“Journey Through the Kingdom to God’s Throne” – Part 6

The Throne Above the Mercy Seat – God’s Presence

[Study Aired Dec 10, 2024]

Introduction

In our journey through the kingdom, from the outer courts through the temple and beyond the veil, we arrive at the ultimate destination: the throne above the mercy seat. Here, the physical pattern reveals how God establishes His authority. As Moses recorded, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony” (Exodus 25:22).

This pattern points to a profound spiritual reality. Just as God’s presence dwelt between the cherubim, His authority now works through Christ within His people. The prophet Zechariah saw this: “he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne” (Zechariah 6:13). Solomon recognized the magnitude of this truth when he prayed, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Kings 8:27).

Christ Manifesting God’s Authority

God’s authority manifests through Christ in several key ways. First, it changes our understanding of authority itself. Instead of external command, we experience internal life. King David captured this reality: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). The prophet Micah saw this power: “But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin” (Micah 3:8).

Second, it establishes truth within us. The prophet Isaiah described this: “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:20-21).

Third, it empowers us from within. The prophet Jeremiah revealed this internal work: “After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me” (Jeremiah 31:33-34). Through this internal operation, God produces what external law could never accomplish.

Fourth, it establishes a new relationship with God. The psalmist experienced this: “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). This direct communion flows from God’s spirit, leading Asaph to declare: “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” (Psalm 73:25).

The prophets foresaw this new relationship. Through Isaiah, God declared: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). Through Ezekiel He promised: “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27). These promises reveal how God would manifest His authority through a direct, living relationship with His people.

This new expression of God’s authority brings wisdom and understanding that natural ability cannot achieve. Solomon described this wisdom: “When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee” (Proverbs 2:10-11). This wisdom comes through knowing God’s mind and ways through His spirit working in us. This wisdom leads us to surrender to His authority.

Authority Through Surrender

The yielding of our will to God’s authority comes through His causing us to submit. The prophet Jeremiah understood this when he prayed: “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented” (Jeremiah 31:18-19). This shows that even our turning to God comes through His work.

King Nebuchadnezzar learned this lesson of surrender through God’s humbling: “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 forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 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?” (Daniel 4:34-35).

The prophet Isaiah saw how God works this surrender: “O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name” (Isaiah 26:13). King David experienced this same work: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” (Psalm 110:1-3).

This surrender comes not through our own strength but through God’s spirit working in us. The prophet Ezekiel revealed this truth: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 11:19-20).

Through this work of surrender, we begin to experience the practical outworking of God’s authority in our daily lives. As the prophet Hosea declared, “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hosea 6:3).

Living Under God’s Authority Through Christ

The practical outworking of God’s authority affects every aspect of our lives. The prophet Hosea captured this all-encompassing influence: “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hosea 6:3). King David testified to this experiential reality: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Through His spirit, God produces specific fruit in our lives. The prophet Isaiah described this work: “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2). Solomon observed this provision: “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly” (Proverbs 2:6-7).

God’s authority transforms our vision. The psalmist understood this changed sight: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). Elisha’s servant experienced this transformed vision: “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

Authority Through Testing

God establishes His authority through testing and trials that reveal our dependence on Him. Abraham experienced this when God commanded: “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2). Through such tests, we learn complete reliance on God’s authority.

Joseph’s testing in Egypt reveals how God works through difficult circumstances: “Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him” (Psalm 105:19). Through years of slavery and imprisonment, Joseph learned submission to God’s authority, eventually declaring to his brothers: “ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20).

King Hezekiah’s experience shows how God proves His authority in our lives: “Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chronicles 32:31). Such testing reveals what truly rules our hearts.

The prophet Zechariah saw how this refining process works: “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God” (Zechariah 13:9). Through testing, God establishes His authority in ways that prosperity never could. Once proven through testing, this authority begins to manifest both inwardly and outwardly.

Manifesting His Authority

God’s authority shows itself publicly through those who have been proven through testing. The prophet Samuel demonstrated this: “And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:20-21).

Just as Moses’ face shone after being with God, His authority radiates through tested vessels: “And Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him” (Exodus 34:29-30). This outward manifestation flows naturally from submission to God’s authority.

The prophet Daniel exemplified how God’s authority becomes evident even to unbelievers: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm” (Daniel 6:3). Like Joseph in Egypt, Daniel’s submission to God’s authority was recognized even by those who didn’t know God.

This manifestation brings both blessing and opposition. Queen Esther faced this reality when declaring, “and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Through yielding to God’s authority, salvation came to His people. Similarly, Nehemiah encountered resistance while rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, yet declared “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:20).

Walking Daily Under God’s Authority

Learning to walk under God’s authority requires specific practices that flow from His spirit. The book of Job shows us this daily dependence: “My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:11-12). King David sought this constant relationship: “My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me” (Psalm 63:8).

Our relationship with Scripture deepens through God’s spirit. The prophet Amos foresaw a time when spiritual hunger would surpass physical needs: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11). The psalmist experienced this hunger: “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:10-11).

Prayer flows naturally as we submit to God’s authority. Hannah demonstrated this heart communion: “for I have poured out my soul before the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:15). The prophet Isaiah described this intimate fellowship: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

Making decisions under God’s authority means depending on His wisdom. Solomon understood this: “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:1). The prophet Isaiah described this guidance: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). This daily walk leads to deeper awareness of His presence.

Living in God’s Presence

The practical implications of God’s authority profoundly affect our daily experience. Moses understood this reality when he declared, “For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” (Deuteronomy 4:7). The psalmist Asaph captured this intimacy: “Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:23-24).

From this place of intimacy, we learn God’s ways and purposes. The prophet Samuel demonstrated this learning process: “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19). King Solomon described this growing wisdom: “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly” (Proverbs 2:6-7).

Understanding our position under God’s authority changes how we function in daily life. The prophet Habakkuk expressed this transformed perspective: “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places” (Habakkuk 3:18-19). This elevation above circumstances comes as we submit to His authority.

Regular communion with God transforms how we view all situations. Job learned this truth through trials: “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” (Job 42:5). The psalmist described this changed perception: “In thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Through His spirit, we gain God’s perspective on every circumstance. This awareness of His presence naturally leads to deeper communion.

Talking with God Through His Spirit

Understanding how we commune with God through His spirit transforms our concept of prayer. The prophet Samuel’s mother Hannah demonstrated this heart communion: “Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard” (1 Samuel 1:13). This internal communion surpasses external forms of prayer.

The spirit’s intercession flows from our union with Christ. King David experienced this intimate fellowship: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7). The prophet Isaiah described this direct access: “Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am” (Isaiah 58:9).

Our communication becomes natural and continuous as we yield to His authority. The prophet Jeremiah revealed this constant dialogue: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3). The psalmist lived in this continuous awareness: “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).

True prayer flows from Christ’s mind operating within us. The prophet Zephaniah foresaw this pure communion: “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:9). This purity of communion leads to deeper transformation through His authority.

Transformation Through God’s Authority

This walk under God’s authority produces deep internal transformation. The prophet Ezekiel saw this change: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). The psalmist spoke of this internal work: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Our old nature gives way to Christ’s nature as we are caused to yield to His indwelling life. The prophet Isaiah described this exchange: “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). Job witnessed this transformation: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

The spirit’s work aligns our will with God’s purposes. Samuel captured this alignment when he declared, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). The prophet Micah understood this internal reality: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).

This transformation affects how we relate to others. King Solomon described this changed perspective: “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:1). The prophet Malachi saw how true relationship flows from God’s life within: “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” (Malachi 3:16).

Conclusion

The throne above the mercy seat reveals God’s authority now manifested through Christ’s indwelling presence. The prophet Haggai foresaw this greater glory: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace” (Haggai 2:9). This reality fulfills what the physical pattern foreshadowed – God dwelling with and in His people.

Living under God’s authority means yielding to Christ’s life within us. The prophet Isaiah captured this yielded life: “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8). This internal work surpasses external religious observance, as Hosea declared: “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).

The practical outworking of this authority touches every aspect of our lives. King David understood this complete influence: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). The prophet Jeremiah experienced this internal guidance: “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9).

As we conclude this study on God’s authority through Christ’s indwelling, let us remember the prophet Zechariah’s vision: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Looking ahead to our next study on “The Living Temple – Christ in You,” we anticipate discovering deeper dimensions of this reality, for as Solomon declared, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee” (1 Kings 8:27).

May we, like the prophet Isaiah, respond to this indwelling presence: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). For in Christ, this reality of God’s authority expressed through His indwelling presence has become our daily experience and eternal privilege.

Next Study

Having explored God’s authority manifested through Christ’s indwelling presence, we next turn to examine an even deeper reality – that we are now God’s living temple. As Paul declares, “know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Part 7, “The Living Temple – Christ in You,” will explore how the physical temple pattern finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ dwelling in His people. We’ll study how believers are “living stones, are built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5), and what it means that “Christ in you, [is] the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Join us as we discover how God’s promise “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16) becomes living reality through Christ’s indwelling life. We’ll examine not only our individual experience as temples of God but also our corporate reality as “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

“Journey Through the Kingdom to God’s Throne” – Part 4

The Temple

[Study Aired Nov 26, 2024]

As we continue our journey through God’s spiritual temple, we must remember Jesus’s words that “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). This fundamental truth transforms our understanding of the temple from physical structure to spiritual reality. The Apostle Peter confirms this spiritual nature, declaring “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

The temple building consisted of three main sections: the Porch (Ulam), the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Each area represents progressively deeper spiritual experiences as we draw near to God. As Solomon wrote, “In thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36:9), teaching us that spiritual understanding comes through God’s illumination. The prophet Isaiah reinforces this, stating “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). Therefore, we must look beyond the physical structures to understand the spiritual truths they reveal about our relationship with God.

The Porch: Initial Approach

The Porch, or Ulam, served as the entrance to the temple proper. Standing before entering the Holy Place, it represents our initial approach to deeper communion with God. As the Psalmist wrote, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). This entrance speaks to our heart’s attitude as we draw near to God.

Its most striking features were two massive pillars named Jachin (“He shall establish”) and Boaz (“In Him is strength”). These pillars, while physical structures, represent spiritual realities. As Solomon recorded, “He set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz” (1 Kings 7:21).

These pillars speak to essential truths we must embrace as we draw near to God. Jachin (“He shall establish”) reminds us that all spiritual progress depends on God’s work, not our efforts. As David declared, “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” (Psalm 138:8). Boaz (“In Him is strength”) teaches us that our strength for this spiritual journey comes from God alone. As Isaiah proclaims, “Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4).

The height of these pillars – eighteen cubits each with chapiters of five cubits – reminds us of the majesty of God’s work in us. The ornate decorations of pomegranates and lily work speak to the fruitfulness and beauty that God produces. As Isaiah prophesied, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose” (Isaiah 35:1).

The position of these pillars at the entrance teaches us that we must pass between them – acknowledging both God’s establishing work and our dependence on His strength – to progress further into His presence. The prophet Jeremiah captures this truth: “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Standing in the Porch also placed one between the outer court and the Holy Place, representing a transition point between initial salvation and deeper communion with God. As Paul writes, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This transition requires leaving behind our self-reliance and fully embracing dependence on God.

The Porch’s measurements – twenty cubits broad and ten deep – created a space of preparation before entering the Holy Place. This reminds us that God prepares us for deeper spiritual experiences. As Isaiah declared, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). We must allow God this preparatory work before pressing further into His presence.

This preparation involves understanding that all spiritual progress comes through Christ, as He declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The Porch thus represents our recognition that further progress depends entirely on God’s grace working through Christ.

The Holy Place: Daily Service

Beyond the Porch lay the Holy Place (in Hebrew “qodesh” – Strong’s H6944, meaning “holy, set apart, sacred”), where priests performed daily service before God. This sacred space represents a deeper level of communion with God, as David yearned: “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

Only priests could enter this holy chamber, foreshadowing our privileged position in Christ. As Peter reveals, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The physical restriction of access teaches us spiritual truth – drawing nearer to God requires greater consecration. Moses recorded God’s warning: “And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death” (Numbers 3:10). This “stranger” represents our carnal nature, the old man which must die for true spiritual service to occur. As Paul declares, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). The death sentence on the stranger entering the Holy Place shows us that our fleshly nature cannot approach God: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:6-7).

The Holy Place was completely enclosed, with no natural light penetrating its walls. As Paul teaches, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Just as priests could only see by the light of the golden lampstand, we depend entirely on God’s Spirit for spiritual insight: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

The distinction between the Holy Place and the outer court reminds us of Paul’s words about progressing from milk to meat: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Priestly Service and Spiritual Reality

The activities in the Holy Place were restricted to priests, foreshadowing the elect’s privileged position in Christ. Peter reveals this truth: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). This spiritual priesthood fulfills what God originally declared to Israel: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).

This priesthood carries duties. The priests’ careful attention to daily duties teaches us the need for consistent spiritual service. Paul exhorts, “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” (Romans 12:1). Just as physical priests had to be consecrated before service, we too must be sanctified for spiritual service: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Physical priesthood required specific qualifications and preparations. No priest with blemishes could approach: “For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or anything superfluous” (Leviticus 21:18). This physical restriction teaches us that our spiritual service requires Christ’s perfection worked in us: “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

The priests’ garments also carried spiritual significance. They were told: “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). These holy garments picture the righteousness of Christ that clothes us: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). “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.” (Revelation 19:8).

Within the Holy Place stood three pieces of sacred furniture, each positioned according to God’s precise instructions and each carrying deep spiritual significance. On the north side stood the Table of Showbread, on the south the Golden Lampstand, and before the veil the Altar of Incense. This divine arrangement created a pattern for spiritual service and communion with God.

The Table of Showbread stood on the north side of the Holy Place. God specified its measurements precisely: two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high (Exodus 25:23). The table was overlaid with pure gold and had a crown of gold around the top (Exodus 25:24), speaking of divine nature and Christ’s kingship through whom we have fellowship with God.

The Hebrew name “lechem panim,” literally meaning “bread of faces” or “bread of presence,” emphasizes its placement before God’s presence. God commanded Moses regarding its preparation: “And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof… And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD” (Leviticus 24:5-6). Upon these loaves, God commanded: “And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD” (Leviticus 24:7). This pure frankincense, never used with sin offerings (Leviticus 5:11), but only with offerings of fellowship and communion, represents Christ’s righteousness through which our communion with God becomes acceptable. As Paul declares: “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” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Just as the frankincense made the bread a memorial before God, it is Christ’s righteousness that brings us into remembrance before Him.

This bread was to remain before the Lord always: “And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway” (Exodus 25:30), representing Christ’s eternal presence before God on our behalf. The twelve loaves signify God’s complete provision for all His people, as Jesus declared: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). Just as this bread sustained the priests, Christ sustains us spiritually: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever” (John 6:51).

The priests’ eating of this bread in the holy place carried deep significance: “And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute” (Leviticus 24:9). This exclusive eating foreshadows our privileged communion with Christ: “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Just as the Table of Showbread provided spiritual nourishment, the Golden Lampstand provided spiritual illumination. These two aspects of spiritual life work together – we need both the bread of God’s Word and the light to understand it. As David declared, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

The Golden Lampstand, known in Hebrew as the “menorah” (Strong’s H4501), derived from “nur” meaning “light” or “fire,” was fashioned from pure gold according to the pattern shown to Moses: “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made… And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.” (Exodus 25:31,37). This beaten work speaks to how it was shaped – hammered out of a single piece of gold: “Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels” (Exodus 25:39). No joints or separate pieces were allowed; it was one complete unit.

The lampstand had six branches extending from its central shaft: “And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side” (Exodus 25:32). These, together with the central shaft, made seven lamps total: “And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it” (Exodus 25:37). Each branch was decorated with specific designs: “Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower” (Exodus 25:33).

Its light came from pure olive oil, as God commanded: “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always” (Exodus 27:20). This oil had to be specially prepared: “beaten for the light” – the olives were beaten, not crushed in a mill, to produce the purest oil. The priests maintained this light continually: “Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD” (Exodus 27:21).

The lampstand provided the only light in the Holy Place, as no natural light could enter. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Just as the priests needed the lampstand’s light to perform their service, we need Christ’s light to serve God: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

With nourishment from the bread and illumination from the lampstand, we are prepared to approach the Altar of Incense. This progression teaches us that true prayer (represented by incense) flows from feeding on God’s Word and walking in His light. As John writes, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another” (1 John 1:7).

The Altar of Incense (mizbach haqetoreth – Strong’s H4196, H7004) stood before the veil. Made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, it measured one cubit long, one cubit wide, and two cubits high (Exodus 30:2). The Hebrew term “qetoreth” refers specifically to sacred incense made according to God’s precise formula: “And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy” (Exodus 30:35). This incense represents the prayers of God’s people, as David wrote: “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). Morning and evening, this incense ascended before God: “And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations” (Exodus 30:7-8). John’s vision confirms this spiritual meaning: “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” (Revelation 8:3). The continuous offering of incense teaches us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The priests’ daily service included replacing the showbread every Sabbath (Leviticus 24:8), trimming the lamps and adding oil morning and evening, and offering incense. These exacting specifications and duties remind us that approaching God must be according to His terms, not our preferences. As He warned through the example of Nadab and Abihu: “And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD” (Numbers 3:4).

Drawing Nearer Still

The arrangement of temple furniture created a progression toward God’s presence. Each item required priestly attention, teaching us that drawing near to God involves active participation in spiritual disciplines while relying on His enabling grace. As James instructs, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8). James adds the requirement: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8), showing this drawing near requires purification.

Moving from the Table of Showbread to the Lampstand to the Altar of Incense marked stages of deeper communion. David understood this progression: “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts” (Psalm 65:4). Each step brought the priest closer to the Most Holy Place, just as our spiritual walk draws us nearer to God: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15)

This progression ultimately leads to the veil, beyond which lay the Most Holy Place. The veil itself represents Christ’s flesh, as scripture reveals: “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). Through Christ’s sacrifice, this veil was rent: “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Matthew 27:51), giving us direct access to God’s presence: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).

Practical Application

These temple truths must transform our daily walk. Like the priests maintaining the lampstand, we must continually tend our spiritual light through prayer and Scripture meditation. As Jesus warned the church at Ephesus: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place” (Revelation 2:5).

As the showbread was renewed weekly, we need regular renewal through feeding on God’s Word. Job understood this priority: “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). David likewise declared: “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

The continual incense reminds us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Daniel exemplified this practice: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).

Understanding these patterns helps us fulfill our priestly calling more effectively. Paul urges, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Just as the priests had specific duties at specific times, we too must order our spiritual lives with purpose: “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

This study of temple patterns aids our spiritual growth as we see God’s design for drawing near to Him. Every detail teaches us spiritual truth, fulfilling Paul’s words: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

Looking Ahead

As we conclude our examination of the Holy Place, we anticipate studying the Most Holy Place beyond the veil. There we’ll discover even deeper truths about communion with God through Christ. For now, let us apply these Holy Place lessons, remembering that “we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

Through understanding and applying these temple truths, we progress in our spiritual journey, always remembering that the physical temple merely foreshadowed Christ and His work in us. For “we are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

“Journey Through the Kingdom to God’s Throne” – Part 3

The Temple Mount and Courts: Ascending to God’s Presence
Through Judgement and Revelation

[Study Aired Nov 19, 2024]

Introduction

In our previous studies, we traced the spiritual journey of drawing near to God’s presence, beginning at the gates of Jerusalem: “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:2). These gates revealed Christ as the only true entrance: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). This journey emphasized the narrow way leading to life: “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).

Through these gates, we explored a progression of transformation, each step revealing Christ’s work within us: “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This ascent follows the psalmist’s declaration: “They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God” (Psalm 84:7).

In this study, we advance from the city gates to the Temple Mount and its courts, uncovering deeper spiritual truths. These physical structures represent the stages of spiritual ascent: from foundational purification to higher revelation. Each step draws us closer to God, transforming us “into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The Temple Mount: Foundation of Ascent

The Temple Mount, located in Jerusalem, holds profound spiritual significance both in its historical context and in its symbolism for our spiritual journey. It is first mentioned in Scripture as the site where Abraham’s faith was tested when God asked him to offer his son Isaac: “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2). This ultimate act of obedience foreshadowed Christ’s sacrifice and established Mount Moriah as a place of revelation and communion with God.

A Place of Elevation

When Solomon built the temple, he chose this same mount for its construction: “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father” (2 Chronicles 3:1). Its elevation above the city reflects the principle of drawing closer to God through spiritual ascent. As Isaiah declared: “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain” (Isaiah 40:9). This elevation also calls believers to rise above the distractions and impurities of the world, as Paul exhorts: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

The physical height of the Temple Mount symbolizes the spiritual truth that approaching God requires a higher perspective. It asks us to leave behind worldly concerns and ascend toward His presence, as reflected in the psalmist’s question: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). The answer reveals that only those with clean hands and pure hearts — qualities that only Christ can produce in us — are prepared for such communion: “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:4).

Separation and Sanctification

The elevation of the Temple Mount not only reflects physical separation from the rest of the city but also teaches the spiritual principle of sanctification. God calls His people to be distinct: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing” (2 Corinthians 6:17). This separation is not isolation, but a life set apart for God’s purposes. Jesus exemplified this in His prayer for His disciples: “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:15).

As believers, we are called to live lives of holiness that reflect our position as a “city set on a hill” (Matthew 5:14). The Mount’s elevation teaches that those who seek higher revelation must walk in greater obedience and purity, for “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Christ as the Foundation

The massive foundation stones of the Temple Mount serve as a powerful symbol of Christ, the cornerstone of our faith: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). These stones were carefully hewn and prepared before being placed, reflecting God’s work in shaping His people through judgment and refinement. Solomon’s command regarding these stones echoes this preparation: “And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house” (1 Kings 5:17).

This preparation mirrors God’s work in believers, as Paul describes: “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). Each stone represents a life shaped by God’s hand, fitting perfectly into His spiritual house. The Mount’s foundation stones also speak to the enduring strength and stability that Christ provides, for “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Unity and Equality in Christ

The level platform created by the Temple Mount’s massive foundation stones symbolizes the unity and equality believers have in Christ. Regardless of background, all are brought to the same spiritual level through His work: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). This leveling process humbles the proud and exalts the lowly: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

Orientation Toward Revelation

The Temple Mount’s careful orientation, with the temple facing east, carries profound spiritual significance. Eastward orientation often symbolizes anticipation of God’s glory and the dawning of new revelation. Ezekiel foresaw this when he described God’s glory approaching from the east: “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east” (Ezekiel 43:2). This vision connects with the promise of Christ’s return and the increasing clarity of revelation for those who seek Him: “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

The eastward focus also ties to Christ as the rising Sun of Righteousness: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2). As we ascend spiritually, we are called to orient our lives toward His light, seeking His guidance and revelation: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

The Great Court: Initial Cleansing and Revelation

The Great Court, also called the Outer Court, represents the initial stage of drawing near to God. It was the largest area of the temple complex, designed to accommodate multitudes, symbolizing the inclusive nature of God’s call to salvation: “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Yet, while God desires all to approach Him, entering the deeper courts requires a process of cleansing and spiritual refinement.

A Place of Sacrifice: The Brazen Altar

At the heart of the Great Court stood the brazen altar, constructed of brass, a material that represents judgment. This was the site of animal sacrifices, where offerings were consumed by fire as a foreshadowing of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). The altar teaches that our first approach to God is not based on our works but on the beginning work of Christ: “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

The perpetual fire on the altar symbolizes the ongoing work of God’s judgment and refinement in our lives: “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out” (Leviticus 6:13). This continual fire reflects the process of sanctification, where believers are purified through trials that reveal and remove impurities: “That the trial of your faith… might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). These trials teach us reliance on God, who purifies us as gold is refined in fire: “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver. And they shall offer to LORD offerings in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3).

Cleansing Through the Brazen Laver

Beyond the altar stood the brazen laver, a large basin made of brass and filled with water. Priests were required to wash at the laver before ministering: “When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not” (Exodus 30:20). This washing represents the cleansing power of God’s Word, which purifies our hearts and minds: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26).

Positioned between the altar and the tabernacle, the laver shows that deeper revelation and service to God follow the acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice. This ongoing cleansing is essential for spiritual growth, as David prayed: “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). Just as the priests could not approach God without washing, believers must continually examine themselves to ensure they are walking in purity: “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).

The laver’s location teaches that cleansing is not a one-time event but a continuous process, preparing us to draw nearer to God. This principle aligns with the psalmist’s declaration: “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130). As we allow God’s Word to reveal and correct our shortcomings, we are transformed into vessels fit for His service.

Symbolism of Hewn Stones and Cedar Beams

The Great Court’s construction included rows of hewn stones and cedar beams: “And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams” (1 Kings 7:12). The hewn stones, shaped with precision, symbolize the believer’s transformation through God’s judgment: “As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand” (Jeremiah 18:6). These stones, like the foundation stones of the Temple Mount, were prepared before being placed, reflecting the refining process God performs in our lives.

The cedar beams atop these stones represent strength that comes through humility. While cedar often symbolizes pride and loftiness—“The cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up” (Isaiah 2:13)—it must first be broken before it can be used in God’s house: “The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 29:5). This breaking process aligns with James’s teaching: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). Together, the hewn stones and broken cedar beams illustrate the balance of humility and strength needed for spiritual growth.

Exposure to Natural Elements

The Great Court was open to the natural elements—sun, rain, and wind—reflecting the believer’s early spiritual experiences, where external circumstances still greatly influence their walk with God. This exposure symbolizes the trials and challenges faced by those beginning their journey of faith. Yet even in these early stages, God provides stability and protection, as depicted by the covered areas supported by pillars around the court: “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1).

The pillars also represent God’s enduring support for His people, as seen in His promise to overcomers: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God” (Revelation 3:12). These structures remind us that while we may be exposed to the elements, God is our refuge and strength: “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy” (Psalm 61:3).

Purging Worldly Influences

The Great Court also accommodated activities such as buying and selling, which Jesus later cleansed: “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise” (John 2:16). This act of purging underscores the need to remove worldly distractions from our approach to God. Paul exhorts believers to separate the precious from the vile: “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use” (2 Timothy 2:21).

The purging of worldly influences is a key part of our preparation to serve God, as David prayed: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). This cleansing brings greater joy and understanding, enabling us to draw nearer to God with pure motives: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:12).

The Inner Court: Drawing Nearer Through Greater Judgment

The Inner Court represents a deeper stage of spiritual communion, marked by greater purification and revelation. Unlike the Great Court, which was accessible to all Israelites, the Inner Court was restricted to the priests, emphasizing the principle of greater separation for those who draw nearer to God. This deeper level of access requires not only outward cleansing but inward transformation, as Isaiah declared: “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD” (Isaiah 52:11).

Restricted Access and Spiritual Separation

The restricted access to the Inner Court highlights the spiritual principle of sanctification, where greater intimacy with God requires greater holiness. Paul wrote, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). This purification is not merely external but a deep, inward work of judgment that refines and prepares the believer for closer fellowship with God.

The distinction between those permitted in the Great Court and those allowed in the Inner Court symbolizes the call to priesthood, a role that involves not only privilege but also accountability. Believers are called to this spiritual priesthood through Christ: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Spiritual Ascent Through Judgment

The elevation of the Inner Court above the Great Court required ascending steps, a clear picture of spiritual ascent through judgment. “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.” (Psalms 57:4-5). This ascent reflects the believer’s call to rise above earthly concerns and seek the things of God: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).

Spiritual ascent requires a willingness to endure God’s refining process. Just as Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive God’s law, believers are invited to draw closer to God, even as He works to purify their hearts. God’s invitation to Moses reflects this calling: “Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them” (Exodus 24:12). This ascent brings not only revelation but also the warning to live according to God’s word.

Priestly Service: Duties and Preparation

The Inner Court was the place of daily service for the priests, including preparing sacrifices, maintaining the altar, and ensuring the temple was in order. These duties required diligence and discernment, reflecting the call for believers to grow in their understanding of God’s word: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

The preparation of sacrifices and the careful inspection of offerings for blemishes symbolize the believer’s call to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God: “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” (Romans 12:1). This service requires attention to spiritual purity and readiness, as Paul instructed Timothy: “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4:15).

The priests’ work also involved the constant upkeep of the altar and temple, a reminder that spiritual growth requires ongoing effort. Just as the priests tended to the temple, believers must continually nurture their relationship with God through prayer, study, and obedience: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Drawing Closer to God’s Presence

The Inner Court’s proximity to the temple building symbolizes the privilege and availability of drawing nearer to God’s presence. This nearness brings greater revelation, as David expressed: “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10). Even the lowest position near God’s presence surpasses any worldly honor.

With this nearness, however, comes increased accountability. Jesus taught: “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). Believers who draw closer to God are entrusted with greater understanding and are called to live lives that reflect His holiness: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). This deeper communion with God is accompanied by the privilege of knowing His heart, as the psalmist declared: “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14).

The refining work that takes place in the Inner Court leads to transformation, as Paul described: “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” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This transformation prepares believers for even deeper communion with God, as they progress toward the Most Holy Place.

Conclusion: A Journey of Transformation

The journey through the courts of the Temple Mount represents a progressive path of drawing nearer to God, one that requires judgment, purification, and spiritual ascent. Each stage—from the Temple mount to the Great Court to the Inner Court—teaches essential principles for those seeking deeper communion with Him.

The Great Court: Beginning the Journey

In the Great Court, we learn that the first step toward God is through sacrifice and cleansing. The brazen altar reminds us that Christ’s sacrifice is the foundation of our salvation: “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Here, we acknowledge our need for His atonement and embrace the process of sanctification, symbolized by the perpetual fire and the washing at the laver.

This outermost court also reflects the believer’s early spiritual experiences, where external influences still affect their walk with God. Through the trials and cleansing represented in this court, we begin to separate from worldly distractions, preparing to enter a closer relationship with Him: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

The Inner Court: Drawing Closer

Progressing to the Inner Court symbolizes a deeper commitment to God’s purposes. This stage requires greater separation, as represented by the restricted access granted only to priests. It calls for a higher level of purity and readiness, reflecting the truth that those who are drawn closer to God must also endure greater judgment: “Every branch in me that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2).

The duties of the priests in the Inner Court point to the spiritual discernment and preparation required for deeper service. This preparation refines us, teaching us to “offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Here, we experience the transformation that comes from proximity to God’s presence, being changed “from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Ascending Toward the Holy

Both courts point to the ultimate goal of the believer’s journey: entering the Most Holy Place, where God’s presence dwells. The progression from the Great Court to the Inner Court mirrors the believer’s spiritual ascent, moving from initial cleansing to a deeper, more intimate communion with God. This journey is not merely one of physical location but of the heart, as the psalmist declared: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God” (Psalm 84:5-7).

The courts teach us that each stage of this journey requires greater surrender, humility, and reliance on God’s grace. The sacrifices, washing, and acts of service all point to the necessity of transformation, as we are conformed to the image of Christ: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

A Call to Prepare for His Presence

The Temple Mount’s physical courts serve as a shadow of spiritual truths, reminding us that approaching God requires preparation and holiness. The writer of Hebrews captures this reality: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Each step closer to God demands not only greater obedience but also greater reliance on His Spirit to guide and transform us: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

As we reflect on this journey, we see that the courts are not merely destinations but stages of relationship with God. They remind us that the path to Him is one of constant growth, requiring us to leave behind the distractions of the world and press toward the mark for the prize of His calling: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Looking Ahead: The Temple Building

Our journey does not end here. Beyond the courts lies the sanctuary itself—the temple building, with its three sections: the Porch, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. Each section reveals deeper revelations of Christ and His work in us. As we move toward the Most Holy Place, we will examine the golden furnishings, the veil, and the ark of the covenant, all of which point to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan in Christ.

Join us in our next study as we continue this journey into “the Holiest of all” (Hebrews 9:8), exploring the riches of God’s presence and the transformative power of His Spirit.

The purpose of suffering in the body of Christ

[Study Aired January 25, 2024]

The purpose of suffering in the body of Christ is so that we may be nourished by our heavenly Father through a communion that has been purposed “before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4) for those who are being purified today and learning how we are to conduct ourselves in the house of God, “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1Ti 3:15, 1Co 14:37). Through our many diverse trials and afflictions, the bride is being made ready to rule and reign under Christ today so that in the future the world will learn of His righteousness (1Co 10:16-18, Isa 26:9).

Eph 1:4  According as He has personally chosen us for Himself before the foundation of the world in order that we might be holy and blameless before Him in love;

1Ti 3:15  But if I should delay, you have these things in writing, so that you may know how one is obligated to conduct oneself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

This process of judgment upon the elect is hidden from those in the world who do suffer and bear a burden in this life as well as the sparks of life fly upward for all flesh (Job 5:7, Rom 9:22). However, in the body of Christ there is an intimate joining of our lives which God has predestined from the foundation of the world making us one in Christ through filling up what is behind of the afflictions of our Lord for His body’s sake, the church (Col 1:24). The church that suffers and rejoices together is kept together through a  process of cleansing that is sanctifying the body. It is the washing by the word that is accomplishing this sanctification, and that word is likened to fire (1Co 12:26, Eph 4:4, Col 1:27, Col 1:24, 1Co 10:17, Rev 19:7, Joh 17:17, Jer 23:29, Jer 5:14).

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and shout with joy; and let us give glory to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.

The judgment we are under in this life (1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 4:12) is what makes the elect a peculiar people who are zealously being prepared as God’s workmanship (Eph 2:10) to become the prepared, gone-onto-perfection bridegroom’s wife in that blessed and holy first resurrection. We are called to move with fear to the preparing of the spiritual ark, that is the body of Christ, the church. It is through our suffering that we will cease from sinning (1Pe 4:1-2, Tit 2:11-12) and learn of the liberty that comes with having God’s spirit in our lives, the faith of Christ that makes it possible for us to overcome and not fail (2Co 3:17, Luk 22:32). It is God’s spirit that helps us mortify the deeds of our flesh so we can die daily and live our lives out in zealous service toward one another (1Pe 2:9-11, Tit 2:14-15, Rev 19:7-9, Rev 20:6).

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

How we can continue to be zealous of good works, and be careful to maintain those works.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

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;

The body of Christ must go through a lifetime of overcoming and our flesh must be witnessed against as we fall seven symbolic times in this life (complete) (Pro 24:16, Act 14:22, Psa 119:164) but rise up each time stronger through Christ becoming more mature in Him. That is why Paul said, “I now rejoice” having gone through so much tribulation and suffering for the gospel’s sake and coming to deeply believe in God’s faithfulness that would see him endure to the end. That should be a tremendous reason to say, “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” (2Pe 3:18, Col 1:24).

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

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

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

The symbolism of being saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) was given to us with the story of Peter’s denial of Christ where what Christ prophesied to Peter was for our sakes to remind us that boasting is excluded by the law of faith and that salvation is a gift of God given to those who come to see, by the grace of God, that their flesh has nothing to do with obtaining that salvation. It is solely by the witness of Christ’s life in us [cock crows twice] that we can endure through that process of putting off our flesh [Peter denies Christ thrice], as we learn through that gnashing-of-teeth experience of  having denied Christ that we are the chief of sinners, and that only by grace through faith, can any one of us be saved. The cock crowing twice and Peter denying Christ thrice adds up to five, which is the number for grace and reminds us of that free gift of God’s chastening in our lives that makes it possible for us to be received of Him in this age (Heb 12:6). That is the favour being shown to the body of Christ today that leads to our salvation in Him (Heb 12:6, Tit 2:11-12, Eph 2:8).

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.

This study is meant to point us to the promises that explain how we will be more than conquerors through Christ who loved us, inseparable from the love of God, and promised that Christ won’t deny Himself this opportunity given Him by our Father to be the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:1-2). That faith must be tried through a life-long process to which we’ve been called (Act 14:22, 1Pe 1:7-9, 1Co 10:13), and it will be accomplished through our hope of glory within, Jesus Christ, who has apprehended those whom the Father has given him, and will lose none (Col 1:24, Col 1:27, Php 3:12, Joh 17:12). When we read that Christ won’t deny Himself, we are being told that He is faithful to finish what He has started as the author and finisher of our faith. This is He whom we desire to be found in when He returns (Php 1:6, Php 3:8-16).

Due to time constraints placed on me this week, I plan to read this FAQ of Mike and will start a new series after this, Lord willing.

The Purpose of Suffering

[Attached for convenience]

Hello Mike,

I hope this finds you well.

I am starting to understand the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Each day a tiny bit more of His truth seems to crystallise in me.

I hope you don’t mind me taking your time and emailing you directly. I don’t doubt it is something quite straight forward for you, but I am still grappling with it.

I understand and even see the beauty in what God does to His children through fiery trials and the chastening we receive. I don’t look back on what I’ve been through and grieve for a moment of it because I can see His purpose in it through the beautiful blessing of spiritual sight He, for whatever reason, has given me.

How do you make sense of or think about how such a great deal of people suffer extensively in often the most horrific ways since birth and them not given the privilege of understanding His greater purpose? I personally take great heart in knowing that they will all be saved, refined and transformed into His image, but that is of no comfort to them now as they cannot understand this.

I know we are all just vapor and dust, but I struggle to deal with helping these most tormented and afflicted people who don’t see any hope or point in their lives.

I am not at all questioning the potter, and I know it will just be a shortcoming in my understanding,​ but I guess I am curious as to what you think about all of this or, as would be better, what the Bible says about this.

Forgive me if it’s all quite straight forward, but alas it troubles me.

Many blessings to you and I am ever grateful for your fellowship and teachings,

M____

 

Hi M​____​,

Thank you for your question. It is one which I, too, have struggled to understand, but over the years I have come to see that it is my self-righteous carnal mind which simply cannot accept the fact that God’s love is superior to what my carnal mind calls love. My carnal mind tells me that suffering has nothing to do with ‘love’. However, as any parent knows, suffering has a lot to do both with being a good parent and with the true Biblical “love of God” as our own spiritual ‘parent’:

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?

My carnal mind tells me there is a big difference between a parent lovingly chastening his son and all the seemingly needless suffering of so many innocent children, the elderly, and so many victims of what appears to us to be needless violence. The hardest thing for me to accept is the torture and abuse of innocent children. The long drawn out suffering of adults who are simply standing on their Babylonian faith, and the suffering of the elderly, as well as the life-long suffering of so many afflicted people, just all seems so unnecessary to me as a natural man.

My flesh tells me in no uncertain terms that if I were God I would have come up with a much more humane and merciful way of saving all men. As ‘God’ I would just make every man alive and full of love and humility, and respect for his fellow man, and I would simply have perfected everyone in a spirit body to begin with. I would have just left off this messy, bloody thing called “the cross” with all of its unnecessary suffering.

With all of those thoughts, and without the Lord’s mercy, I would have been overwhelmed with resentment toward the Lord for not doing His work my way and not being more loving and more merciful toward His creatures. However, through His mercy, I have been made to see and to accept the absolute Truth that I am not God, and therefore I do not know better than God what is the best way for Him to work with His own creation.

When I was thirteen years old I remember my Father telling all six of his children that the Bible was the Word of God, and that the answers to all of our questions were in the Bible. God gave me at that tender age to believe what my father was teaching me. His father, my grandfather had told him the very same thing, and while neither of them were given eyes to see nor ears to hear the things of the spirit (Mat 13:9-15), they both were given great faith in the letter of the Lord’s words.

So all I have to offer anyone is what I have been given faith in the Word of God to believe and to understand about any question I am asked. I cannot bequeath to you faith in the Word of God. Faith in God and in His Word is a gift from Him to those to whom He chooses to give it in this age:

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 1:4  According as He has personally chosen us for Himself before the foundation of the world in order that we might be holy and blameless before Him in love; (AFV)

Although I was given a deep regard for the Bible from my youth, like all of us, I “forsook [my] first love” (Rev 2:4) and had to be chastened and scourged and crushed to powder to be brought back to a much deeper respect for the Lord’s voice, and a much deeper understanding of who the Lord is, the necessity of all of my own suffering, and a much deeper understanding of what His love is. I am now very grateful for all the suffering I endured because it brought me to overcome ungodliness in my own life in this present age.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [Greek: (G3811) paideuo, chastening] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

As an aside, the revelation that “the grace of God… chastens us” is just one more Biblical refutation of the two false doctrines of a ten-second sinner’s prayer and a substitutionary atonement in which Christ died for us so we don’t need to die. Both of those doctrines have robbed many people of the Truths of the Words of God which teach that “grace… chastens us” and that we must “die daily… be crucified with Christ… and suffer with Him” if we want to reign with Him:

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 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

I was granted the faith to discover that knowing the Lord was the very definition of eternal life:

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

My father was a very strict religious Pentecostal who required the whole family to listen to Him read a chapter of scripture every morning and every night. As a child I cannot tell you how much I resented coming in late at night after putting up hay all day long, eating dinner and then having to listen to my father read a chapter of scripture. I always went to sleep, but at the same time the Lord permitted my father to instill a deep respect for God’s word. He told us over and over with his little Babylonian faith, “Whenever it seems that the Bible is contradicting itself, the problem is your lack of understanding. There are no contradictions in the word of God.”

Those words stuck with me and were used by the Lord to get me past my struggles with all the suffering we see in the Lord’s creation.

The Lord has granted me to accept the fact that the suffering of this age, as painful as it is to experience and to contemplate all the pain felt by others of all ages and circumstances, is all a temporal experience which He has designed as an evil foil against which He is in the process of displaying His love for all men of all time.

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

This is a verse of scripture which tells us up front what the Lord is in the process of doing:

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)

“To humble them by it” tells us that we have been given over to pride by the Lord’s design. One of the functions of the very evils you and I are discussing is the suffering which the Lord has placed upon “the whole creation”.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

In the Lord’s own time, the Lord will drag all mankind to bow in desperation to the feet of His elect, who, typified by Joseph, will administer judgment upon all His brothers and will drag all men to Himself:

Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw [G1670: helkuo, drag] all men unto me.

Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

The Greek word translated as “draw” in this verse in John 12 is helkuo, and here is how Strong’s correctly defines the meaning of this Greek word:

G1670
ἑλκύω, ἕλκω
helkuō helkō
hel-koo’-o, hel’-ko
Probably akin to G138; to drag (literally or figuratively): – draw. Compare G1667.

Going back to what the Lord tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:13, we must acknowledge that the way He is dragging us to Himself is through “an experience of evil to humble [us] by it”.

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Returning to your question concerning how you are to deal with “the same affliction of your brothers [who] are in this world”, the Lord Himself has left us the perfect example “that [we] should follow His steps”:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

After being beaten so severely that He died before the other two men who were being crucified with Him, Christ spoke these words of comfort to one of those men:

Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The fact is that both of the thieves with whom the Lord was crucified will be brought up in the great white throne judgment to be purified with the same fiery words which are purifying us in this age. However, these men were not being dragged to Christ even though one of them was granted to know who Christ was. He still had not been given the holy spirit because the spirit was not yet given.

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.
Joh 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

We are to count ourselves as being on the cross with Christ:

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.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

“Is crucified” is in the Greek aorist tense, which means that this is not just a past event, but our dying is a “daily dying [and] being crucified with Christ” ongoing experience. In us Christ continues to be crucified daily. Here is how Paul put it:

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.

The Lord is our example. As we interact with the whole creation with whom we are suffering in this age, we must follow Christ’s example and speak words of comfort to them. Christ did not attempt to explain to the thief that the thief would die and sleep in the dust of the earth for the thousands of years between his death and the great white throne judgment which follows the thousand-year reign. He simply spoke very comforting words: “you will be with me in paradise”.

Crucifixion is an excruciating way to die, but our Lord endured His own crucifixion to bring life to all men:

Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw [Greek: helkuō, drag] all men unto me.

Eternal torment in everlasting flames of literal fire has no basis in scripture. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” is the doctrine of Jesus Christ concerning His plan for all of suffering mankind.

There is no truth to the false doctrine of a ten-second sinner’s prayer or the substitutionary atonement through the death of Christ. Rather, this is the Truth of how we must enter into the kingdom of God:

Mat 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Mark repeats this straight-forward refutation of the false doctrine of a ten-second sinner’s prayer:

Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

The preceding verses in both Matthew and Mark warn us against believing the words of “many… false prophets… coming in Christ’s name” (Mat 24:11 and Mar 13:6). Those false prophets invariably tell you that God does not make men wicked, does not create evil, and certainly does not make us “to err from [His] ways”, and does not intend for us to suffer. However, what does God Himself say?

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

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

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.

In that way they attempt to shift the responsibility for all the evil in this world from God’s very wise and sovereign will over onto the weak shoulders of His poor, marred, struggling creatures. If indeed Christ is beginning to grow within you, then you will know that is not the voice of the True Shepherd, and you will hear His voice in His own scriptures:

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.

“His voice” teaches us that all the suffering in the world is the fruit, not of our free will choices to do evil, but rather it is all the result of the “dying… experience of evil [which] the Lord has given mankind to humble him by it”:

Gen 2:17 and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it–dying thou dost die.’ (YLT)

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.

God is in the process of creating mankind in His own image. We must “enter into His rest” (Heb 4:1-4) on the seventh day before that plan will be completed.

In the meantime, He has given mankind an experience of evil to humble us and to make us to appreciate the fact that, although He has given us an experience of evil, He has also devised means that His banished be not expelled from Him:

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.

If indeed all the suffering God has placed upon mankind did not eventuate in the salvation of all mankind, then the Lord would indeed be the evil monster which the eternal hell-fire ministers of “historical Christianity” proclaim Him to be. God really has “devised means that His banished be not expelled from Him and “all in Adam… shall be made alive”:

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

The wonderful news is that this will all be accomplished through you if you are given to believe on Him and suffer with Him:

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.

Paul summarized the purpose for all the suffering we see around us and all the suffering we endure in these words:

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
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.

I pray these verses help you to cope with all the suffering you see which the Lord is working within us and all around us as the foil against which He is wisely in the process of displaying His great mercy upon all men of all time.

Your brother in the Christ, Mike

God has openly shown his salvation to us [all flesh which is heathen or gentile unto God (Eph 2:11-12)], but that does not predicate that there will be spiritual understanding coupled with that which He shows mankind unless what He shows us is mixed with faith.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

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 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Our calling in Christ is understood through the history of humanity that has served the elect in their unbelief (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11), which unbelief is defined in some cases as having the gospel preached to you, but not having it mixed with faith, therefore not giving them (and us in our time) the ability to see the spirit behind the letter, which spirit can be seen when the veil is ripped (Mar 15:38, Heb 10:20).

The veil is the flesh that has to be put off, and is the reason Christ said to those disciples who believed on him (Joh 8:31) that they must eat his body (the veil Joh 6:53-55) and drink his blood (1Co 10:16). To put off the physical flesh of Christ’s relationship, as the disciples understood him in the natural at first, is to understand the words and works that Christ did as being parables, with a spiritual message that can quicken us (Joh 6:63).

Physical food physically quickens us, and if we see the spiritual meaning behind the parable and eat the flesh and blood of Christ (His words) we will be spiritually quickened by it (Joh 6:63). Without the comforter coming within us (Joh 16:13), however, those parables will continue to blind the masses as God intended them to do and not be spiritually digested so to speak (Mat 13:13).

When we see the Word in the letter, it is reserving us to judgment. However, when we see the word of God in the spirit, it is preserving us through judgment today. God’s word, which is spirit, is the power of God that quickens us and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness as we are being saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (1Co 2:5, 2Ti 3:16, Eph 2:8-9).

We must abide in Christ for a long period of time (our whole life), to come out of the “earth, earth, earth” (Jer 22:29) that is hearing and seeing in part (1Co 13:9, 1Co 13:12) or progressively hearing the words of Christ and seeing the works of our Lord more and more as we are being led to the perfection that will occur on the third day (Rom 8:14, Luk 13:32). Our communion and cup in Christ is revealed to be our suffering, which suffering we endure through Christ and His body as we fill up what is behind of his afflictions (1Co 10:16, Col 1:24), experiencing what He experienced in the flesh as we overcome and, God willing, endure until the end (Mat 24:13). It is that suffering which we endure together that God uses to build up the body of Christ, and the altar [the cross] is a place of suffering, but also a place of freedom and liberty in Christ (1Co 10:16, 2Co 3:17, Gal 2:20, Mat 16:24).

Today with Christ’s inspiration and help, we are putting off the fleshly types and shadows of the old covenant to reveal the spiritual life of Christ in all those stories that were preserved for those who have been blessed to be given eyes to see and ears to hear those parables today (Mat 13:16). We are called to believe on the words and the works being done in Christ’s life and His body (Joh 14:11) and to know that His flesh and our flesh are only the means to the end, the veil that has to be circumcised or put off so we can become a new creation in Him (1Co 15:46, 2Co 5:16, Gal 6:15).

Having faith to understand all mysteries and to move all the obstacles of this life in our heavens is not necessarily an indication of someone to whom God is “making known his salvation” (1Co 13:2), which salvation we have in earnest as we strive for the mark of the prize of the high calling by fighting a good fight of faith as we labor for the meat which does not perish (Php 3:14, 1Ti 6:12, Joh 6:27).

We must also be given His love which is shed abroad in our hearts and working with that gift of faith as we are led of the spirit to bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ (Rom 5:5, Gal 6:2). Through the exercise of laying down our lives for one another, faith is tried and we are counted worthy to reign with Christ because of that suffering, that joyful burden (Rom 8:18) which we are blessed to endure together until the end of our life, by and through Christ who strengthens us and makes this possible both to will and to do (2Ti 2:12, Php 2:13). This is how God shows his salvation to us in this age, through giving us the ability to see our Saviour in each other and our Father, which is leading to eternal life.

Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

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

Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

“The LORD hath made known his salvation” through those type and shadow sacrifices of the law and the offerings which we are offering today through Christ with each other. Each offering gives us nourishment and strength (each joint supplies – Eph 4:16) to continue to abide in the Lord (1Ti 4:13-16). The message is always the same, lose your life, make the sacrifice and you will be nourished and find life in Christ, deny the life of carrying your cross and mortifying the deeds of the flesh and His love will wax cold (Luk 9:24). Thanks be to God if we are His, for He is making known His salvation unto us today, if that’s the case, and that should give us great reason to rejoice, and again I say rejoice, because we know that Christ will not lose any whom the Father has put in His hands, and that although we must deny Christ at first, if we are His, Christ will not deny Himself even after we feel like Peter at some point in our walk having denied our Lord with bitter tears.

1Ti 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
1Ti 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Mat 26:34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice [oh earth, earth, earth – Jer 22:29].

Our life in Christ must be completely given over to His purposes alone (Luk 22:42, Mat 26:44) as we learn what the true riches are in Him and how they are given to very few in this age (Mat 22:14). The rich young ruler represents our time in the law when we were being reserved for judgment but not yet able to see the true riches in Christ (2Co 3:13-16). The rich young ruler was called and chosen, and when asked to give up those perceived riches for something far greater (as the sun outshines the moon), he could not give up the glory of the moon at that time as he was connected to his fleshly heavens and could not see the Lord was making known his salvation unto him. The Lord loved him and knew at this time he would reject it (Mat 19:17-26).

This rejection of the gospel is all to the glory of God (Rom 11:11-12) as he causes all these different lives to unfold according to the counsel of his own will (Eph 1:11), including the disciples who were “exceedingly amazed” at this message at this time before they were converted because they could not understand that without the holy spirit within how this veil, this fleshly situation could be ripped, to which Christ replied in regard to the rich young ruler, who we all are in our appointed time, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Gal 5:6, Jas 2:14-16, 2Ti 2:12).

Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Mat 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time [oh earth, earth, earth Jer 22:29], saying the same words.

So we see it is only through Christ in us that we will be able to “come out of her my people” (Rev 8:4) by the power of His might which is working mightily in each of us. God reassures us as His children that if we were reconciled by His death, how much more will we be saved by his life which is in us.

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.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

In our last study, we talked about the elect being preserved (Pro 2:8, Pro 16:17) by God through judgment, which is on the house of God, and the rest of humanity being reserved unto judgment (2Pe 3:7) in the second resurrection. God gives us different measures of faith in the body of Christ so we can see that we are joined as one body with many members (1Co 14:26), who are growing at different paces of faith, and given to share our gifts while we operate with the same spirit (Rom 12:3, 6, 1Co 12:1-16). Faith without works is dead so we must be careful to maintain good works (Tit 3:8) together as one body (Jas 2:14, Joh 14:15, Jas 1:22, Php 2:2, Jas 1:27, Joh 15:13, 1Co 13:3). Those works will destroy, little by little, the reserved state in which we all found ourselves under the law, making us not only hearers of the word but doers as well (2Co 3:18, Rom 5:5, Jas 1:22, Jas 1:27). It is in the ‘doing’ that we are being preserved unto salvation, a salvation “The Lord has made known” unto us in this age (1Ti 6:18).

Pro 2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth^H8104 the way of his saints.

Pro 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth^H8104 his soul.

2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Without Christ in us we will never be able to compare spirit with spirit using the physical as a type as we should (1Co 2:13). The Christian mainstream says they believe that we are saved by grace and faith, and yet grace is no longer grace because grace is connected to works (Rom 11:5-9). Like it says in verse nine of Romans 11, God purposed mankind to be trapped in the letter, in the law, like the rich young ruler who had kept all the things that pertained to the law from his youth up. The word of the Lord to him “was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken” (Isa 28:13).

There’s nothing wrong with precept upon precept, line upon line, but if we are only seeing the letter and not comparing spirit to spirit using the physical, then we will “fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken”. We know the Lord is merciful to let us fall completely seven times so that we can eventually having done all stand (Pro 24:16, Eph 6:13)

We are blessed to receive the gospel which is preached to us today, and God gives His children the ability to go through the fire so that the faith that He gives us can be tried and tested to His glory. Without those trials we will remain an outward Jew or outward gentile who are a law unto themselves (Rom 2:14), but with those trials we will become a Jew who is one inwardly as a result of that fiery circumcision called judgement that all men will in time experience (1Pe 4:17, Psa 98:9). This is how God shows us his salvation today!

One of the main differences that God is showing His elect which differs from those who have another Jesus that scripture says is not another gospel but a perversion of the true (Gal 1:6-10), is that the gospel which they receive without faith keeps them bound to a gospel that has to be, by necessity, bound to the letter (only) of the law, which is to know Christ after the flesh (Rom 3:19). The more the Lord cleanses our heavens and sanctifies us with his word, which is spirit (Joh 6:63), the more we can distinguish between these two ways in which the gospel is received, as we prove all things and hold fast to what is true (1Th 5:21).

With all of this background and the reminder of how impossible it is for the flesh to have faith, we will now look at the marvelous victory that His right hand is accomplishing for His people. With gratitude and thanksgiving we are called to this singing unto the LORD a new song, a song that is in the heavens and not bound in the earth or in the letter, which is the wisdom of men.

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Psa 98:1 A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
Psa 98:2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

Psa 98:1 A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The “new song” represents the new life in Christ, not the old song in the letter. The song of Moses was a type and shadow song of Christ’s life in us. The new spiritual life in Christ sings praises to God on high for the marvellous things his right hand has done and is doing and will be doing through us all.

Exo 15:1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

The right hand represents His power, and His holy arm reminds us that His purposes are extended out through the body of Christ, which will ultimately be used to do marvellous things and even greater works than those things which Christ did on earth.

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

God’s right hand and His holy arm have gotten Christ the victory just as surely as Christ’s right hand and holy arm are gaining us the victory today as we are used to be fishers of men, healing spiritually the eyes and ears of those who are drawn unto Christ in us.

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.

Psa 98:2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

In the opening to our study we discussed how the Lord has made known his salvation to all the world, “his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen” even his eternal power and Godhead through the physical things that reveal the spiritual reality of His greatness and power so that they are without excuse, as it says in Romans (Rom 1:20, Mar 10:6-9). We also saw that how we perceive what God reveals depends entirely on whether or not God is opening our eyes to see and our ears to hear the truth of his word (Mat 13:16).

God has joined the body of Christ together and no man can put it asunder, and it was determined to be so from the beginning. These verses in Mark 10:6-9 show us the type and shadow relationship with a man and a woman which reminds us that we [God’s elect], who are initially twain, are becoming one body (Eph 5:30), one bread (1Co 10:17), as He breaks down that middle wall of partition for His wife the church.

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. [let not man put asunder]

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.

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
Mar 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
Mar 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
Mar 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

By joining us unto Christ “no more twain, but one flesh” this is how “The LORD hath made known his salvation”, or rather is making known, His salvation to us today as He breaks down the old man in us and washes us with His word so we can become a bride without spot or blemish.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Mark 10:6-9 and James 1:27 tell us in type and shadow what God is doing with the bride of Christ, who has been called and chosen to become one with our Lord, as we do good works unto all men but especially unto the household of faith. We are no longer of our father the devil, so we are fatherless in that sense, and spiritually we are widowed from our first relationship with Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, out of whom we come. Now we practice pure religion by visiting each other and by not forsaking the assembling of ourselves in the Lord.

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
Mar 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
Mar 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
Mar 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

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

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

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.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at Part 2 of our study entitled “The LORD hath made known his salvation” where we will be reminded once again how all these old testament prophesies were written for God’s elect today to give us hope as we remember “his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel” who we represent as the “Israel of God” (Gal 6:16, Rom 2:28).

God is leading us to a place of rejoicing and of singing unto the Lord with the harp, and He uses all sorts of imagery to help us understand the joy that will be ours and is ours. This is our praise toward Him today, for His wonderful works to the children of men (Psa 107:31).

A verse that was recently brought to my attention speaks volumes of this joy which God is forming in our lives today found in these two verses in Isaiah.

Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isa 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

Psa 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psa 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Psa 98:5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
Psa 98:6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
Psa 98:7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psa 98:8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
Psa 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Audio Links

“The virtuous body of Christ” – Part 8

April 23, 2016

with Steven Crook

Our study today is focused on the work ethic of the virtuous woman who finds that her work is very useful for her household.

While we do not have the everyday need of spinning and preparing our own thread and clothing due to modern luxuries, there is still much we can recognize in the work that is involved in making sure these items were readily available for the needs of the household.

As with all scripture, there are age hold lessons which apply to us today in how we too can work for and prepare the appropriate items which represent who we are in Jesus Christ.

Working with our hands

Here is the verse we’ll be covering today:

Pro 31:19  She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

The first verse we are covering today took a little research on my part to determine just what was being said. Thankfully, the internet provides a wonderful resource for all of us today to learn about the things we do not already know about J

I watched several videos about the thread making process and also the utilization of that thread being used to make clothing items.

The real take away of Proverbs 31:19 for me is the time involved in creating just the thread that is needed to create a garment or clothing item. The work itself does not seem terribly complicated to spin yarn or thread, especially when you get the mechanics of it down, but the time and skill involved in making the thread and then making an item at of it is quite impressive.

Remember, our virtuous woman is a woman who is married to a king. She would not have the “need” to create her own thread and clothing items. However, being that she is willing and able to get in the mix and be involved in lowly work is quite telling about another one of her admirable personality traits.

I am sure we all know of examples of people in our lives who we look at and admire the work quality and ethics they have, and you are not the only one. The Lord also admonishes us of the importance of working hard and not fearing to put in a “good day’s work”.

Gen 2:15  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress H5737 it and to keep it.

(MKJV)  And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

The better translation translates the work “dress” the proper way because the majority of the time H5637 means to serve.

H5647

‛âbad
Total KJV Occurrences: 294
serve, 163
Gen_15:13-14 (2), Gen_25:23, Gen_27:29, Gen_27:40, Gen_29:15, Gen_29:18, Gen_29:25, Gen_29:27, Exo_1:13-14 (2), Exo_3:12, Exo_4:23, Exo_7:16, Exo_8:1, Exo_8:20, Exo_9:1, Exo_9:13, Exo_10:3, Exo_10:7-8 (2), Exo_10:11, Exo_10:24, Exo_10:26 (2), Exo_12:31, Exo_14:12 (2), Exo_20:5, Exo_21:2, Exo_21:6, Exo_23:24-25 (2), Exo_23:33, Lev_25:40, Num_4:24, Num_4:26, Num_8:25, Num_18:7, Num_18:21, Deu_4:19, Deu_4:28, Deu_5:9, Deu_6:13, Deu_7:4, Deu_7:16, Deu_8:19, Deu_10:12, Deu_10:20, Deu_11:13, Deu_11:16, Deu_12:30, Deu_13:2, Deu_13:4, Deu_13:6, Deu_13:13, Deu_15:12, Deu_20:11, Deu_28:14, Deu_28:36, Deu_28:48, Deu_28:64, Deu_29:18, Deu_30:17, Deu_31:20, Jos_16:10, Jos_22:5, Jos_23:7, Jos_24:14-16 (6), Jos_24:18-22 (5), Jos_24:24, Jdg_2:19, Jdg_9:28 (3), Jdg_9:38, 1Sa_7:3, 1Sa_10:7, 1Sa_11:1, 1Sa_12:10, 1Sa_12:14, 1Sa_12:20, 1Sa_12:24, 1Sa_17:9, 1Sa_26:19, 2Sa_15:8, 2Sa_16:19 (2), 2Sa_22:44, 1Ki_9:6, 1Ki_12:4, 1Ki_12:7, 2Ki_10:18, 2Ki_17:35, 2Ki_25:24, 1Ch_28:9, 2Ch_7:19, 2Ch_10:4, 2Ch_30:8, 2Ch_33:16, 2Ch_34:33 (2), 2Ch_35:3, Job_21:15, Job_36:11, Job_39:9, Psa_2:11, Psa_18:43, Psa_22:30, Psa_72:11, Psa_97:7, Psa_100:2, Psa_102:22, Isa_14:3, Isa_43:23-24 (3), Isa_60:12, Jer_5:19, Jer_13:10 (2), Jer_16:13, Jer_17:4, Jer_25:6, Jer_25:11, Jer_25:14, Jer_27:6-9 (5), Jer_27:11-14 (4), Jer_27:17, Jer_28:14 (2), Jer_34:8-10 (4), Jer_35:15, Jer_40:9 (2), Jer_44:3, Eze_20:39-40 (2), Eze_48:18-19 (4), Zep_3:9, Mal_3:14

Whatever occupation the Lord has us in, while in this life, is one where we have place there to glorify God in it. God made Adam and told him to serve and keep the garden to show us this example from the very start of man’s creation.

God Himself worked for 6 days and rested from His work on the 7th, so hard work is very important to the Lord. We cannot accomplish anything when we die so we need to do all we do to the glory of God while we are still here and breathing and capable of doing so.

Obviously, physical labor is not the only type of work that can be done so this is more about doing all you do to the glory of the Lord.

1Co 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Ecc 9:9  Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

Ecc 9:10  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Col 3:22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Coupled with working hard is a warning for those that choose not to work but are able to. We find this stark warning from Paul to the church of Thessalonica.

2Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2Th 3:11  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, WORKING NOT AT ALL, but are busybodies.
2Th 3:12  Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Th 3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

The point Paul is making here is very poignant and gets to the “heart” of the matter concerning the virtuous woman that king Lemuel is to seek according to His mother.

If one is able to work, and does not, then he does not eat. While this has an obvious physical application we are also to consider the spiritual applications.

We are told to command that those we fellowship with WORK and EAT their OWN BREAD. What does that mean?

How do we WORK for BREAD? Well, let’s see what work and bread are scripturally. It won’t take many verses to “work” this spiritual concept out.

There are two Greek words which are translated as “work” or “worketh”, but they are applied slightly differently. One represents “working fully” while another implies “to work”.

G2716:

Strong’s define G2716 as:

G2716
katergazomai
Thayer Definition:
1) to perform, accomplish, achieve
2) to work out, i.e. to do that from which something results
2a) of things: bring about, result in
3) to fashion, i.e. render one fit for a thing
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G2596 and G2038
Citing in TDNT: 3:634, 421

Thayers define G2716 as:

G2716

katergazomai
Thayer Definition:
1) to perform, accomplish, achieve
2) to work out, i.e. to do that from which something results
2a) of things: bring about, result in
3) to fashion, i.e. render one fit for a thing
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G2596 and G2038
Citing in TDNT: 3:634, 421

Here are some examples of G2716:

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 G2716 your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh G2038 in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

1Pe 4:3  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought G2716 the will of the Gentiles, WHEN WE WALKED in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working G2716 that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working G2716 death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform G2716 that which is good I find not.

The other Greek word that translates as “work” is G2038.

Strong’s defines G2038 as:

G2038
ergazomai
er-gad’-zom-ahee
Middle voice from G2041; to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by implication) effect, be engaged in or with, etc.: – commit, do, labor for, minister about, trade (by), work.
Total KJV occurrences: 39

Thayer’s defines G2038 as:

G2038
ergazomai
Thayer Definition:
1) to work, labour, do work
2) to trade, to make gains by trading, “do business”
3) to do, work out
3a) exercise, perform, commit
3b) to cause to exist, produce
4) to work for, earn by working, to acquire
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: middle voice from G2041
Citing in TDNT: 2:635, 251

Here are a few examples:

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 G2716 your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh G2038 in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Joh 6:27  Labour G2038 not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh G2038 good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Eph 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working G2038 with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

The difference in these two different Greek words which are translated mostly as “work” is that one represents to do “work” that achieves something or a certain result and the other means to actually labor, do or work.

One is to accomplish or achieve something and the other is to do work.

In our Philippians example above, we “work out” our salvation which comes as a result of FEAR and TREMBLING, but it is God who does the LABOR of making the actual FEAR happen.

Another example of the differences from the verses above is that in Romans 7:13 is that death is the RESULT of sin working in us, but Ephesians 4:28 tells us that we actively work with our hands the thing that is good (work) so that we have to give to those in need.

This is exactly why the elect lady gets her hands on the spindle and distaff. She is willing to do the work that is needed but as a result she is able to gain what is needed to provide very valuable clothing for her home. She can also use these items as merchandise which she knows is very valuable.

Which mentioned earlier the connection of work and bread, so what is the bread as it connects to the home of this virtuous woman? This is another example of bread representing several things at once.

Bread is both the body of the Lord and WE are the body. We are the BREAD of LIFE to all those who have their Husbands heart, mind and voice WITHIN THEM.

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.

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 26:26  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

Mar 7:27  But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

Joh 6:5  When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
Joh 6:6  And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do G.

Joh 6:31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Joh 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the TRUE BREAD from heaven.
Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Joh 6:36  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
Joh 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Joh 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

I have shared this with you all before over the years and in various studies, and it will be considered 1000% blasphemy by orthodox Christianity, but if Jesus Christ says that HE is the BREAD from HEAVEN, and that the BREAD is HIS BODY, then WHO is the BREAD from HEAVEN?

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

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.

The day of judgment is NOW on the House of God, TODAY. As He is so are we. Jesus said EAT, this BREAD is MY BODY. This BREAD has come DOWN from HEAVEN. Who is the BREAD?

We are the body of Christ, the CHURCH of the LIVING God.

2Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he EAT.

Eat what I ask you?

2Th 3:11  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, WORKING NOT AT ALL, but are busybodies.
2Th 3:12  Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they WORK and EAT their own bread.

We are the body of Christ. We work for our Husband and do all that we do to His glory. When we do this we see that those who are CONNECTED with the body are PARTAKERS of the SAME BODY.

1Co 10:15  I speak as to wise men; JUDGE YE WHAT I SAY.
1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

What does COMMUNION mean?

G2842
koinōnia
Total KJV Occurrences: 20
fellowship, 12
Act_2:42, 1Co_1:9, 2Co_8:4, Eph_3:9 (2), Phi_1:5, Phi_2:1, Phi_3:10, 1Jo_1:3 (2), 1Jo_1:6-7 (2)
communion, 4
1Co_10:16 (2), 2Co_13:14 (2)
communicate, 1
Heb_13:16
communication, 1
Phm_1:6
contribution, 1
Rom_15:26
distribution, 1
2Co_9:13

What should we do if someone does not want to COMMUNE with the body of Christ?

Here is the sum of what a virtuous woman does when she is willing to work with her hands, to do the will of her husband (God in type), in order that her house might be in proper Godly order:

2Th 3:7  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
2Th 3:8  Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
2Th 3:9  Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
2Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2Th 3:11  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
2Th 3:12  Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Th 3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
2Th 3:15  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Working entails getting your hands busy with the work of the Lord and the WORK of the LORD is WITH HIS HOUSE.

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

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

Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Jesus has entered the temple of God, His wife, and He knows her intimately. Do not make YOURSELF an IDOL sitting on the throne of God by considering yourself someone EXCLUDED from the body of Christ. Rather, consider yourself a partaker of her by communing with His wife.

Take a hold of the spindle and distaff and work the fine threads of a wonderful fabric of Life from heaven.

Audio Links

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

What do those who “serve the tabernacle eat? Look at the previous verse:

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

What does the peace offering do that the other offerings do not do? It feeds the offerer. The burnt offering is burn entirely upon the altar. The meat (flour) offering is shared by God and the priests. But the peace offering is the only offering in which all three parties partake of the offering; God gets His share, the priest gets his part and the offerer gets his part to share with “anyone who is clean”.

All of our works of love, our sacrifices, our kindnesses and our dedication to God, are acceptable only through Christ:

1Pe 2:1  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1Pe 2:4  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Our sacrifices are our righteousnesses unless we acknowledge that they are only good if they are done in and “by Jesus Christ”. Only then are they “acceptable unto God” as something more than “filthy rags.”

Rom 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Until we realize that we share Christ with God, and are nourished by Christ with God; until we realize that God shares and is nourished by Christ with us; until we realize that Christ Himself shares Himself with us and with God, we may pray many hours without ever experiencing communion with God. Talking to God is one thing, sharing Christ with His Father is an entirely different thing. That is communion.

Telling our Father how much we see and appreciate all that He has accomplished in us through the sacrifice of His Son; expressing to our Father all we see in that sacrifice; and yes, even asking to have so much of His Son grow up in us that we are exactly like Him in our Father’s eyes. That is more than simply talking to God and making our request known. We need to to do that. But we also need communion with our heavenly Father.

Communion is also sharing. And all there is that God will accept to be shared with Him is His perfect Son. Only then are we “delivered from the law”. Only then will we go beyond our concern of suffering God’s wrath and begin to see that there is a relationship to be had which needs to be nourished and fed and enjoyed in feasting. That feasting is sharing Christ, both with Christ and also with His Father. Then we come to realize that they, too, find nourishment and satisfaction in that same perfect meal. And there is even more revealed about the efficacy of this offering. All of the priests’s children get to share in this offering:

Lev 7:28  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 7:29  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
Lev 7:30  His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.
Lev 7:31  And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons.
Lev 7:32  And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.

Num 18:9  This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.
Num 18:10  In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
Num 18:11  And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
Num 18:12  All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
Num 18:13  And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.

Who are the priests’s sons?

Act 8:33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

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.

God does all He does by Christ: “by whom are all things and we by Him.” Christ, being just like His Father is doing all that he is doing for His father through the church:

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:
Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

I cannot begin to tell you how blessed we are according to those verses. What we are being told here is that we will rule the nations and be God’s channel, through and by Christ, to bring all mankind of all time into the All in all. This is what we share with God and with Christ in the peace offering.

Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen
(CLV) to Him be the glory in the ecclesia and in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the eon of the eons! Amen!
(Darby)  to him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages. Amen).
(LITV)  to Him be the glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen.
(REV) Unto him, be the glory, in the assembly, and in Christ Jesus – unto all the generations of the age of ages; Amen:
(YLT) to Him is the glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages. Amen.

It is all done “in Christ Jesus.” And it is all that the Father is doing:

2Co 1:18  But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
2Co 1:19  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Phi 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Phi 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:
Phi 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Phi 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
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.
Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

And what does this verse tell us of those who realize what they have in the peace offering. How does “all fulness dwell” in Christ?

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.

“All in all” attained?

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

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.

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

In this peace offering we feast with Christ, our priest and mediator, and with His and our Father. In Christ we can commune with both. To understand this we must see Christ as He is presented to us in all of the offerings. He is the offering, He is the offerer, and He is the priest and mediator. He is everything but the Father “of whom are all things.”

Gen 41:38  And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
Gen 41:39  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Gen 41:40  Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

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.

God the Father is fed and satisfied with the peace offering. God the father eats with us of the Peace offering. In this offering we, too, are nourished and share in it with our Father. Christ, our priest and mediator, beholds Himself, the one thing we can share with our Father. Seeing this communion which, through Him,  we have with our Father, satisfies and nourishes our Lord. Everyone, including Christ Himself, finds satisfaction in Christ as the peace offering.

If we eat a meal in communion with our friends in this life, and if we notice and miss them in their absence, how much more ought we to enjoy and appreciate our communion with our priest and our heavenly Father. And how much more does our Lord appreciate our friendship and communion with Himself and with His Father and ours.
This is what He tells us:

Luk 22:14  And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
Luk 22:15  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Are you a part of that kingdom? If you are, you have an altar at which others are not fit to eat.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Next week we will cover the purpose for mentioning the priests’s children and the significance of being a child of the Priest. We will also cover the import of the different grades of this offering. You will be amazed at what is revealed in these types and shadows of the “things of the Spirit.” You will come to know even more about Him who satisfies all.

Audio Links

Who Are The Children Of The Priests?

God, Christ, and the offerer find satisfaction in the peace offering. But there is one other party who also partakes of this offering, the priest’s children:

Lev 7:31  And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.
Lev 7:32  And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
Num 18:9  This shall be thine of the most holy things, [ reserved] from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, [ shall be] most holy for thee and for thy sons.
Num 18:10  In the most holy [ place] shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
Num 18:11  And this [ is] thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

Who are the children of the priest? If the priest is Christ, then His children are His church. But just as Christ is presented to us in many different forms which are needed to portray to us His many functions as sacrifice, offering, offerer, temple, altar, vail and vessels and chief cornerstone, etc., so too, is the church, which is His body, also presented to us in many different forms. The church is also called His body, lively stones, the son of the bondwoman, the son of the freewoman, the first Adam, the last Adam, Israel according to the flesh and the Israel of God, the vail of the temple, His bride, 10 virgins, 5 wise and 5 foolish, the olive tree, the fig tree, Jerusalem and New Jerusalem, etc. etc. Each name reveals another aspect of the church, or another degree of maturity in Christ.
These are all the children of the priest. To partake of the offering at all, “the sons of Aaron and his daughters” had to partake of the offering with the priest. If this offering is received at all it is through the priests. So it is to this day, we receive of Christ only through Christ and His Word. The church is in communion with Christ and His Father through the offering of Christ. The church is, with the priest, receiving nourishment and intercession through Christ in the very presence of God in the holy of holies, where only the priest can go. And lest we get the wrong nourishment, let me point out this verse:

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and [ to] Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think [ of men] above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

Now leave out the uninspired words in brackets and read this verse again:

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and  Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

If you want any hope of properly “trying the spirits” then you had better be willing to “acknowledge that the things… written are the commandments of the Lord.”

1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

And that is why there is a qualifier when it comes to the priest’s and their children:

Num 18:11 (b) I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

This is a spiritual statement about spiritual food because:

Joh 4:24  God [ is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [ him] in spirit and in truth.

This verse is the very basis of this statement by the apostle Paul:

1Co 11:23  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [ same] night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
1Co 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [ that] bread, and drink of [ that] cup.
1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
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.
Lev 7:20  But the soul that eateth [ of] the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that [ pertain] unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Only a “clean priest and his children” are permitted to partake of communion with God. Anything unclean is under the curse of attempting to contaminate the “most holy thing,” Christ and His Word. That is why when we are informed that we have an altar at which those who serve the physical tabernacle have no right to eat, the verse before that is warning us against false doctrines:

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

The reason “they have no right to eat” is that though they are ‘children of the priest… they serve the [ physical] tabernacle… and they are unclean.’ They are nepios, immature sons, no better than a servant, though they are children of the priest. They will not go beyond the six milk doctrines of Hebrew 6, or worse still they are so puffed up in their own spirituality that they are willing to “go beyond that which is written.”

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving [ going on beyond] the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection [ yet still within “that which is written- the commandments of the Lord”]; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

In either case “they have no right to eat” at our altar and of our meat of the offering, Christ. Christ is not stuck in Heb 6:1-2, nor has He gone beyond “that which is written.”

1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

How are we to avoid this predicament?

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves [ try our own spirits], 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.

Spiritual words one and all! “Not discerning the Lord’s body” is not “trying the spirits,” it is not “judging ourselves,” it is “eating and drinking unworthily.’

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats [ false doctrines], which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Heb 13:10  We [ if we are clean children of the priest] have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the [ physical] tabernacle.

The Different Grades Of The Peace Offering

The only grades in the peace offering are the herd and the flock. The peace offering can be of the herd, male or female, or it can be a lamb or a goat of the flocks. There is no turtle dove given as a peace offering. There are no washings of the different parts of the offering. There is no restricting of this offering being only a bullock. Here are the only instructions given for offering the peace offering so far as the offerer is involved:

Lev 3:1  And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
Lev 3:2  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

That’s it, the offerer”shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation…” just like the offering of the herd in the burnt offering. But when we  get to the offering of the flocks the sheep and the goats are treated separately, whereas they are considered as one in the burnt offering. There is no mention here of offering either the lamb or the goat “on the north side of the altar.” There is no mention of being only a bullock. There is no mention of  laying out the parts in order on the altar. There is no mention of washing God’s part of the offering, the inwards and the legs, with water. All of these particulars given concerning the burnt offering are missing and left off in the peace offering. Why would that be so?
The reason why so many of the particulars are not included in this offering is that those who understand this offering will already understand the instructions concerning the particulars given in the burnt offering. If you grasp that you can sit down and enjoy a meal of Christ with Christ and His Father, if you grasp that you are “accepted in the beloved,”  if you understand that you are communing with, and being interceded for in Christ, you will also understand that God’s burnt  offering has to be cleansed through baptism, you will understand that you are being judged from the north, you will understand that you have fellowship with God through Christ, and that your ‘head, inward parts and the very best you have to offer, the fat,’ are all God’s and are offered first. Those who “have a right to eat at our  altar” know and understand these distinctions. So these distinctions are not mentioned in this offering which nourishes God, Christ and the offerer, because they will be generally comprehended by those who know their offering to this extent.

Two Different Reasons For Offering A Peace Offering

1 )  For Thanksgiving and  2)  For A Vow

But lest we begin to think that “the resurrection has already past,” this offering still has two different reasons for being offered, to show us that we, the church, are still in a “body of this death… sinful flesh:”
1 )  For Thanksgiving

Lev 7:11  And this [ is] the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
Lev 7:12  If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
Lev 7:13  Besides the cakes, he shall offer [ for] his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
Lev 7:14  And of it he shall offer o ne out of the whole oblation [ for] an heave offering unto the LORD, [ and] it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.
Lev 7:15  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

“Leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving.” Why is leavened bread which “cannot be burned on the altar” accepted “with the sacrifice” of the peace offering?
It is to show us that while the church is flesh and “cannot inherit the kingdom,” and cannot as flesh, be in the kingdom and in the presence of the Father, yet our Priest identifies with us and is nourished with us in our communion with Him:

Lev 7:13  Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
Lev 7:14  And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.

This is just one more gaping hole in the ‘fulness now,’ ‘the resurrection is already past’ doctrine which still, to this day, plagues God’s church. The church is the “leavened bread” of the Pentecost offering. As long as we are flesh we cannot inherit the kingdom but in down payment “earnest” form.

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 of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

And when are we “redeemed?” Are we redeemed already? In down payment form, yes! But not in “the redemption of the purchased possession:

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;                
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

2) A Vow – Being Faithful To The Word Of God

Lev 7:16  But if the sacrifice of his offering [ be] a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
Lev 7:17  But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.
Lev 7:18  And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.
Lev 7:19  And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.
Lev 7:20  But the soul that eateth [ of] the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that [ pertain] unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
Lev 7:21  Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean [ thing, as] the uncleanness of man, or [ any] unclean beast, or any abominable unclean [ thing], and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which [ pertain] unto the LORD, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

This all has to do with trying the spirits to see whether your spiritual food is of God:

1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your] house, neither bid him God speed:

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.
1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

What is the Meaning Of ‘In The Morning…’ And “The Third Day?’
Morning = Resurrection

Psa 49:14  Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
Psa 49:15  But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Exo 12:8  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter [ herbs] they shall eat it.
Exo 12:9  Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
Exo 12:10  And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning ; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now [ it is] high time to awake out of
sleep: for now [ is] our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the d ay is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
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.

And that is why there was to be no flesh left until the morning.
Ever wonder why Christ is called ‘the morning star?’

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Here is why:

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

The Third Day  

Hos 6:2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Which scriptures? This one among others:

Lev 7:16  But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
Lev 7:17  But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.
Lev 7:18  And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: i t shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

But these verses also foretold Christ’s resurrection:

Exo 12:10  And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Lev 7:15  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

Flesh is not accepted in resurrection, and ‘in the morning’ and ‘the third day’ are both merely different views of resurrection; “in the morning” being the better and brighter of the two.

“With What Body Do They Come?”

This is a question which Paul rhetorically poses:

1Co 15:35  But some [ man] will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:36  [ Thou] fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

Now for those who believe that perfection is achieved while still in this flesh, look at how Paul answers his own question:

1Co 15:37  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other [ grain]:
1Co 15:38  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him , and to every seed his own body.

There are many who teach that Christ being sinless was given a perfect body of sinless flesh when He was resurrected. Is there any Truth to this doctrine? Here is Christ’s own answer to what is a resurrected body?  

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [ of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
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.

Now here is an amazing part of the peace offering which should give us some a scriptural perspective on the state of mankind even in his approach to God as His “sweet smelling savor… peace offering:”

Lev 22:23  Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer [ for] a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

A ‘freewill’ or ‘praise’ offering could be a bullock or a lamb “that hath anything superfluous or lacking in his parts.” A peace offering for a vow could not be of this kind, yet both represent Christ. But ‘Christ ‘ in which of His many capacities and offices? Why can a sacrifice”lacking in his parts” be accepted as a prise offering, but not as a vow?
As we pointed out earlier, leaven is allowed in the meat (meal) offering at Pentecost and in the peace offering only. Why is leavening allowed in both of these offerings? And why are we now also told that…

“Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering” Both the meat offering at Pentecost and the meat offering accompanying the peace offering typify Christ in His elect. Neither typify Him as our unblemished sacrifice, rather both typify the church struggling against the flesh, still fighting the leavening effects of this leavened “corruptible… sinful flesh… lacking in his parts.”

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

But why is this not allowed in a vow peace offering? It is because vows are words that mean exactly what they say. These sacrifices are Christ in His various capacities. And God promised both Adam and Cain that in the end they would ‘rule over sin.’

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [ shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Every word out of God’s mouth is a vow. It will be performed. If we say the word, we too, are to perform it:

Ecc 5:4  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

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.

Has God told us what He will do?

Eze 12:25  For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it , saith the Lord GOD.

“… I say the word and will perform it” is better typified by an uncompromising vow than by an offering “that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts,” a sweet smelling savor offered with “leavened bread.” These symbols are far better applied to those who are in bodies of sinful flesh, which cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

1Co 15:35  But some man] will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:36  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
1Co 15:37  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
1Co 15:38  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body .
1Co 15:39  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
1Co 15:40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1Co 15:41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

“One star differs from another star in glory?” Why would that be? Are not all these ‘stars’ in Christ? Yes they are all ‘in Christ.’

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own [ Pagan Athenian] poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

But while Christ is in us, Christ in this corruptible flesh is “accepted in the beloved” as an “unblemished… without spot” offering, Christ in us in this capacity of His office and in this capacity of His offering, will yet invariably  as  “either a bullock or a lamb…[ have some] thing superfluous or lacking in his parts.”

Lev 22:23  (a) Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts

But let us not say what scripture does not say. Let us never say that because Christ is pictured as offered as “either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts” and offered with leavened bread in the meat offering of Pentecost, and as the leavened bread given with the praise portion of the peace offering, let us never say that this makes our Lord’s offering with either spot or blemish. It is never to be so understood. Just look at the verse immediately before and the verse immediately after verse 23:

Lev 22:21  And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish [ his] vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein .

All of us, as sinful flesh, are “Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts. What is meant by the word ‘blemish?”

Lev 22:22  Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen [ running sore], or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
Lev 22:23  Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts,[ but not blemished] that mayest thou offer [ for] a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Lev 22:24  Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make [ any offering thereof] in your land.

What is ‘your land’, and how could you possibly offer a ‘blemished offering’ to God?

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [ that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [ temple] ye are.

What are we offering to God in our temple?

Mal 1:7  Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD [ is] contemptible.
Mal 1:8  And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, [ is it] not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, [ is it] not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

What is “the lame and the sick” which we are offering to God? The ‘sick and the lame’ are our half- hearted service to God. “The sick and the lame” is the fact that we simply cannot find time in our busy schedules to make time for this man to whom we give so much lip service. Where is our heart? To whom are these words addressed?

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
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.

The peace offering, with its two ways of being offered, reminds us that, as Christ Himself we still “bear the image of the earthy [ but] we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”>

Audio Links

Of The Herd

Lev 3:1  And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.
Lev 3:2  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

The Lord’s Part

Lev 3:3  And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
Lev 3:4  And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

The Peace Offering Must Be Offered Upon The Burnt Offering

Lev 3:5  And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Of The Flock

Lev 3:6  And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.
Lev 3:7  If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.
Lev 3:8  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.

The Lord’s Part ‘Of The Flock’

Lev 3:9  And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
Lev 3:10  And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
Lev 3:11  And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 3:12  And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.
Lev 3:13  And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.
Lev 3:14  And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
Lev 3:15  And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
Lev 3:16  And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S.
Lev 3:17  It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

The Priest’s Part

Lev 7:28  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 7:29  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
Lev 7:30  His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.
Lev 7:31  And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’.
Lev 7:32  And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
Lev 7:33  He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.
Lev 7:34  For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.
Lev 7:35  This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest’s office;
Lev 7:36  Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.
Lev 7:37  This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
Lev 7:38  Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Offerer’s Part

This all leaves the left shoulder for the offerer. All partake of this offering. The Lord gets the inwards and the fat and the whole rump; the priest and his sons get the right shoulder and the heave breast.  The offerer gets the left shoulder, the back and ribs. And by this offering all three parties are satisfied and nourished and strengthened.

Lev 7:15  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

Lev 7:19  And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.

The offerer can share his peace offering with “all that be clean.”
When the Peace Offering Can Be Offered With Leavened Bread

Lev 7:11  And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
Lev 7:12  If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
Lev 7:13  Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

Therefore:

Lev 2:11  No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

How interested are you in knowing about this ‘peace offering?’ How interested you are is a reflection of how much you understand what Christ has accomplished in this offering.

God and the priest were partakers of both the burnt offering and the meat offering. But the offerer had no part in either of those offerings. Only in this offering does the offerer receive strength and nourishment. This peace offering is the least understood of the offerings and yet it is the one offering in which the offerer also is both strengthened and nourished. Are you  aware of how this offering is the one offering which is designed to strengthen and to nourish the offerer? Are you aware that it is this offering which gives you the strength and nourishment to “endure to the end?”

1Co 12:12 For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, thus also is the Christ.”
1Co 12:13 For in one spirit also we all are baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, [male or female – Gal. 3:28] and all are made to imbibe one spirit.”
1Co 12:14 For the body also is not one member, but many.” (CLV)

Are you satisfied with your part in “the Christ?”

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.

God was satisfied with Christ in His day of judgment:

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.
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Meaning what?

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:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
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:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Do we “know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you?” Our sense of acceptance and our sense of communion with God depends upon how deeply we accept Christ as being satisfactory and satisfying to His Father.

If we see Him as accepted then we, “in Him” are accepted and satisfying and satisfactory to God. Through partaking of Christ as the peace offering, we are nourished and strengthened in a way that takes us beyond fear of wrath, fear of our sins and trespasses and gives us assurance of being in communion with both Christ and our Father “in the beloved.”

Our spiritual strength depends upon our understanding of what Christ, in this offering, has accomplished in and through us and our satisfaction of what Christ has accomplished in and through us depends upon our apprehension of this offering.

Are you still wondering if you are being saved? Are you still wondering if God is using you in any way? If you are then you have no understanding of what Christ has accomplished in this peace offering. You are not yet at peace with God.

This offering tells us that God is satisfied with Christ. When we take our part of this offering we too are satisfied with Christ. And the priest’s part in this offering tells us that Christ, too, is satisfied. In Christ the Father, His Son, our priest, is satisfied and we, too, are satisfied and in communion one with the other.
Why are all satisfied? Why are all nourished and strengthened? Because all partake of Christ:

Heb 10:4  For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
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.
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Who are “they… which serve the tabernacle?” Who is “the church which is His body?” Who is the “great man’s house… with vessels of honor and dishonor?”

Gal 4:1  Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
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?
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.
Gal 4:12  Brethren, I beseech you, be as I [am]; for I [am] as ye [are]: ye have not injured me at all.
Gal 4:13  Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Gal 4:14  And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus.
Gal 4:15  Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if [it had been] possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Gal 4:16  Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Gal 4:17  They zealously affect you, [but] not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
Gal 4:18  But [it is] good to be zealously affected always in [a] good [thing], and not only when I am present with you.
Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 4:20  I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [ that was born] after the Spirit, even so [ it is] now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Are you “the children of the freewoman?” Whether you are the child of the bondwoman or the freewoman depends upon our apprehension of the Work of Christ in this peace offering.

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

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Regarding your email response
http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ What_ Is_ Communion. php
I thought It would also be good to include this further in addition to the truth written there:
Like the foot washing, Christ had a specific reason why he chose to do the ‘last supper’
The reason why Christ took the bread and wine specifically was, as you say, to not start a new ritual, but to further show that the Moses Passover was only a type/ shadow of Christ.  That it is Christ who puts His blood on our ‘door’.  He is the ‘firstborn’ that dies so that all in the house are saved.  And of those without His blood, the first born in that house will die.
He also intended to show the disciples that His bringing this up then meant He would die soon… but we see that they were still oblivious to this despite His example.
The bread was also used because He is our bread of life which sustains life.  We need It every day.  And ‘as often’ as we consume physical bread we need to remember our spiritual bread which is also needed daily to ‘live’.  The spiritual bread (God) is more important than physical (wheat).
Unfortunately, the Catholics of the middle ages used their ‘communion’ to scare people and force them to come to church for other reasons under pain of controlling the means to forgive sins (ie communion, baptism, holy water, etc.)  Along with many other things ‘invented’ or distorted to keep people in bondage instead of enhancing their faith/ relationship with God.
The Romans were into rituals from their old polytheistic religion.  When Christianity became the official Roman Empire’s religion, it didn’t take long for that mentality to infest the practices of the people.  Today after many years since its departure, the Roman Catholic church was truly one of the first to fall under the banner of ‘Babylon’.
I would also suggest reading where Paul mentions the “Lord’s Supper” and partaking… it has nothing to do with the ritual we call ‘communion’ today.  The wonderful title we see in our Bibles which describe the section where the disciples had their last physical meal with Christ… was not in the manuscript, but placed there to ‘help us’ interpret what we read.  I think a better title for that section would be ‘Christ, the passover Lamb’.
Lastly, I’d like to state that the ‘cup’ which Christ shares with them is similar to the ‘cup’ He mentions in the Gesthemene garden.  They are to share in this ‘cup’ with Him.  This new covenant of His blood, shed for us to forgive us of our sinful fleshly state which He began with in our creation.
K____

Hi K____,
Thank you for your input. Your point are all very well taken.
The only thing I would add is that the Catholic church was a ‘Johnny come lately’ in the apostasy which was complete before the apostles were all dead:

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia [ the seven churches of Asia  to whom John wrote – Rev 2-3] be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

2Ti 4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer [ to Alexanders words withstanding Paul’s words] no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

Alexander the coppersmith, an apostate Christian, apparently had more influence in the church than did Paul. 
I have no doubt that the apostle John was exiled to Patmos at the behest of apostate Christians like this man:

3Jn 1:9  I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
3Jn 1:10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Diotrophes, an apostate Christian, apparently had more influence in the church than did the apostle John.
That is just for your consideration.
Mike