of Matthew 25:1-13.

Verse 15 then describes a group who had been the fathers of the church, but who now become her children. Who could these be, if not the "fathers," the heroes of faith from the Jewish age and before? The church is told in this verse that she will make these fathers "princes in all the earth." Again, we note that these honored elders of the past are distinctly presented as inferior, in both the fact that they are on earth instead of heaven and in that they are given their new position by the younger, more honored class.

Micah 5:5 also describes "princes of men" or "principal men." In this passage, Messiah (verse 2) will be the source of peace to Israel, when the Assyrians who oppose Israel attempt to rise up in opposition. The seeming victory of the unbelieving hordes will be short-lived; in the battle of Armageddon, Messiah will fight for the children of Israel; and he will use "seven shepherds and eight principal men" to lead the remnant of Israel into the fray. It would seem speculative to note more than the simple fact that men of distinction are appointed to the leadership of Israel on earth at that time. In conjunction with the more direct statement of Isaiah, that these leaders are "restored" from before, our confidence in the idea that these are indeed the resurrected "heroes of faith" begins to grow.

Zechariah 14:3, which also refers to the same battle, may be referring to these earthly leaders restored to their familiar roles when he fights for Israel "as in the day of battle." Then he raised up such deliverers as Joshua, Samson, and Deborah to lead the campaign. This may imply that these same leaders may help in this future deliverance of Israel.

God’s Promises to the Heroes

Turning from the prophetic testimony concerning men of ancient distinction restored on earth to a prominent role in the Messianic kingdom, we now consider the actual promises by God to the Old Testament saints. What was promised? What were they expecting?

Abraham was promised, with an oath, that he would inherit the land of Israel. This is what he expected. (Gen. 24:7)

Isaac and Jacob likewise expected to live in Israel one day. (Gen. 28:4)

Moses (Deut. 34:4) and Joshua (24:13,18) and many others centered their hopes around God’s "promised land."

Because God fulfills his promises, it would seem certain beyond reasonable doubt that the "times of restitution" (Acts 3:19-21) which Peter foretold, would include the fulfillment of God’s promises to the patriarchs and faithful men of old. Only a restoration of human life, on the land promised to Abraham and his children, could fulfill these explicit promises of God.

The Perfecting of their Faith

How, then, will the faith of these heroes be perfected? We answer that the blood of Jesus Christ—which perfects our faith—will, when applied on behalf of Abraham, Isaac, and the others, accomplish the same work in their hearts that it is doing for us. As representatives of the Messianic kingdom among men, they will have ample opportunity to confront entrenched evil in the characters of men. They will be "just men . . . made perfect" in the same way the church is: by obedience to the laws of God in the context of the precious blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin.

In the grand scene of Hebrews 12:23, it would seem that these "heroes of faith" described in this article could fulfill the latter part of this verse: "JUST men, made perfect." The heroes of faith are just—they were justified by faith in God, and receive of the "better resurrection" reserved for the "just" (Heb. 11:35). But though just, these MEN are in the kingdom picture here described as being "made perfect."