Ezekiel 23:1-25  Aholah and Aholibah, Part 1

[Study Aired July 8, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study talks about the two women who were the daughters of one mother – Aholah and Aholibah. Aholah refers to Samaria, and Aholibah signifies Jerusalem. The study gives details of the sins these two women have committed, thus giving the Lord the occasion that He is seeking to come and judge them with the sword.

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

The Two Women from One Mother

Eze 23:1  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 
Eze 23:2  Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
Eze 23:3  And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. 
Eze 23:4  And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah. 

As shown in verse 4, the two women represent Samaria, which was called Aholah, and Jerusalem is referred to as Aholibah.  Samaria consisted of the ten tribes of the people of Israel who occupied the hilly central part of ancient Palestine who were defeated and taken captives by the Assyrians. Jerusalem, also called Aholibah, consisted of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and served as the capital for the people of Israel, and it is where the temple of the Lord, built by King Solomon, was situated. They were also taken captive by the Babylonians. Both Samaria and Jerusalem were therefore one people – the children of the Lord.

As we are aware, women represent the church. The mother symbolizes the church, and since the two women were of one mother, with one being older than the other, they spiritually signify the church of the Lord in different dispensations.  That is, the church before Christ came and the church after Christ came. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 
Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 

Mar 3:33  And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Mar 3:34  And he looked round about on them which sat about him (the disciples or the church), and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

As shown in verse 3, before we started our walk with Christ, we all committed whoredom in Egypt and were no different from the people of the world.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Even when Christ came to us to start the process of becoming His people, that is, during our youth days, we were still of the world as we played whoredom. In verse 3, we are given a graphic view of what happened to us. We had our breasts pressed and our virginity defiled. As a church, represented by a woman, we must feed our children with our breast milk. That is, the milk of the word of the Lord. It is in feeding the young with milk that the church has favor in the eyes of the Lord as shown in Songs of Solomon 8:10.

Isa 66:11  That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

Son 8:10  I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. 

Unfortunately, even in our youth as a church, we had our breasts pressed. In other words, instead of feeding the children in Christ with milk, we rather focused on the pleasures of this world. 

Luk 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Being defiled as virgins means that we did not care about being espoused to Christ as our husband. We went in and played the harlot with another Jesus instead of Christ our husband.

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 
2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The Sins of Aholah

Eze 23:5  And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours, 
Eze 23:6  Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. 
Eze 23:7  Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
Eze 23:8  Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.

As we learned in the previous study, our neighbors are those who have received the mercy of the Lord. This means that the Assyrians, qualified as our neighbors in verse 5, are those who were fellowshiping with us and were part of the church of Christ. David said that it was not an enemy that reproached me, but my guide, whom we took counsel together and walked into the house of the Lord in company.

Luk 10:29  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 
Luk 10:36  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 
Luk 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Psa 55:12  For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 
Psa 55:13  But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 
Psa 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. 

These brethren or the Assyrians are described in verse 6 as being clothed in blue and are the captains and rulers. It is instructive to note that the priests in the Old Testament were required to wear an ephod of the color blue. Thus, the Assyrian captains and rulers being clothed in blue affirms that these Assyrian armies represent those who have received the mercy of the Lord and were part of us as leaders (priests) of the church of the Lord. 

Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.  

Num 4:11  And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:  

In verse 6, these leaders are described as desirable young men. This implies that outwardly, these leaders are attractive in terms of how they present themselves to us and have the energy to work in the church. However, inwardly, they are like wolves in sheep’s clothing who are actually merchants of the souls of men. In the negative sense, these men clothed in blue relates to their status as merchants as shown in the following verse:

Eze 27:24  These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.    

Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her (Babylon); for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 
Rev 18:12  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 
Rev 18:13  And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

These men from Assyria described as horsemen riding on horses in verse 6 are those angels who are loosed from the river Euphrates by the sounding of the trumpet by the sixth angel to destroy the people of the Lord through false doctrines which is represented by the great river Euphrates.

Rev 9:13  And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 
Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 
Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 
Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 
Rev 9:17  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Rev 9:18  By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 
Rev 9:19  For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 

These false doctrines we imbibe cause us to commit whoredom as we leave the simplicity that is in Christ in favor of another Jesus as shown in verse 7. As a result, we defile ourselves with idols of the heart and therefore cannot hear from the Lord. As described in verse 8, our situation in the churches was no different from our lifestyles when we were in the world or Egypt.

Eze 23:9  Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. 
Eze 23:10  These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her. 

To the Lord’s elect, being delivered into the hands of the Assyrians is the same as being delivered to Satan since these Assyrians are the agents of the devil. As we have learned earlier, the purpose of handing us over to the Assyrians is for the destruction of our flesh.  Discovering her nakedness or stripping her naked means that as the Lord’s elect, we realize our sins or nakedness through the judgment of the Lord, which in this case is meted out by the Assyrians. The sword being an instrument of the Lord’s judgement by the Assyrians in verse 10 means the lying words or the false doctrines of the adversary spoken to destroy us. 

2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Psa 64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: 
Psa 64:3  Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

The Sins of Aholibah

Eze 23:11  And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. 
Eze 23:12  She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. 

As indicated earlier, these sisters represent the church in different dispensations. The people of Israel represent the church until the coming of Christ and therefore symbolize the elder sister, Aholah. Aholibah, the younger sister, signifies the church that Jesus Christ paid with His blood. Even before the Apostles died, the church has started its whoredom with Assyrians, her neighbors. What happened to the church, signified by the people of Israel both in the wilderness and in Canaan, are all written for our admonition. However, in spite of the Lord’s judgment of the people of Israel, the church of Christ, signified by Aholibah, did not pay attention. In fact, we became worse off in terms of our whoredom than our sister (Aholah) representing the people of Israel.

1Co 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 
1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 
1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 
1Co 10:5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 
1Co 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

We were led astray by the Assyrians, our neighbor as shown in verse 12. As indicated earlier, the Assyrians represent the leaders in the churches of this world who have led us astray through false doctrines to worship another Jesus. Joel chapter 2 gives us a vivid description of these leaders, typified by the Assyrians, who are empowered with all the resources by the Lord as they parade in the churches of this world as apostles while in reality, they are false apostles. These strong people in Joel chapter 2 are the same as the army of the two hundred million horsemen in Revelation 9:16-19.

Joe 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 
Joe 2:2  A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 
Joe 2:3  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 
Joe 2:4  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Joe 2:5  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 
Joe 2:6  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 
Joe 2:7  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march everyone on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 
Joe 2:8  Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 
Joe 2:9  They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 
Joe 2:10  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

This is how Peter described these Assyrians with whom we were enchanted during our time in Babylon even though they were causing us to commit whoredom:

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

Eze 23:13  Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way, 
Eze 23:14  And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, 
Eze 23:15  Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity: 
Eze 23:16  And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. 
Eze 23:17  And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. 
Eze 23:18  So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.

As indicated in verse 13, both Aholah and Aholibah have taken one path, which is playing the harlot. In other words, worshiping another Jesus is the trade mark of the churches of this world irrespective of the dispensation. 

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 

The pull of the harlot woman is irresistible unless we are given to know her in the spirit. Aholibah, the younger sister, defiled herself with the Babylonians while her elder sister, Aholah did that with the Assyrians. Spiritually, the Assyrians are the same as the Babylonians. The role of both Assyrians and the Babylonians was to increase our whoredom. This is what Paul has to say about the Assyrians and the Babylonians:

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Eze 23:18  So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. 
Eze 23:19  Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 
Eze 23:20  For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 
Eze 23:21  Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth. 

These verses continue the narration of the sins of the church of the Lord. In verse 18, we are told that she carried out her whoring openly and flaunted her nakedness. The sins of the physical churches of this world of which we were part of are open secrets to the public – how they have separated completely from the Lordship of Christ. As stated in verse 19, the churches have increased their whoring as they remember the days of their youth when they played the harlot in Egypt. This is to let us know that the current state of the churches of this world is no different from the people of the world (Egypt). In other words, the churches have conformed to the standards of this world of which the Lord has admonished us not to. This is because when we were in the churches of this world (Babylon), we were dominated by the lust of the flesh which is equated to how donkeys lust for a partner when they are on heat as shown in verse 20. Verse 21 shows us that our walk in the churches of this world was not different from how we lived in the world before Christ came.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 
2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 
2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

The Need for the Judgment of the Lord

Eze 23:22  Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; 
Eze 23:23  The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses. 
Eze 23:24  And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments. 
Eze 23:25  And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. 

In view of the fact that we had not changed but continued to live the lifestyles we were used to in the world, Egypt, even though we claimed to be the Lord’s people, the Lord saw it as the occasion that He was seeking to come and judge us. As we are aware, it is through the Lord’s judgement that we learn righteousness.  

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

The judgment in this case means the Lord bringing the Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa mentioned in verse 23, against the Lord’s people who represent us, His elect, using the sword as His tool to judge us. This is affirmed in verse 25 where the remnant of the Lord shall fall by the sword together with our offspring (sons and daughters) who represents our false doctrines in our heavens. In verse 25, we are told that our residue shall be devoured by the fire. This implies that it is through the fire of the Lord’s words that our false doctrines shall be devoured. 

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 
Jer 5:15  Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. 
Jer 5:16  Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. 
Jer 5:17  And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword. 

In Jeremiah 5:17, the nation that comes from far which represents the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa in verse 23 shall eat our harvest and all the food for our sons and daughters, sheep, etc. The food here refers to our false doctrines which shall be destroyed through judgement. 

As indicated earlier, the negative aspect of sword refers to words that are spoken aimed to destroy us (our old man). These negative words spoken is one of the tools that the Lord uses to cause people to speak bitter words to us, His elect. 

Psa 64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: 
Psa 64:3  Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: 

Eze 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Jdg 7:22 And the three hundred [men with Gideon] blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host [of the Midianites]: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

May the Lord continue to uphold us through His judgment of our old man so that after having done all, we shall stand!! Amen!!

The Book of Hosea – Part 4, Hos 4:1-19

[Study Aired May 4, 2024]

Since the sole theme of this study in Hosea, Chapter 4, is our Lord’s direct accusation of His wife, Israel, for her adulterous ways, we won’t repeat the verses as is sometimes customary; rather, we will launch right into them individually.

The Lord Accuses Israel

Hos 4:1-19  Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Even a Babylonian babe unwittingly worshiping ‘another Jesus’ (2Co 11:4) can easily see the historical account of Old Israel’s sequence of see-sawing obedience, then prostituting disdain for the Commandments of God, severe chastisement and Gomer-like impenetrable heart’s return to her Husband only to do it all over repeatedly. Of course, today, the Lord’s faithful wife looks back upon those historical accounts, knowing fully well that they represent her disappearing spiritual prostitution. Her most humbling knowledge is that all these things, from Genesis to Revelation, are mostly all for her sake. She takes no glory in her figurative 1,000 sisters in Babylon (symbolised by Solomon’s 1,000 wives [1Ki 11:1-6]) and their unwitting spiritual suffering, inclusive of their increasingly horrendous physical suffering. She, the heavenly mother (Jerusalem) of us all, and like any mother in more ethical and moral times past, anguishes over her children’s contempt for their father’s instructions and headship. Subsequently, the lack of truth, mercy and knowledge will make them the basest of men, silly doves (Hos 7:11) taken in their own craftiness. The Lord has a “controversy” with the incipient Bride of Christ and is now showing her that in past times, she didn’t reside in truth, mercy or knowledge. He is revealing to her her skirts above her loins, her nakedness to be covered by His word. All things, both good and evil are hers for her increasingly enthusiastic knowledge and understanding.

1Co 3:18  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 
1Co 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 
1Co 3:20  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 
1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ [and His Christs] is God’s. 

Hos 4:2  By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 

No greater original “swearing” was there than Old Israel, our Lord’s espoused first wife solemnly agreeing to her marriage vows.

Exo 24:7  And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exo 24:8  And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. 

Hos 2:19  And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 
Hos 2:20  I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. 

Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 

2Co 11:1  I would that you were bearing with me a little in foolishness; but indeed bear with me. 
2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one Man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

Next, after swearing allegiance to her unwitting inability to keep the espousal agreement, she is full of God-given scheming deceptions (lies) irksomely endemic to her gender. Solomon termed them “inventions”, which are devices of deceit to control her relationship with her husband.

Ecc 7:27  Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
Ecc 7:28  Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. 
Ecc 7:29  Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

In the same breath as swearing, stealing, lying, and adultery are “killing” and resultant “blood touching blood”, and the act of killing, symbolising the entire bloody affair.

Blood spiritually is Christ’s word, His very body! Blood, the physical essence of life, prefigures death to the Old Man and life to the New Man. If blood is spilt spiritually, it means the death of the truth or lies. Since the Elect metaphorically kill another person with the fiery sword of God’s word, that action results from them having killed us for our rejection of God’s word, just as we killed Christ physically and spiritually – it all is figuratively spilling blood.

Pro 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Isa 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. 

Joe 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 
Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood [Her zealous killing of God’s word] of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Christ’s blood is His spirit, His word that is the truth. When we speak God’s word untruthfully, we kill Christ all over again; we spill His blood or others’ blood by our heresies. In doing so, we steal our Lord’s gold and silver and make them into idols of our own which we diligently serve and thus commit adultery.

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Blood must be spilled when sin is found. We must die daily, and we figuratively are killed and our blood spilled. Sin requires death and spilled blood, first, physically in the Old Covenant and then, spiritually in the New. 

Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; [no individual generation, but the generation of whoever reads that verse].
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation [The incipient Bride of Christ]. 
Luk 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! [False Christs; preachers] for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Hos 4:3  Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. 

Solomon’s 1,000 wives, including Leah, Jacob’s ‘hated wife’, all languish in bewilderment because their husbands do not desire them. Why? because they all want to eat and drink their own bread of self-righteousness and symbolise all the rest of mankind, “the beasts of the field,” giving up since God’s word is given to be too hard to understand. They throw up their arms in Babylonish confusion to blithely gorge themselves in her delights. The result is that they all are “taken away” and seen prefigured by Israel’s exile into Babylon.

Just as mankind was taken away in Noah’s flood, so, too, is every man into Babylon; so, too, are all left after the First Resurrection into the rule with the rod of iron in preparation for the final casting into the Lake of Fire of God’s word.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our [fleshy] likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul [flesh in God’s image in the process of being made spirit]; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural [?]; and afterward that which is spiritual [because God is in the process of creating God in man and He begins first with the natural, the flesh to become a new creature of spirit, as He is].

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Hos 4:4  Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. 

Since all things were preordained before creation, our Lord, by whom all things are created, designed man’s every thought, word, and action by His own will. No man other than the Elect of God, who knows their Lord’s judgments, is able to righteously reprove another man. The churches of the world, all 40,000 + splintered sects, thus strive contentiously with each other, “the priests”. Unknowingly, they are striving with the Priest and His Priests, that is, Christ and His Christs.

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

2Co 10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Hos 4:5  Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked [We, the embryonic Bride of Christ] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

The Lord’s Bride first falls by the brilliant light of Christ’s fiery word in the day, and upon going to bed, sleep flees her where her sins in revealing thought, cast as dreams in the night, devastatingly destroy her faith in Babylon, her mother. She sees herself as having been deceived by the harlot churches of Babylon with their magic arts.

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie [figuratively an innumerable 200,000,000 of them (Rev 9:16)]: 
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Hos 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

A Biblical quintessential notable forgetting God’s law is Israel’s rejection of Samuel’s representation as their King and Priest who shockingly can represent the Lord’s few chosen to forfeit their inheritance, Christ’s wedding feast. Our Lord’s deliberate design of Israel, representing us in our time, is awfully humiliating to Him for us effectively returning to Babylon to have some Christian priest, a worker of magic arts to rule over us.

1Sa 8:4  Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
1Sa 8:5  And said unto him, Behold, thou art old [we are sick of Christ’s boring doctrines], and thy sons [Babylonian Christianity] walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
1Sa 8:6  But the thing displeased Samuel [God], when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 
1Sa 8:7  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people [and give them the idol of their hearts] in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 
1Sa 8:8  According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 
1Sa 8:9  Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them [speak sternly, resolutely with authority], and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. 
1Sa 8:10  And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 
1Sa 8:11a  And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you:…

Here lies precisely what the world is experiencing today: a peaking crescendo of violence of every man’s hand against his neighbor and wars and rumors of wars in response to the ‘kings’ of government we chose with our lovely Democratic Capitalist Bolshevism (Marxists) ruling over us. Samuel goes on to prophesy exactly what will happen.

1Sa 8:11b … He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots [your young men will go to endless wars]. 
1Sa 8:12  And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest [Lord it over other nations], and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
1Sa 8:13  And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries [Ointment-makers, perfumers = haughty harlots with mincing steps; churches deluding the world], and to be cooks [guardsmen of church doctrine], and to be bakers [cooking up doctrinal lies].
1Sa 8:14  And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants [outwardly, the West is being overrun by immigrant’ servants’ whose moral foundations serve other gods and strange doctrines and intermarry those doctrines with Oholibah’s churches]. 
1Sa 8:15  And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 
1Sa 8:16  And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work [Slavery on all fronts!].
1Sa 8:17  He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 
1Sa 8:18  And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

That account of us wanting our chosen ‘king’ to rule over us is superlative of the current world’s government’s slavery of its citizens. Yet, we know that it all is speaking a precise mirror of ourselves, spiritually. It all revolves back to Hosea 4:5 “Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet [Samuel and the Elect, and the Elect now inwardly] also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother [the Great Whore within and without] 

Hos 4:7  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. 
Hos 4:8  They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. 
Hos 4:9  And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. 

If we have unity in a righteous or unrighteous ideology, a church doctrine, the people are in harmony with their priest, just as the Bride is in righteous harmony with her Lord.

Joh 17:16  They [the Bride of Christ] are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 
Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 
Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 
Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 
Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 

Beginning in the one-thousand year rule with the rod of iron, the world will fearfully begin to know that these people ruling over them have a very different spirit from them. An unwavering unity of spirit is forced upon them, thus causing them to grudgingly inconsistently keep Christ’s commands yet without eyes and ears in the same joyful unified spirit.

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. 

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

In the one-thousand year reign, those alive will eat of the Lord’s word and not be filled with understanding, thus not being unified with the spirit of Christ and His Christs. They thus remain unfaithful to His word and remain harlots. Eating and drinking His word will not satiate a hunger that doesn’t exist as they eat their own bread and drink their own water, believing that they were fair virgins, not knowing their harlotry. Of course, the Lord’s Elect know that all these things refer first to her in this age who are given to thirst for Him. 

Amo 8:13  In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. 
Amo 8:14  They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

Hos 4:10  For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
Hos 4:11  Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

New wine takes away the heart since those without eyes that see and ears that don’t hear do not understand the New Covenant spiritually. Subsequently, they remain jubilant in unwitting whoredoms of false doctrines and another Jesus and don’t increase the fruits of Christ’s commands.

Hos 4:12  My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. 
Hos 4:13  They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. 
Hos 4:14  I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall. 

Daughters committing whoredoms are lecherous acts deemed too insignificant (depicted as a babe learning truth – a “daughter”), correlating to Israel’s thinking that God wouldn’t be concerned with trifling sins. More damnable are they when committed by her parents. A complementary view of a daughter engaging in whoredoms reflects a juvenile understanding of doctrine by the daughter or her parents.

Verse 14 is a subtle spiritual reference to the one-thousand year reign with the rod of iron since people are punished, yet no change of spirit is given; they thus remain unjust and filthy. For those chosen to have their eyes and ears opened in this age, they are stripped naked of their filthy clothes and given by their Husband the clean white linen of the Saints.

Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Our loving Father chastises every son whom He loves. Upon our suckling stages of learning to walk in Christ’s commands by His faith and strength, we, just like young children, view those relatively light chastisements as deeply hurtful. Subsequent to our adult equivalence of pouting, kicking and screaming, we learn to receive those disciplines joyously since we immutably know that our acknowledgment of sin is quickly followed by a bountiful increase in spiritual growth! As seen previously in Hosea 5:8, They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

Eating up the sin of my people are people with an appetite for gluttony. To boot, their impenitent hearts are so seared that their sins become an idol of their heart. When Ancient Israel did that to her fullness, she represented us formally in our journey, insisting on keeping pet iniquities.

An incredibly insidious problem will emerge that is likely to land a backsliding Saint in the Lake of Fire because of the spirit of whoredoms, as seen in Hosea 4:12 above! When our Lord blesses us with a figurative 40 years of chastisement, and we become a “backsliding heifer”, it reflects our utter refusal to change, and we will unwittingly find ourselves on the knife edge, maybe seeing too late that we didn’t have a wedding gown of His righteousness; OR, if we are preordained since before the Creation to be an Elect, we will suffer chastisement far more intensely until we do acknowledge our iniquity. Regardless, the statement, “he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still,” portrays the Master Potter creating His vessel in each of us to His precise dimensions at His will to be either filthy, righteous or holy as He pleases in a particular age for His purpose.

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 
Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 

Ecc 11:3  If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Yet, continuing in this age, ancient Israel’s harlot ways are as a figurative revolving wheel (Gilgal H1537) brightly spiritually mirroring in the Middle East today, their preordained returning to vomit for us to remember to not be ‘filthy still.’ Thus, we, as Judah representing the Priests of God, decreasingly re-offend on our fiery course in becoming His ‘Christs.’ Being given our Lord’s faith, we utterly rely on His strength to not reoffend.

Hos 4:15  Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal [H1537 Definition: Gilgal = a wheel, rolling 1. the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho], neither go ye up to Bethaven [Beth-aven = house of vanity], nor swear, The LORD liveth.
Hos 4:16  For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. 

Israel being fed “as a lamb in a large place” depicts the Lake of Fire for predestined humanity, which is a very “large place” that will contain all of mankind since Adam, as numerous as the sand of the seashore or stars of the heavens.

As seen in Part 3 of Hosea, the Jews today who say that they are Jews and have never been given to go forward spiritually to thus “backslide.” That truth is soon possibly reenacted by the sacrifice of their probable ‘red heifer’ for the dedication of their physical temple on Solomon’s original temple mount site in Jerusalem. It will be exciting to see what the Lord has to transpire. Maybe a rebuilding and then destruction. Regardless, it will be destroyed, as will all edifices of Christian worship in the one thousand years.

Lev 26:30  And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. 
Lev 26:31  And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. 
Lev 26:32  And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
Lev 26:33  And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. 

Eze 6:13  Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols. 
Eze 6:14  So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

For the time being, it is not given to those not dragged to understand.

Hos 4:17  Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim represents the entirety of Israel, the world of humanity left alone to continue in their sins and remain filthy. It is just that we need to thoroughly fast within to see ourselves spiritually in ALL of these outward examples.

Hos 4:18  Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
Hos 4:19  The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. 

The spirit of God, the wind, has, for the time being, made ancient Israel faint, as we were within, earthbound, unable to be lifted up on eagle wings and thus made ashamed because of whoredoms and sacrificing haughtily to our Queen Vashti-like idolised selves [2Th 2:1-4].

Isa 40:30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 
Isa 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Ezekiel 8:1-18  The Desecration of our Temple

[Study Aired March 11, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study is about the Lord showing Ezekiel the sins, or abominations, we have committed in the temple of the Lord which is our bodies and have therefore incurred the Lord’s wrath. Our sins include the setting up of the image of jealousy at the gate of the altar, the elders of Israel worshiping all manner of images in a secret chamber and the women weeping for Tammuz, with the men worshiping the sun. The Lord showing Ezekiel these sins is a way of justifying the need for us to be judged so that we learn righteousness. 

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

The Coming of the Lord into Our Lives

Eze 8:1  And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

The number six represents mankind. It shows mankind in his fleshly state. The vision that Ezekiel had came in the sixth year, in the sixth month and on the fifth day of the month. We are therefore being told of the state that Ezekiel was in since the Lord came to Him. That is to say, Ezekiel was dominated by the flesh before the Lord came to him. This is the story of all the Lord’s elect. We were doing our own thing in our fleshly capacity before the Lord came to us. The fifth day of the month signifies that it is grace through faith (the meaning of the number five), that our Lord Jesus Christ came to us to pick us out of the miry clay (fleshly state) and to set our feet upon the rock, that is, establish us in Christ. 

Psa 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 
Psa 40:3  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

When the Lord came to Ezekiel, he was sitting in his own house together with the elders of Judah. Our house is our body which is the temple of the Lord. Ezekiel sitting in his own house means the man of sin or the beast within us sitting in the temple of God, which is our bodies. In simple terms, we were dominated by the flesh when the Lord came to us. The fact that Ezekiel was there together with the elders of Judah means that all of the Lord’s elect (signified by the elders of Judah) were first dominated by the flesh before Jesus came to us!! 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

It is in this state that the Lord came to us with the fire of His words to open our eyes to see and our ears to hear, and to let us know that our judgment is at hand, as shown in the next verse:

Eze 8:2  Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

Ezekiel seeing the appearance of the Lord as the appearance of fire and the appearance of brightness is to show us that the Lord’s coming to us is to open our eyes to see and our ears to hear His fiery words, and this is accompanied by the judgment of our old man or the beast within each of us. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The fact that this appearance of fire is Christ is not in doubt, as the appearance of fire and the color of amber have been used to describe the Lord’s appearance in the word of the Lord.

Eze 1:27  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

The color amber is translated in many versions of the Bible to mean polished or glowing metal. 

Eze 1:27  From the waist up, it was glowing like metal in a hot furnace, and from the waist down it looked like the flames of a fire. The figure was surrounded by a bright light, (CEV)

What the polished or glowing metal of the Lord’s appearance from His loins upward and downwards in the midst of the fire signifies is that when Christ comes to us, He comes to initiate our fiery trials to remove all that contaminates our walk with Him so that we can be presented blameless before God. 

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

The brightness of the Lord’s coming is the fire of His words, or His judgment, as indicated in the following verse:

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Eze 8:3  And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. 

It is insightful to note that the Lord took Ezekiel by the lock of his head to lift him up between the earth and heaven. The lock of his head is an indication of a Nazarite vow. As we have indicated in the studies of Numbers, the Nazarite vow shows us the Lord’s intent for the elect to be wholly separated for His purpose but does not express spiritual maturity. When we think we have a will to decide to become separated for Christ, then it means that we are spiritually immature, since we do not contribute anything to our salvation. When we were in Babylon, we thought that we could exercise our will to be wholly devoted to Christ, just like the Israelites who think they can choose to become Nazarites. Our lives therefore in Babylon were the same as the Israelites who go for a Nazarite vow. In other words, we were all Nazarites at a certain period of our lives when we were in Babylon until Christ came to us.

Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Therefore, our life in Babylon is the life of a Nazarite. Thus, the Lord lifting Ezekiel with a lock of his head shows us how the Lord takes us out of Babylon. Our supposed self-will of being wholly devoted to Christ is what the Lord takes advantage of to cause our exit from Babylon. Our exit from Babylon is our separation from the earth as Ezekiel was lifted up from the earth. As we know from the word of the Lord, the earth represents the Lord’s people who have gone astray and are not prepared to hear what the Lord has to say to them. The earth therefore signifies Babylon or the physical churches of this world. Heaven, on the other hand, represents the Lord’s elect or the church of the firstborn in this case. Being lifted up between the earth and Heaven signifies the beginning of our journey after our exit from Babylon to become part of the Lord’s elect. 

It is after our exit from Babylon that the Lord opens our eyes and ears to see and to hear visions of the deplorable state of Jerusalem. It is when the Lord comes to us that we come to see the seat of the images of jealousy which has given the Lord the occasion to come and judge us, as signified by the fact that the inner gate is towards the north. As we have learned, the north represents judgment.

Gen 49:16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

Num 2:25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan [shall be] Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

The question is, “What is this seat of the images of jealousy shown to Ezekiel?” The images of jealousy refer to the worship of strange gods, which the Lord hates. 

Deu 32:16  They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

Psa 78:58  For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

In our lives in Babylon, we worshiped another Jesus which is the same as worshiping strange gods. 

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Eze 8:4  And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

We need to know what the glory of the Lord signifies in order to understand Ezekiel beholding the glory of the Lord. The following verses show us what the glory of the Lord means:

Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. 
Num 14:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? 

Num 16:19  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
Num 16:20  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

We can see from these verses that any time the glory of the Lord appears, we see the Lord speaking. In Deuteronomy 5:24, additional information is given to qualify the glory of the Lord, and that is fire. Seeing His glory therefore means hearing the Lord’s voice out of the midst of the fire. This conclusion is affirmed in Exodus 24:16-17, where the sight of the glory of the Lord was likened to a devouring fire on the top of the Mount.

Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 
Exo 24:17  And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

What these verses tell us is that in this age, those who are privileged to see the glory of the Lord are those who are hearing His words in the midst of the furnace of their affliction. I will therefore take this opportunity to tell our brothers and sisters scattered all over the world who are going through fiery trials that they should rejoice because it is through suffering that they can see the glory of the Lord!! When we are going through suffering, it is hard to rejoice, but afterwards it will yield the benefit of seeing the glory of the Lord!! 

In Exodus 24:16, this glory of the Lord was covered by the cloud for six days. The number six represents mankind. What this means is that, in this age (six days), you can only see the glory of the Lord through the elect. The seventh day is when we shall be called by the Lord to reign with Him as we rest from our labors.

Eze 8:5  Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. 
Eze 8:6  He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.

As indicated earlier, the Lord telling Ezekiel to lift up his eyes towards the north means the elect, represented here by Ezekiel, must see the work the Lord is doing in our lives through His judgment, signified by the north. Right at the gate of the altar is this image of jealousy. In other words, at the very beginning of our walk with the Lord, when we entered Babylon was characterized by the worship of another Jesus. As a result, the Lord was far away from us, His sanctuary. The Lord being far away from His sanctuary implies that He did not hear us or save us when we cried to him during the period that we have set up this image of jealousy in our hearts and minds.

Isa 59:1  Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 
Isa 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 
Isa 59:3  For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Under these conditions, we become worse off, just like pigs who go back to wallow in the mire after they have been washed. 

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

It is this picture of our deplorable state that the Lord wanted to show Ezekiel as follows:

Eze 8:7  And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. 
Eze 8:8  Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. 
Eze 8:9  And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. 
Eze 8:10  So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.

The question is “why did the Lord not just show Ezekiel the creeping things and the abomination immediately but asked him to dig in the wall before he could see the wicked abomination?” It is because the Lord wants to train us to know the truth of His words from the falsehood or the false doctrines that we were accustomed to while we were in Babylon. In the ancient times, walls were made from the earth which represents man’s wisdom and traditions. This wall that prevents Ezekiel from seeing the wicked abomination of his people therefore represents man’s wisdom and traditions, and it is only when we dig out, that is, see these false doctrines we were used to, that we come to see our deplorable state in Babylon. This scenario is the same as what happened to Isaac when he started digging out the earth from the wells of his father Abraham which the inhabitants of the land destroyed by filling them with earth. It is when we dug out the earth that we encountered springing water which represents the truth of the Lord’s words. It is this truth that makes us aware of our appalling situation in Babylon.

Gen 26:15  For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
Gen 26:16  And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 
Gen 26:17  And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 
Gen 26:18  And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
Gen 26:19  And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

It is when we make a hole in the wall of the false doctrines of human wisdom and tradition that we come to see the creeping things and the abominable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel portrayed in a wall. Creeping things are creatures that move based on their belly. In other words, they creep upon the earth.

Lev 11:42  Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination

The question is, “What do these creeping things signify?”  We can see that creeping things depend on their belly and because of that they are always in touch with the earth. This is how Paul defines those who depend on their belly:

Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 
Rom 16:18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

What this means is that the creeping things represent those men of God that we worshiped in Babylon who serve their belly. The worship of our leaders in Babylon is an abomination to the Lord. These creeping things, abominable beasts and all kinds of idols were engraved in the walls of the temple and were being worshiped. As we are aware, the abominable beasts represent  man without Christ as we are all beasts before the Lord comes to us.  Our idols are our false doctrines which we cherish more than the truth of the word of the Lord. The fact that the creeping things, the abominable beasts and all kinds of idols are engraved on the wall of the temple, which was made of earth, means that all that we worshiped in our time in Babylon are of the earth or earthy, that is, the false doctrines based on man’s wisdom and tradition. Fortunately, these must come first before we taste of the goodness of the truth of the Lord’s words as we are made to understand spiritual reality.

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Eze 8:11  And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. 
Eze 8:12  Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth. 

The ancients mentioned in verses 11 and 12 refer to the priests, Levites and the heads of the families. In other words, they represent the leaders of the people in Babylon. 

Ezr 3:12  But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 

The seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel signify the sons of the devil whom we served in our time in Babylon. One of the seventy with the name Jaazaniah was singled out as participating in the worship of the abominable beasts, creeping things and idols. Jaazaniah means ‘God hears.’ What we are being told is that we say that we are the Lord’s as He hears us. However, we are actually children of the devil as we do the lust of our father the devil while we were in Babylon.

2Ki 10:1  And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,

2Ki 10:6  Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Incense, on a positive note, denotes the prayers of the saints. However, in this case, it refers to our prayers to the devil. As indicated earlier, the Lord told Ezekiel that because of our iniquity, He will go far from His sanctuary within us (verse 6). As a result, we do not hear from the Lord. However, instead of humbling ourselves before Him so that He hears us, we rather think that the Lord has forsaken us and therefore does not hear us. As a result, we indulge more in wickedness.

Eze 8:13  He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
Eze 8:14  Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

What we need to understand is that all of these abominations described in Ezekiel chapter 8 were happening in the temple, which is our bodies. In verse 14, we are shown women weeping for Tammuz. According to the New Encyclopedia Britannica, Tammuz is described as a god of fertility embodying the power for new life in nature. This “nature god” was associated with two yearly festivals – one celebrating his marriage and the other lamenting his death. The initial of Tammuz was the sign of the cross which later became the letter “T”.

There are therefore similarities between the worship of Tammuz and what we were doing in Babylon. In Babylon, we celebrate the birth of Christ (Christmas) and then his death on the cross (Easter). We were also using the sign of the cross to represent the suffering of Christ. During the “Good Friday” of the Easter celebration, do we not mourn the death of Christ just as the women mourned Tammuz when we were in Babylon? The women who were mourning Tammuz represent the various denominations of Babylon who mourn the death of Christ during Easter. In verse 13, the Lord told Ezekiel that He was going to show him greater abominations, and the first one that He showed Ezekiel was these women mourning Tammuz. Our celebration of Christ’s birth and death in Babylon therefore are an abomination to the Lord as it signifies worshiping another Jesus.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Eze 8:15  Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 
Eze 8:16  And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

The inner court of the Lord’s house is where the Levites were permitted to worship. These Levites represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who do the work of the Lord but are not permitted to enter the Holy Place of the temple. This is confirmed in verse 16 by the number of men (25) who worshiped with their backs toward the temple and facing east. It is when one is twenty-five years old that one can serve in the house of the Lord as a Levite.

Num 8:24  This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

The East is where the sun rises, and the sun here represents Christ. What this implies is that these men in Babylon only focus on the beginning of our walk in Christ when we leave the world and are not given to continue in Him to mature. Turning their backs to the temple signifies our rejection to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord. That is why when we were in Babylon, we were carnal because we were not given to mature. We were only introduced to the rudiments about Christ, and even this basic knowledge of Christ is tainted with false doctrines. To leave the world because of Christ and to become complacent and not persevere to reach for the mark of His higher calling is an abomination to the Lord as indicated here in verse 15.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Incidentally, those of the Muslim religion always pray facing east where the sun rises. Thus, when we speak of Babylon, it encompasses all religions of this world.

Eze 8:17  Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 
Eze 8:18  Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

In view of all the abominations we have committed against the Lord, we have therefore provoked His anger and deserved to be judged. In verse 18, the Lord saying that He shall not spare us and will not have pity on us; another way of saying that as His elect, the Lord’s judgment of our old man in this age will surely be executed. As we are aware, it is through our judgment that we learn righteousness. Although our fiery trials are painful experiences, they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness which is the prerequisite for reigning with Christ!! 

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 
Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 
Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

May the Lord give us the grace to continue in Him as He completes the work He has started in us. Amen!!

Gospels In Harmony – Bearing the Cross

Matt 27:32-44, Mark 15:21-32, Luke 23:26-43, John 19:17-22

[Study Aired March 29, 2022]

Mark 15:16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him].
Matt 27:28 And they stripped him,
John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
Matt 27:29 and a reed in his right hand:
Mark 15:18 And began to salute him,
John 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
Matt 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Mark 15:19 and bowing [their] knees worshipped him.
Mark 15:20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
Mark 15:21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
John 19:17a And he bearing his cross went forth
Luke 23:27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Luke 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed [are] the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
Luke 23:32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Luke 23:33a And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, 
John 19:17b [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Luke 23:33b there they crucified him,
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

In our last study Pilate sentenced Christ to death. He washed his hands of the whole matter, released Barabbas, and handed Christ over to the people to be crucified.

Mark 15:16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him].
Matt 27:28 And they stripped him,
John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
Matt 27:29 and a reed in his right hand:
Mark 15:18 And began to salute him,
John 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
Matt 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Mark 15:19 and bowing [their] knees worshipped him.

We are on both sides of this. On the one side we are the people mocking and spitting on Christ. This takes place while we are in Babylon worshipping “another Jesus”.

2 Cor 11:1-4 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

We bear with another Jesus, another spirit and another gospel when we are in Babylon. Following the false doctrines is the same as striking Christ and spitting on him. There is a time, if Christ be in us, that we are as Christ. Once we have Christ in us, the world will begin to treat us just as he is being treated here. We are mocked and are led away to be crucified in the hearts of those that are not able to hear us and cannot confess that Christ is come in the flesh.

1 John 4:1-6 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

We must always keep in mind that we were just as the world a short time ago and be careful to know that the man of sin is still within us and must be subdued daily.

Mark 15:20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
John 19:17a And he bearing his cross went forth
Mark 15:21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

The name Simon means “that hears; that obeys”. The name Alexander means “one who assists men” and finally Rufus means “red”. These three names are types and shadows of the old and new men and the number three deals with the process of spiritual completion through judgment. This is exactly what Christ is enduring.

Luke 23:27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Luke 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed [are] the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

Christ is telling us that we should not worry about what is happening to Him, but we should be concerned how we could survive this judgment without Him. Jesus has received the spirit in fullness and knows what must be done so that he can then give the spirit to everyone else.

Luke 23:32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Luke 23:33a And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, 
John 19:17b [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Luke 23:33b there they crucified him,
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Through all of this Jesus still had the ability to ask the Father to forgive them. 

There is a phrase in this section of our story that needs to be examined further. 

John 19:17a And he bearing his cross went forth

Christ bearing his cross is an example of what we all must do in this life in order to be in the first resurrection.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Luke 9:23-25 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

[Study Aired May 31, 2021]

Jdg 10:1  And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. 
Jdg 10:2  And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. 
Jdg 10:3  And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. 
Jdg 10:4  And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 
Jdg 10:5  And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. 
Jdg 10:6  And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. 
Jdg 10:7  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. 
Jdg 10:8  And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 
Jdg 10:9  Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. 
Jdg 10:10  And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. 
Jdg 10:11  And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? 
Jdg 10:12  The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. 
Jdg 10:13  Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 
Jdg 10:14  Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. 
Jdg 10:15  And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. 
Jdg 10:16  And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. 
Jdg 10:17  Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. 
Jdg 10:18  And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 

In Chapter 9 of Judges, we learned that God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, which resulted in a conflict between them. This conflict resulted in the death of several men of Shechem and also of Abimelech. Abimelech was put to death by a millstone and a sword by his armor bearer. This implies that it is only the elect, represented here by a millstone, that can put to death the old man through the use of the word of God, which is the sword.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones (millstones), are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

Today’s review is focused on Israel coming under different judges and different oppression by the Philistines and the Ammonites.

Jdg 10:1  And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. 

The name Tola means a worm and the scriptures describe man as a worm.

Job 25:6  How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Psa 22:6  But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

The negative application of worm is corruption as follows:

Job 17:14  I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.

Isa 14:11  Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

Tola ruling over Israel means that when we start our journey with Christ, we are ruled by our old man who is meant to be taken and destroyed and who shall utterly perish in his own corruption. Tola dwelt in Shamir.  According to Strong, Shamir means thorns, and so it implies that during the period in which we are ruled by our old man or flesh (Tola), we were actually dwelling among thorns.  These thorns are the false doctrines in our heavens which prevent us from understanding the gospel of Christ.

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Tola is from the tribe of Issachar. When Jacob was blessing his sons, he said this concerning Issachar:

Gen 49:14  Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 
Gen 49:15  And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

What we are being told here is that being of the tribe of Issachar means that we end up loving the world and the things that are in the world.  As a result, we come under bondage to the flesh, which is being described here as lying between two burdens.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Jdg 10:2  And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. 

Tola judged Israel for twenty three years and died. The number twenty three is used negatively to suggest a period in our lives where we are ruled by our old man, and therefore we end up doing evil in the sight of God and are disqualified from any inheritance. That is what happened to us under the reign of our old man (Tola).

Tola dying and being buried in Shamir means that holding on to our false doctrines will bring about our spiritual death, that is, we do not come to know the truth in this life. That is why we are commanded to leave Babylon, which is a stronghold of false doctrines.

2Ki 23:31  Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 
2Ki 23:32  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. 

Num 26:62  And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

Jdg 10:3  And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. 

After Tola came a judge by name Jair who reigned in Israel for twenty-two years. A reign of twenty-two years depicts a period in our lives when we were under the influence of the old man as signified by the twenty-two year reign of Jeroboam and Ahab, who were wicked rulers who led Israel to worship idols. Jair means an enlightener according to Strong’s dictionary. Thus, Jair represents our Lord Jesus. It is during this period of darkness in our lives, or the experience of evil, that the Lord comes to us to enlighten us to begin to understand the truth.

1Ki 14:20  And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.

1Ki 16:29  And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

2Ki 8:26  Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. 
2Ki 8:27  And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.

Jdg 10:4  And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 
Jdg 10:5  And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. 

Both Joseph and David became kings at the age of thirty. The number thirty therefore symbolizes the time that our new man starts to reign in our lives as our old man has commenced the dying process. So the fact that Jair had thirty sons who were riding 30 ass colts and having thirty cities is to tell us that the enlightener, who is Christ, has started his work in us to judge us to begin the process of putting the old man to death for the birth of the new man who is to reign in our lives. The death of Jair represents the death of our Lord Jesus for our sins. Jair was buried in Camon. The name Camon means elevation. So the death of our Lord Jesus is to elevate the new man in us to the position of rulership of our bodies in this life and outwardly, over the world when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Gen 41:46  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

2Sa 5:4  David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Jdg 10:6  And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. 

The Israelites turned to the gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon and Philistines. As long as we are controlled by our old man or the flesh, we cannot please God. We end up worshiping another Jesus (the gods of this world), therefore setting ourselves up for God’s judgment in this life if we are destined to overcome.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

Jdg 10:7  And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. 

The anger of the Lord is His judgment. As we know from scriptures, the essence of God’s judgment in our lives is to destroy or put to death our old man, and in the process, bring us to learn righteousness.

Num 32:13  And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed. 

Lam 2:2  The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. 
Lam 2:3  He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

In this circumstance, the judgment God meted out to the children of Israel was letting the Philistines and the Ammonites overcome them. In order to understand the kind of oppression posed by these enemies – Philistines and Ammonites – let us take a look at who they were.

The Philistines were people who were very religious and worshiped many gods. Their main god was Dagon who was thought to be the god of grain, and they were comfortable accommodating the worship of God when they captured the Ark of the Lord in battle. The Ammonites, on the other hand, are described as being descendants of Ben-ammi, who was the son of Lot (Abraham’s nephew) and Lot’s younger daughter (Genesis 19:38) and therefore represent our flesh as the Ammonites are related to our father Abraham.  So the combination of the Philistines and the Ammonites oppressing Israel means that God gives our flesh (Ammonites) over to worship another Jesus. We therefore changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped the creature more than the creator when we were in the churches of this world (Babylon).

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

Jdg 10:8  And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 

The Philistines and the Ammonites oppressed the Israelites for eighteen years. This is insightful as the number eighteen signifies a period in our lives when we were under satanic oppression resulting in us being powerless before the enemies within and wallowing in our own vomit. Remember, there was a woman in Jesus’ time who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Surprisingly, it was Jesus who saw her and came to her aid. In likewise manner, Jesus sees our situation and will not leave us alone to be oppressed by our enemies, if we are destined to overcome.

Luk 13:10  And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 
Luk 13:11  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 
Luk 13:12  And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 
Luk 13:13  And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 

Luk 13:16  And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

Jdg 10:9  Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. 

The Israelites were in sore distress as a result of worshiping another Jesus. This experience of evil is like the pains we go through when struck by scorpions with their deadly venom. That is what brings us to our wits’ end when we are judged by the Lord.

Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Rev 9:10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 

Jdg 10:10  And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. 

Our judgment brings us to see who we really are. It is through judgment that we realize that we are the worse sinners and that we cannot help ourselves. This experience of evil therefore brings us to the point of asking for God’s intervention in our lives.

Psa 22:14  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 
Psa 22:15  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 

Psa 22:19  But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 
Psa 22:20  Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 

Psa 22:21  Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 

Jdg 10:11  And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? 
Jdg 10:12  The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. 

God is always reminding us of His deliverance in our lives in time past to remind us that whatever situation we finds ourselves in, He is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can think or imagine.

Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 
Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

Jdg 10:13  Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 
Jdg 10:14  Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. 

When we are in trouble and we cry to Him, God only comes in when our tribulation has run its course. That is, when we have learned the lessons we need to know from our fiery trials so we can live righteously. In verse 13 it is stated that the Lord said that He will not deliver the Israelites any more. That is not the sum of God’s word. Rather, what our Lord was saying was that the sorrow of this world leads to spiritual death. In other words, there is no deliverance in this life.  However, if we are called and chosen, then our tribulation will result in godly sorrow which will lead to repentance and ultimately our deliverance by the Lord.

2Co 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 
2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

Jdg 10:15  And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. 
Jdg 10:16  And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. 

The Israelites here represent the elect as they repented from their sins. What happened to the Israelites is the godly sorrow which leads to repentance and salvation. As we are aware, the judgment of the Lord in our lives is for the purpose of learning righteousness. That was what happened to the Israelites. They learned obedience by the things they suffered just as our Lord Jesus learned obedience through suffering.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

We are all learning obedience through our fiery trials. We are just like the prodigal son who wasted our Lord’s resources in going after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Through tribulation, we repent of our sins and come back to our Lord Jesus who is always waiting for us to go through the full course of our tribulation. That is when we become perfect, complete and lacking in nothing.

Jas 1:2  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 
Jas 1:3  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 
Jas 1:4  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

Luk 15:14  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 
Luk 15:15  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 
Luk 15:16  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 
Luk 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 
Luk 15:20  And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 

Jdg 10:17  Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. 

It is only when we go through our fiery trials that we are able to take a stand against our enemy within. As David said, “I have pursued mine enemies and overtaken them.”

Psa 18:4  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 
Psa 18:5  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 
Psa 18:6  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. 

Psa 18:35  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. 
Psa 18:36  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. 
Psa 18:37  I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 

Jdg 10:18  And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

“What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon?”  The question being asked here is the same as wanting to know who the overcomers are. The overcomers are those who wage war against the flesh or the old man in this life, resulting in the death of the old man and the birth of the new man. This war against the flesh is not won by our effort or anything that we do.  Our Lord fights our battle for us as He has shown us in several places of the scriptures how He won the battle for the Israelites without the Israelites engaging in any fight. For example, Gideon and his three hundred men won the fight against the Midianites by not fighting them in battle.

Jdg 7:19  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 
Jdg 7:20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 
Jdg 7:21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 
Jdg 7:22  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. 

If we are called and chosen by the Lord, then we are destined to win this war against the flesh. Verse 18 indicates that the man who is able to fight against the children of the Ammonites (our flesh) will be made head of all the inhabitants of Gilead. This is to confirm to us that if we win this war against the flesh or our old man, we shall reign over the earth when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. In this life however, we shall rule over our body.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Hello Mike,

I hope all is well in the Vinson family.

Got a question. Do you think there are books missing from the Gospel? I was scanning through YouTube the other day and listened to what seems to be the lost book of Thomas.  Do you feel it’s deceiving or possibly not truth? It was a narrator reading it.  It sounded pretty interesting but unsure of the truths.  Your enlightenment would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you again, and talk with you soon.

YBIC,
G____

Hi G____,

Thank you for asking about the “gospel of Thomas”.

I took the time to listen to a reading of this book, and I read along with the man narrating it.

In that reading the ‘Christ’ of this ‘gospel of Thomas’ says, “I am not your teacher.” This entire book, and that doctrine in particular, is in direct contradiction to everything said in 1 Corinthians 12 about how the body needs all of its members and about how “God has placed in the church” all the various functions of that “one body… the hand… the foot”, etc. The point being made is that we need each other and are not, as the gospel of Thomas would have us to believe, sufficient unto ourselves.

The more I listened, the clearer it became that this ‘gospel’ points inwardly indeed, but not to “Christ within you the hope of glory’, but to you within you the hope of glory and of life.

This is the typical gnostic teaching that you are your own savior simply because this book teaches that all knowledge of what is needed to find salvation is all within you and is of yourself independent of anything outside of you.

The gospel of Thomas does not mention the death and resurrection of Christ simply because the gospel of Christ places the spotlight on Christ Himself and our need for a savior Who is not innately within you.

All New Age Gnosticism, which is what this ‘Gospel of Thomas’ is, places “the creature” at the center of the universe, just as the scripture warns against doing:>

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Such a self-centered message as is in this book, sounds so very “spiritual”, and indeed it is:

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

So the voice of Christ who said clearly…

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

…is not to be found in the gospel of Thomas. What is abundantly clear in that gospel is the absence of the name of Jesus as our Savior, and the doctrine that you can simply say of yourself ‘I am the way, the truth and the life… my salvation is all within me separate and independant of Him’.

Christ actually tells us:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

You asked:

Do you think there are books missing from the Gospel? I was scanning through YouTube the other day and listened to what seems to be the lost book of Thomas.  Do you feel it’s deceiving or possibly not truth? It was a narrator reading it.  It sounded pretty interesting but unsure of the truths.  Your enlightenment would be greatly appreciated.

Having given this question very great consideration both in Ambassador College and even since, I do not believe the holy spirit has lost any book which we need and must have. Even secular scholars all agree that the apostle Thomas had nothing at all to do with this spurious book claiming his name. They all agree that it was written hundreds of years after the death of the apostles.

Yes, indeed! This is a book of great deception because it sounds so very spiritual and because it is so very contrary to the doctrine of Christ that He, and He alone, is “the door to the sheepfold” and there is no other way than Himself. It is deceitful because it teaches that you need no one but yourself to come to know the Father, while Christ teaches:

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I hope these words do indeed serve to “enlighten” your understanding of what is the voice of our Lord.

YbiC, Mike

Eph 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last week we ended the review of our tour as we were about to leave Perth, Western Australia, for Bahrain. We were going there to meet with our beloved brother and sister in Christ, Ron and Mae Pasaporte. What an experience lay ahead of us there in Bahrain! Ron and Mae live in Saudi Arabia, but because of the oppression of sharia in that country, Ron decided to meet with us in Bahrain, a far more ‘moderate’ little island nation just off the coast of Saudi Arabia. There is a man-made causeway from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, and the poor repressed Saudi’s use Bahrain as their Las Vegas of the middle east to get away from the restrictions of sharia on the weekends.

Bahrain’s population is mostly in the northern half of the island, and that is where Ron and Mae met us at the airport in his car and took us to our hotel. Ron had rented a suite on the fourteenth floor which was large enough to accommodate his family and Sandi and me. We arrived on Friday afternoon, at the end of the Muslim Sabbath. It was an incredible night of festivities, and we listened to blaring horns and motorcycles revving their engines until at least 2 A.M. We were on the 14th floor, but the sound came right up to us. Saudis like to party after a long Sabbath day.

The next couple of days were all planned out by Ron and Mae, and it was both exciting and educational for us. Our first day Ron and Mae took us to the state museum where we learned about the history of the island, which long ago was known as the kingdom of Dilum.

The next day Ron took us through every part of the city you can imagine. We spent time in the Gold Suhk, a huge complex of many gold vendors, who were selling gold watches, gold necklaces, gold bracelets, earrings, rings, etc. I have never seen so much gold in one place in my life. We went from there on a tour of the spice markets, the produce markets, and the garment and fabric markets. There were so many vendors with so many colors of fabrics. There were gowns and blouses of every color, yet you seldom saw women in public wearing anything but black. Most all women, even in ‘liberal’ Bahrain, cover their entire bodies, including their faces. I saw many who even covered their eyes with a veil.

The restriction of sharia on society was something we had not experienced anywhere else in the world. Ron drove us through the extremely narrow streets where we actually had to back up to let some cars go by. But in spite of the crowded conditions people seemed to get along with each other. None of us speak Arabic, and there was really very little opportunity for interaction with the people of Bahrain.

One afternoon we ate at a native family restaurant. It was quite an experience. Only men were allowed to dine on the main lower floor. Women and families had to enter the restaurant by a side alley and go upstairs. Each family had a little semi-private room in which to dine, and the guests were free to pick a room with a table and benches, or they could eat seated on the floor. The family in the room adjacent to ours, were seated on the floor with their legs crossed and the food was on plastic sheets in the middle of the little room. Ron picked for us a room with a table with benches on each side. The table was covered with thin transparent plastic, and the food was served on plates which we all shared. It was a very good dining experience for which Sandi and I were most grateful.

It seemed that everywhere we ate, Ron discovered that those who were serving us were Filipinos. The girls who worked at the hotel restaurant were from the Philippines as well, and it was good to have a host who always seemed to have an in with those who were serving us our meals.

One day Ron took us out to see the camel ranch belonging to the prince who was the son of the ruler of Bahrain. We were privileged to get to pet the camels. Our guide took us across the wide facility to where there was a baby camel which we were free to pet. Then he gave us some hay to feed the mother camel and all the camels in the adjacent lot. Eventually we went back to the entrance where we found that we had missed the deadline for being given complimentary fresh camel’s milk. Even though we had missed the deadline to even be there, much less get some complimentary camel’s milk, Ron talked the guards into letting us take the tour, and then he talked them into going into the cooler and getting us some camel’s milk. Camel’s milk tastes like cow’s milk to me.

I think it was the day before we had to fly out of Bahrain to Nairobi that Ron had arranged for us to tour the largest Mosque in Bahrain. What an experience that was, to enter such a huge facility and to know just how opposed to the Christ of the New Testament were these people. Before we could begin our tour, our wives were required to don black robes and to cover their heads. Ron and I could have worn the white robes Muslim men are required to wear, but it was not required of us, and we did not do so. Our tour guide was a very well-read Egyptian Muslim woman who appeared to be in her fifties. She spoke American English fluently, and we found out later, she is married to an American. I am always struck by the frankness with which so many Muslims speak and answer your questions. There is little or no political correctness within that community. They let you know up front that they think Christians are hypocritical, corrupt idol worshipers who must be converted to Islam.

Our guide made it very clear that being faithful to pray and going to the Mosque on a regular basis would give one more “points” with Allah, to use her own words. This lady went out of her way to attack the doctrine of the trinity right from the beginning of her ‘tour’ which seemed more like an attempt to convert her guests than a mere tour of the mosque. She was completely nonplussed and puzzled when I agreed with her that the doctrine of the trinity was heresy.

Since she had solicited questions from her audience, I had to ask a couple of questions I have always wondered about. My first question was, “If Christ were born of a virgin, as Islam concedes, how could Mohamed be placed above a prophet who was conceived of the holy spirit?” She had a ready answer, which is always the case when speaking with heretics. Her answer was that both Adam and Christ were without a physical father, and that Christ was conceived of a virgin but, according to Mohamed, Christ was not the Son of God, and Christ was not raised from the dead. This is definitely what the apostle Paul called “another Jesus”, and this is what Paul warns us about such a doctrine:

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

But that was exactly what happened while the apostles were yet alive:

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

At the very mention of the name of the apostle Paul, our guide made it very clear, and these are her words, “We Muslims hate the apostle Paul.” The truth is that many Christians also hate the apostle Paul because he was the apostle the holy spirit inspired to deal with so many different subjects, one of which is the abomination of homosexuality (Rom 1:26-27). Because Paul was faithful to the mind of Christ on that most basic subject, he is hated of many Christians. Though the Muslims agree with Paul on that subject, when I asked our host why they hate Paul she retorted, “Because Paul did away with the law.” I had no interest in casting Christ’s pearls before swine, so I did not attempt to explain that “the law of the spirit” raised the bar far above the law of Moses, by which Muslims live and call it sharia, which is simply Arabic for ‘law’.

Our last day with Ron and Mae was the day we put our luggage into their car and traveled to the southern tip of the Island of Bahrain, past much barren landscape dotted with many oil wells, to see one lone tree atop a small hill, which is the highest point in that area. This tree is said to be over four hundred years old, and it is called ‘the tree of life’. After taking our pictures there at the ‘tree of life’, we went down to the district with the most exclusive homes on the island, only to be denied entry. But it was meant to be because we had just enough time to get to the airport to catch our flight out of Bahrain and down to Nairobi. At the airport we had a pizza dinner with the Pasaporte family and enjoyed a few minutes of fellowship before having to say goodbye to our brother and sister who had given us the time of our life in Bahrain. Thank you, Ron and Mae! “As you have done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto Me” (Mat 25:40).

Our flight to Nairobi was at night, and we got very little sleep, but seeing our brother George Mwaboli and his wife Judith and their family the next morning was very invigorating. What an incredible blessing it was to meet Jesus of Nazareth in Nairobi, Kenya! We took a taxi to our hotel where we made arrangements to get a shower and a nap before meeting George and Judith and their two boys and their little girl for lunch.

While waiting in the lobby for George and Judith, Sandi was browsing the hotel’s tiny gift shop. I had sat down in the lobby when a lady asked me if she was hearing an American accent from me and Sandi. I said, yes, and she asked me what brought us to Kenya. I told her of our internet ministry and our friends who were coming to have lunch with us. She asked me what I thought of Kenya, and I told her we had just arrived but that I was looking forward to trying some of the Kenyan mangoes I had seen on trees and in the markets as we were coming to the hotel. She told me she had to keep an appointment, but she would be back later in the afternoon with some mangoes. Sandi had finished her browsing, and I introduced her to ‘Mary’, who gave us her name at that moment. I really did not expect to ever see this woman again.

Shortly after Mary left, George and Judith arrived for lunch. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, and then we all went up to our room to continue our fellowship. I was sharing some very meaty doctrines with our brother George and with Judith, when the hotel desk called telling me we had a guest waiting in the lobby. Lo and behold, the woman I thought we would never see again was there in the lobby with a bag full of large Kenyan mangoes. I invited her up to our room where I told her we were discussing some very deep spiritual principles and doctrines. To make this story a little shorter, we simply continued our discussion, and Mary was given a witness of the mercy and of the judgments of God which will bring all men to repentance “though as by fire” (1Co 3:15).

As dinner time approached we all went down and ate on the outside tables of the restaurant with George and Judith and Mary. After dinner Mary had to leave, but she assured us she would be back the next day. George and I agreed to meet for lunch the next day, and Sandi and I returned to our room for some much needed rest.

The next day George and Judith returned at lunch time as we had agreed. While we were eating lunch a sister with a big smile and a beaming personality came to our table and introduced herself as Priscilla Gikaru. Priscilla had just recently joined the body e-mail list, so at least I was familiar with her name, but what a blessing it was to meet another part of the body of Christ face to face. But there was another surprise for us in just a few more minutes. While we were fellowshipping with Priscilla and George and Judith, and enjoying a delicious lunch, our waitress came over and whispered something in George’s ear. Sandi, Judith, Priscilla and I continued our fellowship while George got up and went over to another table to talk to a man there. I just assumed it had to do with George’s work, but when George returned to our table, he told me that man he had talked with told him he had been reading the site for years and said the man had asked if he could join us. I think you know what was my answer to that question.

That was when we all got to meet Nicholas Ondari. He came over and introduced himself, and as we all got to know each other we all discovered that Nicholas was the cofounder of a very large church in Nairobi, and to the surprise of us all, it was the very same church Priscilla had attended before the Lord called her out of Babylon. Nicholas and Priscilla had never met each other, but they discovered they had many mutual acquaintances in that church. God had ordained that they would not meet each other until that very day. Nicholas had come to realize the corruption that is Babylon, and when he had spoken out about it, he soon found himself on the outside, but many people had come out of that church with him. In time, as Nicholas began to see and teach more of the truths of scripture, his little group became smaller and smaller until there were only 12-15 people who were still coming together to get to know the mind of God.

It was a very encouraging blessing to discover there really are others who are out there in the world with whom the holy spirit is working a great work though we may know nothing of what the Lord is doing. This whole story was to be repeated in and through another brother we had never met or heard of in Ghana just about a month later. But I am getting ahead of myself.

After our lunch, Nicholas and Priscilla had to leave us. We had eaten a late lunch and our fellowship had lasted until the restaurant was gearing up for dinner. Sandi and I had to leave for Nairobi the next morning so we said our goodbyes to Nicholas and Priscilla, and spent another half hour in our room with George and Judith before saying goodbye to them. Just as we were settling in for the night we got another call from the hotel desk telling us a woman named Mary was asking for us. It was a great pleasure being with Mary and hearing her story. She had been listening closely earlier because her question to me was did I think that the crushing she had already endured was enough to be considered the ‘fiery trials’ Peter spoke of (1Pe 4:12). I told her the trials she had already endured were indeed part of the fiery trials Peter spoke of but that our trials do not come to an end in this age, or Christ would not have said “He that endures to the end shall be saved” (Mat 10:22). Mary gave us her phone number as she had no other means of contact not having a computer. Sandi passed that number on to George, and I am happy to report that I got an e-mail from George informing me and Sandi that he was in touch with Mary, and they intend to continue fellowshipping. Keep these, your own body, in your prayers.

The next morning we said goodbye to Kenya and flew down to Johannesburg, South Africa, where we were met at the airport by Benson Murithi, who took us to his home where we spent the next three days. Benson and his wife Susan and their little son Harman were our hosts. Later that day we were joined by Desre Heunis, who drove four hours to be with us. We were also joined by Mcebisi Tugana and Thobile Leeu. Our first days was spent sharing each others’ stories and the struggles we all endured being dragged to Christ. The details differ greatly, but truly “there is one event to all” (Ecc 9:2).

The following day Benson and Susan took us to a large mall where Susan had a store. She then guided us to a steakhouse in the mall where we had a very memorable meal. We returned to Benson’s home where we were later treated to a traditional South African meal prepared by Susan.

Desre and Benson, Mcebisi and Thobile all traded contact information with each other before Benson took us to the airport the next morning to catch our flight to Capetown to spend the next three weeks with Pete and Ronel, in Franschhoek, an hour north of Johannesburg . Larry and Lyndell came up on the weekends, and we had the time of our lives being entertained by and singing with Larry and Lyndell.

We were met at the Cape Town Airport by Pete, Larry and Lyndell. What an incredible blessing to see Larry and Lyndell again for the first time since our conference in Alcester, England in, I think it was 2012. We were to be blessed in their presence several times while staying with Pete and Ronel. Sandi and I are grateful to Pete and Ronel for making our time in South Africa a blessing beyond our wildest dreams. I cannot spend a lot of time on all the places we went to, all the unique experiences we were afforded by Ronel’s connections and her winning personality at the many wineries and olive oil processing plants we visited, as well as the many unique outlets and unique stores and restaurants Ronel took us to see and experience.

I will mention just a few of those experiences, and then I want to concentrate on the people we were granted to meet and to whom we were sent as the ambassadors of Christ to this world:

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

On one occasion Ronel took us to see the largest winery south of the equator. I cannot imagine a larger one. It was massive, but then there are many thousands of acres of grapes in the south cape of Africa. Right next to this huge complex was an olive oil pressing facility. Though it was late and past time for tours of this facility, Ronel was able to get the people who were in charge to let us see how the olives were pressed and processed. It was but one of many such blessings for which Sandi and I will always be grateful.

One of the most enjoyable things from my perspective were the hikes Pete and I took. We hiked to the top of the ridge of the mountains seen outside Pete’s back door. We foolishly phoned our wives who stayed home and asked them to come out and see if they could see us. We later realized what an impossibility that would have been at that distance without a very good set of binoculars.

We spent time in a resort town called Hermanus, on our way down to a wildlife refuge. Pete and Ronel has spent some time in Hermanus while looking for a home and while waiting for their belongings to arrive via boat from the U.S. Pete was familiar with the hiking trails around Hermanus, and he took me up to the dams in the mountains above Hermanus. These were the source of the water for that town, and it seemed impossible that so much water can come out of mountains that are basically solid rock, but there they were, three dams in a single gorge. We climbed down the interior part of the first dam to see more clearly where a side stream was coming from. From the top of the dam the water appeared to be coming right out of the side of a solid rock cliff, and as close as we were able to get, it still appeared that way. We went on up to the next dam before returning home with a bouquet of the many different brightly colored flowers for our wives.

The next day we drove south to the game reserve where Pete and Ronel had rented little round cabins with thatched roofs with air conditioning and all the modern comforts of life. Our cottages were on a hillside behind the main complex which housed the bar and the restaurant where all the guests were fed at an all-you-can-eat buffet where you could got your steak, pork, lamb, and other more exotic meats, like wild hog and ostrich meat, cooked to order. We got up early in the morning for breakfast, followed by a tour of the several thousand-acre game reserve where high electrically reinforced fences kept the lions and elephants away from the many antelope, water buffalo and giraffes. We saw rhinos, hippos and cheetahs very close up. God has made some incredible beasts!

The final and most exciting time of all at the game preserve was when we were taken by the man who cares for the elephants to the barn in which the elephants willingly came to spend each night. It was here that we got to feed the elephants who would let us put a double handful of hay in pellet form in the end of the elephant’s trunk. It amazed me how wide the end of an elephant’s trunk is. It must be about eight inches (20.32 centimeters). An elephant’s trunk has literally thousands of muscles and can expand and contract to the extent that it serves as both arms and hands for the elephant. Again, one has to wonder what the poor elephants did for millions of years while they were waiting for their trunks to develop all those thousands of muscles? I speak as a very foolish man.

Larry and Lyndell took us on a tour of the environs of Capetown. We had lunch at a Malay restaurant, then we took a trip up to the top of Signal Hill to see the views of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head mountain and the ocean, and then we went down the mountain and along the seacoast.

After a day of such sensory fulfillment we returned home to Pete and Ronel’s in time to join in on Cameron’s Saturday morning fellowship call where we got to hear familiar voices of. Our heavenly Father blesses us beyond our ability to appreciate it, but I pray we are all asking to be given to offer to Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving, even in our trials:

Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

The second Sunday we were in Franschhoek, Pete and Ronel and Sandi and I went down to Cape Town where we met with Larry and Lyndell. We then followed Larry and Lyndell to the home of a lady who had contacted Larry just a couple of months earlier. She lived in a town which was right on the Atlantic Ocean, about an hour from Cape Town called Simon’s Town. This sister’s name is Karen Leigh. Karen has a teenage daughter named Suzanne. Suzanne helped Karen to feed us all a very big and delicious meal. Afterward we spent our time in fellowship. Karen was full of questions which we answered while we were there, but I am thankful our brother Larry is very well equipped to answer Karen’s future questions.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Our last night in South Africa was spent at the home of Ronel’s daughter, Claudine. Claudine’s husband, Anton, was the braai expert and our steaks were cooked to order. Claudine’s daughter Chalo, who some of you met at the conference on Lake Lanier a couple of years back. Jeanine, Ronel’s other daughter was also there with her young daughters, so we were privileged to meet all of Ronel’s daughters, her sons-in-law, and her grandchildren. We had a wonderful time together and then returned to Franschhoek for our last night with Pete and Ronel.

The next morning Larry and Lyndell came to Pete’s with a wonderful Malay lunch for all of us. After lunch we asked an employee to take a group picture of all of us out in the front of the house where the word Franschhoek is spelled out on the mountain side with whitewashed rocks above our heads. Then we bid Pete and Ronel goodbye, and Larry and Lyndell took us to the airport on their way back to Cape Town. They waited with us until we had to go through security, and we said our final goodbyes, and caught our plane to Accra, Ghana, where we met another group of people we did not even know existed.

That is as far as we have time to go this week. I hope to share our most encouraging experience in Ghana with all of you next week, as well as our trip to New York to visit our son Austin and his wife, Katherine. Kat had a most interesting observation which she shared with me, and which I will share with you all next week. Lord willing.

From New York we flew down to Miami where we met up with our granddaughter, Alexa, of Buffalo Chicken Dip fame from the December conferences, and we took her with us down to Trinidad where Alexa was required by popular demand to make her internationally famous dip again, and where Sandi and I were treated with the most inspiring and moving words of appreciation just before we came back home.

Next week will be the end of our review of our God-given tour of the world. Lord willing, after next week we will resume our studies in the book of Isaiah.

Exactly Who is Babylon?

Hi Mike,

Very insightful on your site IWWB, love your “FAQs”. Those are deepest the truth I ever seen.

Maybe this may sound dumb to you of my question. I’m not sure if my letter is valuable to you. If you think this is unnecessary to answer or is a waste of time, just let me know and ignore my question. No offense taken. I only like to know only if you know.

My friend sent me an email about “World Population” on youtube. I looked at it. I could read the words and numbers on the screen. I’m deaf and cannot hear speaking. Anyway, I am not frightened because I have learned from your site that God is working “His own will” before the world was made.

I’m wondering do you have knowledge about Muslim overwhelming Christendom in the future? I don’t think the Muslim would be largest religion ever, but if that is going to happen, I think it will be just temporary. Christendom is now still larger than Muslim (unless I’m wrong). Because, Jesus said “Many called” are Christendom like Babylon. “Many called” are not Muslim. I am not sure I am right about it. If you have knowledge about it, I would love to know what you know. If not, it is not important. I don’t expect you to write long. Brief is fine with me. Take your time.

God bless your site,

B____

Hi B____,

It is good to hear from you, and I am encouraged that you are being edified by the web page.

The title of that link is “Muslim Demographics,” and it does lead one to believe that, from a statistical point of view, the whole world will be Muslim in just a few more years.

The holy spirit has given you a very godly response to such a theory as that. You are exactly right when you say:

I am not frightened because I have learned from your site that God is working “His own will” before the world was made.

Just so you know, “Babylon” is called ‘Babylon’ because it was the seed of Noah with whom God has a covenant:

Gen 9:8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Gen 9:9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.

It was with Noah and all of his sons, “and with your seed after you,” that God had a covenant before He had a covenant with Abraham. Abraham was called “out of Babylon” (Ur of the Chaldeans), but it was Noah’s children, God’s own covenant people, who built the tower of Babel and later the city of Babylon. What this tells us is that all religions are part of Babylon and not just Christianity. ‘Babylon’ is religion without and in rebellion against God. Babylon is any and all who claim to know God, but who hate God’s doctrines. That includes orthodox Christians, the Muslims, the Hindus, and the Buddhists, even if the Buddhists claim that their ancestors are their Gods. It is all ‘Babylon’ because it is all in rebellion to the revealed word of God.

The “great whore” rides on the beast, and “all the world” wonders after the beast… and worships the dragon. Yes, this is first and primarily within each of us, but it is also true of all of Noah’s and Adam’s seed. It is not just the Christian world. “All men” are in covenant with God through Adam and Noah, and “all men” will experience “one event.”

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

That “one event” is “an evil experience of evil” out of which we are all to be delivered in the end.

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

So all of organized religion with doctrines contrary to the Words of God are in Babylon, and it is not limited just to Christianity.

Muslims actually consider Christ to be one of their most revered prophets, and they even admit that Christ was born of a virgin. However, they do not consider Him to be the Son of God, and they certainly do not consider Christ to be superior to Mohammed.

In the eyes of God, both the Muslim and the Christian religions are worshiping “another Jesus” with “another spirit” and “another gospel.”

2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

There are other links at the right side of that link which show that the statistics used to reach the fearful conclusions in that video do not include or consider that there are many factors which will change those statistics. One of those factors is the fact that some Muslims do convert to Christianity and are assimilated into western society. Another factor is that our secular western culture is no respecter of religions, and tends to corrupt both Christians and Muslims alike.

The fact that both religions are willing to kill one another is proof that neither has any regard for the doctrines of Jesus Christ. His Words are “foolishness” to both religions.

Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I hope this all helps to confirm to you that God is indeed “working all things after the counsel of His own Will.”

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

I realize you are deaf, but if you can understand these spiritual words, your “hearing” is better than any orthodox Christian minister in the world.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Hi again Mike,

A guy who I work with thought I might like reading Glenn Beck’s novel The Overton Window. I knew that I no longer wanted to focus on conspiracy theories even if some of it is probably true. Scanning the book, some thoughts developed quickly. Glenn Beck claims to be a Christian. He is also very patriotic for America. In two minutes I knew that he is one that worships another Jesus, one of the sheep who doesn’t know the voice of its shepherd. One of his heroes in the story, Molly Ross, quotes Thomas Jefferson: “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God”. I got to thinking about something that Samuel Johnson said about patriotism, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”. I used to think that he was condemning patriotism, but after looking further into it I learned that he wasn’t saying that all patriots were scoundrels. He was saying that scoundrels use it as a last resort to maintain pride since they possess little for themselves. Right wing Christians think patriotism is a wonderful thing; they equate it with obeying God. Samuel Johnson wrote a dictionary in the eighteenth century. He defined ‘patriot’ as “one whose ruling passion is the love of his country”. Even if you rightly extend this definition to country (men) or fellow countrymen, it puts God in second position. Just as evangelicals secretly love the idea of the “wicked” getting their “due”, they also use patriotism as license and justification to kill those who oppose us. Many secretly love the military weapons that “our” side possesses that so expertly punish those heretics. The popularity that men such as Glenn Beck are attaining is a telling sign of how few of us there are who will turn the other cheek for the cause of Christ.

I am blessed to call you brother,

A____

Hi A____,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about patriotism with me. You are so right, we are not patriots first and Christians second, if we are in Christ. If we really are in Christ, and if Christ really is living out his life in us, then we are Christians first and Christians second, and “we are ambassadors for Christ” in this world, and our true “citizenship is in heaven”, and we are but “strangers and pilgrims on this earth”.

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [ you] by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (ASV)
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

All ambassadors are “strangers and pilgrims” in the host country, and would never consider voting or joining in the military or for that matter having a national TV program, or write and sell books in that host country which urged the citizens of the host country to participate in the politics of the host country. If and when any ambassador no longer considers himself or herself to be “a stranger and a pilgrim” in the country to which he or she is sent as an ambassador, he will immediately lose his citizenship in his home country, because, as a very wise man once said:

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Jesus Christ)

Some man will say, ‘That is speaking of serving money’ and I will agree. But it is also speaking of “serving two masters”, and we are specifically told that as heavenly soldiers we are not to become involved in the affair of this age.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

So the minute any “Christian” takes up a weapon “for God and country” he has at that moment lost any Godly protection that comes with clinging to these words of our Lord.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Those are words which will not be found in The Overton Window, or for that matter in the writings of any orthodox Christian literature. If it is to be found, it will be made clear that the orthodox writer distinguishes between personal enemies and national enemies or enemies who are breaking into your home. In the words of a nationally syndicated minister, “In that case you should step on him like a cockroach”.

So it is very understandable why our Lord warned us that many would come in His name, confessing that He is the Christ, and still would deceive many” simply because they are not given to receive His Words.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [ shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Christ is speaking of many who claim to believe in him. Men just such as Glenn Beck, and all orthodox Christian ministers. Any minister who teaches against military service is not an orthodox Christian, but is the exception to what is generally considered as ‘orthodoxy’, which speaks of such heretical things as physical “Godly wars”, or “righteous wars”, as if Christ had never even uttered the words of Mat 5:44 or Mat 26:52.

In closing I will give you a second scriptural witness to Christ’s warning that those who hate Him and His Words the most are those “who believe on Him”.

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [ then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [ but] the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Christ identifies with all His creation, and He will administer His vengeance on all. It is not the call of His followers to resist Rome. It is our call to die with Him on His cross and to fill up in our flesh what is lacking of His sufferings.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Just one more example of Christ’s inspired Words which “have no place”, either in the writings of Glenn Beck, or any other orthodox Christian who is all wrapped up and involved in the affairs of this world.
Please do not misunderstand anything I have said in this e- mail to be against Glenn Beck and for the politics or others. What I am saying is that no Godly true disciple of Christ, would allow himself to become involved in the affairs of this world.

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth [ for Christ and His doctrines] entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

As you so astutely observed from a spiritual, and Biblical perspective, all who do are “serving… another Jesus”.

2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [ if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

It is so very natural to “bear with” those who teach us to react naturally and patriotically. It is so very unnatural to be a ‘spiritually patriotic’ ” that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier”.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Hi Mike,

I would like to utilize you as a ‘sounding board’ regarding my thoughts on this scripture below (Php 1:12-18). It is a scripture that has been on my mind of late, and I have been meditating on it as well as studying it in the context of the sum of thy words is truth. Your comments are welcome.

It reminds me of the parable of the unjust steward. For years I thought it was the strangest way to get the primary point across, which is Christ exhorting us to diligence with all foresight in our Christian walk; ‘to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove’. It sure seemed like He was encouraging us to cheat our masters in order to protect our own hide (which I knew did not line up with the rest of scripture). Thank God He has opened my eyes to understand better, and likewise you have taught and commented on this parable to my edification already.

It seems Paul is saying in this verse and in the context of the rest of this chapter that all things (good and evil) work out for his good and the furtherance of the gospel including his chains (trials), so that whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this (Christ being preached) I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

It seems like he is saying regardless of the motivation or even the fullness of the truth being preached, he rejoices that Christ is being preached (in other words, it’s all of God, even the false doctrines preached in Babylon, all the evil being done, etc.); yet I am fully aware of all the scriptures that require a disciple to study to show oneself approved, test the spirits, to be like the Bereans, to not let false doctrine into your spiritual house, give a first and second admonition to those that teach heresy, to expose those that contradict, etc.

So I ask myself: Is Paul saying he is rejoicing in the fact that the words of Christ are being preached even by those not doing it out of Christian love (i.e. keep His commandments and teach rightly)? Is he saying, at least it’s better than the rest of the sea of humanity who have not even been given to have faith in the bible and outwardly hate Christ and His standards?

So, when I see high profile athletes give glory to Jesus Christ publicly, I do rejoice in their testimony. Even though I have not heard them teach or preach, I discern they believe in another gospel, another Christ (just like me not long ago since we come out of the same Babylonian system, and I certainly understand that God has them where they are). In my job, I often advise senior citizens on their Medicare and government options, and often they will share their testimony with me. I rejoice in their testimony, yet I realize they are not open to the True Gospel, and I am careful not to cast my pearls; so my enthusiasm is greatly diminished.

Yet when I see someone who claims to have come out of Babylon promote the web- sites of various Babylon ministers (which I once promoted myself), I do not rejoice, and I do feel compelled to ask why to them; and I do feel compelled to expose their contradiction, etc.

When I see a TBN minister, I don’t rejoice at their false teaching even though they are at least preaching Christ while at the same time teaching another Christ and another gospel.

My conclusion:

Regarding my personal scenarios and feelings, I believe it is the Spirit of God leading me with what to say and what to feel as I do not want to hurt a babe in Christ nor give more to someone than they can handle as I constantly try and judge my motives in each situation.

Regarding Paul to Philipians 1, I conclude that why he did not hesitate to judge the body (turn one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh and learn not blaspheme, exposed contradiction, and stand as a witness for the gospel even when his own under shepherds and disciples turned away from him, etc.), he still rejoiced over anyone’s attempt to preach Jesus, knowing God was in control and that gave him peace even when that preaching went against him.

Any thoughts?

M____

Christ Is Preached

Php 1:12 Now, brethren, I desire you should know that the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel:
Php 1:13 So that my bands are made manifest in Christ, in all the court and in all other places.
Php 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my bands, are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.
Php 1:15 Some indeed, even out of envy and contention: but some also for good will preach Christ.
Php 1:16 Some out of charity, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
Php 1:17 And some out of contention preach Christ not sincerely: supposing that they raise affliction to my bands.
Php 1:18 But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. (DRB)

Wow, M____!,

You are right on target with this email. We all must believe in “another Jesus” and a false shepherd before we come to know “the true shepherd.”

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him

I have said many times that Babylon is under the law and is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Being under the law, we differ nothing from a slave, but it is a necessary step which both the chosen elect and the many called must take at their own appointed time.

Gal 4:1  Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

“We when we were children were in bondage” in Babylon. It is true that God’s elect are still “carnal babes in Christ” even when we first think we have “come out of Babylon”. We want to expose Babylon, and we are bitter that they took our tithe money and fed us lies, and we want to make everyone see the Truth we now see. “Ye are yet carnal.”

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

All of that is necessary to bring us to see our own immaturity and repent and remember that we, too, only yesterday were where they are, and we are all  exactly where God has us by His own design.

I have also pointed out that God’s elect all come out of Babylon and are all “of the flesh” and are “the son of the bondwoman” before being transformed into the son of the freewoman.

Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

It was in verse three of this same fourth chapter of Galatians that Paul revealed that “we were in bondage…” So God’s elect all come out of Babylon as the scriptures declare.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

When the Lord reveals to us the vital part that Babylon plays in our being chosen, we cannot but love and appreciate those openly Christian athletes and even the ministers of Babylon. It is on their backs that God’s elect are His elect. All things truly are for the sake of God’s elect.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Thanks for sharing this with me. You have put this in very personal terms, and I will share this with our readers.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike