The Spiritual Meaning of Caves: Divine Refuge, Concealment, and Transformation

[Studies Aired November 11, 2025]

Introduction

Throughout Scripture, caves appear at pivotal moments in redemptive history, serving as places of refuge, encounter, burial, and transformation. These hollowed spaces within the earth carry spiritual significance pointing us toward Christ and revealing truths about God’s protection, His purposes in times of concealment, and the journey from death to resurrection life.

The Hebrew word for cave, me’arah (H4631), signifies a hollow place, den, or cavern—often in rock formations. This word appears in contexts ranging from burial places to sanctuaries of refuge, from testing grounds to locations of sacred revelation. The cave represents both literal and spiritual realities: physically, it offers shelter and concealment; spiritually, it speaks of seasons when God hides His servants for protection, prepares them in obscurity, or brings them through death’s darkness into resurrection light. When we understand that God orchestrates physical circumstances to reveal spiritual truths, we see caves not as random geographical features but as appointed settings for crucial moments in His redemptive plan. David wrote, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). As secret places illustrating this principle, caves throughout biblical history ultimately point to Christ’s burial and victorious resurrection—the pattern for our spiritual journey from death to life.

Caves as Places of Protection and Refuge

One of the most prominent themes associated with caves in Scripture is heavenly protection during persecution and danger. When God’s servants faced mortal threats, caves frequently became their hiding places—not by accident, but by providential care. These accounts reveal how the Lord shelters His people in vulnerable moments and uses seasons of concealment to accomplish His purposes.

During Jezebel’s violent persecution of the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah, governor of Ahab’s household, provided a powerful example: “Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?” (1 Kings 18:13). The cave represents God’s provision of sanctuary for faithful servants during intense spiritual darkness. While the nation openly worshiped Baal, God preserved a remnant hidden away, sustained through Obadiah’s obedience. This foreshadows how God has always preserved a remnant even during darkest apostasy and persecution. Christ Himself becomes our true hiding place, as David declared: “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5).

David’s life provides the most extensive biblical example of caves as sanctuaries. When fleeing Saul’s murderous jealousy, the cave of Adullam became not merely a hiding place but a gathering point for those who would become his mighty men: “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men” (1 Samuel 22:1-2).

The cave of Adullam (‘Adullam, H5725, meaning “justice of the people” or “refuge”) represents a place where the rejected king gathered those whom society rejected. This beautifully typifies Christ, who calls to Himself all who are weary and heavy laden (Matthew 11:28), gathering outcasts and transforming them into His army. In the cave, David—anointed but not yet reigning—formed his band of followers who would later rule with him. Similarly, Christ in His humiliation gathers us during this present age, and we who were “in distress,” “in debt” to sin, and “discontented” with the world’s empty offerings find in Him our refuge and are transformed into His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

David wrote Psalm 142 from a cave, revealing the spiritual posture appropriate for seasons of concealment: “Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: (earthly) refuge (H4268) failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my (heavenly) refuge (H4268) and my portion in the land of the living” (Psalm 142:1-5). In the cave, stripped of earthly supports, David discovered God Himself as his machaseh (H4268, meaning shelter, hope, or trust). When earthly refuges fail and human support vanishes, we discover that God alone suffices as our true shelter. Christ Himself is our machaseh, and sometimes He causes cave-seasons specifically so we learn to find sufficiency in Him alone. The superscription of Psalm 57 identifies it as “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave,” and there David proclaims: “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (Psalm 57:1). The cave becomes the setting where trust in God’s mercy and refuge deepens.

Caves as Places of Sacred Encounter and Revelation

Beyond protection, caves become settings for profound encounters where God reveals Himself and His purposes. The darkness and isolation remove human distractions, allowing sacred revelation to emerge—teaching us that God often draws us into concealment before revealing His truth.

A remarkable cave encounter occurs when Elijah, fleeing Jezebel’s threats, traveled to Mount Horeb: “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9). Exhausted and despondent after his great victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah needed a heavenly encounter to restore his perspective. God met him in the cave, telling him to stand at the entrance: “And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

God was not in spectacular displays of power but in the gentle whisper. This cave encounter taught Elijah—and teaches us—that God often works in quiet, hidden ways rather than dramatic manifestations. The cave at Horeb served as a place where God recalibrated Elijah’s understanding and renewed his commission. Sometimes our cave-seasons are not primarily about protection but about God recalibrating our perspective and preparing us for the next phase. Elijah entered discouraged and ready to quit; he emerged with renewed purpose and clear direction.

This reflects the broader biblical pattern that before major revelations or ministry phases, God brings His servants into concealment. Moses spent forty years in Midian before the burning bush. Paul went to Arabia after Damascus. Jesus entered the wilderness forty days before beginning public ministry. Even Moses’ encounter with God’s glory involved a cave-like experience: “And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by” (Exodus 33:22). The cleft of the rock functioned as a protective cave where Moses experienced God’s presence in extraordinary measure. Isaiah prophesied of Christ: “And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2). The cave represents these seasons of preparation where, away from public view, God shapes His servants and reveals His truth.

The revelation Elijah received also contained prophetic dimension. God told him: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). Elijah thought he stood alone, but God revealed a faithful remnant hidden throughout the land. Even when we feel isolated in our cave-experiences, we are part of a larger body whom God preserves. Paul applies this: “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5). Throughout history, God has preserved a faithful remnant, often hidden from public view, sustained by grace. This principle extends to believers throughout all ages, for we read of faithful saints who “wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews 11:38)—persecuted yet trusting God even while hidden from the world’s sight.

Caves as Places of Fear and Faithlessness

While caves often represent godly protection and purpose, Scripture records instances where they became places of fear, hiding from God, or expressions of unbelief. These negative examples teach that the same physical sanctuary that shelters us when we trust God can become a place of cowering when we operate in fear.

After Israel’s failure to enter the Promised Land, a new generation faced enemies and responded in fear: “And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds” (Judges 6:2). These caves represented Israel’s fear and oppression under Midianite domination—cowering rather than trusting God. This changed only when God raised up Gideon.

The contrast is striking: David used caves as sanctuaries while trusting God and waiting for His timing, but Israel under the Midianites used caves as expressions of fear and defeat. External circumstances alone do not determine whether our cave-season is redemptive or destructive. The crucial factor is our heart posture. Are we in the cave because God has hidden us there, trusting Him in darkness? Or are we hiding in fear, running from our calling, operating in unbelief?

The most sobering picture of caves as futile hiding places appears in Revelation’s description of judgment: “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:15-16). Here, caves become places where unbelievers seek to hide from God’s righteous judgment, revealing the futility of trying to hide from God. Adam and Eve tried to hide after sin (Genesis 3:8), and mankind continues attempting to hide from God’s presence. David declared, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (Psalm 139:7). No cave can shield anyone from God—we either flee to Him as our refuge or discover there is no refuge from Him in judgment.

Caves as Burial Places: The Patriarchs’ Hope

Beyond protection, encounter, and even fearful hiding, caves in Scripture also serve as burial places—pointing forward to a greater hope. These tomb-caves carry profound typological significance, for they speak of death’s reality yet also of confident expectation in God’s promises.

The first burial cave mentioned is Machpelah, which Abraham purchased from Ephron as Sarah’s burial place: “And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth” (Genesis 23:19-20). This cave became the family tomb where Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob were also buried (Genesis 25:9-10; 49:29-31; 50:13).

The cave of Machpelah (Makpelah, H4375, meaning “double” or “portion”) carries significance beyond its function. Abraham purchased this cave in faith, believing God’s promise that his descendants would possess Canaan. Though he owned only this small plot during his lifetime, the burial cave represented confidence in God’s faithfulness. The patriarchs were buried in hope of resurrection, as Hebrews confirms: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

The tomb-cave points toward the truth that death is not the end for those trusting God’s promises. Just as the patriarchs were laid in the cave awaiting fulfillment, believers throughout ages have been buried in hope. The cave represents death’s temporary hold on God’s people—a holding place until the morning when God’s promises would find their ultimate fulfillment. The patriarchs died looking forward to something they had not yet seen, buried in faith that God would accomplish what He promised. Their burial in Machpelah’s cave was not an ending but an expectant waiting—trusting that the God who made promises would bring them to pass, even if it meant calling them forth from death itself.

The Ultimate Cave: Christ’s Burial and Resurrection

All of Scripture’s caves—places of refuge, encounter, fear, and burial—find their ultimate meaning in one rock-hewn tomb. Every Old Testament cave pointed forward to this moment: the burial place of the Son of God, and the site of history’s greatest victory.

After His crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathaea requested Jesus’ body: “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed” (Matthew 27:59-60). The tomb (mnemeion, G3419, meaning memorial) was hewn from rock—essentially a cave carved into hillside. Luke adds: “And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid” (Luke 23:53). This fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). Christ, though numbered with transgressors in His death, was buried in a rich man’s tomb—the rock-hewn cave of Joseph.

Christ’s burial in a rock-hewn tomb fulfills and transforms the meaning of all previous burial caves. The cave of Machpelah represented faith in God’s promises while the patriarchs waited; Christ’s tomb represents the fulfillment of every promise. The patriarchs were buried awaiting resurrection they trusted but had not seen; Christ was buried and would become “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20), guaranteeing resurrection for all in Him. What Abraham believed and hoped for, what the patriarchs died trusting, now found its answer in this tomb.

The tomb-cave teaches the necessity of Christ’s burial. Paul emphasizes: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Christ’s burial was not incidental but essential—confirming His death’s reality and magnifying resurrection power. The sealed cave could not hold Him.

The Gospel accounts emphasize Jesus’ burial place details. It was a new tomb where no one had been laid before (Luke 23:53; John 19:41), signifying Christ’s uniqueness—His death and resurrection unlike any other. It was hewn from rock (Matthew 27:60), emphasizing solidity and permanence. It was sealed with a great stone (Matthew 27:60) and guarded by Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:65-66), testifying that when found empty, no human agent could have removed the body.

Then came the morning that changed everything. Mary Magdalene came early on the first day and found the stone rolled away: “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him” (John 20:2). Peter and John found the linen cloths but Jesus gone (John 20:6-7). The empty tomb became the first evidence of resurrection, transforming the cave from place of death to proclamation of life. The angel’s declaration confirmed this transformation: “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:6). The tomb that held death now testified to resurrection power.

When Mary saw the risen Christ, He told her: “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17). The tomb-cave became the transition point between Christ’s earthly ministry and His ascension, between humiliation and glorification. What appeared defeat—His dead body sealed in a cave—became history’s greatest victory.

Baptism symbolizes our spiritual identification with Christ’s tomb-cave: “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” (Romans 6:4). We have died with Christ, been buried with Him, and risen to walk in newness of life—not through water ritual but through faith in His finished work. The tomb-cave becomes the spiritual pathway from death to life, a transformation wrought by God’s power.

Christ’s emergence transforms how we understand every cave-experience in our lives. Our seasons of concealment, darkness, limitation, and even death itself are not the end but the pathway to resurrection life. Paul writes: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). The same power that brought Christ from the tomb works in us, giving life now and guaranteeing future resurrection. The empty tomb assures us that God specializes in bringing life from death, light from darkness, and resurrection from burial.

Living in Light of the Empty Tomb

Understanding caves’ spiritual meaning equips us to navigate our own cave-seasons with faith and hope. Throughout our journey, we will experience times of concealment, protection, preparation, testing, and transformation mirroring biblical saints’ cave-experiences.

We recognize that whatever external cave we occupy—literal isolation, seasons of limitation, times of waiting, or intense trial—our spiritual reality is that we are hidden in Christ. Paul declares, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Our identity is not found in circumstances but in union with Christ, the eternal Rock.

We embrace cave-seasons as opportunities for sacred encounter and transformation. Rather than resisting obscurity or limitation, we ask, ‘Lord, what do You want to teach me here? How are You preparing me?’ Paul’s experience demonstrates this: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:15-16). God’s revelation often comes during seasons of separation and concealment, preparing us for His purposes.

We exercise faith during cave-seasons, trusting God’s timing and purposes even when we cannot see outcomes. We honor God when we refuse to force our way out prematurely, when we wait for His deliverance rather than manufacturing our own, and when we allow the season to produce the character He desires. Like Jonah in the fish’s belly—a living cave for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17)—our confinement serves eternal purposes. As Jonah’s experience foreshadowed Christ’s three days in the tomb (Matthew 12:40), so our cave-experiences foreshadow resurrection power at work in us: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).

We maintain hope through resurrection promise. Just as Christ was buried and rose victorious, we know every death-experience in our lives—death of dreams, burial of hopes, entombment of relationships or ministries—is not the end of God’s story. Our tomb-caves become birthplaces for resurrection power when we trust Him through darkness. Because He has gone into the tomb and come out victorious, we can say with Paul: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). The cave of death has been transformed by Christ’s resurrection into a passageway to eternal life.

Conclusion: From Darkness to Light, From Death to Life

The caves of Scripture—from Machpelah to Adullam, from Horeb to Christ’s tomb—all point toward profound spiritual truths. They teach us that God is our refuge in danger, that He meets us in concealment, that He transforms apparent death into resurrection life, and that no darkness is too deep for His light to penetrate.

The ultimate cave—Christ’s tomb—stands as redemptive history’s centerpiece. What Satan meant for defeat became God’s greatest victory. What appeared the end of hope became the beginning of eternal life for all who believe. The sealed stone could not hold the Son of God, and the tomb’s darkness gave way to resurrection morning’s light.

As we face our own cave-seasons, we do so with confidence grounded in Christ’s victory. He has sanctified every cave-experience by His presence. He has transformed the meaning of concealment, limitation, burial, and death itself. We are hidden in Him, protected by Him, prepared by Him, and destined to share His resurrection life. Let us therefore embrace our cave-seasons with faith, knowing that “he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Our refuge is not in caves of stone but in Christ Himself, the Living Rock who was buried in a cave and rose victorious, transforming every dark experience into an opportunity to know Him more fully and reflect His resurrection power.

Ezekiel 37:1–14 The Valley of Dry Bones

[Study Aired Nov 18, 2024]

INTRODUCTION

Today’s study focuses on the restoration of the people of Israel into a great army in spite of the deplorable situation that they found themselves in as a result of their rebellion against the Lord. As we are aware, the people of Israel represent us, the Lord’s elect. We are the ones who had rebelled against the Lord during our time in the churches of this world or Babylon and were therefore without hope.

Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken anymore? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
Isa 1:7  Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
Isa 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

This is what the Lord says about our rebellion from the New Testament perspective:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

As we can see, we became spiritually dead and had no hope. In His life here on earth, the Lord physically raised the dead to show us who are given to understand the spiritual significance of His words, that He is in the business of raising us from the dead to become alive in Him. The story of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by the Lord, is to remind us of what the Lord is doing today in the lives of His elect – raising us from the dead. Later, in an age to come, all humanity will also taste of His resurrection power in their lives.

Joh 11:14  Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Joh 11:15  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Joh 11:16  Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Joh 11:38  Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Joh 11:39  Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Joh 11:40  Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Joh 11:41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
Joh 11:42  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 11:43  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
Joh 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

It is insightful to note that the stone which shielded the dead body of Lazarus from being seen by the people, was removed by those following Jesus after Jesus’ command for its removal. The stone in this case represents that which withholds us from seeing our deplorable situation. At the Lord’s command, the stone, or that which withholds us from seeing, is taken away by those following Jesus who represent the church of the firstborn.

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

Again, it was the people following Jesus who were asked to remove the graveclothes which bound Lazarus ‘hand and foot’, together with the napkin which covered the face. This is all to show us the key role the church plays in disentangling our hands and feet so that the work of our hands and our walk shall be pleasing to the Lord. It is the church that the Lord has empowered to remove the veil (the napkin covering the face of Lazarus) so that we can see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom.

2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This story of Lazarus therefore show us the resurrection power that the Lord is availing to His elect to bring them from death to life. Today’s study shows us what the Lord is doing to make us alive in Him after we have come to see our spiritually deplorable state of dry bones in the valley.

The Dry Bones in the Valley

Eze 37:1  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 
Eze 37:2  And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 

The hand of the Lord being upon Ezekiel is the same as Ezekiel being carried out in the spirit of the Lord. Ezekiel in this case represents the Lord’s elect. Being carried in the spirit is the same as being in the spirit and in many instances in the Bible, being carried in the spirit is followed by the Lord unveiling a mystery of the kingdom to His elect. For example, when Apostle John was on the island of Patmos, he was carried away by the spirit to understand what Babylon and the New Jerusalem represent.

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

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

In verses 1 and 2 therefore, Ezekiel being carried in the spirit of the Lord is to show him the valley full of the dry bones of the people of Israel which represent the state of the Lord’s people in Babylon. In the Bible, bones represent our flesh. It also signifies our spiritually dead situation when we were in the world and in Babylon.

Gen 2:23  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  

Gen 50:24  At last Joseph said to his brothers, “I‘m about to die. God will definitely take care of you and take you out of this land to the land he swore with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Gen 50:25 Joseph made Israel’s sons swear an oath. He said, “God will definitely take care of you. So be sure to carry my bones back with you.” (GW)

It is instructive to note that the bones that Ezekiel saw were dry. Anything that is dry is devoid of water. What this implies is that when we are lacking the word of the Lord, we become spiritually dead. The dry bones that Ezekiel saw therefore symbolize the spiritually dead state of the Lord’s elect when we were in Babylon. The dry nature of the bones therefore suggest that our spiritually dead state is because we were not receiving the truth of the word of the Lord.

Eze 37:3  Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Only you know, Almighty LORD.”

This question was also asked by Job in another way and here in the Book of Job, we are provided an answer to the question. As indicated by Job, no man can bring a clean thing out of an unclean. Ezekiel responding to the Lord’s question here in verse 3 that it is only the Lord who knows, is another way of saying that it is only the Lord who can cause dry bones to become alive.

Job 14:4  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

Job 14:7  For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8  Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Job 14:9  Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
Job 14:10  But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
Job 14:11  As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
Job 14:12  So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Job 14:13  O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Job 14:14  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

As shown here in Job, in our spiritually dead state (the dry bones), all we could do was wait until ‘our change come’ from the Lord.

Eze 37:4  Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 
Eze 37:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 

Prophesying to the dry bones to hear the word of the Lord is the same as the Lord coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. As indicated in the Book of Job, it is through ‘the scent of water’ that the tree that was cut down will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant. That is to say that it is what we hear of the word of the Lord that makes us alive in Christ.

Job 14:7  For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8  Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Job 14:9  Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

The Lord coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness is to ’cause breath to enter into us, so that we can live’, in verse 5.

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

This coming of the Lord to us is what the Lord has promised us as follows:

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Eze 37:6  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 

What is described here in verse 6 is the coming of the new man, who is created in righteousness and true holiness within us as our old man is dying through the Lord’s coming with His judgement.

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

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Eze 37:7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 
Eze 37:8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 

As stated in verse 7, the result of the prophesies was that there was noise and a shaking causing the bones to come together. This is to show us that it is through the Lord’s judgement (shaking) that the new man is formed within us as our old man commences his dying process.

Hag 2:6  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:8  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:9 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, saith the LORD of hosts.

In verse 8, we are told that the sinews and the flesh came up upon the bones before the skin covered them. At this point, the bones did not have the breath of the Lord. That is to say that we did not have the Holy Spirit and our lives were just like the Lord’s disciples before the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Act 19:1  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
Act 19:2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Act 19:3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Act 19:4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Verse 8 therefore shows us that becoming alive in Christ is a process. We do not become spiritually mature all at once. We grow into maturity. It is the truth spoken to us in love that ensures that we grow up into Christ in all things. This truth is what every joint supplies within the body of Christ and as we assimilate the truth, we gradually become mature and are not tossed about by every wind of doctrine.

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 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

A Great Army is Formed

Eze 37:9  Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 
Eze 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 

The wind in verse 9 represents the Holy Spirit. The four winds therefore signifies the whole of the Spirit of God – the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  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;
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

As the Lord stated before His ascension, the Holy spirit is what gives us the power to live our lives here on earth as the children of God. That is what makes us alive in Him.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Just as the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and made them a great army for the Lord, we are also being endued with power from the Holy Spirit to become a great army. This great army is not visible yet to the natural man but in the fullness of time, we shall appear as a great army riding on horses with the Lord.

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Eze 37:11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 
Eze 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 

Here in verse 11, we are being told that the dry bones signify the whole of the house of Israel. This house of Israel represents the Lord’s elect of every generation. All the Lord’s elect, must go to Babylon or the physical churches of this world before we are given to leave Babylon to become His elect. Our spiritual state in the churches of this world is what is described here in Ezekiel as dry bones without hope. However, in the fulness of time, the Lord delivers us from spiritual death by coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to make us a great army.  This restoration is also prophesied by the prophet Joel as follows:

Joe 2:25  And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Joe 2:26  And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Joe 2:27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Eze 37:13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 
Eze 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD. 

Verses 13 to 14 summarize all that have been said so far in this chapter. The Lord opening our graves means that we were spiritually dead in the churches of this world. However, in His mercy, He came to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to makes us alive in Him. He also poured His spirit within us to empower us and to lead us into the truth of His word. Through the spirit that He has poured on us, we are able to know the Lord. Placing us in our own land in verse 14 means being given to overcome our flesh as we offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord.

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

We are grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ for His mercy that He has shown towards us. Amen!!

The Book of Romans, Part 17 – Life in the Spirit

[Study Aired October 31, 2023]

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

In our previous study, we examined Romans 7:17-25 and how it is beautifully complemented by 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. Let’s break down the key points for clarity:

Limitations of Our Physical Nature: The passage “Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom” highlight the inherent limitations of our mortal bodies when it comes to inheriting God’s kingdom. It underscores that our earthly nature, tainted by sin, falls short of the perfection required for God’s kingdom.

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

Transformation through Christ: “Transformation and Victory through Christ” describes a future moment when we as believers will experience a profound change, receiving incorruptible and immortal bodies. This transformation symbolizes the victory over sin and death that Christ made possible through his resurrection.

Sin as the Root Cause: “The Sting of Death is Sin” echoes the themes of Romans 7:17-25, emphasizing that sin is the root of the problem. The passage also recognizes the role of the law in highlighting and intensifying this dynamic.

Triumph through Jesus Christ: The section on “Victory through Jesus Christ” concludes with an expression of triumph and gratitude to God for granting victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ. This aligns with the message of hope and redemption in Romans 7 and assures us that our efforts in the Lord are not in vain.

In summary, Romans 7:17-25 delves into our struggle with sin, acknowledging the ongoing inner conflict. It emphasizes the need for Christ’s intervention to overcome our sinful nature. In contrast, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 underlines our belief in the transformative power of Christ and the ultimate victory over sin and death. It assures us of a future transformation and eternal life in God’s kingdom. Collectively, these passages offer a comprehensive view of our journey, contrasting the enduring struggle with sin with the victory and hope that faith in Christ ultimately results.

The contrast outlined here is crucial in our Christian journey. It’s about the choice we make between following a worldly, fleshly mindset that leads to negative outcomes like death, and adopting a spiritual perspective that brings us life and inner peace. We’re going to explore the significance of being guided by the Spirit, grasp the opposition of the carnal mind to God, and embrace the transformative influence of the Spirit in our lives. This chapter sheds light on the path to a life filled with the Spirit of God and the promise of resurrection. It’s a life characterized by spiritual growth and freedom.

Romans 8 paints a vivid contrast between life in the flesh and life in the Spirit, revealing the remarkable liberty from the law of sin and death that comes through Christ. It elucidates how Christ’s redemptive work has fulfilled what the law could not, condemning sin in the flesh and enabling believers to live according to the righteousness of the law.

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

Transformation through Christ: “Transformation and Victory through Christ” describes a future moment when we as believers will experience a profound change, receiving incorruptible and immortal bodies. This transformation symbolizes the victory over sin and death that Christ made possible through his resurrection.

Sin as the Root Cause: “The Sting of Death is Sin” echoes the themes of Romans 7:17-25, emphasizing that sin is the root of the problem. The passage also recognizes the role of the law in highlighting and intensifying this dynamic.

Triumph through Jesus Christ: The section on “Victory through Jesus Christ” concludes with an expression of triumph and gratitude to God for granting victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ. This aligns with the message of hope and redemption in Romans 7 and assures us that our efforts in the Lord are not in vain.

In summary, Romans 7:17-25 delves into our struggle with sin, acknowledging the ongoing inner conflict. It emphasizes the need for Christ’s intervention to overcome our sinful nature. In contrast, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 underlines our belief in the transformative power of Christ and the ultimate victory over sin and death. It assures us of a future transformation and eternal life in God’s kingdom. Collectively, these passages offer a comprehensive view of our journey, contrasting the enduring struggle with sin with the victory and hope from which faith in Christ ultimately results.

As we continue into Romans Chapter 8, we embark on a profound exploration of the transformative power of life in the Spirit. The passage begins with a resounding declaration that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, provided they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8 paints a vivid contrast between life in the flesh and life in the Spirit, revealing the remarkable liberty from the law of sin and death that comes through Christ. It elucidates how Christ’s redemptive work has fulfilled what the law could not, condemning sin in the flesh and enabling believers to live according to the righteousness of the law.

The contrast outlined here is crucial in our Christian journey. It’s about the choice we make between following a worldly, fleshly mindset that leads to negative outcomes like death, and adopting a spiritual perspective that brings us life and inner peace. We’re going to explore the significance of being guided by the Spirit, grasp the opposition of the carnal mind to God, and embrace the transformative influence of the Spirit in our lives. This chapter sheds light on the path to a life filled with the Spirit of God and the promise of resurrection. It’s a life characterized by spiritual growth and freedom.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

What a profound declaration we find in Romans 8:1! It unequivocally states that for those who are in Christ Jesus and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, there is no condemnation. In other words, there is no judgment, blame, or punishment awaiting us in the lake of fire. This verse reveals a truth that should bring immense comfort to us as believers. We are free from the shackles of condemnation through our faith in Christ.

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Romans 8:33-34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Hebrews 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.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Verse 2 of Romans 8 explains a powerful principle. The “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has granted believers freedom from the “law of sin and death.” This freedom means that the spiritual principles of life in Christ have overridden the consequences of sin and death. It is a liberation that every believer should deeply appreciate.

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

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

Verse 3 holds a critical revelation. The law, hindered by man’s weakness, couldn’t accomplish what was needed. So, God, in His infinite wisdom, sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. Christ’s mission was to condemn sin in the flesh, to deal with its root cause. It is through His sacrifice that sin’s power is broken, setting the stage for the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in us.

Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Verse 4 underscores the profound aim of Christ’s mission. The righteousness of the law, through His sacrifice, is realized in us. This realization is dependent on a fundamental condition: that we live not according to our sinful nature but according to the Spirit. It serves as a reminder that our alignment with the Spirit is indispensable for achieving this fulfillment.

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 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. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Romans 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.

These verses collectively support the idea that fulfillment of the righteousness of the law is achieved through Christ’s work and the shift from living according to the flesh to walking in the Spirit.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

This verse sets a clear demarcation between those who live in the flesh and those who walk in the Spirit. Those who prioritize the flesh are consumed with its desires, while those led by the Spirit focus on spiritual matters. It is a reminder that our thoughts and actions align with our predominant nature, whether carnal or spiritual.

Galatians 5:19-23 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Romans 8:13-14 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

This verse presents a stark contrast between a carnal mindset and a spiritual one. To be preoccupied with the carnal mind leads to death, not just physical but especially spiritual death. Conversely, to be spiritually minded brings life and peace. It highlights the profound impact our mindset has on our well-being and present mindset.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

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

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

This verse unveils a profound spiritual reality. The carnal mind is not merely neutral; it is actively hostile to God. It doesn’t willingly submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot do so. This enmity between the carnal mind and God’s ways is a stark reminder of the deep spiritual divide that Christ’s work seeks to bridge.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

This verse underscores a fundamental truth. Those who are entrenched in the flesh, consumed by their carnal nature, cannot please God. The stark contrast between the flesh and the spirit reveals the necessity of spiritual transformation to find favor in God’s sight.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

1 Corinthians 10:5-6 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

In this profound verse, Paul delineates the distinction between those who walk in the flesh and those who walk in the Spirit. It is a pivotal moment in the passage, emphasizing that believers, indwelt by the Spirit of God, belong to Christ. The presence of the Spirit within us is a defining mark of our identity as His. It signifies the transformative work that has taken place, turning us away from the dominion of the flesh and toward a life led by the Spirit. To be “none of His” underscores the significance of the Spirit’s indwelling in the our life as a believer, marking us as a true member of Christ’s body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Here, the apostle Paul unveils a profound truth: Christ’s divine indwelling has a profound impact on our existence. Our old self, symbolized by “the body”, is considered dead because of sin. It is a recognition of our former state of separation from God due to sin’s influence. However, the presence of the Spirit within us is a testament to the life-giving righteousness that Christ’s sacrifice has provided. It’s a transformation from a state of spiritual death to one of life, where we now walk in the righteousness and holiness of Christ.

Colossians 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.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

In this climactic verse, Paul illuminates the astounding work of the Spirit within us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, signifying the ultimate victory over death and sin, now resides in us. This indwelling Spirit has the power to bring life even within our mortal bodies. It is a testament to the transformative and life-giving work of the Spirit. As believers, we anticipate the promise of resurrection, not just in the future but as a current reality in our lives, all because of the Spirit’s presence within us.

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

Ezekiel 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

In these verses, we witness the transformative power of the indwelling Spirit, marking us as Christ’s own, bringing life to our mortal bodies, and assuring us of the hope of resurrection. It is a profound revelation of the Spirit’s work in our lives, pointing to the ultimate victory in Christ.

In this powerful passage of Romans 8:1-11, Paul draws a clear line between those who walk in the flesh and those who walk in the spirit. The verse boldly proclaims that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, provided they do not yield to the flesh but walk by the spirit. It is a declaration of the freedom from sin’s guilt and penalty believers in Christ now possess.

Paul further emphasizes the profound role of the spirit that not only liberates believers from the law of sin and death, but also fulfills the righteousness of the law within them. The spirit is the transformative agent, leading believers to a life governed by God’s desires rather than the carnal mind. It is a journey from death to life, from enmity with God to a harmonious relationship with Him.

John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (NASB)

Gospels in Harmony – Matthew 20:17-19, Mark 10:32-34, Luke 18:31-34 – Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

[Study Aired February 2, 2021]

“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. He took the twelve disciples apart in the way and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. The Son of man shall be betrayed and delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and spitefully entreated, and shall spit upon him, and shall crucify and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”

In today’s study we will search out the spiritual significance of the foretelling of Christ’s death for the third time in our lives. This is the third time this is mentioned in the gospels which is significant. The number three represents the process of spiritual completion through judgment in our journey into the kingdom of heaven. Here is the link to the study of the number three:  Numbers in Scripture – Three, Process of Spiritual Completion Through Judgment.

We are the betrayers that deliver the Son of man to the chief priests and scribes. As disciples, we cannot understand these things at this point in our walk. We do not understand Christ must die and be resurrected so each of us can live. When we are in Babylon, we first believe Christ never died. Death is the only way to life, and Christ is foretelling His death for the third time to let us know we must die and can only live by dying and being judged.

Joh 13:31-38 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

We betray Christ three times by saying as we did in Babylon that Christ did it all and we do not have to do anything. In other words, by saying a short prayer we are not judged.

Remember the keys to the kingdom study series that showed us to apply the scriptures within? The Kingdom of Heaven is within. Here is what is written by the prophets concerning the Son of man.

Isa 53:1-3 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Before we are given to understand what the death of Christ means we betray and reject Christ and his doctrines. We must die, be born again, and purified in order to understand Christ and his doctrines.

Zec 13:7-9 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 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.

“Two parts shall be cut off” and “the third part through the fire”… what does this mean? It means that our old man being a witness to the doctrines of Babylon shall be done away, and what remains is the new man.

Joh 12:23-26 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

The new man will be perfected by the fire. We are currently experiencing the fire. All the world is in chaos, but the world does not recognize what is happening. They believe all things are continuing as it should. Here is what is happening:

2Pe 3:1-13 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure (G1506) minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 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. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come (and is now in us) as a thief in the night; in the which the (our) heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

1Pe 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

“Pure minds” – ‘pure’ is Strong’s number G1506.

G1506
εἰλικρινής
eilikrinēs
i-lik-ree-nace’
From εἵλη heilē (the sun’s ray) and G2919; judged by sunlight, that is, tested as genuine (figuratively): – pure, sincere.

Our minds are judged by sunlight. In other words, our minds are compared to sunlight, which of course refers to Christ.

Ecc 3:16-18 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Mal 4:1-3 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Here again are the verses we are reviewing. Christ is telling us for the third time He must die in order to give us life. We cannot understand these sayings until judgment begins in us. Judgment does not begin until the death of the old man begins. Christ is telling us of His death but also of our death.

“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. He took the twelve disciples apart in the way and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. The Son of man shall be betrayed and delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and spitefully entreated, and shall spit upon him, and shall crucify and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 

The third day we shall also rise and the process of spiritual completion through judgment begins so that we can become like God – spirit.

Joh 4:24 God is spirit, and those who are worshiping Him must be worshiping in spirit and truth.” (CLV)

1Co 15:41-45 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. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Christ is leading the way for us. He will accomplish all that is set before Him by the Father. We will reign with Christ if we die and are judged now.

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

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

I will end our study with Psalm 2.

Psa 2:1-12 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. 

Hello Mike,

I was recently watching a television program where a woman gave birth to a premature baby, but the baby died just one minute after being born. After watching that, I wanted to know if that child will ever know who his/ her birth mother was. So my question is, do children who pass away at the hospital get to know who their birth parents were? Even though it is a sad thing for the parents to go through that, I do know it is God’s will, and it is surely for the BETTER even though it may not seem that way to our natural man.

Ecc 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Let me know, Mike. I really would like to know this.

Your brother In Christ,

Y____

Hi Y____,

Just as the masses of humanity will not, at this time, believe in Christ so that we can be Christ’s firstfruit, elect believers, so too, has this child been sacrificed in this age for our sakes.

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.
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.

So we should have no doubt that this little child, who died only moments after being born, will certainly receive the mercy of God and will come to know and love his parents for this simple reason:

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

It is all “for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God”.

While we naturally value this physical life, God sees it as the necessary evil that it is, and is in the process of bringing it all to its well deserved end, bringing salvation and the destruction of death to everyone.

The verses you quoted are so very appropriate at this moment:

Ecc 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

I hope these few verses have helped to clear this up for you.

You remain in my prayers.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike

Hey Mike,

I was wondering if you could give me some scripture and explanation for a few questions I have that have been on my mind a lot lately:
How do we know we are elect?
Can you explain the mean of “the brothers who give their father an evil report”?
How do we interact with those in Babylon?
How about those who accuse us of twisting God’s word? How do we respond to them?
Many thanks!
God bless,
C_____

Hi C____,
Thank you for your questions. You ask:

How do we know we are elect?

I think it is safe to say that those who are God’s elect “have passed from death unto life”. Now here is how “we know we have passed from death unto life”:

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

The same apostle adds these words in his epistle:

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

But there is one more verse of scripture to help us to know we truly are God’s elect and can help us to see that we have indeed “passed from death unto life”. Here is the the way to know you love your brothers, and at the same time to know you have “passed from death unto life”:

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Anyone can say they love God and that they are God’s elect. Many churches claim they are the only true church and that their followers are God’s elect, but when you ask them if they “keep His commandments”, it generally becomes very clear very quickly that few indeed even know what the love of God is.
Here is one of Christ’s commandments which very few men who claim they have come in Christ’s name will even claim to teach or to keep:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

There is not one orthodox Christian minister who ‘loves Christ and keeps his commandments’. If they did they would not be orthodox Christians. Every orthodox Christian minister urges those in his charge to fight for God and country, and if need be, kill those who are invading their homeland or their homes.
I am not a fool. I am well aware of how difficult it is to stay aloof of the events of this life while living in this world. But God is no fool either, so we need not think we are His children just because we call him “Lord, Lord”.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

It is quite impossible for the natural man to “do the things [ Christ] says”.
Here is one more example of those who say they are God’s elect, who claim to love God and keep His commandments, but who will not keep this commandment.

Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Christ is speaking of those things which contrast with “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” He is not speaking of resisting the devil and the pulls of our flesh, in which case we are told:

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

I hope this helps you to see that being one of God’s elect is not an easy thing to achieve, and really is only accomplished by Jesus Christ Himself living His life of resisting the devil within each of His elect.
The only way we can know for certain whether Jesus Christ is living His life within either ourselves or our brothers is when we love our brothers in accord with the scriptural definition of love:

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Christ also gives us these very comforting words:

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Your second question is:

Can you explain the meaning of “the brothers who give their father an evil report”?

I am assuming you are referring to this verse of scripture:

Gen 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

It was just recently brought to my attention the fact that the word translated ‘report’ is the Hebrew word ‘dibbah’, which is better translated as ‘slander’.
Here is Strong’s definition for this Hebrew word:
H1681
dibba h
dib- baw’
From H1680 (in the sense of furtive motion); slander: – defaming, evil report, infamy, slander..
Here are the Old Testament entries for this word:
H1681
dibba h
Total KJV Occurrences: 10
report, 3
Gen_37:2, Num_13:32, Num_14:37
slander, 3
Num_14:36, Psa_31:13, Pro_10:18
infamy, 2
Pro_25:10, Eze_36:3
defaming, 1
Jer_20:10
evil, 1
Num_13:32.
So Joseph was telling his father of the evil slandering of his brothers. In spiritual application for us today, this simply means that we are made aware of all the false doctrines of our own “seed of Abraham” brothers and sisters, who continuously slander the good name of our loving, gentle, patient, and kind, heavenly Father.
All the doctrines of Babylon slander the good name of our heavenly Father. It has never entered His mind to burn anyone alive in literal fire. That doctrine slanders His good name. On the other hand He will judge His people, and the false doctrine of a substitutionary death, which denies that Christ in us dies daily and is crucified with Christ, is also a blasphemous doctrine. We do indeed “reap what we sow”, and it is also true that “whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son He receives”.
Whoever says otherwise is slandering the good name of our heavenly Father who “chastens and scourges every son He receives”.
I hope that helps you to better understand what Joseph reporting to his Father of the evil slandering of his brothers signifies.
Your last question is:

How do we interact with those in Babylon? How about those who accuse us of twisting God’s word? How do we respond to them?

The answer to this question is really contained in the answer to your last question. Joseph refused to slander the good name of his Father even as all ten of his brothers did so routinely. His rejected brothers are the Old Testament symbol of all the churches of Babylon. Joseph stood with his Father and for his Father in the face of all the slandering of his brothers. We too, must stand firm on God’s Word even as we are being accused of twisting it. Our Father knows who it is who is really twisting the word ‘aion’ which means ‘a period of time with a definite beginning and a definite end’ into eternity. Our heavenly Father knows who it is who is twisting “Love your enemies” into ‘Unless he is really your enemy and means you bodily harm’. Our heavenly Father knows who it is who is twisting “I fill up in my body that which is behind of the afflictions of the Christ for His body’s sake which is the church” and “I die daily” and “I am crucified with Christ”, into ‘Christ died for me so I don’t have to die’.
All such twisting of God’s Word is slanderous blasphemy of His loving, kind, gentle, but firm and disciplined good name.
So the answers to your questions here is to be careful not to cast your pearls before swine or give that [ Truth] which is holy to the dogs [ in Babylon]. But when confronted with their lies, you stand pat on the Rock that is Christ and His Word, and let the chips fall where the holy spirit is having them to fall.
In closing I would encourage you to join our nightly Bible studies and fellowship calls and “speak often” to the other parts of the body of Christ. It is impossible to stay spiritually healthy while ignoring the other parts of your own body. Fellowship with others in the Christ is never meant to be a litmus test, but it is scripturally clear that all who partake thereof are spiritually benefited by doing so.

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
(YLT) For, even as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ,
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
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.

I hope all of this serves to draw you closer to our Lord and His Christ,
Mike

Video Links

Job 14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
Job 14:16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
Job 14:17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
Job 14:18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
Job 14:19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
Job 14:20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
Job 14:21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Job 14:22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Introduction

With each study we learn more of the understanding, or lack thereof, of Job and his friends. As we do so, the fact that Job’s friends falsely accuse him and hold him responsible for the sins they have imagined he has done, and the fact that Job accuses them and holds them responsible for their sin of falsely accusing him, demonstrates that these men really are the type and shadow of who we are as the sons and daughters of Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and of abominations of the earth.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Spiritual ‘fornication’ is listening to and believing all the lies against our true husband and all the false doctrines, which are all contrary to His Word. We are confused into thinking we can take on the name of our true husband, but refuse His food He wants us to eat and refuse the clothes He wants us to wear. At this time in our walk, we are like Job. We want to tell God what we will eat and what we will wear for clothing. We want our own doctrines, but we want to call them His doctrines.

Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

The one thing that distinguishes Babylon is confusion, the very meaning of that name:

ba bel
baw- bel’
From H1101; confusion; Babel (that is, Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire: – Babel, Babylon.

Job is who we are before we are granted to see and hear “the things of the spirit”. It is only in our judgment that we finally admit:

Job 10:15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

But until our judgment comes upon us we feel sure we know God and that we are well qualified to be a teacher of God’s Word and be the savior of our own children. We have overcome many of the giants in our land, and like Job, we have done “many wonderful works”. Read Job 29 and this verse in Mat 7:

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

Yet we are completely unaware of who Babylon is or who her daughters are. She is some other church with whom we have never, ever been affiliated.

Rom 2:17 Behold, thou art called a [ spiritual] Jew [ a Christian], and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
Rom 2:18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
Rom 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

But the truth is we have been in bed with a harlot for many years, and it is for this reason we speak things of which, in truth, we know very little or nothing at all. In Babylon we speak of God’s sovereignty as if we knew God to be sovereign, when in fact we deny that God created evil and that He has created the wicked for the day of evil. We accuse such a God of being wicked, all the while worshiping a God who either destroys all men without the hope of a resurrection, or even worse, He keeps them alive for all eternity in literal flames of a literal fire.
We speak of the love of God, and out of the same mouth we tell those in our charge to physically fight and war for God, family and country.
We say we “believe in Christ”, but we will not “do the things that [ He] says”.
When confronted with believing that God’s sovereignty extends to all things, the [ evil world, [ an evil] life, [ the evil of] death, [ evil] things present and [ evil] things to come, we deny any such belief and self- righteously defend our God as being above creating and sustaining “the law of sin and death”.
But what do the scriptures reveal God’s sovereignty covers?

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.
1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

What do the scriptures reveal is the true love of God?

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

How can we know we believe on Christ as a disciple indeed?

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. [1Jn 5:2]

The Jews of Joh 8 are the very Jews who believed on Christ, and yet they also wanted to kill Him. The spiritual meaning of that apparent contradiction is that we want to skip over judgment and still be saved from death.
When we, like Job, want God to kill us, we too, are guilty of wanting to kill Christ. How can I say that? I can say that because Christ tells us this:

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Job’s desire to physically die, with no understanding of the need for being judged and dying to his flesh, makes him, as a type of us, guilty of believing on Christ and yet wanting Him and His doctrine dead.
It is with that same tired, confused, yet proud and self- righteous spirit, that Job continues to plead with and contend with His Maker concerning his situation:

Job 14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Our “old man” comes to his Zenith while he is in Babylon. It is there that he does “many wonderful works” in the name of Christ. So this is what Job speaks of here in verses 11-12. It is only after Job is physically prosperous that he, as the type of us, is brought down low. That is the meaning of “the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decays [ Hebrew, wastes] and is dried up”. Physically speaking 75% of the earth’s surface is covered with oceans, and while the rains come mostly from the waters of the sea, the winds, the location of mountain ranges, and other factors cause those waters to often dry up and cause droughts which can last for years and waste the lands which are dried up for lack of rain.
But spiritually Job is speaking of himself as us and as the type of self- righteous Babylon within us. Here is this same message as it is delivered by Jeremiah concerning Job within us, as the self- righteous ” idol of our heart” (Eze 14:1-9) while we are in Babylon:

Jer 50:38 A drought is upon her [ Babylon’s] waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images [“idols of the heart”, Eze 14:1-9], and they are mad upon their idols.

Babylon’s “waters” are the lies and false doctrines which she teaches and which are believed by the whole Christian world. Those lies begin to be proven to be just that. Seeing Babylon’s doctrines for the lies they are, is the “waters failing from the sea… [ and] “her waters… [ upon which Babylon sits] be[ ing] dried up” within us.

Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. [ What is the result of the drying up of the waters of Babylon?]
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [ What is result of Christ coming and drying up the waters of Babylon?]
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

The beast and his armies will be destroyed, as they are predestined to experience:

Psa 59:12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
Psa 59:13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

The gathering of the forces of Babylon within us to do battle with Christ and His word is devastating for our ‘old man’ and his Babylonian lies. Our “old man” is fighting a losing battle when he goes up against Christ and His Words.

Rev 17:14 These [ the ten horns of our old man] shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

This is the sixth vial, and it simply introduces us to the seventh vial, which is the consuming and the destruction of Babylon the Great within us:

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

“It is done”. This is the ‘plague’, the ‘stripe’ which finally brings us to say:

Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

When we condemn, contend with, and reprove our own Maker and Creator, we are blaspheming God. It is contended by the whole Christian world that these seven last plagues are designed to harden the hearts of those who will be cast into the lake of fire. In truth these plagues are God’s judgment which brings us to repentance and teaches us righteousness. It is this ” great hail” of this last plague of God’s judgment upon the kingdom of our old man, which ‘wipes away the refuge of lies’, which Job, as the type of us, is enduring. “The refuge of lies’ includes all of our self- righteousnesses, the false doctrine of free will and all of the other false doctrines with which we are afflicted for so long. This book of Job is the practical type and shadow of our judgment, which teaches us of the true righteousness whose only source is “Christ in us, the hope of glory”.

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

When the ‘waters [ of Babylon] are dried up, our old man will “lie down and rise not, nor be raised out of sleep”. But a “new man” will be raised up out of the sleep of death into the light of life.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

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

“Till the heavens be no more” may actually have an outward application. After all, they had an outward application at the time of their creation:

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

What will becomes of “the heavens and the earth”?

Psa 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
Psa 102:26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

Isa 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Heb 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Heb 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
Heb 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

So the fate of the physical realm is not the concern of the spiritually minded. Here is that with which we are to be concerned:

2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
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.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

This very same apostle has just informed us that he is not writing of some far distant future judgment. Rather he is speaking of the judgment whose “time is come”, and which is now upon “the house of God”.

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

We simply cannot avoid or skip any of these words which have proceeded out of the mouth of God. But as the type of each of us, that is what Job, the whole world and we would do:

Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

God’s scourging destructive wrath upon the kingdom of our old rebellious Adam would be of no benefit to us if God granted Job’s request to be in the grave “until thy wrath be past”. God’s wrath must be fulfilled upon the works of our old man or we will not be given to enter into God’s temple.

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

Just as the type he portrays, Job anticipates a resurrection which is devoid of any spiritual insights. It is especially devoid of God’s chastening judgment.

Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

Since Job just told us in verse 12: “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep “, and since the very next verse is his wish: “O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!”, it is clear that Job, and all the Old Testament men of faith, knew to some extent that they were “strangers and pilgrims” on this earth and in these “vessels of clay”. They knew there was something more and that these clay vessels would have to be remade, but they were not ministering to themselves but to us, and they did not fully comprehend what that ministry was or the depth of the change of these clay vessels.

Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

When Peter says “Not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister…” he also is speaking in terms of the order in which men are being brought to God. He is not saying “the prophets” would never know “of the grace that would come unto you”. What he is saying is the same thing we read in Heb 11, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
It is clear that both Job and Abraham considered themselves to be “strangers and pilgrims” here on this earth.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

“Not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister…” means that the “better thing that is for us” is the fact that the mercy shown to them will come through us “who first trusted in Christ”.

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

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.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

So Job and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and “many prophets and righteous men” were not the first to trust in Christ. But “unto [ them] it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister”, and they were given to know that “they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”.
But knowing all of that gave them absolutely no appreciation for spiritual matters. So when Job and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the “prophets and righteous men” of the Old Testament are resurrected into the fire of Christ’s New Covenant words, those words will come to them through those “who first trusted in Christ”. That ‘fire’ into which they will be resurrected is the very same fiery truth which have tried all of us. At that time they will be more than happy, at God’s own appointed time, to repent of their carnal understanding of who is a true child of Abraham, of what is the meaning of loving God and our fellow man, and of their own righteousnesses which stink in the nostrils of our God and of their hatred of their enemies. We know this is so because this is what Christ Himself told the Jews who “believed on Him”, yet wanted Him dead:

Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

But like Job, the type of all of us, Abraham, who is also a type of our relationship with Christ, had to be dragged out of Ur of the Chaldees, a type of Babylon, and into the land of promise, the type of our standing with God at this time.

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,

It is the dragging by the spirit of God which moves us all to do what we do, be it good or bad. It is God Himself who made Job and each of us the sinners we are, to need the savior He has provided for us. Not yet knowing who Christ is Job continues to bemoan being brought to his wits’ end.

Job 14:16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
Job 14:17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

It is true. Our steps are numbered, God does indeed “watch over our sin”, and our transgression is sealed up in a bag. We are familiar with the verses which say as much:

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
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.
Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Job, as the type of Babylon within us, does not know these things. It is the experience of Job which reveals these truths, and it is only after we have known the sufferings of Job that we are brought to our wits’ end and are then given to know and to understand the mind of Christ and His Father (Joh 17:3).
Here is the extent of Job’s understanding of the sovereignty of God: This is the understanding we all have while believing the false Babylonian doctrine of mankind’s “free moral agency”.

Job 14:18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
Job 14:19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
Job 14:20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

But there is a reason why ‘You prevail for ever against him’. It is that reason which was not given to be ‘seen or heard’ by the prophets and righteous men of the Old Testament. As the type of who we are while we are living under the false Babylonian doctrine of “free moral agency”, Job is granted to acknowledge that God is sovereign over ‘the mountains coming to nothing, and the rock being removed out of his place’. He is willing to acknowledge that just as ‘the waters wear the stones, so does God wash away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth.’ Job is even willing to acknowledge that God can and does “destroy the hope of man prevails against him… change his countenance and send him away”.
What Job does not acknowledge is that God is the cause of all of what he does. He certainly does not understand that he, Job, is not righteous of himself. When it comes to his own righteousness and His own integrity, he says:

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Job 27:5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

So with all the lip service about the omnipotence and the sovereignty of God, in the final analysis Job actually believes that he can and he is of himself “maintain[ ing] his own ways… his own integrity… [ and his own] righteousness”, and though God may bring mountains to naught and He may “wash away things that grow out of the dust of the earth, and… destroy the hope of man”, nothing can change the idea Job has that he is ‘righteous and full of integrity of himself’. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
Surely that is just who we are while we are in the wilderness that is Babylon. The false doctrine of our own will, free from God’s will is nothing less than the beast, who is that “man of sin” sitting on the throne of our hearts and minds.

Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman [ Babylon The Great, the mother of harlots, vrs 5] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
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.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin [“our old man… the body of sin”] be revealed, the son of perdition;

Job’s conclusion at this point is inescapable.

Job 14:21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Job 14:22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Our old man’s future is very dark, but it is out of that darkness and through his death that life and light are being called out.

Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

The destruction of “him that had the power of death” will be the destruction of death itself. Only then can God be “all in all”, which is His ultimate goal.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
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.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will continue in the revelation of who we are as revealed to us in Eliphaz.

Job 15:1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Job 15:2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
Job 15:3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
Job 15:4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
Job 15:5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
Job 15:6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
Job 15:7 Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
Job 15:8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
Job 15:9 What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
Job 15:10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
Job 15:11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
Job 15:12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
Job 15:13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

Dear Mike

How are you doing? If you could help me out with these two verses, Mat 27:52-53, it would be well appreciated. I take it that these two verses are not to be taken literally. And if not, what does it mean, if you could answer it without it taking up to much of your time. Looking forward to hearing from you. May God bless you and your family

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

K____

Hi K____,

These verses are just as literal as the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha. All of these resurrections were, like Lazarus, resurrections to physical life. Christ had also resurrected the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue (Mar 5:22-41). There were also a few resurrections in the Old Testament. They were all resurrections to physical life. Christ alone is “the firstfruits of them that slept.” “The firstfruits of them that slept” were none of the others I have listed above.

1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

Yes, there really was an earthquake when Christ died.

Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Christ was in the tomb and was resurrected from the tomb and death before the other saints who had recently died were resurrected and went into the city to testify to the reality of Christ as the son of God.

And yes, the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom was to reveal to us that in Christ there is no longer a wall of separation between us and our God. It tells us also that we are now in the “time of reformation.” We are no longer under the law of Moses. Be sure to read The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit

The resurrection of Lazarus, the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of all those saints all happened in the same seven day period. It was all a very powerful testimony of who Christ was. He really is the resurrected son of God.

I am quick to repeat that all of these resurrections, except the resurrection of Christ, were to natural flesh and blood bodies. Neither Lazarus nor any of the saints that were resurrected after His resurrection, walked through any walls appearing in rooms with “locked doors.” All but Christ had to live out life in their resurrected natural bodies and die again, “not having received the promises… that they without us should not be made perfect.”

Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again:
Heb 11:13 These all [ even these resurrected dead] died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

I hope this answers your questions,

Mike

Video Links

Job 10:1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
Job 10:2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
Job 10:3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
Job 10:4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
Job 10:5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days,
Job 10:6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
Job 10:7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
Job 10:8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
Job 10:9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
Job 10:10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Introduction

Job has confessed that he is a sinner, and in the same breath he questions why God is doing what He is doing to him:

Job 7:20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

In this study we will show that what is happening to Job is, according to Job himself, the Old Testament type and shadow of God’s wrath being poured out upon the self- righteous beast within us all, which is typified by Job’s self- righteousness.
Here is Job’s own assessment of what God is doing to him.

Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Job 16:9 He [ God, verse 11] teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he [ God] gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy [ God Job 19:11] sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
Job 19:11 He [ God] hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

God’s wrath IS His judgments:

Job 19:29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.
Job 20:23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
Job 20:28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

Even after admitting in the previous chapter that God has “kindled His wrath against me”, as we have just quoted in Job 19:11, in his self- righteousness, Job does not realize that he is speaking of himself in these verses:

Job 21:16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Job 21:17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
Job 21:18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
Job 21:19 God layeth up his iniquity for his [ the wicked] children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
Job 21:20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

Just like us, Job has witnessed his own destruction and still cannot admit that “drinking” the cup of God’s wrath is constructive and is for his good so he can “enter the temple” of God (Rev 15:7-8). He knows he is under God’s wrath, but he does not know why. He does not know that he was “shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin” (Psa 51:5).
“He shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty”. Is that not exactly what God tells us concerning “all” of His own people, as well as “all nations”?

Jer 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Jer 25:16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
Jer 25:17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
Jer 25:18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;

“To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation…” God is intent upon the destruction of our “old man”. He is in the process of destroying Job and “bringing him back to the dust”. It is through the destruction of His own people with whom He is dealing in His wrath that He will save them. It is His own habitation with whom He is dealing in His wrath.

Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye [ God own people, His own habitation] shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jer 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

Job still cannot see that it is HE who is “wicked”, but he does know that God’s wrath is for the wicked:

Job 21:30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Are you and I the wicked Publican? Are you and I the wicked woman caught in the very act of adultery? If we are granted to see these people in our own flesh, then it is only because we were all first the spiritually blind, self- righteous Pharisee, typified by Job, who at first, like Job, could not see any of that wickedness within himself.
Yes, indeed, God’s wrath is “reserved to the day of destruction [ of] the wicked” who is within us all. Job is the type of all those who do not think that God’s wrath is needed or intended for them.
Job is the perfect type of all of us when we first see 1Th 5:9 as the only verse in scripture that matters concerning God’s wrath. Like Job, we all, before we can see “the sum of God’s Word” (Psa 119:160, ASV) on the subject of His wrath, are spiritual Pharisees who will not acknowledge any need for God’s purifying wrath to be poured out upon their own wickedness.
Let’s look at that verse in 1Th 5, and see what it is really saying:

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Indeed, it is all of mankind who is not appointed to wrath but to salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Neither is mankind appointed to death, but to salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Joh 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

“Never see death… shall never die”??? How is that accomplished? It is accomplished in the same way that we are “not appointed to wrath but to salvation”. The way we “shall never see death” is “through death”, through “dying daily” (1Co 15:31), and being “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20″. That is also the way “we are not appointed to wrath, but to salvation”. Without first knowing and fulfilling God’s wrath “no man can enter into the temple” of God.

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues [ G4127, plege] of the seven angels were fulfilled.

There is no blessing promised to anyone who does not keep these words written in this 15th chapter of the book of Revelation.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

In this study we will see how Job’s suffering God’s wrath lines up with the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God. It is very instructive to be aware that the Greek word translated ‘plagues’ in Rev 15 and 16 is the exact same word translated ‘stripes’ in these verses:

Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes [ G 3127, plege], shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

The first plague – a grievous sore

Job is covered with “a grievous sore”:

Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

Such is the first vial:

Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

The second plague – upon the sea

Job reveals that the ‘sea’ is within us. He sees Himself as a marked man and an enemy whom God is intent upon destroying.

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

The second vial is poured out on “the sea”.

Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

The third plague – makes the waters deadly

The life- giving waters of the word of God instruct us about the destruction of our “old… first man, Adam”. It was those very waters , the words of God, which were now turned against him and were destroying the “old man”, Job.

Job 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
Job 12:15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Job 12:16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

The third vial is poured out upon the rivers and fountains of water, and they become deadly to our old man:

Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6 For they [ Saul of Tarsus, you and I] have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

There it is in plain English. God’s wrath is “Thy judgments”, and what do God’s judgments produce when they are “in the earth”?

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments [ God’s wrath, Rev 16:7] are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

The fourth plague – great heat

In his rebellion against God, Job is “burned with heat”.

Job 30:29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
Job 30:30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.
Job 30:31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

The fourth vial ‘scorches men with great heat”.

Rev 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The fifth plague – full of darkness

Job was tormented in his darkness. Darkness is the Biblical symbol of a lack of knowledge and of confusion. Job is in great darkness, and in great affliction:

Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
Job 30:27 My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
Job 30:28 I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.
Job 30:29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

This lack of understanding torments us all. This darkness is the pouring out of the fifth vial upon the kingdom of our ‘old man… the first man Adam”. When we reprove, contend with and condemn God for His ways in our lives, we are blaspheming God ‘because of our pains’.

Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
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.

The sixth plague – dries up the waters

When the waters of God are dried up in our lives, the lies of Babylon “out of the mouth of the dragon… the beast… and the false prophet” flourish. At the same time that those life- giving words are “overturning” and destroying our “old man” with all his lies, they are in the process of bringing forth a “new man” .

Job 12:15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
Job 28:4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

It is the dragon himself whom God has sent to afflict Job. Job’s physical boils are no more painful to him than are the false accusations and the mental torment of his friends. Both Job and his friends are lacking the nourishing life- giving waters of the knowledge of God. They are “dried up”, and the “kings of the east” will destroy our old kingdom, just as God used Satan to destroy Job’s ‘kingdom’; just as He used King Cyrus to destroy ancient Babylon, and just as the kingdom of our beast will also be ‘destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming’ (2Th 2:8). But we will be deceived by the miracles performed by the beast, and in that state, and at that time we, with Job, will turn against and condemn our own Creator. Job was very physically prosperous before he was afflicted through Satan and of God. But that time of prosperity was merely a time in which Job was being set up to be destroyed. It is God Himself who sends “the spirits of devils, working miracles” and causes us to err and hardens our hearts against His ways” and brings us all to our own ‘Armageddon’ and the death of our “old… first man Adam”.

Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
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. />

The seventh plague – On the ‘air’

According to our Lord, the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the heavens and the fowls of the air are the symbols of “the wicked one” who snatches away the word of Truth.

Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Yet this is exactly the source to whom Job would send us to learn of God:

Job 12:7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

“The air” is the invisible realm of the spirit, and it is true that these all know that God is and that He is sovereign,

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Nevertheless they have not been granted to either know our Lord or His Father as He wants us to know Him, even though Christ is hinted at by Elihu here in this book of Job:

Job 33:23 If there be a messenger with him [ Christ], an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness [ Christ]:
Job 33:24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom [ Christ].

It is the “thunder” of God which judges the things that are in “the air”. Here is some of that ‘thunder’ that God poured out on Job’s ‘air’.

Job 37:1 At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.
Job 37:2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
Job 37:3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
Job 37:4 After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
Job 37:5 God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
Job 40:9 Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

The spiritual lies of Satan, “the prince of the power of the air”, tell us that God is not a loving God and that He has no right to “scourge” us as He does (Heb 12:6-7) or to treat us as He does. It is these lies which Job believes, because he is the Old Testament type of us while we are having the scourging of the seven last plagues of God’s wrath poured out upon us. It is the lies of the “Prince of the power of the air” which we and Job believe which give God the “occasion” He is seeking to pour out His wrath upon “the cities of the nations… and great Babylon” within Job and within each of us.
God does not “thunder [ with] the noise of His voice… and His lightning” just to impress us. When He ‘thunders marvelously with His voice’, and He directs… His lightning unto the ends of the earth”, the lies of the prince of the power of the air are revealed for what they are beyond any shadow of a doubt even within the hardest and most rebellious heart, and those lies are destroyed on the spot. God’s work is a process, but it is “a short work” that the Lord does upon the earth.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

It is through “His wrath” that the Lord is working with Job and with us:

Job 20:28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

While it may seem like an eternity to us, as it did to Job, from God’s perspective it is but for “a little moment”, and it is “a short work”.

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Rom 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

To all of us and to Job, the type and shadow of those who “keep the things written” in the revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:3), it does not seem like either “a little moment” or “a short work”. Like us, Job has no rest day or night while being judged in God’s presence:

Job 7:13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;
Job 7:14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:
Job 7:15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
Job 7:16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
Job 7:17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?
Job 7:18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
Job 7:19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

“Depart from me… let me alone till I swallow down my spittle” That is the spirit of “the prince of the power of the air” with which we reprove our Potter in whose hands we are. It is in this very spirit that Job continues to contend with God:

Job 10:1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

Job says “I will speak in the bitterness of my soul”. We all do that, but in doing so, we are being set up for our own destruction. It seems we simply cannot learn our lesson at this particular time in the revelation of Jesus Christ within us:

Job 9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

It is better to say ‘I am vile… I will speak no more’ (Job 40:4). But we continue in our stubborn self- righteous reproofs of God:

Job 10:2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
Job 10:3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

“Show me why you contend with me”, we demand. We, as a piece of pottery, can condemn our Maker, but we think He has no right to condemn us? We can contend with Him, but we want Him to answer us and tell us why He is contending with us? We can condemn men who oppress other men, but what right do we have to condemn God for doing what He wants to do with His creatures? What right do we have to accuse and condemn Him for “despising the work of [ His] hands and shin[ ing] upon the counsel of the wicked”?

Job 10:4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
Job 10:5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days,
Job 10:6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

We are truly confused when we dare to ask such foolish questions of our God. God does not see as men see. If He did, we would never have eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and we would all still be naked in the garden of Eden, blissfully unaware that we were “shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin” (Psa 51:5). Most Christians to this day want to have the blissful ignorance of Eden.

Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Job and we know the answer to those questions, but our self- righteousness, and our “bitterness” will not permit us to keep our mouth shut. God is not “enquiring after our iniquity, and searching after our sin”. What He is doing and what will happen is that He will eventually show to Job and all of us just how self- righteous we are in daring to put Him on trial and condemn Him for His ways. God is “searching” for nothing, rather He’s simply revealing to us everything that is within us.

Job 10:7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

“You know I am not wicked”??? That is what is within us! No, God knows that we are all wicked. Here is what God knows, and this is what we at first, typified by Job, do not know. This is what the orthodox Christians as well as all the rest of mankind do not yet know:

Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
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 that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my member s, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

At first Job has no clue that “sin dwells in me… and brings me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members”. How did that sin get there “in my members”? It got there through “another law in my member s, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members‘.
Where did this “law of sin” come from? It is of the utmost importance that we become aware of the answer to this question or we will remain as ignorant of God and His ways as was self- righteous Job. James gives us the answer to this perplexing question of who is the giver of this “law of sin [ which is] in our members”:

Jas 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

God alone is the “one Lawgiver, who alone is able to save and to destroy…” Job does not know what that “one Lawgiver” is in the process of doing. In his ignorance he continues to attempt to reason with God and to convince God that flesh and blood is not all that bad a creation. After all flesh and blood are God’s own handiwork:

Job 10:8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
Job 10:9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
Job 10:10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

While it is obvious that Job had been given the knowledge of the sweet smelling savor burnt offering, it is yet apparent that he was completely unaware of these verses of scripture:

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Job knows nothing of life coming only “through death”. He certainly is not aware of the advantage of dying daily while we are yet in these vessels of clay. We all know of God, long before the depth of this Truth is realized within us:

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
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:

Christ did not die to the sins of the flesh so we could live in those sins. He died to the sins of the flesh so He could fill up in our flesh what is ‘behind of His sufferings’. He died to the sins of the flesh so He could come into our bodies and die daily so we too, could be “crucified with Christ”, and be raised up again with Him to “walk in newness of life… until the redemption of the purchased possession”.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 Certainly not! We died to sin– How shall we live any longer in it?
Rom 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

“The redemption of the purchased possession” necessitates the death of “the first man Adam”, who is typified by Job, until God comes and changes his heart and mind,
“Will you bring me into the dust again?” The answer is a resounding “Yes, indeed” we are all to be ‘brought to dust again” for this simple reason:

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

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will cover these verses of Job which reveal the utter confusion we all must come to know before we will be granted to know what God is doing with His creature:

Job 10:11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
Job 10:12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
Job 10:13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
Job 10:14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
Job 10:15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
Job 10:16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
Job 10:17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
Job 10:18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
Job 10:19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
Job 10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
Job 10:21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
Job 10:22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

Dear Mike,

I recently came to a point where I felt a need to fast and seek God to understand why he seemed to be withholding physical blessings. For the past several years, it seemed that no matter what I did, my efforts were not rewarded. It was just plain weird! No matter the variety of seed nor the extent to which I cast it, nothing grew.
My wife likened our fruitless efforts to progress financially to bouncing a ball against a wall, yet the ball defies physical law and does not bounce back. It has felt as if God was actively preventing the expected results of work, i. e. cause and effect was not working normally in our universe. I needed to know what God wanted from me – why was this happening?
I began fasting and intended to devote the day to prayer and study. Immediately, things began to go wrong. The car wouldn’t start when my wife wanted to leave for work. The situation was resolved after several trips back and forth to the auto supply to get the matter fixed. All of this took up a couple of hours.
I resumed my intentions and began reading Zephaniah. Why? I don’t know. I had been reading Habakkuk before that and just kept going. Zephaniah yielded no meaningful insights. Once I finished Zephaniah, I began reading Haggai. All of a sudden I was struck by what I was reading. Haggai had never revealed any great truths to me before, but given my current concerns it was like the light had come on and I could see for the first time what was happening.
Reading Haggai in the past was nothing more than reading an historical account of the remnant of Judah returning to Jerusalem. There was no personal connection to it; Thursday, there was. While I recognize that this is a prophecy of Act 2, verses 3-11 of Chapter 1 described my situation:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says; ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.”’ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’ This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the Lord. ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.’”

I knew that I was guilty of trying to build my house (my personal wealth) not just for months, but for years. I had not ignored God, but I had not always put him first in everything! We had not considered that we were simply committing the ultimate sin of idolatry.
The amazing thing was that it was not some sort of blatant transgression –we have never earned a lot of money and purchased the trappings of wealth. In fact, we have always lived very modestly and have very little to show for 30 years of marriage and work. Yet, when it came to physical aspirations, we both wanted freedom from having to worry about money because we hoped to develop streams of income through both business and investment vehicles.
In spite of my personal study, I finally recognized that I had stopped worshiping God in prayer and that my study had started to become mechanical and lifeless. The inspiration that I had experienced daily in the past had simply stopped. It all occurred so subtly that I didn’t even notice it until I prayed during my fast and remembered the way it used to be. This was reflected in Hag 2:3 where God told Haggai to ask his people:

“Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?”

That’s where I was. The temple existed, but it was only a shadow of a former glory. There was no life in it, only a shell. The Lord continued (v. 4-9):

“Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, “and work. For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,”says the Lord Almighty. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,”declares the Lord Almighty. “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,”says the Lord Almighty, “And in this place I will grant peace,”declares the Lord Almighty.

God then made clear that no matter what, their efforts were not enough, and it was simply his mercy that would make them acceptable to him, and he would bless because he chose to do so (v. 14b – 19):

“Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled. Now give careful thought to this from this day on – consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. When anyone came in a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,” declares the Lord. “From this day on, from this twenty- fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

From this day on I will bless you.”

I don’t know the significance of the references to the specific days mentioned in these passages, but it is clear that there is an importance attached because God speaks to them for a second time on the same day (v. 20 – 23):

The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty- fourth day of the (ninth) month: “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdom. I will overthrow the chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

On that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, “I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,” declares the Lord, “and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,” declares the Lord Almighty.

I recognize that all of this is spiritual, reflecting God’s intention to pull down the strongholds that have dominated our lives and kept us from experiencing the full relationship with Christ that he intends for all of us to eventually have. It is exciting to also understand that this is being done in spite of our infidelity (being defiled). I know that our lives are about to change in a dramatic way and I give God the glory for it!

J____

Hi J____,

Wow, what an “open heavens” this is!
I have seen for some time that “man shall… live by every word of God,” but it is so exciting to see how this same truth is being revealed to others in the body of Christ.
I cannot tell you how encouraging it is to read this. I have often told the story of how the WWCG taught us that we were expected by God to leave an inheritance to our “children’s children.”

Pro 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

For many long years, I just like you, saw only the letters in that verse. It appeared to be plainly saying that if I were a good man I would leave an inheritance for my children and grandchildren. Besides that I would also inherit the wealth of the sinners. How true the last part of this verse proved to be:

2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

It is good to be dying daily in Christ, but it is sad to be a walking dead man and be completely unaware that we are the walking dead.

Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

It is only after we give up our lives that there is any hope of salvation. Christ was very clear on this subject.

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

So our physical lives are to be considered as being offered in sacrifice to God. Unlike all we have been taught while in Babylon, this does not necessarily result on physical blessings which inevitably steal away our hearts again. Just look at the context of “let the dead bury their dead.”

Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

That is very plain language coming from the man in whose steps we are to follow as we seek to “seek first the kingdom of God.”

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Even in Haggai the blessings are pronounced on their efforts to build God’s house first. Only then are any blessings promised:

Hag 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

“God’s house” is the same thing as His kingdom, and both are within those with whom He is now working. We will all be struck down until everything we once valued, and the recognition of men which we have all coveted, is realized for the absolute dung that it is.

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 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,

Don’t think for one moment that the revelation of these truths means this is now all behind you. As we weather one battle it is but a preparation for an even harder battle ahead. Just witness the life of our example, Christ and the life of the apostles Paul, Peter and John. Then look at the opening of the seven seals resulting in the blowing of the seven trumpets, which culminate in the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon the ungodliness and unrighteousness which is in the flesh of every man who has ever lived. We are both Job and Christ. While we are the light of the world, we are also a spectacle to the world.

Luk 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

We really do “live by every word” and we “keep the things written therein”. Not just the good and positive, but “every word.”

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

The natural man universally considers “the things therein” to be cataclysmic and apocalyptic. Yet the spirit calls it all “The wonderful works of God to the children of men”, and we are admonished to be grateful for all these our trials.

Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

This experience is four times repeated under differing circumstances in this 107th chapter of Psalms, because it is common to all men.

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

For all who can receive it, the scriptures reveal that the “way of escape” is through the fiery sword that guards the way of the Tree Of Life. It is through the flood of Noah, through the Red Sea, through the Jordan, through Babylonian captivity, through the fiery furnace, through the lion’s den, and finally through the death of the cross. These are the “wonderful works of the Lord” of which King David declares, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” These are the very same works for which we are to rejoice.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

You remain in my prayers. You are beginning to lay up true treasures in heaven, which will be given to your children and your children’s children.
Thanks again for sharing your revelation with me. It is truly a blessing to me.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike