The Spiritual Significance of Numbers – The Number Seven

Completion Especially of Judgment

[Study Aired January 25, 2026]

Seven days are required to complete the weekly cycle.

If the number six signifies an unpurified and incomplete creature, then the number seven signifies a creature which is being purified by the fiery Word of God and is being completed by entering into the same rest Christ has entered. That explains why we are told in Genesis 2 the Lord will end the work He is making on “the seventh day.”

Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 2:2 informs us that it takes “the seventh day [for God to] end His work…” The physical realm is just a temporary, yet essential predecessor to the spiritual realm. Here are two verses which make this Truth clear to us:

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The holy spirit confirms this doctrine in the book of Hebrews:

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

What does “enter into His rest” mean? Does it mean to keep and observe the seventh day sabbath? That was certainly all it meant under the law of Moses. What does “the seventh day” signify under ‘the law of Christ’ (Gal 6:2)? Does refraining from labor for 24 hours on the seventh day of the week complete and purify a man? Of course not! Refraining from labor on the sabbath does not change any man’s heart. This is the spiritual meaning of “entering into His rest”:

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Keeping an outward sabbath, or any “day, month, time or year” (Gal 4:9-10), is “mine own righteousness, which is of the law [of Moses]” (Php 3:9). ‘Ceasing from our own works’, our own “righteousness which is according to the law” is “the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Php 3:9).

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?  [What are these “weak and beggarly elements” which keep us from “being known of God? Here they are:]
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

The “labor” of entering into the Lord’s rest is a matter of “ceasing from our own works” and “laboring” to do the works of Christ. Our works are very much connected to our reward.

Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Works do not save us, but Christ repeatedly made it clear that our works are connected to our reward.

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

When we perform good works in secret, seeking no recognition from men, the Lord promises to reward us openly:

Mat 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Mat 6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
Mat 6:4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

A spirit which does what it does simply to please God is that spirit which is “entering into the Lord’s rest” because such a spirit realizes the truth of these words:

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Our ‘work’, our ‘fear and [our] trembling”… what we ‘will to do’, and what we ‘do’ are all “Christ working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

It is of utmost importance that we understand that the verbs of Genesis 1:27 are in the qal stem signifying the incomplete nature of what the Lord is in the process of doing to complete His creation and create a “new man.”

Here again is that verse:

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

All three times the verb ‘created’ appears in this verse it is in the qal stem. This is what we are told of this ‘qal stem’:

“The Qal stem in Biblical Hebrew is not inherently past, present, or future.  Instead, it expresses aspect—specifically, whether an action is complete (perfect) or incomplete (imperfect)—rather than tense.

“Thus, the Qal stem’s meaning depends on aspect and context, not a fixed time frame.” (End Quote)

I then inquired if Biblical Hebrew has past, present and future tenses, and this was the answer I was given:

“Biblical Hebrew does not have past, present, and future tenses in the same way that English does. Instead, it operates on an aspect-based system, distinguishing between completed actions (Perfect) and incomplete or ongoing actions (Imperfect), rather than strict chronological time.

“This aspectual system means that temporal meaning is derived from context, not from the verb form alone.  As such, the same verb form can be translated as past, present, or future depending on the situation. This is why scholars emphasize that Biblical Hebrew verbs are better understood in terms of action completion rather than fixed time markers.

“Bottom line: While Biblical Hebrew can be translated using past, present, and future tenses, it does not grammatically encode time in the same way. Its core system is based on aspect—whether an action is completed or not—making it fundamentally different from Indo-European languages like English.” (End Quote)

Knowing what we have just read, and knowing that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:50), and knowing that “we were called in Christ before the world began” (2Ti 1:9, Tit 1:2), we now know beyond any doubt that the first man Adam was never intended to be the completion of the Lord’s creation:

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

If indeed “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”, and if indeed “our calling… was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began”, then it does not take a rocket scientist to understand that “the first man Adam” the vessel of clay which was “marred in the Potter’s hand” (Jer 18:4) was never intended to be the finished product as Babylon teaches the first man Adam was. Indeed, the present incomplete status of mankind is exactly what we are told was the purpose of God for this present evil age all along:

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecc 3:19  For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc 3:20  All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it [qal stem, ‘is making it’] again another vessel [“the new man”], as seemed good to the potter to make it.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; 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.
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.
1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Both verbs in Ephesians 4:24, ‘put on’ and ‘is created’ are in the aorist tense which functions in the same way as the Hebrew ‘qal stem’ which we just discussed.

The only thing that was ever intended to be in the image of God was ‘the new man which is in Christ’:

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man [‘the first Adam’] with his deeds;
Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Death and the grave are associated with the corruptible, incomplete vessel of clay which is “marred in the hand of the Potter” and which the Potter is in the process of “making it again as it seemed good to the Potter to make it.” When He is finished with making mankind in the form He has intended to make it “from the beginning of the world” it will require that all men of all time must enter into His rest. The way we enter into His rest is by ceasing from our own works on “the seventh day”, as the apostle Paul reveals in the book of Hebrews:

Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5 And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest [“from (our) own works”, (Heb 4:10)] to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that [spiritual] rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

2) The completion of the first Adam

Lamech’s generation is the completion of mankind before the flood. Lamech was Noah’s father. Lamech’s generation, in type, completed the rule of rebellious mankind. This fact is signified by Lamech’s age, 777. Three sevens signify the process of judging incomplete mankind.

(3) The completion of the rulership of incomplete mankind and the judgment of incomplete mankind in the flood is signified by Lamech’s age at the time of his death:

Gen 5:28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
Gen 5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
Gen 5:30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

The seventh from Adam was used by God to prophesy of the completion of the rule of the first Adam:

Jud 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

3) The judgment of all of mankind

The judgment of Jericho typifies the judgment of all mankind. Here is how that judgment was announced.

Jos 6:4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Jos 6:6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.

Jos 6:8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

Jos 6:13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

Seven priests with seven trumpets? Does this sound familiar? These same “seven trumpets” are mentioned in the New Testament:

Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Who are these angels?

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his [the angels] feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

Rev 1:3 Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The above verses are written to those who ‘have eyes to see and to read, and are given ears to hear (they that hear the words of this prophecy)’ what God is saying to them.

It is crucial to understand that the Greek word translated as ‘keep’ in Revelation 1:3 is G5083, ‘tereo’, and this is what it means:

G5083

τηρέω
tēreō
tay-reh’-o

From τηρός teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried): – hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.

Total KJV occurrences: 75

4) Complete Corruption of Mankind

The adversary is tasked with the complete corruption of the Lord’s creatures, and that corruption is described as seven times “more wicked than” he was to begin with:

Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

The beast which signifies all of mankind is described in type as having “seven heads”:

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Here is why  this “beast… [has]seven heads”:

Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

The ‘father’ of the beast with seven heads is this ‘great red dragon’ the devil:

Good or evil, the principle by which we understand the invisible realm is the same:

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

5) Complete Judgment of God’s Elect and of the Church Requires Three Sevens

Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Heb 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

What is the message to the church through the seven angels? That message is given in three stages, signifying the fact that the whole book of Revelation is revealing the process of our judgment. The first stage is:

1) Seven seals

Rev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Seven seals reveals this book is completely sealed away from the understanding of the natural man. The second stage of our judgment is the seventh seal which consists of:

2) seven trumpets:

Rev 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast [it] into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The seventh trumpet is:

3) Seven angels with seven vials to be fulfilled in the lives of all who are given to stand on the sea of glass:

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Rev 15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

Who is it who opens the eyes and ears of God’s elect?

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

It is “one of the angels which had the seven last plagues which shows us our judgment. Here is who that angel signifies:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him [“The angel which showed me these things”, (Rev 22:8-9)]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

These ‘seven angels’ are each of us as we give to each other “that which every joint supplies” (Eph 4:15-16) and as we ‘fill up in our bodies that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ for His body’s sake, which is the church’ (Col 1:24).

“The testimony of Jesus Christ which is the spirit of prophecy is how we nurture and feed each other, and that spiritual nourishment is signified by the number seven:

6)  Complete Nourishment is signified by the number seven:

Bread is a type of God’s Word:

Mat 15:34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
Mat 15:36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude [This is the channel of God’s Truth].

7) God’s Truth is complete, and it is inexhaustible:

Mat 15:37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

Mar 8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

8) Our Forgiveness Must Be Complete or the Lord will judge us as we judge others:

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. [Complete and total forgiveness knowing that even the offences are “of the Lord”, (Pro 16:1, 16:4)]
Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [ him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. [“Forgive… seventy times seven”, vs 22]

“The sum of Thy Word” adds “if he repent”, as both of these servants did at first:

Luk 17:3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
Luk 17:4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

We must never let anyone lead us to believe that God’s grace and His forgiveness comes without repentance and “fruit meet for repentance”. It most assuredly does not.

Mat 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

  The Spiritual Significance of Numbers:  The Number Six-Part 1

In order to understand what the number six means in biblical terms, it would be best to see its most important connection to the pinnacle of God’s physical creation mankind.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our 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.

God’s word reveals in Ecclesiastes 3:19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.”

We see God wants man to have preeminence or dominion over all the creation, but in the next breath we are told that we are just like the beasts and have no preeminence above them. So which is it, and how do we come to the point where we actually have dominion over all flesh as Genesis 1:26 claims we will have?

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The word for man in this verse is anth’-ro-pos and refers to mankind, not just any man, but all men and women.

From G435 and ωψ o ps (the countenance; from G3700); manfaced, that is, a human being: – certain, man.

God has told us that if we want wisdom and understanding about mankind we should count the number of the beast which is 6-6-6. By doing so we should come to see how our dominion over all flesh will come by way of a process which is to be understood as having dominion over the spirit realm by bringing our own marred flesh into subjection to Christ by way of the holy spirit which He gives to us.

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

So without any further ado, I hope the scriptures will convict those who read this, if they have not already been convicted, that man was created as an incomplete  marred vessel for a glorious purpose. The number six denoted that which is not yet complete, and it has much to say about the process of reaching the ultimate perfection which flesh and blood cannot obtain nor inherit.

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Firstly, the number is not just the single number six hundred sixty-six. The original Greek is to be understood as a series of three sixes showing us there is a process to be learned from this 6-6-6 series of the same number:

The number 3 can be shown in God’s word to represent process, especially the process of being judged, which process is always closely tied to the destruction of the flesh.

This article an mp3 audio file will bring out the truth of this matter in God’s word.

Spiritual significance of the number three

The symbolism in the Garden of Eden reveals right from the beginning that all flesh, including Christ’s flesh, is sinful flesh and is tied to the earth. The symbolism in the Garden of Eden will help us establish more clearly the connection between the number 6 and the earth, the church, mankind and Christ himself. Hopefully, we will see the broader sense of its meaning wherever we come across it in the word of God revealing to us both the negative and positive points surrounding the number six.

The next part of this study on the number 6 is taken from Mike Vinson’s article, “After the Counsel of His Own Will, Does Mankind Have Free Will?”

… and is added to help us see the connection the number six has to the earth and everyone including Christ, who was also in an earthen vessel.

The quote from this article can be found in the “After the Counsel of His Own Will” article:

“Few people notice that the tree of the knowledge of good has the same root as the tree of the knowledge of evil. Consequently they are confused as to why Cain’s offering to God was rejected: After all, Cain “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord” (Gen 4:3).

Few indeed are given eyes to see that it was God Himself who planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Fewer still see that both good and evil HAVE THE SAME ROOT.

However, there is much more revealed here in chapter two of Genesis:

Gen 2:9 And OUT OF THE GROUND [dust] made the Lord to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The truth which seems to be the least understood of all is that even the tree of life is ‘made to grow out of the ground.’ The truth of this simple statement gives the lie to Satan’s “you shall not surely die” untruth (Gen 3:4). Satan convinced the first Adam of a lie which has been ensconced in Adam’s children from the beginning. In effect, what Satan told our parents, and is still telling us today, is ‘you will never surely die.’

Christ tells us: “I am the resurrection and the life…” (Joh 11:25). That is why Christ had to come in the flesh and partake of our earthy, dust composition. “OUT OF THE GROUND made the Lord to grow… the tree of life” (Gen 2:9).

Both trees grow ‘out of the ground’. What this tells us about ourselves is: “that they [mankind] might see that they themselves are beasts” (Ecc 3:18). Paul puts it like this:

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.

Clearly “that which is natural” is not the completed product. “That which is spiritual … the second man… the Lord from heaven” is the completion of the Lord’s creation.

God’s word shows us that the number six is tied to the redemptive process by way of the flesh [THE EARTH].”  (END QUOTE)

Speaking of the church in the wilderness, we read in the book of Jeremiah:

Jer 22:1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

In the same chapter this statement in verse 29 “the king of Judah… and thy people” are three times referred to as “earth, earth, earth.”

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

The holy spirit calls “the king of Judah… and thy people who enter in by these gates… earth, earth, earth.” The fact that the word ‘earth’ is repeated three times reveals to  us that there is a three-step process of judgment for all flesh, including Christ’s flesh which is connected to the ground, to the earth.

For further clarification on this point, please see the following article:

Three days and three nights in the grave

Heb 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (NIV)

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

This process of bringing forth much fruit by the seed falling into the ground and dying is another way of saying the hope of glory which is within us and that is experienced day to day as we die daily and go from glory to glory.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

“The riches of the glory of this mystery [which is being] made known… among the Gentiles” is that being the physical seed of Abraham does not complete the Lord’s creation. What does complete the Lord’s creation is “the second man… the Lord from heaven… Christ in you the hope of glory.”

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.

Flesh and blood must be put off and replaced by a new creation which is formed in the weakness of the first creation by way of a process (number 3) of the destruction of the flesh (number 6) stated as such in this verse in Ecclesiastes.

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. (CLV)

Again, in Ecclesiastes 3:19 we are reminded that this experience of evil, and the accompanying wisdom and process of being judged, is connected to mankind and can be derived by understanding the symbol 6-6-6.

Ecc 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

All things in the flesh, by God’s estimation, ‘shortly come to pass’ seeing our life is but a vapor in His sight.

Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

We live by every word of God, and the primary way to look at all scripture is in the inward application or the present application of that word inwardly within each of our own lives. Then we can gain a greater appreciation for the sum of God’s signified word on the subject of the number six.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The earth is cursed from the Garden of Eden

The scriptures demonstrate that man is a beast, connected to the earth and redeemed out of it by Christ who started the redemptive process by being that preeminent seed of Adam to die and redeem us by His death, and all of this is declared from the foundation of the world.

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Col  1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Christ had to be in beastly Adamic flesh in order to reconcile us to our Father, but Christ goes on to tell us that unless He is resurrected, we will remain in our sinful fleshly condition and not be able to receive the comforter, which will finish this process of redemption by entering into our flesh to work a process which finds its fullness or perfection in the resurrection (the third day).

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go and say to that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am perfected.

This is “the hope of glory”, and 6 cannot go on to completion, which is the symbolic meaning of the number 7, unless there is a perfecting agent within us, namely Jesus Christ. Christ within us is the hope of glory, not the fullness of that glory but the hope of it which will eventually save all men by giving us dominion over all the beasts of the earth within us.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our 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.

The earth is cursed from the beginning of the creation; it is marred in the hand of the potter and shapened in iniquity. The number six is not seven and not complete, but not completely without hope either. As the story progresses for mankind, God uses the temple itself as a shadow of the great hope of glory which is Christ in the temple, which temple we are.

The number six comes up in this regard among many other shadows in God’s holy temple, and these shadows are showing us the process through which flesh must go in order to be justified and glorified by God.

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

I have emboldened every verb in Romans 8:30. Every verb in that verse is in the Greek aorist tense which signifies a process which is not yet complete.

One example of this being used is the eleven curtains in the temple of God. The curtains represent our flesh, and a few scriptures to confirm this point can be found at:

Heb 10:25  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

The curtain, which symbolizes flesh, is rent in two, and the number two symbolizes the witness of Christ within us Who makes a way for us to enter into the holy of holies by destroying the old man, the sinful nature and everything which separates us from God.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

This study below shows more clearly the spiritual significance of the eleven curtains in the tabernacle. The number 11 spiritually signifies the ruin and death of the flesh. It is through that death that we have the hope of life.  5+6=11. Here is the link to the study on…

The Number Eleven

There is a temporary tabernacle which precedes a more permanent temple, but do not think that even the temple is not to be vigilantly purged and purified.

Exo 26:7  And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood [death]; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [must be purified] with better sacrifices than these.

Eleven curtains covered the temporary tabernacle. This tabernacle first received the tables of the first covenant “for the lawless” (1Ti 1:9). It endured the trials of the wilderness and the lawless days of the judges. It was covered with eleven curtains.

Deu 1:2 There are eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.

Twelve days would have taken Israel right into the promised land. Eleven is one day short of twelve, and therefore Israel at this point is not well founded. Korah and his 250 famous men of renown have yet to raise their ugly heads.

We can also note that the Num 6 + 5 = 11 and shows that the number eleven carries with it the mark of the beast 6 and 5 for grace and faith, which is how all men will be saved and brought to the foundation of Jesus Christ, who is represented by the number twelve. Here is the link to our last study on the spiritual significance of the number 5: https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-spiritual-significance-of-numbers-number-5/

The last two kings of Israel reigned for eleven years and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Again, God is showing us that as long as we are in earthen vessels, we will not be considered complete.

The porch of the temple is also eleven cubits, and we will need to be perfected until this verse is fulfilled outwardly.

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Christ and The Body of Christ can be Connected to the Number Six

We will pause our study at this point, and in our next study we will learn how the number six is connected to the body of Christ.

Rev 13:6-9 Part 2, Whose Names are not Written in the Book of Life

[Study Aired January 19, 2025]

Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Introduction

Let’s begin this study by once again reminding ourselves that this entire prophecy begins with these words:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.

“Blessed is he that reads… hears, and keeps the things written therein” includes the words of today’s study as well as “every [other] word… of the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Rev 22:7). Unless there are qualifying statements like this:

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

The reason ‘overcomers’ do not experience the second death is that they are the first to die daily with Christ (1Co 15:31). The overcomers of this age are the first who are being crucified with Him (Gal 2:20), and we are the first to be presenting our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1) in this present time (Rom 8:18). In other words, God’s elect are the first to be judged now, in this present time and are therefore granted to be raised in “the resurrection of life… the blessed and holy first resurrection”, at the beginning of the thousand-year reign:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘Krisis’, judgment, the “great white throne judgment/ lake of fire/ second death”].

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us [because we are dying daily first, Eph 1:12], what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? [At a later judgment, the great white throne judgment of Rev 20:11-15]

There are great benefits to being chosen to be the first to suffer and die with Christ in this present age:

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:
Eph 1:12  That we [who are in the first resurrection] should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest [the promise] of our inheritance until [in hope of (Rom 8:23-24)] the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit [being “sealed with that holy spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13)], even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. [“To wit… the blessed and holy first resurrection”]
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope [in a promise]: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

It is our faith in that promise of being “to the praise of His glory” in the first resurrection which will see us through the hardest trials which the Lord will send our way:

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the [trials of the] world, even our faith.

 The “lake of fire [which] is the second death” is the great white throne judgment at which all of mankind who are not being judged in this age will come up in what Christ called “the resurrection of judgment” (Joh 5:29):

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened [Psa 139:16] and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
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 [Those upon whom judgment “first began” in “this present time”] was cast into the lake of fire.

“Things present and things to come… all are yours” certainly includes this composite beast we have before us here in Revelation 13. We, in Adam, are all of mankind, and therefore we are this beast with seven heads and ten horns. The reason the fourth beast is not described as any particular beast on earth in Daniel, is because, as it is not revealed until here in Revelation, that fourth beast in us is the son of “our father the devil, the great red dragon”, who also has “seven heads and ten horns.” This connection was not revealed to Daniel, but it is revealed to us here in the revelation of Jesus Christ, within us. All Daniel could see was the four physical nations signified by the four beasts. He was not given to see the spiritual application of these four nations to all of mankind as children of the great red dragon:

Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

As Joseph has instructed us, these visions in Daniel 2 and 7, and now here in Revelation 13, are all one and the same vision, and the Lord is “showing us what He is about to do” in our lives, just as he showed Pharaoh.

Gen 41:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
Gen 41:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
Gen 41:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
Gen 41:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
Gen 41:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [were] still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
Gen 41:22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
Gen 41:23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
Gen 41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told [this] unto the magicians; but [there was] none that could declare [it] to me.
Gen 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Those are the same words by which the holy spirit introduced this prophecy to us:

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Truly the book of Genesis is hidden in the book of Revelation, and the book of Revelation is revealed in the book of Genesis. It would be just as true to say that the book of Genesis is revealed in the book of Revelation, and the book of Revelation is hidden in the book of Genesis.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Whose names are written in “the book of life of the Lamb”

Why is this not simply called “the book of life”? There is a very good reason why we are discussing “the book of life of the Lamb” instead of simply “the book of life”. They are one and the same book, but “the book of the life of the Lamb” insinuates that “as He is, so are we in this world”, and our lives are the same as “the life of the Lamb… a living sacrifice… for His body’s sake which is the church”.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

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:

Rev 13:8 (EDT) And will worship him all those dwelling on the earth, of which not has been written the name in the scroll of the life of the lamb of that having been killed, from a casting down of a world.

Rev 13:8 (YLT) And bow before it shall all who are dwelling upon the land, whose names have not been written in the scroll of the life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;

Both the Emphatic Diaglott and Young’s literal translation call this “the scroll of the life of the Lamb…” In other words, this is the scroll or the book which details the life of the Lamb and the life of all who are in the Lamb. This is the revealing of the life of Jesus Christ and the revelation of Jesus Christ in the lives of all who “read, hear and keep the things which are written therein”.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Exactly who was “slain from the foundation of the world”? Is not that a crucial part of “the life of the Lamb”? Well, of course Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. But was Christ’s Christ, who He has sent as His Father sent Him; were they also slain from the foundation of the world?

First, let’s just ask if we are really “slain” as Christ was slain? What do the scriptures teach us? Here is how we are told to view ourselves, and our lives:

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Those are but a few of the verses of God’s Word which tell us that we are to count ourselves as dead to this world, and alive in the spirit to God. But when were we “crucified with Christ” as far as God is concerned? Here is when that was done:

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

There it is in 2Timothy 1:9: We were “in Christ Jesus before the world began”. If that is true, then we, too, were “slain before the foundation of the world… in Christ Jesus”. So the truth is this verse is again confirmed to be true:

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Summary

In summary we must remember that this is all leading up to the revealing of what is the seventh trumpet, and what is the day of God’s wrath against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness in our lives. All of the first six trumpets are followed immediately by the revelation of exactly what are the details of each of those first six trumpets. But this seventh trumpet, while first alluded to in Revelation 10:7, and while we are told that the seventh angel sounds his trumpet in chapter 11, the revelation of what this seventh trumpet is will not be revealed until chapter 16, where we are finally given the details of what is the effect of God’s wrath upon all of our sins in our lives.

In today’s study, as part of this long introduction to the detail of this seventh trumpet, we first saw that “he that hath an ear” is just Biblical, spiritual language for those “few chosen” who have been granted eyes that see and ears that hear “the mysteries of the kingdom of God”. “He that hath an ear” are the few who are blessed to be given to understand this revelation of Jesus Christ and to understand that this revelation of Jesus Christ is to be read, heard and kept by all who are “the Christ… the sent” of Christ and who are given to “keep the things which are written therein”.

We have seen that the beast who opens his mouth in blasphemy against God, His name and His tabernacle is first all of us, for this one simple reason which is contained in these four sections of scripture:

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.

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man[kind] shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

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;

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

We also saw that because of the truth of these four sections of scripture, it is absolutely essential and it is incumbent upon us to recognize that while we blaspheme God, His name, His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven, that it must also be equally essential and incumbent upon us to recognize that we must be the ones who bear God’s name, by the way we live our lives in this world; that we are the temple of God, and that it is we who dwell in the heavens.

Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

We have seen that it is we who first make war with the saints, and we first must overcome them, just as Saul of Tarsus first “persecuted the church” and was himself first “a blasphemer”. We saw that we are first given complete power to rule over all the kindreds, tongues and nations which, as all the beasts which represent all the nations of Daniel 7, all just typify our flesh, which causes us to worship the dragon, who gives us our power by simply serving our flesh. Obedience to our true father is the worship both Christ and the devil really want, and obedience to the flesh is what is meant by the statement “the man of sin sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God”

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.

Once again, because “all thing are ours”, we are made to understand that after we have come to see ourselves as this beast and the man of sin, that we then must recognize that we must also become those saints against whom our beast was waging war, and we must acknowledge that we must live by every one of these words of God and do all these things.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Finally, we have seen that we first worship the beast and “sin against our God”, causing our names to be blotted out of God’s book of the life of the Lamb.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Then we saw that our names are reinstated and “written in the book of the life of the lamb”. Having our name reinstated is accomplished only when we are caused by God to repent, and watch as God, “through righteousness” and obedience, takes us back to himself after having blotted our name out of His book because of our sins against Him.

Exo 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

We saw that this is an all-inclusive indictment against all men because “all have sinned”.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

We saw that since “all have sinned” and since God will “blot out of His book whosoever has sinned against Him”, it is obvious that all men are first in God’s book, are then blotted out due to their sins, which God “makes them” to commit, and then He visits us all, judges our sins in His wrath and places our names back into the book of the life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.

We have seen that this is accomplished only by Christ living His life in us, and living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and living in us “the book of the life of the Lamb”, which Lamb we are in Christ.

We have demonstrated with the scriptures that this is the doctrine of all of scripture, and that this is the doctrine of “the sum of God’s Word” (Psa 119:160), as it is so stated in Isaiah 63…

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return [back into “the book of life”] for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

… and in Jeremiah 33, even after we have all “sinned against God”, here is what eventually happens to all.

Jer 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

This simply complements, and does not contradict, what God told Moses in Exodus:

Exo 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

In our next study we will see why a second beast must arise “out of the earth” demanding that we worship the first beast that came “out of the sea”, and with the Lord’s mind we will see how these two successive beasts differ and what they signify about how the Lord is working with us. We will cover these verses of Revelation 13:

Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

“Exiles” in the Bible

[Study Aired September 26, 2024]

INTRODUCTION

For God’s people, “an exile” in His word typifies a point within a Christian’s life before they go without the camp with Christ to bear his reproach, filling “up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Heb 13:13-16, Col 1:24). Chapter 13 of Revelation is a chapter that reveals that not everyone is given this knowledge (1Co 8:7, Rev 13:18) to know that being beasts (Ecc 3:18) we must go into exile and come to see the mark of the beast as being something that is on all men, and that the only way to be reinstated with God and have that mark removed is through judgement (6.6.6. – see the studies on the spiritual significance of the number 3 and the number 6). We all must go into Babylonian captivity, but very few are blessed in this life to come out of it through God’s chastening grace that receives us in this life as His sons (Mat 22:14, Heb 12:6).

Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp [after we lose our first love and are brought into exile and then begin to come out of it by God’s grace], bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing^{G3306[menō=abide, dwell, stay, endure, remain, tarry]} city (1Co 15:50), but we seek one to come [being freed from Babylonian exile and enduring to the end (Mat 24:13) in order to inherit a continuing city, Jerusalem above, the mother of us all, in the fullness of that inheritance which will occur at the first resurrection].
Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
1Co 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

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.

Only God can give true spiritual increase, and all the planting and watering in the world does not change that truth (1Co 3:6), and so while we are in these earthen vessels we do water and plant abundantly in the churches of Babylon only to find out by God’s grace that these actions that are not accompanied with the understanding of God’s sovereignty and the faith of Christ are merely talents or seeds which are planted and watered in the earth and can’t be given any increase until an appointed time by God (Isa 55:11, Lev 26:4, Isa 58:8). The appointed time happens as a result of God’s goodness that leads us unto repentance through his chastening grace and judgement that teaches us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age (Tit 2:11-12, Heb 12:6).

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

This increase, or withholding of increase, is by design (2Th 2:5-8). God’s reason for doing this is to drive the point home to all of humanity, in time, that all the increase in our life comes from God alone, and all the good and evil done in life is orchestrated by our Sovereign Father who works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Isa 45:7, Eph 1:11).

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Isa 45:8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

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:

2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
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 be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Very few are given that privilege and honour to lay up treasure in heaven as a result of the increase that God gives us in this age (Mat 22:14, Luk 10:20). The main contention the rest of the world will have in the second resurrection, is stated clearly in (Mat 7:22). We must be given power to give all glory to God, and to fully acknowledge in our hearts and minds that it is Christ who has been working all along within these marred vessels of clay both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure, and in doing so we become witnesses of these things (Php 2:12-13, Luk 24:47-48).

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

It is God’s words that will judge those who are in the second resurrection, and it is God’s word that is judging the elect today (Joh 12:48, 1Pe 4:17). We don’t think of ourselves as having rejected God’s words and Christ, but when we don’t acknowledge his absolute sovereignty in all things we are rejecting His power and who He is within His creation, and this keeps the man of perdition on the throne, the beast that has his power from the dragon (Rev 13:4). That precise moment of judgement coming upon the world for thinking that they have free moral agency is typified by the events that have Joseph speaking to his brothers who will learn at the hand of Joseph that they do not have any power of themselves (Gen 45:5-7), and this event with Joseph and his brothers typifies for us the great white throne judgement of all the world by God’s elect. If we contrast what is said in the second resurrection by humanity (Mat 7:22) with the wonderful works of God (Psa 107:8-31) that we must give thanks to God for, and stop taking credit for any of the light and darkness that are in God’s total control (Isa 45:7), then we can begin to be freed by the son of God and become a new creation that acknowledges that we are His workmanship, that He does as He sees fit with (Rom 9:19-22), including putting us all in our appointed time into an spiritual exile.

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Psa 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

Psa 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 111:4  He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 

Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

In the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel we have a broad overview of how God has always intended to work with humanity, with each generation via the exiles that we all must experience, exiles that will all ultimately be used to bring all of His creation to him (1Co 15:28, 1Co 12:6). I say ‘exiles’ (plural) because this is a process just as there are many baptisms as we die daily and are buried into His death so we can be raised in the newness of life found in Christ (Rom 6:3-4, 1Co 15:31)

Mat 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

It is after these three groups of fourteen generations are mentioned that the birth of Christ is spoken of in (Mat 1:18), and these are signified events (Rev 1:1) that point to the process of judgement [3 groups of 14 generations] that all generations must experience in order to be prepared to be born again (Mat 1:16-18, Col 1:27, Joh 3:3). There are 3 fourteens that add up to the number 42 and this number reminds us that it will be through the witness of God’s power [2] that the whole [4] of humanity will be saved by putting off our carnal Adamic fleshly minds represented by the number 6 [4+2=6] (Rev 13:16-18).

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

This mark of the beast spoken of in the book of Revelation represents how everyone who is born of flesh is immediately in a marred body of sin that God has created. God’s elect are that part of His workmanship who are being judged first (1Pe 4:17), and know that there is another fold that God is working with, but not to the point of overcoming in this life (Joh 10:16), and not to be preserved as the bride of Christ will be, but rather reserved unto the second resurrection to be judged then (1Co 15:31). God’s elect are part of a dying daily process that changes us to become a new creation as we come out of Babylonian exile, through much tribulation in this life (Mar 13:8, Act 14:22).

Mar 13:8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

It is only by God’s power that we can come out of her my people and experience a true liberty from sin that can only be found in Christ (2Co 3:17, Joh 8:36). Again, overcoming physical vices does not preclude that someone is laying up treasure in heaven, or that they have overcome the most insidious of all sins, which is the sin of self righteousness. That sin takes an ongoing miracle from God to overcome as we die daily (Php 3:9, 1Co 15:31).

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Our sojourn as God’s elect requires our constant examination of ourselves, as God’s goodness leads us unto repentance (Rom 2:4) and we are washed by the blood of lamb of all of those iniquities which is the self righteousness that just naturally clings to us (2Co 13:5, 1Co 9:27, 1Co 15:31). God tells us to confess our faults and He will deliver us, and in order to keep us all humble as we are daily delivered, we are also told that, in the final analysis, our escape will be a narrow but a certain one (1Pe 4:17-19).

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

The 3 sixes that make up the mark of the beast can also represent those three generations of human experience within us (14+14+14=42), as all things are ours (1Co 3:2) and there is one experience unto all men that we will go through at our appointed time in order to come to know our Lord through that judgement within all those generations. The blessed generation in this life is the one that is being judged today (1Pe 4:17) and coming to see that we are guilty of all the sins of the world and the death of the prophets and of Christ, from Abel to Zacharias (Mat 23:35). We cannot begin to come out of the exile God puts us in until we are given to acknowledge our current wretched miserable poor and blind condition of being in weak flesh (Rev 3:17), but if we are granted to acknowledge that we can’t see, then our Lord can begin to heal us and deliver us from our captors who we could never overcome except the Lord set us free (Joh 9:41, Joh 8:36, Rom 7:24-25).

Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The bible is about two men, and we are God’s workmanship that have those two men wrestling within us (Eph 2:8-10, Gen 25:22, Rom 9:13, Eph 6:12). We must experience our own personal exile into Babylon to then come out of that exile, if it is God’s will to do that for us in this age (Heb 6:3). There are many micro and macro examples throughout God’s word of how our first man Adam must go in and come out of exile, and the goal in this mini series is to bring out a few key verses that speak to this point. Christ divested himself of the power that he had and was born into sinful flesh (Php 2:5-7, Psa 51:5) so we could escape our sinful condition through Him (2Co 5:20-21). Christ coming out of Egypt, as Israel did by way of Moses, is a shadow of how Christ is delivering the Israel of God first (Gal 6:16) by the power of God’s holy spirit (Hos 11:1).

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Mat 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

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.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ had his own period in Egypt as a child where we read where Joseph was warned of an angel in a dream to take “the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him”. This departure to Egypt was typical of the exile that God’s elect go through in this life being hidden in Christ (Col 3:3, 1Jn 4:17) and kept from that wicked one Satan who wants to sift the manchild. Pharoah is a type of Satan who wanted to kill all the children two years and under, in order to kill Moses who represents Christ (Exo 1:22, Mat 2:16). The two years and under is the number of witness, and we are God’s witnesses with the spirit of God within us of these things, being hated of all the world (Rom 8:9, Col 1:27, Luk 24:48).

Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

We are those angels to each other that bring this sobering message that we will be hated by all men for his name’s sake (Mat 10:22), and along with that message we learn that the dream is one as we’re given an absolute hope (Rom 8:9, Col 1:27) and joy (1Th 1:6, Php 4:4) of knowing that we can be more than conquerors through Christ (Rom 8:31-37) who is the author and finisher of our faith and who God is dragging us to, delivering us from Babylonian exile (Heb 12:2, Joh 6:44).

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is only by God’s sovereign power in our life that anyone of us can come out of her my people (2Co 6:17-18), and so perhaps the most important lesson we can take from this study is the truth that we serve a merciful and loving God who has always intended to perfect holiness within His creation, each man in His own order (1Co 15:23), through giving us an experience of evil to humble us thereby (Ecc 1:13) and ultimately receiving us through those experiences (Heb 12:6) that will bring us to trust in the living God (2Co 1:9) who has already written our books and declared the salvation of all souls from the very beginning (1Co 15:22, 1Ti 4:10, 1Jn 2:2). This process of judgement that is upon the elect is symbolized by the number 3, and so the 6.6.6. found in the book of Revelation tells us that all of human flesh must be judged in order to become a new creation in Christ. The only sign Christ gives the evil generation that we come to see by God’s grace as being ourselves, is the sign of Jonah, and it is only those who can acknowledge that they are that evil generation who were seeking a sign, who will be given the understanding of this parable of Christ, and every other parable, that reveals that many are called and few are chosen (Mat 20:16, Luk 10:24). Those who are chosen are being judged by Christ who is in the heart of our earth, earth, earth, three times mentioned in Jeremiah to remind us that we are going through a life-long process of judgement as God’s elect (Mat 12:39-40, Jer 22:29).

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD

In the coming studies on exiles mentioned in the bible I have compiled a list of some of the more obvious and less obvious examples that have been given to us that I hope to break down and share in the coming weeks. Here is the current list of the studies we will look at in the coming weeks on what “exiles” in God’s word symbolizes for us today:

1: Adam and Eve are exiled from the garden of Eden

2: The first two times the word exile is used in the bible

3: Some occurrences of the word outcasts, exile, or exiles in God’s word

4: The most notable exiles of Egypt and Babylon

5: Events in the bible that typify how we must come out of exile by God’s power

6: Characters in the bible who typify the spiritual zeal and Godly strength needed from Him to endure through the exile and come out of it, going unto perfection in the blessed and holy first resurrection.

7: Christ’s own examples of preaching to the captives, setting us free with God’s word that heals us and brings liberty.

Ezekiel 32:1–16 A Lament Over Pharoah and Egypt

[Study Aired September 16, 2024]

INTRODUCTION

Today’s study reflects the destruction of Pharoah and Egypt. As we have indicated in the previous studies, Pharoah represents our old man or flesh. Today’s study deals with the judgement of Pharoah and Egypt and the resulting benefit that shall follow after the judgement.

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 study concludes with the destruction of the beasts such that there shall be no foot of man or the hoofs of the beasts to trouble the waters. As a result, the waters shall flow like oil. These concluding statements show us the salvation of all men of every age which shall come about after the destruction of the beasts within man.

1Ti 4:9  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

 

A lamentation for Pharoah, King of Egypt

Eze 32:1  And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 32:2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers. 

The number twelve means foundation and it is also the number of Christ. In our walk in the churches of this world, our foundations in Christ were destroyed.

Psa 11:3  If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? 

This means that the twelfth year in the twelfth month in the first day of the month when the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel implies that the Lord’s coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness is to build our foundation in Him as we go through the judgement of our old man.

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: 

Isa 44:28  That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

Zec 8:9  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

As indicated in the previous studies, Pharoah, king of Egypt, represents our old man or flesh.  Here in verse 2, the Lord requesting Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for Pharoah, the king of Egypt, is to let us know the evil experience we must pass through for the destruction of our old man or flesh symbolized by Pharoah, the king of Egypt. In this verse, the Lord compared Pharoah with a young lion of the nations and also a whale in the seas. A key characteristic of a young lion is his persistent pursuit to capture a prey as shown in the following verses:

Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

Isa 5:29  Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

Pharoah likened to a young lion of the nations therefore implies that our old man or flesh was made to dominate or capture mankind or people of the world as a prey. A whale represents the sea of our flesh or old man. Therefore, Pharoah being described as the whale in the seas is to show us that Pharoah represents our old man or flesh.

Job 7:12  Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

One key role of the whale as described in verse 2 is churning up muddy waters with his feet. This implies that if we are dominated by the flesh, that is our walk in the flesh, we end up coming up with muddy waters which refer to the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. As a result, we make the word of the Lord of no effect in our lives.

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Eze 32:3  Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net. 
Eze 32:4 Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.

The company of many people represent the physical churches of this world or Babylon. Our flesh is likened to fishes of the sea where the Lord cast His net over us, making the churches of this world drag us from the sea to the land. Being cast forth upon the open field in verse 4 means that our walk in the churches of this world is likened to an open field where we live like people of the world as our flesh is empowered by the devil and his cohorts, signified by the fowls of the heavens. It is at this point that the beasts of the whole earth dominate us to the fullest. We need to understand that our flesh or old man or the beast within us was made to be taken and destroyed. Thus, in our walk in the churches of this world, the Lord seeks an occasion to come and destroy our flesh as He allows us to be dominated by the beasts of the whole earth.

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;

Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

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. 

Eze 32:5  And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height. 
Eze 32:6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee. 

As indicated in the previous study, the mountains and valleys on a positive note represent the assembly of the Lord’s elect, as shown in the following verse:

Eze 6:3 Say this, ‘You mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Almighty LORD! This is what the Almighty LORD says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am going to attack you with a sword and destroy your worship sites.

In verse 5, therefore, the laying of our flesh upon the mountains and the filling of the valleys therefore signify the unveiling of the dying of our old man or flesh through the Lord’s judgement in the assembly of the Lord’s elect.

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.

The life of the flesh is in the blood and therefore, the land being watered with the blood of our old man or flesh in verse 6 signifies the death of our flesh or old man within our bodies (land). The streams being full of the flesh in verse 6 implies that we shall come to see that the false doctrines (the rivers) in our heavens emanates from the flesh and is about man’s wisdom and tradition.

Lev 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Eze 32:7  And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. 
Eze 32:8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD. 

These verses describe the day of the Lord which is the time of His judgement of our old man or flesh. This is what Apostle Peter describes about the day of the Lord on the day of Pentecost:

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Verses 7 and 8 show us that all the bright lights of heavens, together with the stars, shall be darkened as the sun is covered with the clouds and the moon is not giving her light. Comparing these verses with Apostle Paul’s description of the Lord’s day of judgement shows us that the sun being darkened is equivalent to the sun being covered with a cloud, and the moon not giving her light is the same as the moon not giving her light because it covered with blood. The sun being darkened means that when we are dominated by the flesh, we are not able to see Christ who represents the sun, because of the smoke that comes out of our bottomless pit. That is to say that out of our flesh (bottomless pit) comes false doctrines which prevent us from knowing Christ.

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 

As part of the Lord’s judgement of our old man or flesh, we are given over to the desires of our hearts which include believing the false doctrines from our flesh. This is to give the Lord the occasion that He is seeking to come and judge us.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
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 forever. Amen.

The moon turning into blood or not giving her light implies that we become guilty for the death of the Lord’s saints because we hate them. This is because the little knowledge of the Lord has been taken away from us. We know that hating our brothers or sisters is the same as being a murderer and therefore we are guilty of the death of the Lord and His saints. This is all to give the Lord the occasion that He is seeking to come into our lives to destroy our old man or flesh.

Mat 23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Eze 32:9  I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known. 
Eze 32:10 Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall. 

When Joseph’s brothers came to realize that Joseph was alive, they were troubled, thinking that Joseph would seek revenge or judge them because of the trouble they took Joseph through, especially when Jacob, their father died.

Gen 50:15  And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 
Gen 50:16  And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Gen 50:17  So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
Gen 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

Our brothers and sisters in Babylon who represent the “many people” shall be troubled as they see that the judgement of their old man is at hand.

Isa 13:8  And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

As indicated by Apostle Peter, if we, His elect are scarcely saved through the Lord’s judgement, what shall be the end of them (“many people”) who do not believe? Many people shall be stunned, especially, the leaders of Babylon, signified as the kings of the many people in verse 19, as they see the judgement of the Lord at hand.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

 

The Judgement of the Lord

Eze 32:11  For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee. 
Eze 32:12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. 

When we are dominated by the flesh or our old man, the Lord gives us over to be ruled by the sword of the King of Babylon. As we have indicated in previous studies, the negative aspect of “sword” refers to words that are spoken which destroy us. The sword refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary.

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:

These negative words spoken is one of the tools that the Lord uses to cause people to speak bitter words to us, His elect.

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.

In verse 12, we are made aware that the swords of the mighty is what causes the multitude to fall including the terrible of the nations. This implies that it is through false doctrines propagated in Babylon which caused many to become spiritually dead. These false doctrines is what gives Babylon control of the nations of this world.

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, 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 woman sitting upon many waters means that Babylon or the physical churches of this world have control over people (multitude) and nations. As indicated in verse 12, this control is through the false doctrines or the sword of the king of Babylon which destroys the pomp of Egypt and all the multitude.

The pomp of Egypt refers to the attractiveness or the pride of the world which involves the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. “The multitude” signifies the people of the world including our brothers and sisters in Babylon. Through the Lord’s judgement of our old man, the attraction of the world, the old man or flesh in the lives of the people of the world, shall be destroyed.

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. 
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

Eze 32:13  I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them anymore, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them. 
Eze 32:14  Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.

The “great waters” in verse 13 signify the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition. These false doctrines comes from our flesh or our old man or beast. The destruction of all the beasts shall take place in the Lake of Fire as all mankind from Adam to date shall be judged. The fact that the feet of humans and the hoofs of beasts cannot stir up the water anymore implies that the beast within man, which is the source of the false doctrines in our heavens, shall be destroyed completely, such that there will not be any false doctrines.

As described in verse 14, the only river available shall run like oil. This river is the water of life which proceeds out of the throne of the God and of the Lamb. Oil represents the Spirit and it is the spirit that gives life. The Lord causing the rivers to run like oil therefore signifies that all humanity shall come to have the spiritual understanding of the word of the Lord which gives life.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 
Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 
Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Rev 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Eze 32:15  When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD. 
Eze 32:16 This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord GOD. 

In verse 15, Egypt symbolizes the world. The making of the land of Egypt desolate therefore represents the Lord’s judgement of the world during the lake of fire age.  The result of this judgement is that all shall come to know who the Lord is.

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. 

1Ti 4:9  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

The daughters of the nations in verse 16 signifies the physical churches of this world who shall lament the destruction of the old man in their lives, which is the source of all worldliness. This is the order in which these daughters of the nations shall be saved:

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

May the Lord continue to deliver us from our old man or flesh. Amen!!

The Law of Moses Versus the Law of the Spirit – Part 20

[Posted May 3, 2009]

[Updated April 5, 2024]

A Harmony of James and Paul

Let’s continue Paul’s thought in Galatians 2: “For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” “If I build again the things which I destroyed” is a reference to the law. “For I through the law am dead to the law”, is the very next verse. If we “build again the things we destroyed” then we are establishing “[our] own righteousness, which is of the law” (Php 3:9). When we “return again to the weak and beggarly elements” from which Christ has freed us we are healing the deadly wound which the Truth had begun within us. Our old man was being destroyed and turning again to the weak and beggarly elements of the law was the healing of that deadly wound:

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
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.

When we ignore what we have learned about Christ, and return to our old ways which are more acceptable to the society we live in then we are placing ourselves back under “the law [which] is not of faith” (Gal 3:12), and which is “[our] own righteousness” (Php 3:9), then we are “building again that which we had destroyed, “[and] making ourselves transgressors”. Christ is not “the minister of sin” even if “I make myself a transgressor” (vs 18).

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Gal 2:17  But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Gal 2:19  For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Galatians 2:16-19 is consistent with Romans 3:5-7, where Paul poses the same question: “If our unrighteousness [rebuilding the “old man” whom we had destroyed] commend the righteousness of God [which of course it doesn’t, any more than our sins make Christ ‘the minister of sin’], what shall we say; is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? I speak as a man. God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?” (vs 7).

Paul is asking if our calling does not make us “free from sin.” If we are to simply continue in sin, why would we be considered sinners at all? “And not rather as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just” (vs 8). This “our unrighteousness commending the righteousness of God” and “the truth of God abounding through our lie” were both “slanderous reports” of Paul’s teachings.

What Paul did teach was the same thing James taught. While James says “faith without works [the working of Christ in us] is dead” (Jas 2:26), Paul puts the SAME TEACHING in other words: “know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 6:9). Again Paul instructs: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap”

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

It is true that Paul was given to emphasize that our good works which James acknowledges as the fruit of our faith is “[Christ’s] workmanship” and that our faith is also a gift of God and not of ourselves:

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of [our] works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

That sounds pretty close to ‘faith without works is dead’; certainly much closer than the slanderous reports being circulated that Paul taught that our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, or the truth of God abounds through our lie. Paul says of those who say he teaches such things “their damnation is just.”

Rom 3:5  But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
Rom 3:6  God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
Rom 3:7  For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
Rom 3:8  And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

It was all a lie. Paul had never once said, “Let us do evil that good may come.” He never once said, “Let us sin that grace may abound.” Like James Paul’s doctrine was [“We were] created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10)

When James said:

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James is agreeing with Paul that our works are the result of the faith of Jesus Christ, and to claim “I have works” without faith is the same lie Paul was dealing with.

Phrase #8

We now come to the final phrase used in Hebrews in relation to this matter of the law and the covenants.

“…He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb 10:9). The first part of this verse is “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” It is followed by “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (vs 10).

Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

This disclaimer of the law of the physical offerings is quoted from:

Psa 40:6  Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Psa 40:7  Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

“By which will” refers to God’s will. The scriptures declare that we are sanctified by the will of God and not our own will, but our focus here is “he taketh away the first that he may establish the second.”

What exactly is taken away? The answer is universally understood to be the old covenant which is “taken away” and replaced by the new covenant.

The depth and scope of the differences in these covenants is not universally understood. On the contrary, it seems that few indeed are willing to believe the plain and straight forward scriptures detailing the meaning of this phrase “he taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.” Many of those differences are detailed in Matthew chapters 5-7.

The many other changes which are listed in those three chapters of Mattew demonstrate the truth of Paul’s statement “…we are the circumcision, which worship God in spirit… and have no confidence in the flesh” (Php 3:3).

The flesh has been taken completely out of the equation for salvation. In reality, it has never been anything more than a necessary evil to bring us to Christ in the spirit. “…Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more [after the flesh]” (2Co 5:16).

In Romans 3:31 Paul asks the question, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” This whole paper has established that only for those in Christ is the law of Moses “made void”, “done away” and “abolished”; three different translations in the King James Version of the same Greek word katargeo.

The law itself is established by this fact. The understanding of Romans 3:31 is to be found ten verses earlier in verse 21: “But now the righteousness of God without the law [of Moses, “for the lawless” (1Ti 1:9)] is manifested, being witnessed by the law [of Moses] and the prophets.”

This verse witnesses that Christ would come and reform the law of Moses:

Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee [A reformer], and will put my words [Not the law of Moses] in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak [Not Moses] in my name, I will require it of him.

Had the law, the old covenant, “the ministration of death written and engraven in stones”, not been “done away” for those in Christ, the law would have proven itself a false prophet. Now, only for those in Christ, it is “abolished” (Eph 2:15) and replaced by a much higher, much more honorable and spiritual law. “The Lord is well pleased for HIS righteousness’ sake; he [Christ] will magnify the law and make it honorable” (Isa 42:21). If it were already honorable, He wouldn’t need to do that, would he? If, on the other hand, the law of Moses was a carnal commandment (Heb 7:16) used “lawfully” only for “the lawless and disobedient” (1Ti 1:8-9), then a new law along the lines of Matthew 5 would be in order.

1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; [To bring us to Christ (Gal 3:24)]
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

You do not “magnify” a house during construction and expect the contractor to eat the difference in cost. A new contract must be drawn up to deal with the changes. Neither do you move from the “carnal”, “lawless” and “disobedient” to the spiritual without a completely new covenant with a “change also of the law.”

Heb 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

It is through the new words ‘by the mouth of a prophet like Moses’, that the law is “established” and proven a true “witness”. Until ‘that Prophet and His words’ come into our lives, the law will be “established” for our “lawless and disobedient” flesh, to show our flesh its naked condition and make it aware of its decaying earthy composition. Generation by generation “the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” and generation by generation “after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster”. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that EVERY MOUTH may be stopped and ALL THE WORLD may become guilty before God” (Rom 3:19).

The law of Moses is equated by Paul to “the elements of the world” (Gal 4:3). Notice I said ‘equated.’ Not all ‘laws’ are the ‘law of Moses’, but all law is equated with the law of Moses as far as scripture is concerned:

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law [of Moses], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law [of Moses] written in their [stony] hearts [Eze 36:26-27], their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Gal 3:22-23 – “But the scripture hath concluded all [all Jews and Gentiles] under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were [all] kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed”,

Gal 4:1 – “Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child [G3516: nepios, an infant, “under the schoolmaster… tutors and governors, under the law], differeth nothing from a servant [slave to sin], though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” What Paul is telling us is that “the ministration of death” is katargeo and we, in Christ only, are “free from the law of sin and death” (the ministration of death) (Rom 8:2):

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. [the law of Moses]

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2Co 3:7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2Co 3:8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
2Co 3:9  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
2Co 3:10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
2Co 3:11  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

It is hoped that this article will help someone, somewhere to take his eyes off the things of the flesh. Yes, Christ was born in the flesh, and yes, He died on the cross for our sins, and yes, God “made him sin for us, who (Christ) knew no sin” (2Co 5:21). These were but necessary evils. “Yet now henceforth know we him no more in the flesh.” We have all been born in the flesh, and we will all die in the flesh, but it is far more edifying and encouraging to know that “NOW are we the sons of God and… we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1Jn 3:2). As we see Him we “are changed into the same image from glory to glory… by the spirit of the Lord” (2Co 3:18). So while we have demonstrated the inadequacies of the law in this essay, we conclude with this reminder for any who might attempt to turn God’s disciplinary, chastening grace into lasciviousness: If we truly see him as he is, every man purifieth himself even as he is pure.”

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Summary

What we have pointed out, in effect, is the sovereignty of God in all things. “That they may know… that there is none beside me. I am the Lord and there is none else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isa 45:6,7). Yes, it was God who created the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was God Himself who placed that tree right in the middle of the garden. While He had told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, this was done only because “the Lord… sought an occasion against” Adam (Jdg 14:1-4). God had already determined that Adam would eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and would come to see his naked, decaying, earthy condition and be brought by the law to see his need for a Savior. We know this is true because we are twice told that we were “called… in Christ, before the world began”:

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

“All that dwell upon the earth shall worship… the lamb slain from the foundation of the world”:

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, [every one] whose name hath not been written in the book of the life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

In God’s all-knowing mind, Christ was slain as the sacrifice for the sins of the world before Adam was ever created. This gives the lie to the teaching that ‘God could have known what choices you will make, but because He has given us free will, He chooses not to know.’ What utter nonsense! No, God chose to know all things because “all things are of God”. “To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things…” (1Co 8:6). God knows our very thoughts because He gives us our thoughts:

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man [our very thoughts], and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Has God chosen to know the very number of the hairs of your head, but not to know what you are going to do with your life? Hardly! We are plainly informed that God reveals Himself to some and deliberately blinds others. “…the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded… God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear” (Rom 11:7, 8).

So what does understanding the total sovereignty of God have to do with a proper understanding of the function of the law? It has everything to do with it, because it is through the law, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that God has decreed that all the world becomes guilty before Him. “What things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom 3:19). “Wherefore then serveth the law?

“It was added [to the law of the spirit] because of transgressions [of the law of the spirit], till the seed should come to whom the promise was made… the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we (all of us) were kept under the law… Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ… But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal 3:19-25).

God does not change (Mal 3:6). Christ came to reveal the Father (Mat 11:27 and Luk 10:22).

Mat 11:27  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

This He accomplished through His sacrificial life which revealed for the first time in the history of mankind the “new covenant.” The new covenant “show[s] the work of the law [of God, not Moses] written in their hearts” (Rom 2:15). Under this new covenant Christ reveals to us the Father: “I delight in the LAW of GOD after the inward man” (Rom 7:22). “…The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the LAW OF GOD neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:7, 8). The LAW OF GOD, the “least commandments”, which Christ revealed in Matthew 5 to 7 are the “LAW OF THE SPIRIT” (Rom 8:2). This is the true unchangeable character of God: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but MY WORDS shall not pass away” (Mat 24:35).

The law of Moses, on the other hand, is only “good, if a man use it lawfully… [meaning that it “brings us to Christ”. Meaning that we know that this law of Moses, written and engraven in stones, this ministration of death] …is not made for a righteous man [the man who is not carnally minded and delights in the LAW OF GOD, the new covenant, after the inward man]. [The law of Moses is] for the lawless and disobedient” (1Ti 1:8, 9).

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh [the “carnal commandments, Heb 7:16, of the law of Moses], but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death [“The ministration of death” (2Co 3:7) the law of Moses].
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law [of the spirit] might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the [law of the] Spirit.

1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law [of Moses] is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law [of Moses] is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine [the law of the spirit];

That is the mind of the holy spirit on this subject of the function of the law of Moses versus the law of the spirit.

The Book of Daniel – Dan 7:1-7  Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed

[Study Aired April 4, 2024]

Dan 7:1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 
Dan 7:2  Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 
Dan 7:3  And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 
Dan 7:4  The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 
Dan 7:6  After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 
Dan 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 

Chapter 7 of Daniel creates a prophetic bridge of sorts to help further identify Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue in chapter 2. Chapter 7 is also a bridge linked to the book of Revelation and also further helps interpret the dreams of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar.

‘The dream is one’ for both Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, and that dream points to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mar 1:1) using the principle found in Isaiah 28:10-13. Many sections of this dream are interpreted in chapter 7 itself, but we still need to put those pieces together and compare them with other sections of God’s word, “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”, in order to get a clear picture of what God is telling us.

Isa 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 
Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

The “four great beasts” in the opening verses of chapter 7 are connected to the four great empires of the statue discussed in Daniel chapter 2. Daniel describes the trouble he is experiencing in his heavens this way:  “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me” (Dan 7:15). Then from Daniel 7:16-27 we see that Daniel is given understanding of what these various horns on the beast represent. Identifying the physical empires, or the idea that these horns are speaking of kings, stops short of understanding how these prophecies apply inwardly to the elect whom God has granted to read, hear and keep the sayings of the prophecy (Rev 1:3). As the last verse of this chapter expresses, it is clear that Daniel is not delivered from the troubling effect these dreams have had on him. This zealous prophet of God was left not knowing what these revelations meant (Mat 13:17), “Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart” (Dan 7:28).

Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Daniel, as we know, prophesied not to himself but to us in these last days (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11) so that we could be encouraged and uplifted to know both the history and the spiritual meaning behind all of these events that point to the end of this dispensation and lead into the rule and reign of Christ and His Christ (Rev 11:15). Daniel kept the matter in his heart as a natural man, as a shadow of how we must continue in the truth ourselves and keep the now understood sayings of the prophecies of Christ on our hearts (Joh 8:31-32, Rev 1:3, Mat 13:16). 

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.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Dan 7:1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 
Dan 7:2  Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 
Dan 7:3  And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

We know that these “four great beasts” Daniel dreams about concern the empires represented by the different parts of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2 of Daniel. We also know that all those beasts are going to be judged, and this being “the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon” symbolizes “the day of the Lord” for those who are going to be judged, which judgment begins with the house of God, but will in time include the whole of humanity symbolized by “four great beasts” (1Pe 4:17).

Daniel writes down the dream and “told the sum of the matters” as a shadow of how it is the sum of God’s word (Psa 119:160 ASV) that is going to give us clarity on any subject in the word of God. The visions of Daniel happen while he is asleep and by night, as a shadow of how God works with those who acknowledge their own blindness or spiritual slumber that can only be conquered through Christ in the darkness of our carnal fleshly minds which are likened to the night (Isa 26:9).

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 “four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea” represents the complete  spiritual realm God rules over (“the four winds of the heaven“) as He strives with the whole [4] of humanity that is likened to “the great sea.” This imagery of God’s spirit brooding over all the flesh of mankind is earlier typified for us in the book of Genesis (Gen 1:2). We are told that He won’t always strive with mankind (Gen 6:3) but will bring out of this wrestling with all of humanity that is likened to “four great beasts [that] came up from the sea, diverse one from another” a new creation, a new foundation founded on Christ (1Co 3:11) that will be formed in righteousness to the glory and honor of God (Rev 4:6, 2Co 5:17).

Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man “the great sea“, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Four beasts, four empires, four kings

Dan 7:4  The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

This first empire represents the Babylonian empire of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was a king of kings in his own time (Dan 2:37), and he is typified by the head of the statue in his dream that is going to control the rest of the empires as a head controls a body. Nebuchadnezzar had no influence on any empire except that of his own by God’s power, but when we consider that Nebuchadnezzar is a type of Satan, a king of kings, then it makes sense why he is the head of the statue that controls the rest of the body, as a type of Satan, the god of this world, who has ruled over all the empires of this world right from its foundation (2Co 4:4, Mat 4:9).

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 

We all start off not knowing that we are mere beasts of the field, and we are “like a lion” because we are of our father the devil (Pro 28:15, 1Pe 5:8), and as he is [Satan] so are we in this world (Eph 2:3). Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind and was on all fours like a beast in the field eating grass and being driven about by spirits that are represented by “eagles wings.” It is only when God gives us to acknowledge our blindness by bringing us to our senses (Luk 15:17) that we can then be “made” to “stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to [us].” The heart is still deceitful and desperately wicked, but nevertheless, a progression is being expressed in Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding when the prophecy that is connected to him (Dan 7:4) states that he is made to stand upon his feet as a man, and is given a man’s heart (Jer 17:9).

Pro 28:15  As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

The wings represent the power and influence Nebuchadnezzar had in this world that was eventually taken away, “I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked.” The powers and principalities we wrestle against (Eph 6:12) are likened to wings that have to be plucked by God. Being made to stand and being given a heart of a man does not tell us we are no longer beasts, only that now we are beasts that are a little lower than the angels and with no preeminence above the beast of the field in matters of life and death (Heb 2:7-9, Ecc 3:19, Joh 16:7). The question needs to be asked, “Who will be able to stand when Christ returns?” As we see, this statue representing the man of perdition that resides in all of humanity, will not stand once the Lord comes and destroys the statue with the brightness of His coming (Rev 6:16-17, 2Th 2:8).

Heb 2:7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 
Heb 2:8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 

Ecc 3:19  For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 

Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

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:

Dan 7:5  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

The next empire is the Medo-Persian empire, the “breast and his arms of silver” on the statue of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:32), and is represented by a bear (Dan 7:5).

Like the lion and eagle associated with the Babylonian empire, this bear is also a carnivorous beast that is told “Arise, devour much flesh.” Satan has been symbolically dining on the flesh of mankind since the garden of Eden until now (Gen 3:14). It is God who has commanded the serpent to eat dust, dust that represents mankind who Satan is going to devour all the days of his life, meaning of the devil’s time of influence over humanity (Lam 3:10-11). All of these beasts we are looking at are the same beast, and that is mankind, who are overcome by the powers and principalities of this age that we cannot overcome without God’s spirit within us (Rev 13:4). The beast [lion, eagle, bear, leopard, etc.] gets his power from the dragon, and again, that is why Nebuchadnezzar can represent Satan the head, whose father we all had in our time as we fulfilled the lust of our flesh, lust of our eyes, and the pride of life; fleshly carnal ways that had dominion over us and provided an abundance of food for the adversary (Rev 13:4).

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 

Lam 3:10  He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. 
Lam 3:11  He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

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? 

This second beast “raised up itself on one side, and it had three^H8532 ribs^H5967 in the mouth of it between the teeth of it.“

The three ribs of the bear represent the process of judgment Satan inflicts upon the elect that God gives him the power to fulfill as His sword. The world is also afflicted, reaping what they sow and storing up wrath against the day of wrath because of the god of this world (Psa 17:13, Rom 2:5). The two words “three^H8532 ribs^H5967” are written in Chaldean, so we won’t find these Strong numbers together  anywhere else in the bible. However, if we take the Hebrew equivalent of both words, we find one entry in Ezekiel 41:6 that uses both Strong’s numbers in the one verse. That also points to how God uses the flesh of men to judge or try us in this life, Levi in particular who is joined unto us.

Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

Eze 41:6  The side rooms^H6763 [equivalent to ribs^H5967] were on three^H7969  different floors, one above the other. There were 30 rooms on each floor. The wall of the temple was built with ledges. The side rooms^H6763 rested on these ledges but were not attached to the temple wall itself. (ERV)

Eze 42:20  He measured the four walls that went all the way around {the temple}. The wall was 500 cubits long and 500 cubits wide. It separated the holy area from the area that is not holy. (ERV)

1Ki 6:6  The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

We are told that “for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house”. They are not fastened to the temple because they represent those who are joined unto us like Levi and who God extends his mercy toward by giving them their good things (Luk 15:31) just as we should do good unto all men as the temple of God that we are, but especially unto the household of God (Gal 6:10, Mat 5:44-48). [excerpt from hisbranch.ca/1-kings-chapter-6/ 1ki-6_4-7.pdf (hisbranch.ca)]

The first beast is a lion that “was lifted up^H5191 from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it”, and represents how Nebuchadnezzar’s power as a beast was given of the devil who is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (Rev 13:2-4). 

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

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?

What is declared of the second beast is that “it raised up^H6966  itself on one side” showing that this beast is controlled as well by the man of perdition, the devil’s influence on the left side and not the right side, as he deceives us into thinking we have free moral agency and are able to raise ourselves up on one side independent of God’s working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). With that spirit ruling in our heavens, believing we have a free will, we go about doing the work of our father who is the accuser of the brethren who devours much flesh (Gen 3:14, Rev 12:10). The three “ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it” typify that negative outward process of judgment of others that all human beasts are prone to do in their flesh. We devour much flesh throughout this life through our outward judgment of others (Psa 37:12) and measuring of the court (Rev 11:2) until we are brought to repentance, which is done via a process that takes our whole life [by little and little (Exo 23:30)]. That is when we start seeing those three ribs pointing inwardly at our old man who has to be destroyed through His judgment in our heavens (Heb 9:23, 1Co 11:31-32).

Psa 37:12  The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

Dan 7:6  After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 

The next empire that comes on the scene is the “third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth“, and this kingdom is likened to a “a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it” (Dan 7:6). 

Once again ‘the dream is one’, and we’re still talking about beasts that are controlled by the head,  which is Nebuchadnezzar, who typifies the god of this world. This beast is a leopard that we know cannot change his spots (Jer 13:23), and just as the metals are decreasing in their value on the construct of the statue in Daniel chapter 2, so are the beasts becoming more evidently controlled by the powers and principalities of this world. Those powers are demonstrated as being wholly on the leopard who has “four wings of a fowl; the beast also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.” The four wings of a fowl represent all the evil spirits of this world that manifest on the whole of mankind, the four heads, and dominion was given to this beast, “dominion was given to it“, just as the kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of Satan who has dominion over them and is the dragon “which gave power unto the beast” (Rev 13:4, Mat 4:8-9). Brass in scripture, which is actually copper, represents the best flesh has to offer,  but there is no conversion happening to this beast who is like a leopard, that we know cannot change his spots [his nature] without Christ (Pro 14:12, 1Ki 22:22).

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? 

Jer 13:23  Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Dan 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 

The last empire is the basest of all the empires and also the strongest or overtly open in its opposition to truth, “the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.” This fourth kingdom is “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth” as shown in Daniel 7:7. It’s from the mouth of the adversary that the accusations come day and night from the accuser of the brethren who has these “great iron teeth”, meaning he is inflexible and a liar and unrepentant, as are his children, represented by this fourth beast, who like Satan wants to sift the elect as he goes about breaking in pieces and bruising whomever God will grant him the power to do (Mat 10:22). Of course the devil will not prevail in his attempt to destroy the church, and in fact it will turn to our deliverance (Rev 2:10) and his being cast out along with his angels (Rev 12:7-9). This fourth beast, that is “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly”, is part of the composite beast spoken of in Revelation 13:1-18. The dream-is-one principle is in full effect here, as we see in Revelation 13, all four beasts being brought together to represent one beast. Who that beast is all along is revealed in the last verse of this 13th chapter (Rev 13:17-18). It is mankind who will try to prevail against the saints with great iron teeth, the gates of hell that lead down to the abussos of every soul, where what comes out of a man defiles him (Mat 16:18, Mat 15:11)

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mat 15:11  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the second half of this seventh chapter (Dan 7:8-28) regarding the horns on this fourth beast that is further developed in its description in the book of Revelation with the composite beast (Dan 7:19, Dan 7:24, Rev 13:1-2).

Dan 7:19  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 

Dan 7:24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 
Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 
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.

This last empire represents the end of this present dispensation just prior to the return of Christ and has “ten kings” that represent the fleshly carnal rule of mankind at its basest level, represented by the base metal of iron mixed with clay (Dan 2:41-45). That kingdom is soon going to be toppled by the kingdom of God which is near and on the horizon. Satan knows he has a short time and is full of wrath (Rev 12:12) as explained by this diverse fourth beast, with these words of wrath “exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet” (Dan 7:19). What encouragement we can take from Revelation 12:12 even in what will be a perilous and dark time (2Ti 3:1-7)!

Dan 2:41  And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 
Dan 2:42  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 
Dan 2:43  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 
Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Dan 2:45  Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers 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.

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Jer 28:1-7  When the Word of the Prophet Shall Come to Pass, Then Shall the Prophet be Known

[Study Aired January 9, 2022]

Jer 28:1  And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
Jer 28:2  Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Jer 28:3  Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:
Jer 28:4  And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Jer 28:5  Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,
Jer 28:6  Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.
Jer 28:7  Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;
Jer 28:8  The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.
Jer 28:9  The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.
Jer 28:10  Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.
Jer 28:11  And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
Jer 28:12  Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 28:13  Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.
Jer 28:14  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.
Jer 28:15  Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
Jer 28:16  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.
Jer 28:17  So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

The events of our last study took place “in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah.” In that study Jeremiah the prophet had made a wooden yoke and placed it upon his own neck and had messengers with yokes go from the court of King Zedekiah to all the pagan nations surrounding Israel and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The message they were to take to the pagan kings surrounding Judah was the same as the message Jeremiah was giving to King Jehoiakim and the people of Judah, many years earlier in the days of King Jehoiakim. That message was that they would one and all be given by the Lord into the hand of the king of Babylon. No one would escape. “All nations” and “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond” will serve the king of Babylon.

Spiritually the book of Revelation takes the historical fulfillment of Jeremiah’s words of warning as a prophecy that “all nations” will be placed under the spiritual harlot, ‘Babylon the great’, and the beast she rides upon:

Rev 13:16  And he [the beast] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

In scripture women symbolize churches and religions, and Pagan Babylon is referred to in the feminine gender riding on a beast:

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [false doctrines], and the kings of the earth have committed fornication [false doctrines] with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies [false doctrines].

In chapter 26 Jeremiah almost lost his life for telling King Jehoiakim and the people of Judah and Jerusalem that the Lord would make Jerusalem and Judah “like Shiloh” and ‘take away the glory’ of Judah and Jerusalem if they refused to repent of their trespasses and their self-righteous iniquity against the Lord and all His commandments.

Chapter 27 begins with:

Jer 27:1  In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 27:2  Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,
Jer 27:3  And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
Jer 27:4  And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;
Jer 27:5  I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
Jer 27:6  And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

In verse 12 of this same 27^th chapter, Jeremiah delivers the same message to the king of Judah:

Jer 27:12  I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
Jer 27:13  Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Jer 27:14  Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jer 27:15  For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
Jer 27:16  Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jer 27:17  Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

Jeremiah’s message did not change from one king to the next. It began in the reign of Josiah, the most righteous king Judah ever had, and it ended in the reign of Zedekiah, Josiah’s brother, who was Judah’s last king before being carried away into Babylonian captivity.

During Jeremiah’s entire prophetic career, the Lord had firmly established him as one of His bona-fide and divinely approved prophets by having him foretell the fate of all King Josiah’s sons, who ascended the throne after him, beginning with Shallum, the immediate successor of his father, King Josiah. Shallum was deposed by Pharaohnecho who replaced him with his brother, Eliakim, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Then the Pharaoh took Shallum, also called ‘Jehoahaz’, to Egypt where he remained until the time of his death.

2Ki 23:34  And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz [Shallum] away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.

Before any of this happened, here is what the Lord had Jeremiah to prophesy concerning the fate of King Shallum, an Old Testament type of our rebellious, self-righteous ’old man’:

Jer 22:11  For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:
Jer 22:12  But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

This prophecy concerning King Shallum is one of many which confirm this verse in the New Testament:

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood [our self-righteous, rebellious old man] cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Pharaoh replaced Shallum (Jehoahaz) with Shallum’s brother, Eliakim, whose name he changed to Jehoiakim, and to further establish Jeremiah’s credentials as a true prophet of God, this is what the Lord told Jeremiah concerning the fate of Jehoiakim, a type of another stage of our old man:

Jer 22:18  Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
Jer 22:19  He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

This is what happened to Jehoiakim:

2Ch 36:5  Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
2Ch 36:6  Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
2Ch 36:7  Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
2Ch 36:8  Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

Babylon is certainly “beyond the gates of Jerusalem”. The fact that we are told he “slept with his fathers” does not mean he was brought back to Jerusalem to be buried as some have contended:

2Ki 24:6  So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

We all “sleep with our fathers” when we die, regardless of where we are located or where we are buried.

2Ch 26:23  So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

“The field of burial” was not in Jerusalem proper, yet we are told “[Uzziah] slept with his fathers”. The same was true of King Ahaz, the father of King Hezekiah:

2Ch 28:27  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

It was King Jehoiakim who had the prophet Urijah slain for saying the same thing Jeremiah said concerning the judgment of Judah and Jerusalem:

Jer 26:20  And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
Jer 26:21  And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
Jer 26:22  And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
Jer 26:23  And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Jer 26:24  Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

Jehoiakim reaped what he had sown. He died as Jeremiah had prophesied and was given “the burial of an ass”, and Jeremiah was further established as the Lord’s prophet who never once prophesied anything which did not come to pass.

Jeremiah’s unbroken track record continues with his prophecy of the fate of Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, who briefly succeeded his father to the throne:

Jer 22:24  As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah [another name for Jehoiachin] the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
Jer 22:25  And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Jer 22:26  And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
Jer 22:27  But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.
Jer 22:28  Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Jer 22:30  Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Exactly as the Lord had revealed to Jeremiah, so it happened to Jehoiachin, also called ‘Jeconiah’ and ‘Coniah’:

2Ki 24:15  And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2Ki 24:16  And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
2Ki 24:17  And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

No son of Jehoiachin ever “sat upon the throne of David”. Instead, King Nebuchadnezzar placed Jehoiachin’s great uncle, the brother of King Josiah, who was Jehoiachin’s grandfather, upon the throne of David, and Zedekiah was the last king of the nation of Judah.

With all these fulfilled prophecies one might think that King Zedekiah would be afraid to cross Jeremiah who had proven to be a true prophet of God. Nevertheless, as we will see in this 28^th chapter, such is not the case. Zedekiah is far more concerned with what the people think than with what God has to say.

Jeremiah had been commissioned by God to warn the people, the priests and the king against listening to any prophet who denied that the Lord was in the process of punishing His people for their trespasses against Him. He prophesied that the Lord’s own nation would serve the king of Babylon and that they should ignore any prophet who said otherwise:

Jer 27:7  And all nations shall serve him [Nebuchadnezzar], and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
Jer 27:8  And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
Jer 27:9  Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:
Jer 27:10  For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

The spirit which was in the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day is the very same spirit which was in the false prophets of Christ’s day who said:

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?

This is the very same spirit which today shouts out, “I have never blasphemed the name of God, and He will never pour out the seven plagues of His wrath on me.” Our calling is the calling of Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s calling typified the calling the Father had given Christ to speak for Him and to warn His own people that if we do not fulfill the seven plagues of His wrath in our lives, then we will never enter the temple of God:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

The Lord brings this message to ‘King Zedekiah’ within us, and we do not want to hear His words:

Jer 27:12  I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
Jer 27:13  Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Jer 27:14  Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jer 27:15  For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
Jer 27:16  Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jer 27:16  Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon:
Jer 27:17  Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
Jer 27:18  But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
Jer 27:19  For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,
Jer 27:20  Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
Jer 27:21  Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
Jer 27:22  They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

“I spake to Zedekiah, king of Judah according to all these words…” (Jer 27:12). This statement is a type of the witness the Lord has given each of us. Zedekiah is a type of our own self-righteous ‘king’ sitting on the throne of God within the ‘temple’ of our bodies. The reluctance of Zedekiah to believe the words of this thrice-proven prophet of God typifies our love of family, friends, and the society in which we live, more than our fear of and our love of an “invisible God” who communicates His “manifold wisdom” to mankind through other men:

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be  unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

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 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

1Ti 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be  honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We cannot help rebelling against His ways and resenting the leaders He places over us because that is how the Lord has made all men. We are all made of the dust of the ground. We are all made “corruptible… flesh and blood” which just naturally wants to do what we are told not to do, and we all just naturally justify ourselves with “the stumbling block of our iniquity”:

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

What exactly is this “stumbling block of [our] iniquity”? Obviously, it is our iniquity which is:

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his [“own righteousness”] iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit  incorruption.

Our story today “happened to [the people of Jeremiah’s day] and it is written for our admonition” (1Co 10:11). These events demonstrate just how weak we all are when we are faced with being alienated from our families, our friends and from the society around us:

Jer 28:1  And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

This is the only mention in scripture of “Azur the prophet”, so we know nothing more about him. “The same year” refers to the time immediately preceding, as laid out in the previous chapter:

Jer 27:12  I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

The events we are discussing in this chapter take place “the same year” in which Jeremiah had four times told the people, the priests and the king not to listen to, or be persuaded by, any false prophet who might attempt to convince them that they need not go into Babylonian captivity, and that those who happen to be there would very shortly be coming back home to Judah and Jerusalem.

Notice how explicitly the Lord admonishes His people against thinking they can avoid Babylonian captivity:

Jer 27:9  Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

Jer 27:14  Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

Jer 27:16  Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now  shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jer 27:17  Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

This “Hananiah, the son of Azur the prophet” obviously had no appreciation for the proven credentials of the prophet Jeremiah. Hananiah had no prophecies which he had made concerning the fate of the sons of Josiah. Yes, he was “the son of [a] prophet” but he did not have the divinely appointed, irrefutable credentials of Jeremiah. What Hananiah did have was what we all have by nature. He had a carnal mind which was “enmity against God and was not subject to the law of God, neither indeed [could it] be”:

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.

It is our naturally rebellious carnal mind, which hates the law of God and drives us to want to hear only “smooth things [and] deceits”:

Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Isa 30:11  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

Here are the “deceitful… smooth things” Hananiah prophesied in the Lord’s name in direct contradiction to the words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah:

Jer 28:2  Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Jer 28:3  Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:
Jer 28:4  And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

This is what the Lord had really said:

Jer 27:16  Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

Hananiah had listened closely to Jeremiah’s words and had taken it upon himself to prophesy in the Lord’s name the exact opposite of what the Lord had told Jeremiah even concerning the timing of the return of the vessels of the Lord’s house.

Jeremiah had never once said or prophesied that the vessels of the Lord’s house would never be returned. What the Lord had warned against was that it would be any time soon:

Jer 28:5  Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,
Jer 28:6  Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Jeremiah looked forward to the day when the Lord would judge Babylon and restore His people to their land… “the Lord perform your words which thou has prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the Lord’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon to this place”. Like all false prophets, Hananiah had painted himself into a corner. Two years would come and go, and then there would be no doubt that Hananiah was a false prophet who had prophesied lies. The Lord has hardened the hearts of all false prophets for a time. They all love the things of this world more than the invisible things of the spirit, and if God has so ordained it, they simply cannot find place for repentance, even when proven wrong:

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Jer 28:7  Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;
Jer 28:8  The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.
Jer 28:9  The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

Like any true prophet of the Lord, Jeremiah is willing to wait to see which prophet is speaking for the Lord and which is speaking falsely. The Lord had told Elijah that He would demonstrate who was and who was not the true God, and based on the Lord’s words, Elijah spoke with great confidence:

1Ki 18:22  Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1Ki 18:23  Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
1Ki 18:24  And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

This happened many years before these false prophecies of Hananiah. Hananiah was the son of a prophet and fancied himself a prophet of the Lord. He had read about what the Lord had done to the prophets of Baal, and he also knew that Jeremiah had prophesied truthfully concerning all three of Josiah’s sons which had been on the throne after his death. Still, he presumptuously pits himself and his lies against a proven prophet of the Lord, just as we all do when we are at first introduced to the Truth of the Lord’s Words. Next, Hananiah presumptuously takes the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and destroys the symbol the Lord had given Jeremiah to show His people that they must serve the king of Babylon:

Jer 28:10  Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.
Jer 28:11  And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

It is abundantly clear that this false prophet, Hananiah, was very bitter toward the prophet Jeremiah, and it is equally clear that same bitter spirit had infected the priests and the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Here is what the Lord tells us about “a root of bitterness” springing up within us:

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

‘Many enter in through the broad way that leads to destruction’. ‘Many are called but few are chosen’, and “many are defiled [by a] root of bitterness… springing up” when they simply do not like the Lord’s ways, His words and those through whom He sends us His words.

Jeremiah has already confessed that he was more than willing to wait and see which of these two prophets were of the Lord. Jeremiah knew that Hananiah’s presumptuous stunt would not change the Lord’s mind, and Jeremiah was willing to wait on the Lord to demonstrate who was and who was not a true prophet of the Lord. It is for our admonition that the Lord, just as He did through the prophet Elijah, does not wait two years to make known who is righteous and who is wicked… who serves God and who serves Him not:

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

The Lord has “[His] jewels… made up” long before the first resurrection. He is ‘making up His jewels’ as He gives to us the ability to “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves him not” in this “present time” (Rom 8:18). “Now are we the sons of God”, and like all the Lord’s true prophets, we know who we are because ‘[we] know His voice’:

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.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Here is the verse which incites “a root of bitterness” in all those who are unwilling to believe these words:

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  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.

Who does John think he is? John knows who he is, and John knows how to discern the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. John knows how to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God…”:

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

There is no article preceding the word ‘flesh’ in verse 2. The Greek simply reads ‘sarx’, ‘flesh’, and it includes the flesh Christ was in, but it also includes the fact that we are His flesh and His bones. The Greek word ‘sarx’ here includes our flesh in which He lives while we are yet in this present time.

Jeremiah, as a type of the Lord’s sheep, knew that Hananiah was speaking lies to the Lord’s people. However, until the Lord told him otherwise, he was willing to wait upon the Lord. When the Lord spoke to Jeremiah, he did not hesitate to speak the Truth because he had complete faith in the Lord’s words:

Jer 28:12  Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 28:13  Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.
Jer 28:14  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.
Jer 28:15  Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
Jer 28:16  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.
Jer 28:17  So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

The day we deny the word of the Lord and ‘teach rebellion against the Lord’ and His doctrines by spouting out our own dreams and the doctrines of men, we are, at that moment, spiritually “cast… off from the face of the earth” and have spiritually “died the same year”.

May the Lord grant us all to fear to so much as “think above that which is written” but to ‘fear God and keep His commandments’:

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written,,so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

May the Lord grant us all the ability to “Try the spirits to see whether they be of God [and to] know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error” and be able to discern ‘the voice of… the True Shepherd”.

That is our study for today, and these are our verses for our next study which will demonstrate that the Lord begins His works within His people long before they are dragged out of Babylon:

Jer 29:1  Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
Jer 29:2  (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)
Jer 29:3  By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
Jer 29:4  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Jer 29:5  Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Jer 29:6  Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
Jer 29:7  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Jer 29:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
Jer 29:9  For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
Jer 29:10  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jer 29:12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jer 29:14  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

[Study Aired December 6, 2021]

Dan 4:19  Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 
Dan 4:20  The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 
Dan 4:21  Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: 
Dan 4:22  It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. 
Dan 4:23  And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; 
Dan 4:24  This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 
Dan 4:25  That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 
Dan 4:26  And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. 
Dan 4:27  Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. 
Dan 4:28  All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 
Dan 4:29  At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 
Dan 4:30  The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 
Dan 4:31  While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 
Dan 4:32  And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 
Dan 4:33  The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. 
Dan 4:34  And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 
Dan 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 
Dan 4:36  At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 
Dan 4:37  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. 

The previous study on the first part of Daniel Chapter 4 relates to the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had. We came to see that we are the tree that must be cut down because of our self-righteousness, signified by the tree’s height which reached the heavens and became a shade for all kinds of beasts. As indicated, being cut down means that we are going to be judged, and the result of this cutting down is to cause the beasts to leave the tree. In other words, our judgment brings about the dying of the beast within our old man.

Dan 4:14  He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

Fortunately, our judgment does not destroy us. As a stump of a tree, we are given to grow again in the newness of the spirit.

Job 14:7  For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. 
Job 14:8  Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil,
Job 14:9  yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant. (ESV)

Isa 6:13  And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump. (ESV)

Today’s study focuses on coming to realize that we are beasts and the blessedness of this revelation.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Dan 4:19  Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

The question is, “Why was Daniel astonied for one hour?” According to Strong, being astonied means being amazed or to wonder. We must remember that Daniel being amazed was because Nebuchadnezzar told him about his dream in which a very tall tree reaching the heavens with the beasts of the field dwelling in its shade and the birds of the heavens living in its branches was going to be cut down but not completely destroyed. As we indicated in the previous review, the tree represents us in our time in Babylon when the beast within, influenced by the devil, dominated us, and as a result we became worse off and needed to be judged signified by the cutting down of this tree. When we come to realize, through the scriptures, who we really are and that we need to be judged, we naturally become amazed of this revelation just as Daniel wondered for one hour. Being astonied means that our Lord had caught Daniel’s attention.

A similar reaction was shown by Moses when he wondered at the bush burning which was not being consumed. Again, the bush represents us, and the burning of the bush refers to our judgment. The bush burning and yet not being consumed means that our judgment will not destroy us. It is only our old man who is being put to death. It is the same as the tree being cut but the stump being left. Moses wondering at this sight means that the Lord had caught Moses’ attention.

Act 7:30  And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
Act 7:31  When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
Act 7:32  Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

These verses indicate that when our Lord gets our attention, by the revelation of who we are and the need to be judged, it is then that we begin to hear the voice of the Lord clearly.

In Daniel 4 verse 19, we are told that Daniel was amazed for one hour. The use of one hour in the scriptures usually relates to the fact that judgment is around the corner or it is being meted out speedily. The following scriptures are examples:

Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Rev 18:19  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

What we are being told in Daniel 4 verse 19 is that when we see who we really are and the fact that we are going to be judged, it means that our judgment is just around the corner. It is through this judgment that we get to hear the voice of the good shepherd.

Surprisingly, when Daniel heard the dream, his initial reaction was that the dream was for Nebuchadnezzar’s enemies. We all in our time in Babylon, thought that judgment was for others but not for us.

Dan 4:20  The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 
Dan 4:21  Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
Dan 4:22  It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

Here we are being shown that we are the beast as we see Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar that the tree represents him. It is the same as the prophet Nathan telling David that the rich man in the parable which he told David was David.

2Sa 12:1  And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2Sa 12:2  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
2Sa 12:3  But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
2Sa 12:4  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
2Sa 12:5  And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
2Sa 12:6  And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

In this parable Nathan told David, the emphasis was on the rich man, just like king Nebuchadnezzar being rich in the sense that he had grown strong, and his greatness reached the whole world. Spiritually, richness signifies self-righteousness or iniquity. This is made clear by David’s reaction against the rich man. He suggested that such a man must die. He thought he was righteous and would not do such a thing and did not consider that he was the rich man until Nathan revealed it to him.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

It is a great blessing of the Lord to cause us to come to know who we are and the fact that we need to be judged. Without this realization of who we are, it is impossible to know Christ.

Mar 10:24  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Mar 10:25  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The whole story of Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man was to bring out the point that we need to know ourselves as being the worst sinner. The rich man believed in his self-righteousness. Jesus telling him to go sell all he had to come and follow Him is another way of saying that the young man must be poor or must come to the realization that he is spiritually poor before salvation can be his.

Mar 10:17  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Mar 10:19  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Mar 10:20  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
Mar 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Mar 10:22  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

The man going away is to let us know that it is impossible for those who consider themselves as righteous (rich) to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Dan 4:23  And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him; 
Dan 4:24  This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
Dan 4:25  That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

As we have indicated, we are the tree stump that will receive the dew of heaven which is the word of the Lord that is able to make us grow again in Him. To eat grass like oxen is to let us know that we are beasts. The seven years of Nebuchadnezzar becoming a beast represents the complete time of our walk in Babylon when we come to realize that we are beasts.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

In verse 23, the tree stump being bound with iron and brass means that we are dragged by the Lord to Himself. The stump must be left in the tender grass of the field so that it will get wet with the dew of heaven. This is to suggest that our Lord will plant us in the church of the first born or the New Jerusalem so we can be beneficiaries of what every joint supplies, which is the word of God. Remember that grass of the field positively represents the elect.

Zec 10:1  Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

“Thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field” signifies that we are being sent as sheep in the midst of wolves. In other words, we shall suffer persecution and be hated by all men.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

The statement “Till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will” means that all Nebuchadnezzar was about to go through was for the express purpose of coming to know Christ and His ways. The whole process of cutting down of the tree with the remains of the tree stump in the midst of the tender grass of the field, the falling down of dew of heaven and the making of Nebuchadnezzar to eat grass like oxen are all for the objective of coming to know how Christ is intervening in the circumstances of humanity to select a few (vessels of mercy) in this age and to make the rest of humanity vessels of wrath. The purpose for this is that:

Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

This purpose is repeated in the next verse as follows:

Dan 4:26  And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

The heavens do rule in verse 26 is the same as saying that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men or that Christ is the source of every human endeavor. That is also to say that Christ, with all the heavenly and earthly resources, is in the process of transforming a few as marred clay into His image for the purpose of bringing in all humanity as His sons in the lake of fire age.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our 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.
Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

This process of transformation is also highlighted by the following:

Jer 18:1  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 18:2  Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

The heavenly and earthly resources available to Christ, and to us as His Christ, are as follows:

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

As verse 26 stated, Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom shall not be taken away from him after he comes to know that heaven rules in the affairs of men. This is to let us know that it is through this process of judgment that we ensure the kingdom of heaven will be ours.

2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The question is, “What things must we do to ensure that the kingdom of heaven shall be ours as stated in 2 Peter 1:10?” The preceding verses show us what to do. In saying this, we are not declaring that salvation is through our effort. God who has called us will enable us.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

All these qualities we need to ensure that our calling and election are established, are obtained through the process of judgment signified by the cutting down of the tree.

Dan 4:27  Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. 

If we accept that we are beasts and that we are going to be judged in our lives for our sins, then we have come to a place where our sins, together with our iniquities, shall be broken off and replaced by His righteousness. We shall know the Lord’s mercies and will therefore, be able to show mercy to all humanity in the age to come.

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.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Dan 4:28  All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 
Dan 4:29  At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 
Dan 4:30  The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

The number twelve stands for the number of Christ. So, what these verses are telling us is that it is when Christ comes into our lives, our iniquity of self-righteousness becomes obvious. Nebuchadnezzar, priding himself that it is his effort or power that he has built a kingdom, is the same as saying that it is through our own self-righteousness that we shall inherit the kingdom of God. It is at this point that the Lord comes in with His brightness to reveal and to destroy the old man or the wicked within us.

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:

Dan 4:31  While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 
Dan 4:32  And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

In verse 31, its says that while the king was boasting about his effort in building the kingdom, the voice of the Lord fell from heaven. It is unusual to describe a voice as falling from heaven. This voice of the Lord is the same as the Lord himself. So, the voice of the Lord falling from heaven is the Lord coming down to us from heaven with the brightness of His coming, which is His words. The Lord coming to us is to judge us as indicated by the pronouncement of judgment by the Lord on Nebuchadnezzar.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.

We have already indicated that the whole issue of Nebuchadnezzar being driven from men to become like a beast and to dwell with them for a period seven years is for the purpose of coming to know Christ and His ways. That is what it means when the scripture says that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. The kingdom being given to whomsoever he will signifies that the kingdom of heaven is given as a gift, and therefore not obtained by our own efforts.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Dan 4:33  The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. 

Hearing the voice of the Lord through His words that we are marred in the hands of the potter, and therefore need to be judged, means that our judgment is right at the corner!! It was when Nebuchadnezzar heard the voice of the Lord concerning his transformation into a beast that his judgment came at the same hour.

Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Dan 4:34  And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 

This verse is showing us the benefits of our fiery trials. In the first place, at the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s trials, he lifted up his eyes to heaven. Lifting his eyes to heaven is another way of saying that he has come to realize that his help comes from the Lord.

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 
Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Our fiery trials also bring to us understanding as we see Nebuchadnezzar getting understanding through his trials. In the scriptures, getting understanding is the same as getting wisdom, and wisdom means the fear of the Lord. So, through our trials, we are given to know the fear of the Lord.

Job 38:36  Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

Job 39:17  Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Our fiery trials bring us to appreciate the wonderful works of the Lord regarding how He takes us through trials, delivers us from our trouble, and brings us into our safe haven.

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Psa 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Psa 107:10  Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
Psa 107:11  Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
Psa 107:12  Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Psa 107:13  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:14  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
Psa 107:15  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Dan 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Verse 35 continues with the benefits of our trials. We come to realize that everything happening to us, and the world at large, is according to the counsel of God and that no one can resist His 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:

Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Dan 4:36  At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

We are being told here that when we get reason or understanding, we shall inherit the promise which is the joy that is set before us. As we indicated earlier, getting understanding occurs through our fiery trials as we see Nebuchadnezzar’s reason or understanding returned to him together with the restoration of his kingdom after his ordeal as a beast of the field.

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Dan 4:37  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

We cannot help but give praise and glory to our Lord for His wonderful work of salvation which He is doing in our midst. In the fullness of time, all humanity will give Him the glory and honor for all he has done for humanity!!

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Rev 5:12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Rev 5:13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

[Study Aired November 25, 2021]

1Ki 7:23  And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 
1Ki 7:24  And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 
1Ki 7:25  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 
1Ki 7:26  And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 
1Ki 7:27  And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. 
1Ki 7:28  And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 
1Ki 7:29  And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 
1Ki 7:30  And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition. 

The molten sea represents the place where the sea of humanity will be washed with the word of God which is a fiery word (Jer 23:29) that is going to be administered in the lake of fire in the last day “the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jer 5:14, Rev 20:10-15, Joh 12:48.

Jer 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 

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 [1Co 3:12-15].

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever [G1519 G165 G165]. 
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened…

[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 5:14)]

…which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

[He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day Joh 12:48, Oba 1:21, 1Jn 4:17]

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.

The strength of the elect’s relationship with God is symbolized by the twelve oxen that support the sea of humanity on their backs. These oxen represent the saviours who will come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (Oba 1:21). 

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Those who are called and chosen in this age to endure the chastening grace of God’s judgement (Heb 12:6) are represented by these twelve oxen, three on each side, the three representing the process of judgment which we must endure until the end of our lives in order to be saved so we can be those saviours. There are four sides of three meaning the elect will be used of God to save the whole world (2Ti 2:12, Mat 24:13, 1Co 6:3).

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? 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 

The power of these animals is represented by the horn, which power is given to the elect of God in this age (Rev 11:3) so that we can push against the powers and principalities against which we wrestle and overcome, through Christ (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:21). Judgment is upon God’s elect today who go without the camp with Christ and are nourished by the burnt offering which represents Christ and Christ in us who gives us the power to endure God’s wrath upon our old man, who must be destroyed outside the camp (Heb 13:13-15, Lev 4:12, Lev 8:17, Rev 15:8 , Mat 10:39).

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp [Lev 4:12, Lev 8:17], bearing his reproach [Isa 53:4, Col 1:24, 1Pe 2:24, Gal 2:20].
Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come [Mat 10:39].
Heb 13:15  By^G1223 him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 
Heb 13:15  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Lev 4:12  Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. 

Lev 8:17  But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled [“burnt with fire without the camp“]

The symbolism of the molten sea and all those things attached to it should paint a picture for us as to how the world is going to be saved through Christ’s bride who will wash the world with the living waters as represented by this “molten sea” (Rom 11:31). The gates that humanity must enter into to come to know God and his Son Jesus Christ (Joh 17:3) are spoken of in (Rev 21:9-13). Notice there are again four gates on the north, south, east and west and there are four groups of three oxen represented as supporting the whole world – the north, south, east and west. These oxen represent where the living waters are going to come forth to heal the nations spoken of in (Rev 22:1-2, Joh 7:37-38).

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. 
Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 
Rev 21:11  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 
Rev 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 
Rev 21:13  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 
Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

1Ki 7:23  And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

The statement “ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about” tells us that all flesh [10], or all carnal thought, will be destroyed and will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co 15:50). How that will be accomplished is then revealed to us with the dimensions spoken of “and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about“. The five cubits represents the grace through faith by which all men will be saved (Eph 2:8), and the thirty cubits reminds us that it is a process of judgment [3×10] that takes place while this is being accomplished.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

1Ki 7:24  And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 

The “knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast“, is a symbol that tells us that God is faithful to provide for our fleshly needs in this life “according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. It is “cast“^H3333 means that it’s something promised that God will see accomplished (Heb 6:18). If we’re given to seek the kingdom of God first, then He will add what we physically need along the way (Mat 6:33, Php 4:19). 

H3333
yets-oo-kaw’ Passive participle feminine of
H3332 poured out, that is, run into a mould: – when it was cast.

H3332
yaw-tsak’
A primitive root; properly to pour out (transitively or intransitively); by implication to melt or cast as metal; by extension to place firmly, to stiffen or grow hard: – cast, cleave fast, be (as) firm, grow, be hard, lay out, molten, overflow, pour (out), run out, set down, stedfast.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

These knops are “under the brim^H8193“and in two rows to witness to that truth which tells us God knows what we need before we ask Him (Mat 6:8). 

brimH8193  saw-faw’,
sef-eth’ 
(The second form is in dual and plural); Probably from H5595 or H8192 through the idea of termination (compare H5490 “hinder part“); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication language; by analogy a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.): – band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language (Zep_3:9), lip(s)(Isa_6:6-7 ,  Isa_57:19) , prating, ([sea-]) shore, side, speech, talk, [vain] words.

However, we are also being shown that this physical basis of God’s provision is secondary to the exceedingly more important trust that is formed in us via the judgments that are represented in this imagery found in the molten sea which is above the knops. The story of Jonah demonstrates this point very well, and the word knops is related to the word gourd which was a physical provision that was made for Jonah in time of distress in his life, that taught him the importance of showing mercy to others, as God has been merciful to us (Jon 4:1-11).

knops
H6497
peh’-kah  From an unused root meaning to burst; only used as an architectural term of an ornament similar to H6498, a semi-globe: – knop.

H6498   
pak-koo-aw’  From the same as H6497; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its seeds): – gourd.

Jon 3:10  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. 

Jon 4:1  But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 
Jon 4:2  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?

[This statement of Jonah is very indicting as it shows the lack  of mercy within him and how, when we are in Babylon, we are not seeking “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”. Rather our heart is “yet in my country” (Heb 11:10, Gal 3:28)].

…Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 

[Tarshish is a symbol of Babylon as well, and it’s amazingly how, in our yet carnal state in Babylon, we can understand “that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil” believing that we can be saved with that one sinner’s prayer which is a lie of the devil. Then we turn around after we’ve reassured ourselves that we are saved and go on believing that God should let people burn in hell for all eternity. Jonah was us in type and shadow struggling with his yet carnal and very unmerciful heart, which is what God has to reveal to us through suffering (1Co 10:11)]

Jon 4:3  Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live (Ecc 7:1).
Jon 4:4  Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
Jon 4:5  So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. 
Jon 4:6  And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. 
Jon 4:7  But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. 

[The gourd was a shadow over Jonah’s head and we don’t overcome by wrestling with shadows, so the Lord gave and the Lord took away Jonah’s comfort to show him what was in his heart as He does with us (1Co 9:26, Eph 6:12]

Jon 4:8  And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live [Second time he says this to witness to this truth (Ecc 7:1)].
Jon 4:9  And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? [Gen 3:9] And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death [Second time God asks the question to have us witness what is in our heart].
Jon 4:10  Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 

[God was showing Jonah how self-absorbed he was (flesh is) in those things that were given him of God and yet how lacking he was in concern for others. It takes a lifetime of much tribulation (Act 14:22) to keep us in a humble frame of mind so that we put others first as we learn obedience by the things we suffer in this flesh (Heb 5:8). God can and does brings us to remember through our trials: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” with grateful and content hearts (Job 1:21, 1Ti 6:6).]

Jon 4:11  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? [Nineveh represents the world to which the Lord is preparing our heart to show mercy in the great white throne judgment (Jas 2:13)]

Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 

1Ki 7:25  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

The molten sea “stood upon twelve oxen” is another way of saying the world will be founded upon the government of God represented by these “twelve oxen“. The temple was dedicated with twenty-four bullocks (oxen) to witness to the truth (2×12=24) that God’s elect are living sacrifices who are the first fruits unto God who are dedicated unto the altar through Christ (Heb 13:10) for the sake of those who will come after us (Num 7:88). 

Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 

Num 7:88  And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed. 

The oxen being able to face in every direction tells us again as we saw last week with the pomegranates (1Ki 7:20) that God’s eyes run to and fro throughout all the earth via His elect who are given to rule over the world through Christ (Rev 4:8, 2Ch 16:9, Eph 5:30, 1Co 12:17, 1Co 12:21). 

Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Then we’re told that “all their hinder parts were inward” to demonstrate that God’s elect are faithful witnesses whose crib represented by the inner part of the molten sea is not clean, meaning we are digesting the word of God that is sweet in our mouth and bitter in our belly, and the end result of that sanctification process (Joh 17:17) is what brings forth “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies”  (Pro 14:4-5). 

Pro 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. 
Pro 14:5  A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. 

The “three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east” is a witness of how all things, all directions in our life, work together for the good for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). If it were not for God’s judgment in our life that comes from the north, this would not be the case (Jer 1:14, Jer 4:6, Joh 3:8, 1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17-18).

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Jer 1:14  Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

Joh 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

How love is perfected in the saints (Heb 12:6): Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

1Ki 7:26  And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup , with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 

It is the awesome hand of God represented by “an hand breadth thick” that measures the elects’ lives first (Rev 11:1, 1Co 3:16 , 1Pe 4:17) as a kind of first fruits of His. This area of the molten sea was designed to look “like the brim of a cup” because we all must in our appointed time drink the cup of judgment (Jer 49:12) which we will be able to do through Christ who is symbolized by the “flowers of lilies“(Mat 20:23). As Christ did for us, and is doing for us, we will want to show the same mercy to others through the fiery judgment which must come upon all men, each in their own order, and we are promised that Christ in us will make a way for the world to bear up under those trials just as He has done for us and is doing for us in this age (1Pe 4:17), this points back to the imagery of beasts holding up the molten sea (1Co 10:13).

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Jer 49:12  For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

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.

The whole world will also be washed through this process by those angels who have already drank of the cup (Rev 16:16-17) and are now administering the living waters of God’s word, a process symbolized by this statement: “it contained two thousand baths“, which represents all the world [4×500=2000]. These numbers show us that all the world [4] will be saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8).

Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 
Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

1Ki 7:27  And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

These “ten bases of brass” were movable stands that could transport the water from the molten sea from place to place. This movable stand represents Christ and God’s elect who are sent forth as Christ was to bring those living waters to the world (Joh 20:21, Joh 3:16-17). Its “ten” bases of brass that each had these dimensions “four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it” that symbolize how all the world [4 cubits breadth and height] will go through a process of judgment symbolized with the [3 cubits height of it.]

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

1Ki 7:28  And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 
1Ki 7:29  And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 
1Ki 7:30  And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition. 

The workmanship done on the bases symbolizes the workmanship of God in our lives (Eph 2:10) that is ongoing and in the aorist tense as these words show us in 1Peter 5:10 [perfect^G2675[G5659] stablish^{G4741 [G5659]} strengthen^{G4599 [G5659]} settle^G2311[G5659] you]. These movable stands had wheels that “had borders, and the borders were between the ledges” providing strength to the wheel. In like manner, the many members of the body of Christ can be thought of as these spoke-like features that collectively add the needed strength for the water to be transported on these movable stands (Eph 4:16).

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. 

To further confirm where our strength comes from to do the work of the Lord, we see the imagery that was “on the borders that were between the ledges” and are told that there were “lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work“. Those details were inspired of God and are all symbols of Christ and His Christ. Here are but a few examples of that found in Scripture, as well as a couple of links to more detailed descriptions from Mike’s Revelation series:

Revelation 4:6-7 – Four Beasts, Part 2

Revelation 4:6-7 – Four Beasts – Part 3

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

Isa 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. 

1Co 9:9  For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 

Hos 11:10  They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. 

Mic 5:8  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 

Every movable cart had “four brasen wheels” and “plates of brass“, which is more symbolism to show us that it takes the fiery trials in our lives to forge the “four brasen wheels” and the “plates of brass“, the four brasen wheels representing the whole [4] body of Christ that works in unison with one another as many wheels within wheels that are all turning to the glory of God as Christ works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Eze 1:16, Php 2:12-13).

Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

This last section that talks about “the four corners thereof had undersetters^H3802: under the laver were undersetters^H3802 molten, at the side of every addition” is also part of the molten sea used to support the basin, strengthening the whole thing just as the wheel within the wheel of Ezekiel 1 above. Many translations use the English word “supports” instead of “undersetters”, and in some translations the word used is “shoulder” (Rotherham, YLT, LSV). When we look at the root of this Strong’s number, we see that it means “to clothe”, as a symbol to show us that it will be Christ’s righteousness alone that will clothe us and enable (Rev 19:7-9) us to endure to the end accomplishing all the work that we’ve been commissioned to accomplish from the foundation of the world (Joh 15:16, Eph 1:4).

undersetters H3802 
kaw-thafe’  From an unused root meaning to clothe; the shoulder (proper, that is, upper end of the arm; as being the spot where the garments hang); figuratively side piece or lateral projection or anything: – arm, corner, shoulder (-piece), side, undersetter.

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

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. 
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at part two of this last section of verses which illustrate more details of what the molten sea symbolizes for God’s people today (1Co 10:11).

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. 

1Ki 7:31  And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
1Ki 7:32  And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
1Ki 7:33  And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
1Ki 7:34  And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
1Ki 7:35  And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
1Ki 7:36  For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
1Ki 7:37  After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
1Ki 7:38  Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
1Ki 7:39  And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
1Ki 7:40  And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD: