1 Samuel 10:1–27 Saul Anointed King by Samuel

[Study Aired March 9, 2026]

Our study today focuses on the Lord’s sovereignty in establishing Saul as Israel’s first king. The study highlights how the Lord divinely empowered Saul to become the king of Israel. It therefore, shows us how the Lord is empowering us, His elect, to reign with Him when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

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

Saul Anointed King

1Sa 10:1  Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

It is important to note in verse 1 that the Lord anointing Saul was for the purpose of making him captain over the Lord’s people or inheritance. That means that to become a king of the Lord’s people or inheritance, we must be anointed.

Deu 32:9  For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

The Lord’s inheritance is our inheritance. The Lord has shown us in His word that He will give us the nations as our inheritance.

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

Psa 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

In Psalm 133:1, we are shown what the anointing does in our lives to ensure our kingship when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. It helps us to dwell together in unity with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, which is the pillar of the truth of the Lord’s word.

Psa 133:1  A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Psa 133:2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 

The Lord is therefore training us as rulers within the body of Christ, so that in the fullness of time, we shall reign as kings with Christ. This training involves living in unity with our brothers and sisters as we go through suffering in this age to destroy our flesh. Living in unity implies being of one mind and speaking the same thing.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

What We Must Go Through to become Kings

1Sa 10:2  When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

After anointing Saul, Samuel told him about what would happen to him on his way to become king of Israel. Therefore, it shows us what we must go through as anointed of the Lord in order to realize our kingship when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

The two men in verse 2 represent the Lord’s witnesses. The fact that the two men were by Rachel’s sepulcher implies that all of the Lord’s witnesses are going through the death of their flesh or the valley of shadow (meaning of Zelzah) of death in this age, through the Lord’s judgment.

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We must note that the two men who serve as the Lord’s witnesses were to let Saul know that the asses have been found and that his father is worrying about him.  This is to let us know that when the Lord calls and chooses us to be become His elect, He ensures that our needs are met so we can serve Him in rest and quietness.

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 
Php 4:20  Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

Saul’s father caring about Saul after finding his lost asses is to show us the Lord’s care regarding us. The reason He cares about us is that He loves us dearly as His children.

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jer 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

1Sa 10:3  Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 
1Sa 10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. 

The plain of Tabor is a mountain near the hills of Nazareth. As we have indicated in previous studies, a mountain on a positive note signifies the house of the Lord or the church of the Lord’s elect. Saul going to meet three men on their way to God at Bethel affirms that it is in the house of the Lord that Saul was going to meet these three men, since Bethel means house of God. These three men represent the Lord’s elect who were going to offer sacrifice to the Lord.

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Saul meeting the three men at the plain of Tabor implies that if we are to reign with Christ, then we must come into the church of the Lord’s elect. That is where we learn to offer ourselves as living sacrifice to the Lord. It is important to note that Saul was going to meet three men at Mount Tabor. The number three means the process of spiritual maturity through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh. The fact that the three men were carrying three kids and three loaves and a bottle of wine is to show us that offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord is a process attained through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh.

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.

The three men saluting Saul and giving him two loaves of bread in verse 4 means that in entering the church of the Lord’s elect, we are given to know Christ through His word, which is symbolized by the two loaves of bread given to Saul. The word of the Lord that we receive is through what every joint supplies in the assembly of the Lord’s elect as we are granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

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.

It is instructive to understand that Saul was given two loaves of bread. The number two means a witness. It implies that in coming to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must compare scripture with scripture.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1Sa 10:5  After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 
1Sa 10:6  And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 
1Sa 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

It is on the hill of God or in the assembly or the church of the Lord’s elect that there is a Philistine outpost. This implies that it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we pay attention to the deeds of our flesh.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

As we are aware, it is in the city of the Lord’s elect that we meet prophets with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps as they prophesy. Prophesying here means singing praises to the Lord with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps. Singing to the Lord is a form of prophesying as shown by the sister of Moses, who is called a prophetess, and the daughters of Philip, the evangelist, with seven daughters who prophesied.

Act 21:8  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 

Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 
Exo 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Singing is a form of worship, and therefore it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we learn to worship the Lord in spirit as we offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

As shown in verse 6, it is in the company of prophets or the Lord’s elect that the spirit of the Lord comes upon us to turn us into another man, who is Christ. We must remember that it was when the disciples were together on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended upon them to turn them into Christ or another man.

Act 2:1  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 
Act 2:3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The coming of the holy spirit into our lives is to lead us into the truth which is a requirement if we are to reign as kings, as we see the Holy Spirit came upon Saul.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

As indicated in verse 7, when we are given two loaves of bread as we come into the assembly of the Lord’s elect, and we are given the Holy Spirit to turn us into Christ or another man, then it means that the Lord is with us! It is not when things are going well with us that show the Lord is with us.  We may not feel His presence and we may be going through all kinds of trials and tribulations, but we must be assured that the Lord is with us as long as we are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven through the Holy Spirit.

1Sa 10:8  And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do. 
1Sa 10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

It was in Gilgal that Israelites were circumcised when they went over the Jordan.

Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 
Jos 5:4  And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 
Jos 5:5  Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

Jos 5:8  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
Jos 5:9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 

What we are therefore being told is that it is by doing away with our flesh through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh that we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable 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. 

The fact that in verse 8 Samuel told Saul to wait for him for seven days, to be told what to do implies that offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is a process. The seven days waiting for the Lord to come to us to offer the sacrifice pleasing to Him is the complete period of time in our lives that we go through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh. 

In verse 9, it was when Saul turned to follow Samuel’s instruction that the Lord gave him another heart and what had been said about him came to pass. It is through our obedience to the word of the Lord that we are given another heart. This is what it means to be given another heart:

Eze 36:26  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. 
Eze 36:27  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.
Eze 36:28  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Eze 36:29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

1Sa 10:10  And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 
1Sa 10:11  And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 
1Sa 10:12  And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 
1Sa 10:13  And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. 

In verse 10, we are told that what Samuel said about Saul came to pass. This is to assure us that what the Lord has said in His word concerning us will come to pass in the fullness of time. 

Hab 2:3  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  

Many of those who knew Saul wondered what had happened to him. In a similar vein, many who knew us during our time in the churches of this world are wondering what’s become of us. Just as many wondered whether Saul was really among the prophets, many are not really sure whether we are among the Lord’s elect. However, time will tell who really is destined to reign with Christ. 

In verse 13, Saul came to the high place after prophesying. As indicated earlier, Saul prophesying is Saul singing to the glory of the Lord. This shows us that the high place which signifies the church of the Lord’s elect is where we should be. 

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.

Saul’s Encounter with His Uncle

1Sa 10:14  And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel. 
1Sa 10:15  And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 
1Sa 10:16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

Saul’s uncle represents our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who are only interested in what the Lord has said to us. The Lord gave Saul wisdom to tell his uncle only what pertains to the finding of the asses and not his kingship. As the Lord told us, we must not cast our pearls before swine. That was exactly what Saul did.

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The Choosing of Saul as King

1Sa 10:17  And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 
1Sa 10:18  And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 
1Sa 10:19  And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands. 
1Sa 10:20  And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 
1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

Just like the people of Israel, we have all rebelled against the Lord even though the Lord has wrought deliverance on our behalf in taking us out of the world (Egypt) to come and worship Him. In verse 19, we are shown the cardinal sin we have committed – we have rejected the Lord as king over our lives. The question is, “In what way have we rejected the Lord as king over our lives?” When through false doctrines we imbibed in Babylon or the churches of this world, we come to think that we have our own minds and make our own decisions. When we think we make our own decisions and do whatever we like, then we are the man of sin sitting in our temple claiming himself to be God. 

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

Samuel requesting the people of Israel to present themselves before Him by tribe and by thousands, resulting in the selection of Saul as king is to let us know that our election to reign with Christ, in the fullness of time, is not by anything we have done. It is wholly the work of the Lord. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world because He loves us!

Deu 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 7:7  The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 
1Sa 10:22  Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 
1Sa 10:23  And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 
1Sa 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. 

The lot to determine the tribe, the family and the person to become the king of the people of Israel was a way of knowing the Lord’s decision in those days. This is because the Holy Spirit had not been given permanently to guide them. It was after Jesus ascended that the Holy Spirit took permanent residence in the Lord’s elect to guide us to the truth. However, since all things are working according to the counsel of the Lord’s will, every ruler appointed in this world is therefore of the Lord – whether it is through voting, military insurrection, assassination, etc.

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. 

Eph 1:11  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

It is important to note that when Saul was selected, he was nowhere to be found because he hid himself. He knew that the Lord has chosen him, but he hid himself. The first time that man tried to hide himself from the Lord was because of sin. In this case, it was Adam and Eve when they disobeyed the Lord. 

Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 
Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

This implies that Saul hiding from the kingship was because he counted himself not fit for the kingship because he thought he was unworthy. We are all like Saul when the Lord came to us to offer us the kingship of ruling with Him in the fullness of time. At that time, we all felt unworthy of such an honor by the Lord. However, the Lord did not give up on us. My brother and sister, are you thinking that you are unworthy of such an honor by the Lord? No, don’t give up!! Let’s continue to persevere until we possess the crown.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 

In the final analysis, the people overwhelmingly accepted Saul as their king. In the fullness of time, the world will overwhelmingly accept us as their kings when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

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

1Sa 10:25  Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 
1Sa 10:26  And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
1Sa 10:27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

As shown in verse 26, the Lord will always find a way to support His chosen ones. The band of men whose hearts the Lord had touched represent all those whom the Lord has placed in our path of life, to help us achieve our goal of being able to reign with Christ in the fullness of time. Therefore, let’s not take for granted those whom the Lord directs to cross our path, whether they are part of the Lord’s elect or people who do not know Christ. 

On the other hand, there are those who don’t see what we see. Here in verse 27, these people are called children of Belial, and they represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. They despise us and do not think we can ever become kings. Like Saul, we must hold our peace, and perhaps the Lord will open their eyes to see and their ears to hear that we are the saviors of the world.

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

May we continue in Him, even as we are dying to the flesh daily through His judgment. Amen!!

Matthew 25:31–46 Separating the Sheep From the Goats

[Study Aired November 24, 2025]

The study today is centered on the physical appearing of the Lord as the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. This coming will result in the separation of the sheep from the goats. This study is part of the Lord’s warning about His coming so that we are not found wanting at His coming.

Separating the Sheep from the Goats

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 

The Lord Jesus coming in His glory with His holy angels refers to the first resurrection which coincides with the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The holy angels with Him are the Lord’s elect in every generation who will reign with Christ over the kingdoms of this world for a period symbolized by 1,000 years. 

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

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

All of the Lord’s elect who are dead will be raised as they join the Lord’s coming in glory. The Lord’s elect who are still living shall also be changed as they join the Lord at His coming. 

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

As we are aware, this kingdom of heaven is currently within us, His elect. The Lord’s coming will usher in the outward manifestation of the kingdom of heaven as the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. 

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

During this age of the physical manifestation of the kingdom of heaven, the Lord’s elect shall reign with Christ over the kingdoms of this world. The Lord sitting upon the throne of His glory shows us His kingship status as He rules over the kingdoms of this world with His elect who shall also sit on thrones like Jesus. That is why we, His elect, are described as a royal priesthood. In this age, the royal status of the Lord’s elect has not yet been manifested. However, at His coming, the world will see us as royals.   

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

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  

Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

The Lord’s elect who represent the sheep shall be separated from the goats at the Lord’s coming. The dead in Christ shall rise up to meet the Lord, and the elect who are still living shall be changed as they join the Lord at His coming. This is the first resurrection.

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

Joh 10:27  My sheep (the Lord’s elect) hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The goats signify our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon. Setting the sheep on the Lord’s right hand means that the Lord’s elect represents the bride of Christ or the queen as shown in the following verse:

Psa 45:9  Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

It is also important to note that at the right hand of the Lord are pleasures forever more. That is to say that placing the Lord’s elect at the right hand means that we shall be rewarded with pleasures from the Lord. 

Psa 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Verse 34 shows us that we are blessed of God if we are part of the first resurrection. 

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

As indicated in the Book of Revelation, the requirement for being part of the first resurrection is that we become overcomers. The question is “what are we required to overcome?” The answer is that we are to overcome the wicked one. The wicked one is the devil who gives power to the beast or our flesh. That is to say that the devil works through our flesh. This implies that overcoming the flesh means overcoming the devil. 

1Jn 2:13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1Jn 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast (our flesh): and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

It is important to note that overcoming the flesh is through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh. The Lord’s judgment is therefore the tool He uses to destroy our flesh, making us overcomers and therefore qualified to inherit the kingdom. Inheriting the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world means being made rulers of the kingdoms of this world during the thousand-year period after Christ’s coming. 

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

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

Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

If we are to understand these verses, then we have to know that Jesus represents us, and therefore if Jesus says that He was hungry, then it means that during our lives here on earth, we were also hungry at a certain stage of our walk with Him. 

Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

The question is, “what does it mean spiritually to be hungry?” To be spiritually hungry means to experience famine of the word of the Lord. 

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. 
Amo 8:13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. 

When we were in the churches of this world or Babylon, we experienced famine of the word of the Lord until Christ came to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. It is as we became part of the church of the firstborn that we started being fed with the truth of the word of the Lord through what every joint supplies. This supply is the meat of the word that we receive from our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

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.   

Being hungry and being fed with meat is spiritually the same as being thirsty and being given drink. This is because being thirsty means absence of the word of the Lord and receiving drink is therefore being fed with the word of the Lord by the Lord’s elect. 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Being strangers indicates that we were without Christ and were therefore strangers from the covenants of promise. However, through Christ, we who were strangers were drawn near to Christ by the blood of Christ, as we become part of the household of God. 

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

Nakedness refers to our sinful state, just as Adam and Eve realized their sinful state and confessed that they were naked. 

Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 
Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 

To be clothed therefore means to put on the righteousness of Christ, which is achieved through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh as we learn righteousness.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

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.

To be sick symbolize our sinful state but more specifically, our iniquity. This iniquity refers to trusting or having confidence in our own righteousness, which is offensive to the Lord.

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 33:24  And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

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

Visiting the Lord means the Lord coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness through His elect. 

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: 

To be cast into prison means experiencing the Lord’s fiery trial. It is through our fiery trials that the Lord comes to us to sit in the throne of our hearts and minds. 

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

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 
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. 

These verses show us that each of the Lord’s elect represents Jesus and therefore any ministration to our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord is the same as ministering to Jesus. On the other hand, if we treat our brothers and sisters badly, we are basically treating the Lord in the same way. An example of this is shown in Paul’s first encounter with the Lord. 

Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 
Act 9:2  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 
Act 9:3  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 
Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.   

We can see here that although Saul was persecuting the disciples of the Lord, he was actually persecuting Jesus. In a similar vein, when we minister to the Lord’s elect, we are ministering to the Lord. 

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

We have already explained what it means to be hungry, thirsty, a stranger and being sick. We will therefore turn our focus on what it means to be on the left hand of the Lord in these verses. To do that, let’s take a look at the blessing of Joseph’s sons by His father Jacob. 

Gen 48:9  And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
Gen 48:10  Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 
Gen 48:11  And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. 
Gen 48:12  And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 
Gen 48:13  And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. 
Gen 48:14  And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 
Gen 48:15  And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 
Gen 48:16  The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. 
Gen 48:17  And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 
Gen 48:18  And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 
Gen 48:19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.  

From these verses, we can see that Manasseh was the first born and should have been blessed more by the laying on of Jacob’s right hand. However, by divine providence, Ephraim, the younger son, received more blessing as Jacob placed his right hand on him. We can look at Ephraim as the Lord’s elect who has received mercy at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon.

As indicated in this study, it is the Lord’s elect who are placed at the right hand of the Lord. The left hand therefore symbolizes where our brothers and sisters in Babylon who shall receive mercy from us in the fullness of time in the lake-of-fire age. Just as Jacob told Joseph that the younger shall be greater than the older in Genesis 48:19, we, His elect, shall be greater in terms of the blessing of the Lord’s reward in store for us, than our brothers and sisters in Babylon.   

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. 
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 

Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. 

This verse is one of the verses used by our brothers and sisters in Babylon or the church system of this world to perpetuate the false doctrine of the Lord punishing people forever in the lake of fire. The Greek adjective used for everlasting is “Aionios” (αἰώνιος), which means “age-lasting.” It refers to a long, but finite, period of time, like a specific “age” or “eon.” However, the translators of the Bible erroneously used the word eternal or everlasting. As we have indicated in this parable, those on the left-hand side of the Lord who shall be judged in the lake of fire age represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon. However, the sum of the Lord’s words shows us that all the people of the world from Adam to the coming of Christ in the first resurrection, who do not know Him shall be part of the lake-of-fire age. It is also worth noting that Satan and His cohorts will also be part of the lake of fire age.  

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

The righteous represents the Lord’s elect who shall be rewarded at the coming of Christ. 

May His name be praised. Amen!!

Matthew 21:1–22 Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

[Study Aired September 15, 2025]

Our study for today is based on Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The study also highlights Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. Finally, the study ends with Jesus cursing the fig tree which produced no fruit. 

The Triumphal Entry

Mat 21:1  And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
Mat 21:2  Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 
Mat 21:3  And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

Two cities are mentioned here in verse 1 – Jerusalem and Bethphage. Jerusalem here represents the church system of this world while Bethphage, which means house of figs, signifies the house of the Lord’s elect. 

Jer 24:1  The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
Jer 24:2  One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
Jer 24:3  Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

It is from the house or the assembly of the Lord’s elect, that the Lord is sending out His witnesses (the two disciples sent) to untie us (the ass and her colt) from our Babylonian captivity where we were in bondage to the flesh, to lead us to Christ. The ass and her colt represent the Lord’s elect in every generation. The coming of the two disciples is the coming of the Lord to us, His elect, to deliver us from our captivity to Babylon. We were the wild ass used to the wilderness of the church system of this world.

Jer 2:24  A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

Hos 8:9  For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.  

The loosing of the ass and his colt by the Lord’s disciples was to bring them to Christ. It is through the message of the elect to us when we were in captivity in Babylon or the churches of this world, that started the process of our being  released from our bondage to the flesh to meet the Lord. The reason we are being untied is because the Lord has need of us. My brothers and sisters, this is what the Lord is telling us today, that is, He has need of you and me!!  Are you weary or discouraged or depressed because of what you are going through? Then this is the message for you – the Lord has need of you in this age!! Let the Lord grant you the grace to avail yourself for Him. 

Mat 21:4  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 
Mat 21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

Verse 5 is a quote from Zechariah 9:9. The daughter of Zion signifies the church of the Lord’s elect.  

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

It is through the church of the Lord’s elect that the Lord is coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. The Lord sitting on an ass and a colt means that the Lord’s coming to us is through His elect (the ass and the colt), who are going about their master’s business in meekness. In the fullness of time, the Lord will come with His elect in a pageantry manner when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

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 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 
Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

What verse 5 implies is that because the Lord is coming to us through His elect in a meek or humble manner, it is very easy to miss out on His coming. Many have missed out on His coming. However, if you are called and chosen as His elect, you will surely hear the voice of the Shepherd through His elect.

Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  

Mat 21:6  And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 
Mat 21:7  And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 

The Lord’s disciples in this age are those who are doing what He commands. In other words, as our expression of our love toward our Lord, we are given to obey Him in everything. On the other hand, as our Father, His love towards us is expressed through His giving. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

It is significant to note in verse 7 that the disciples put their clothes on the ass and the colt. The disciples who untied the ass and the colt represent the Lord’s elect. The clothes put on the ass and the colt symbolize the Lord’s righteousness which is given to us through faith in the Lord’s words spoken through His elect. 

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

Mat 21:8  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 
Mat 21:9  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 

The very great multitude represents the people of this world including our brothers and sisters in Babylon. Their joyful celebration in welcoming Jesus and His disciples is a foretaste of the whole of creation who are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God in the fullness of time. The multitude saying that blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord reflects the expectation of the people of the world that when the sons of God are manifested, they shall be delivered from their bondage to corruption. 

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

The multitude spreading their garments in the way for Jesus and His disciples was an expression of their submission to Him and His disciples as shown in the story of Jehu’s coronation as king. All the captains with Jehu took their garments and put them under him to show their submission to Him when Jehu told them that the man who came to him told him that the Lord has anointed him as King.  In the fullness of time, when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, the whole world would submit to us until the appointed time of their rebellion. 

2Ki 9:11  Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication. 
2Ki 9:12  And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. 
2Ki 9:13 Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. 

Some of the multitude cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way, as observed during the feast of tabernacles. During the feast of booths or tabernacles, the people of Israel were to rejoice before the Lord for seven days with branches of palm trees, boughs of goodly trees, etc. The world shall celebrate our victory with the Lord when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. The seven days of celebration represent the complete period of our rulership, until the devil is released to deceive the world.

Lev 23:33  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Lev 23:34  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 

Lev 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 

Mat 21:10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 
Mat 21:11  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 

The Lord’s coming to us while we were in the church system of this world or Babylon is depicted by Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem. It is worth noting that the whole of the city was moved by Christ’s coming. This is to let us know that everything within us which can be moved, shall be moved by Christ’s coming. 

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 

At that time, we were just like the multitude and could only see our Lord Jesus as a prophet just like the woman at the well who met Jesus. However, during her discussion with Christ, Jesus revealed Himself to her as the Messiah. In a similar vein, as we continue in Him, we shall know Him as He is.

Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 
Joh 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

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

Our body is the temple of God. Therefore, Jesus coming to us in Babylon with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness is to cleanse our temple, that is, our hearts and minds, so that we can communicate with Him in truth and in spirit. 

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

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 cleansing of the temple by Jesus is recorded in all the four Gospels. Here in John’s version of the account, we are given more information regarding the cleansing process of our temple.  

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 
Joh 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 

Jesus used a scourge of small cords to drive out all that offend in our temple. This scourge of small cords represents the judgment of our old man or flesh, and it is the same as His coming to us with the spirit of His mouth. The coming of Jesus into our lives is to judge us so that our temple shall be cleansed by the destruction of our flesh. This is a process resulting in our bodies being offered as living sacrifice to the Lord.

Mal 3:1  “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 
Mal 3:2  But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 
Mal 3:3  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. 
Mal 3:4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 

One of the deeds of the flesh highlighted by the cleansing is our propensity to peddle the word of the Lord which we see in the church system of this world, which we were part of when the Lord came to us. Indeed, we were a den of thieves as described by the Lord when He came to us to start the cleansing process of our hearts and minds through His judgement.

2Co 2:17  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (ESV) 

1Ti 6:3  If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 
1Ti 6:4  he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 
1Ti 6:5  and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 
1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain, 

Prayer is our communication channel with the Lord. It is a two-way channel where we speak to the Lord, and He also speaks to us through His word. That is why the Lord’s coming is not only with the spirit of His mouth which speaks of His judgment, but His brightness, as He illuminates His word for us to understand. It is therefore important that our hearts and minds are cleansed so that the communication link with the Lord will be established. 

Mat 21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 

The blind and the lame coming to Jesus in the temple is another of saying that when the Lord came to us, we were blind and lame. That is to say that we were spiritually blind to the things of the Lord and that our walk was not pleasing to Him. The Lord healing the blind and the lame means that it is when the Lord comes to sit in our temple that we are given to see and walk in a way that pleases Him. 

Mat 13:11  And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 

Mat 21:15  And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 
Mat 21:16  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 
Mat 21:17  And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. 

The chief priests and the scribes symbolize our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. We were part of this church system at a stage of our walk with Christ. The chief priests and the scribes were jealous and envious of the wonderful work that Jesus did and the children crying out hosanna to the son of David. We know that jealousy and envy constitute some of the works of the flesh. This implies that during our walk in the churches of this world, we were ruled by our flesh.

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 
Gal 5:20  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 
Gal 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

It is important to interrogate Jesus’ statement that out of the mouth of infants and babies, you have perfected praise. This verse was quoted from Psalm 8:2 as follows:

Psa 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 

In previous studies, we realized that the children of whom Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to them refer to the Lord’s elect. It is the humility of children which the Lord references when He said we should be like children. One of the key characteristics of the Lord’s elect is that they are humble and therefore represent children. That is why the kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. 

Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Babies and sucklings refer to children and therefore the Lord’s elect. The statement that out of the mouth of babies and sucklings you have perfected praise means that it is the Lord’s elect who have perfected praise. According to Strong’s Dictionary, perfected in verse 16 means to complete. Therefore it is the Lord’s elect who complete praise. In the Bible, there is one thing that we are to complete. As we suffer in this age through the Lord’s judgment, we are completing what remains of Christ’s suffering.  

Col 1:24  And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ’s sufferings on behalf of his body, the church. (GNB)

Praise is a form of worship and therefore when we offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord through the judgment of our old man or flesh, we are perfecting our worship of the Lord, and it is this form of worship which silences the adversary.

Psa 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 

In verse 17, Jesus left Jerusalem and lodged in Bethany. According to Thayer’s Dictionary, Bethany means house of dates or house of misery. As He is, so are we. We must leave Babylon (Jerusalem) and suffer with Christ in the assembly of His elect.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

Mat 21:18  Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 
Mat 21:19  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 
Mat 21:20  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 

In the Bible, trees represent people, as shown in the following verses:

Jer 7:20  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. 

Mar 8:24  And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 

There are some specific trees that are used in the Bible to refer to the Lord’s people. Some of these trees are cedars of Lebanon, palm trees, vine trees, fig trees, etc. as shown in the following verses:

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

Eze 15:6  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

Joe 1:7  He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. 

Based on these verses, we can say that the fig tree Jesus saw on His way to Jerusalem, represents the Lord’s people who had gone astray. Specifically, we are talking about the church system of this world or Babylon. Babylon is like the fig tree, having leaves, which to a casual observer may seem to be doing well. However, they are not producing fruit. In other words, it is impossible for our brothers and sisters in Babylon to produce the fruits of the spirit. This fruit of the spirit is produced through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh. At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we were like this fig tree. We were not able to produce the fruits of the spirit, until Christ came into our lives with His judgment.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  

The Lord cursing the fig tree that it bears no fruit implies that the church system of this world shall never bear fruits. That means that our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world shall never bear the fruits of the spirit as long as they continue to worship in Babylon. 

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? 

It is instructive to note that after Jesus cursed the fig tree, it withered. What this means is that we become worse off in Babylon. As shown in verse 20, it was only the disciples who were able to see that the tree which was cursed had withered. Those within the church system of this world are not able to see their nakedness. It is the Lord’s elect who are given to see our deplorable state in Babylon. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.   

Mat 21:21  Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 
Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 

Jesus used the withering of the fig tree to show His disciples how to walk by faith. It is not about how big our faith is. It is about applying the faith that the Lord has given to us. The more we apply our faith, the more our faith grows. In verse 22, we must understand that it is the sum of the Lord’s words that gives us direction. We know from the word of the Lord that whatever we ask must be in accordance with His will. In other words, if we ask believing, according to His will, we shall surely receive. 

1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 
1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 

Psa 119:160  The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (ESV)

May His name be praised. Amen!!

Matthew 19:1–30 The Rich Young Man

[Study Aired September 1, 2025]

Today’s study is focused on the Lord’s teaching about divorce. The study also takes a look at Jesus blessing the little children. Finally, the study involves the rich young man who came to Jesus to find out about how he could obtain eternal life.

Teaching About Divorce

Mat 19:1  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 
Mat 19:2  And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. 

It was when Jesus came into the coasts of Judea that he encountered the multitudes. As shown in previous studies, the great multitudes represent our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon. We were part of this multitude at a certain stage of our walk with Christ until He came to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to drag us out. Since the sea represents the flesh of humanity, the fact that Jesus met the multitude at the coast means that the church system of this world or Babylon, is under the influence of the flesh. As we are aware, the works of the flesh include jealousy, divisions, strife, etc.

1Co 3:3  for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 
1Co 3:4  For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (ESV)

Mat 19:3  The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 

The Pharisees signify the church system of this world. The Pharisees coming to Jesus, was to tempt Him with the view of exposing Him as a false prophet or messenger.  As Jesus is, so are we in this life. On most occasions, our brothers and sisters who come to us are not seeking the truth, but trying to expose us as false messengers. 

To answer the question posed by the Pharisees, we need to look at the issue of divorce from the Old Testament.

Deu 24:1  When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 
Deu 24:2  And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 
Deu 24:3  And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 
Deu 24:4  Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. 

We can see from these verses that divorce was permitted in the Old Covenant when the husband finds uncleanness in her wife. According to Strong’s Dictionary, the word “uncleanness” means nudity, nakedness or shame. The uncleanness therefore has nothing to do with sexual sins since from the law of Moses, such sins shall result in death by stoning.

Deu 22:22  If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. 

Jesus’ response to this question of divorce posed by the Pharisees is as follows:

Mat 19:4  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Mat 19:5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 
Mat 19:6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

These verses give us insight into knowing the mind of Christ regarding the institution of marriage. The two must be of one flesh. Being of one flesh means being of one body and being of one body, spiritually means having the same mind and the same judgment. This implies that in a marriage union, we are required to have one mind. This does not mean that we may not differ in opinions. We may hold different opinions about an issue but in the final analysis, we must come to a consensus. When we are of one mind, it’s almost impossible for the marriage union to be put asunder by the enemy. 

1Co 6:16  What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one. 

In another perspective, the man who left His father and mother in verse 5 represents our Lord Jesus Christ, who left the Father, who’s also a mother to the whole of creation, and came to the earth to find His wife, who is the church of His elect, and cleave to her. This union with Christ is characterized by us having the same mind of Christ, that is, one body. 

Mat 19:7  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 
Mat 19:8  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 
Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

As we are aware, nakedness denotes sin, and it does not refer to any particular sin. That is why in the Book of Revelation, the church in Laodicea was reprimanded to cover her nakedness so that her shame does not appear.

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

What this means is that when a man finds a fault (sin) with a woman, he can go for divorce, but it must be accompanied by a bill of divorcement. That was what the law of Moses required. However, most men were not compliant with the Law as they just put away (apaluo – put away) the woman without the necessary letter of divorce, and therefore the woman is technically still married to the man, and if the woman or the man marries, he or she has committed adultery. If the woman has the letter of divorce, then she is free to marry and does not commit adultery in her remarriage.

From this, we can see the error created by the translators of the Bible in Matthew 5:32 and also here in Matthew 19:9, where the Greek word “apostasion” (G645), which means divorce (with a letter of divorce), is absent. The “put away” here in verse 32 is the Greek word “apaluo” (G630) which means getting rid of a wife without the necessary documentation. Verse 32 therefore seems to suggest that even if a proper letter of divorce is issued to the woman, the remarrying of the man or woman is adultery. That is not the case here since the word “apoluo” was used. What Jesus is trying to say is that if we put away a woman without the necessary divorce letter, we commit adultery when the man or the woman remarries. However, the Lord again, raised the bar to a spiritual law (the law of the spirit of life) by saying that except fornication, all other reasons for divorce are not valid for divorce. We therefore need to understand what “fornication” means spiritually, in order to understand what the Lord is saying. 

Before we come to understand what “fornication” means spiritually, we need to understand that physical adultery or fornication does not negate the fact that they can serve as basis for divorce. However, looking at the Lord Jesus Christ, we can see how He has forgiven us several times during a time of our walk when we were serving another Jesus even though we claimed to be the bride of Christ.

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

Spiritually, fornication represents our unfaithfulness to the Lord and to our spouse. Based on this, several sins can be classified as “fornication” spiritually. These include abusing our spouse, children, bankrupting the family, etc. Persistent physical, emotional and mental abuse all serve as grounds for fornication, and therefore, occasion for divorce.  The article which has helped in our understanding of these is in the essential reading of the www.iswasandwillbe website. It was written by Mike Vinson with the title “The Law of Moses Versus the Law of the Spirit.”    

In verse 8, the Lord is giving us a reason why we were not able to keep our union with Christ – it is because of the hardness of our hearts. The hardness of our hearts means that we did not believe His words propagated by His messengers. 

Mar 16:14  Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Unbelief therefore robs us of our union with Christ. That is why the Lord had to come to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to judge us in this age so that our hearts will be softened to receive His words.  

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Mat 19:10  His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 

What the disciples were saying spiritually is that if our marriage union with Jesus requires us to have the mind of Christ, then from our end, it is impossible to establish this union with Christ. It is right for us to know that of ourselves we can do nothing when it comes to our relationship with Christ. However, we know that with God, all things are possible. 

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mat 19:11  But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 
Mat 19:12  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 

In verse 11, we are told that all men cannot receive the fact that it is not good to marry. That is to say that the flesh is not given to know that on its own, it cannot enter into this marriage union with Christ, and therefore marriage is not good for the flesh. It is only the Lord’s elect who are given to know that of ourselves, we cannot enter into this marriage union with Christ. 

To understand what is said in verse 12, we need to establish what a eunuch signifies spiritually. Eunuchs from the Bible are men in some sort of service to a ruler or a king. These are either castrated or chosen to voluntarily abstain from marriage. Based on this, we can say that spiritually, eunuchs represent our lives in Babylon where we were in the king’s service but we could not be part of the marriage union with Christ. 

2Ki 20:18  And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Jer 38:7  Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

The various categories of eunuchs mentioned in verse 12 is to let us know what the Lord is doing in this age. There are some who are born eunuchs. They represent those who are blinded by the Lord and therefore are not given to know Him in this age and therefore will not partake of this marriage union with Christ. The eunuchs which are made by men signify those who desire this marriage union with Christ. However, they are not able to enter into this marriage union because of the doctrines of men. 

Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 
Col 2:21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 
Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake represent those who think that it is by their own strength that they can know the Lord or enter into this marriage union with Christ.   

1Sa 2:9  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 

The statement “He that is able to receive it, let Him receive it” is to let us know that it is we, His elect, who are given to understand this mystery about eunuchs which relates to Christ’s marriage to us. 

Let the Children Come to Me

Mat 19:13  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. 
Mat 19:14  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:15  And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

The little children brought to Jesus represent the Lord’s elect. A key characteristic of children is their humility.

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are to enter the kingdom of heaven, then we must be converted and humble ourselves as little children in our walk with Christ. When we come to appreciate how the Lord has taken us out of the miry clay as the greatest sinners and has established us on the rock, which is Christ, our response is to humble ourselves before Him as He drags us to Himself.

Job 22:29  When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

Psa 10:17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

In verse 13, the disciples rebuking those who brought the children to Jesus implies that the disciples were not converted and therefore were not able to identify who is the Lord’s elect. Jesus laying His hands on the children signifies empowering us, His elect to become His children.

Act 8:19  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

The Rich Young Man

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 
Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 
Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 
Mat 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Jesus telling the rich man that He is not good when the rich young ruler called Jesus good is to let us know that as long as He was weighed down by His flesh while He was here on earth, He was not yet perfected, hence His insistence that it was only God who is good. It is in resurrection that Jesus was perfected. As He is, so are we. We shall also be perfected on the third day when the dead in Christ shall arise after we have gone through the process of spiritual maturity through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh. 

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  

This rich young ruler thought that it is the good things that we do that earn us eternal life. Because he came from a wrong basis, Jesus wanted to help him realize that it is not about what we can do, but it is about what He makes of us that counts. That is to say that our goodness is the work of Christ and not by ourselves. The process of salvation starts with us knowing our sins. Jesus therefore started from the law of Moses which makes us aware of sin. Verses 18 and 19 are all part of the ten commandments of the law of Moses that Jesus quoted.

Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 

The man’s response to Jesus that He had kept the law from his youth implies that this rich young man was establishing his own righteousness of the law. A key problem with the righteousness of the law is that we become self-righteous, which is iniquity before the Lord. 

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

As a result, this rich young man had not submitted to the righteousness of God which comes through faith.  

Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

A key characteristic of our walk in the churches of this world was our self-righteousness which was iniquity before the Lord. Most of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world believe in their self-righteousness which is a hindrance to Christ’s coming into their lives. In trying to expose this self-righteousness of the rich young man, the Lord asked him to go sell all that he had and give it to the poor and come and follow Him. 

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 
Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

What Jesus was telling this rich young man is that we must let go our perceived spiritual riches or self-righteousness, before we can enter the kingdom of Heaven. In other words, we must come to the place where we realize our spiritual poverty, before the Lord comes in to make us spiritually rich. The young man going away sorrowful was because he had great possessions, which means that this man considered himself spiritually rich, and until he comes to realize his spiritual poverty, he could not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. 

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

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The next two verses affirm the point being made that it is impossible for those who think they are spiritually rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.   

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 
Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 

The rich man here in verse 23 is not referring to those who are physically rich. It is talking about those who think that they are spiritually all right as we just saw in the example of the rich young man. Jesus saying that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God is showing us that it is impossible for those who think they are rich spiritually, to enter the kingdom of God. 

The disciples’ reaction to what Jesus said in verse 24 shows us that if the Lord does not intervene in our circumstance, we cannot be saved. Jesus’ response to the disciples shows us that salvation is the work of the Lord from the beginning to the very end. It is the Lord who makes salvation possible. 

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

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Here in verse 27, Peter was asking the Lord the reward awaiting them for forsaking all to follow Him. In verses 28 and 29, Jesus told the disciples the reward awaiting them. As the commander in chief, Jesus wanted us to know the prize ahead of us so that we might fight the good fight. Just as Jesus was motivated by the reward set before Him, we are also stimulated by the reward ahead of us. 

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  

We are informed by the Lord in verse 28 that we shall sit on thrones in the fullness of time. Sitting on thrones means we shall be kings to rule the earth when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. 

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

In verse 28, we are also told that we shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve tribes of Israel here represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world, and therefore we shall be given the privilege to judge them. The sum of the Lord’s words show us that we shall judge all humanity from Adam to date. 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Apart from being judges and given the rulership of this world, we are told in verse 29 that we shall inherit everlasting life. Having everlasting life means that we shall not be condemned with the rest of the world and that we have passed from death to 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.

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

In verse 29, we are also told that whatever we lose here on earth, for the Lord’s sake, we shall gain it. What we are to lose for Christ’s sake has been itemized in verse 29. Let’s go through what we are to forsake and what our gains will be. 

The first item we are to forsake is houses. In the Bible, houses represent family. Therefore we are talking here about our brothers and sisters that we fellowship with when we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. Here the Lord is saying that He will give us the family of His elect as we leave our family in Babylon.

Gen 42:19  If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

Exo 6:14 These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

The next two items we are to forsake are brethren and sisters. Both brethren and sisters signify the same thing, that is, our brothers and sisters in Babylon. We are to forsake the assembly of our brothers and sisters in Babylon, and the Lord will surely reward us with the assembly of His elect. 

Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and everyone an earring of gold.

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

The next item is father. We must forsake our father, the devil, so that Christ becomes our father. 

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

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

We are also to forsake our mother or wife. Our mother or wife here symbolizes the church system of this world or Babylon who is a harlot and we must forsake in favor of the church of the firstborn. 

Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

Amo 7:17  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land. 

Children are the works of our hands. We have to forsake the works of our hands when we were in the churches of this world in favor of what the Lord will do with us in the fullness of time, when we shall have more children than they who think they have a husband. 

Isa 29:23  But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. 

Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

The last item to be forsaken is land. This refers to our body or our flesh with all of its desires. As we die daily, we are forsaking our land or flesh in favor of being clothed with immortality. 

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

Mat 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. 

Many who are first signify our brothers and sisters who think they have the prerogative to be the Lord’s sons since they think they were first to be “born again.” They forget that being born again is a process. The many also include all the Lord’s messengers in the Old Testament.  However, we, His elect, are the last to become first. This means that it is we, His elect, who are going to be in the first resurrection. Verse 30 is illustrated by the parable of the laborers in the Lord’s vineyard. That will be our next study when we take a look at Matthew chapter 20.

May the Lord help us to forsake all for His name sake. Amen!!

Matthew 17:1–27 The Transfiguration

Today’s study is about the transfiguration, the healing of the boy with a demon,  Jesus foretelling of His death and resurrection, and finally, the payment of the temple tax. 

The Transfiguration

Mat 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 

It was after six days that Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high mountain. The word “apart” in verse 1, according to Strong’s Dictionary, means pertaining to self, that is, one’s own. By implication, it means private or separate. Verse 1 therefore shows us that Jesus took them to the high mountain where they were alone. 

Mat 17:1  Six days later Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John with him. They went up on a very high mountain where they could be alone. (CEV)

In the Bible, six days is the time that we must work while we live in this tent of flesh. It represents our struggle here on earth.

Exo 20:9  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

As our Commanding Officer, the Lord wants us to see the reward awaiting us after our struggles here on earth so that we shall be motivated to fight a good fight. That was why He took Peter, James and John to a high mountain. The fact that He choose three disciples is to let us know that it is when we become spiritually mature through the Lord’s judgment that we are given to appreciate what awaits us after our struggles here on earth. It is instructive to note that these three disciples were taken to a high mountain. Positively, a high mountain represents the assembly of the Lord’s elect as shown in the following verses:

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.    

Isa 56:7  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 

What we are therefore being told in verse 1 is that it is in the assembly of the Lord’s elect that we are given a revelation of who Christ is and what He has in store for us.

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 
Mat 17:3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 

The Lord being transfigured before the disciples was not to show to the disciples that He is the son of God. This is because, just before this transfiguration, it has been revealed to Peter by God that Jesus is indeed the son of God. It was rather to show to the disciples that we, His elect, shall be transfigured after our walk here on earth when the Lord shall come with His angels as the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.  

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

In verse 3, Moses and Elijah appeared talking to Jesus. In the account of Luke, we were given additional information of what they were talking about as follows:

Luk 9:30  Suddenly, both Moses and Elijah were talking with him. 
Luk 9:31 They appeared in heavenly glory and were discussing Jesus’ approaching death and what he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. (GW)

Moses and Elijah being two, represent us, His elect, as witnesses of Christ. Their appearance in heavenly glory is to attest to the fact that we shall also be changed in the fullness of time as indicated earlier. Talking to Jesus about His impending death, which was to be achieved through suffering, is to make us aware that if we are to be glorified, then we must take up our cross and follow Jesus. 

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

To take up our cross to follow Jesus signifies our willingness to endure suffering or hardship for the sake of knowing Christ. That was not what we heard when we were in the church system of this world or Babylon, where we were taught that coming to know Christ results in the end of our suffering – a false doctrine from the pit of hell. 

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 

Mat 17:4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Peter telling Jesus that it is good for them to be on the mountain and that if the Lord is willing, they will build him a tabernacle and also build a tabernacle each for Moses and for Elijah shows us that at that time, Peter and the rest of the disciples were not converted. They depict our walk in the churches of this world at a certain stage of our walk with Christ. Peter’s statement of building three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses and Elijah shows us that it is not about our good works of the flesh, that is, of building tabernacles for the Lord that matters, but being able to hear Jesus is what matters as we see in the next verse. When we are babies in Christ, our emphasis is on works instead of resting in Christ. It is through rest that we hear the voice of the Lord. This is clearly shown in Psalm 46:10 which enjoins us to be still or to be at rest in order to hear His voice, and it is through hearing His voice that we come to know Him. 

Psa 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The fact that the disciples wanted to build a tabernacle for Jesus implies that the disciples were focusing on making permanent the tent of His flesh and therefore preventing Jesus from going through suffering and to die for us. They did not have a clue that Jesus was groaning to be clothed with His house which is from heaven, just as we are also groaning now to be clothed with the heavenly tabernacle so that we are not found naked.

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 

It is also instructive to note that Moses and Elijah represent the law of Moses. Peter’s request to building a tabernacle for each of them means that he wanted to practice the law of Moses even as he had come to know Christ. This is not possible, as the coming of Christ, which is heralded by faith, ends the practice of the law of Moses in our lives. That was why there was a voice out of the cloud which overshadowed them, saying that we must pay attention to Christ’s reformative voice, which is being echoed by His elect (the cloud) in this age. 

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Mat 17:6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 
Mat 17:7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 
Mat 17:8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 

To fall on one’s face is a symbol of our coming to appreciate who Christ is to us. This invokes our spontaneous worship. 

Lev 9:24  And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

1Ki 18:39  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

It is important to note that the disciples were sore afraid when they heard the voice from the cloud. This reminds us of the first time that ‘afraid’ was used in the Bible. It was when Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord when he came into the garden of Eden looking for them. That was when Adam became afraid because of sin. 

Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

As we have indicated earlier, the disciples here represent our lives in the churches of this world. The disciples being afraid therefore is an indication that they were sinful. This is what happened to us. When Christ came to us with His words, we were parading in the corridors of the churches of this world in our sinful state. We were therefore afraid because of our sins. However, the Lord touched us and commanded us to arise from the ashes of sin and told us not to be afraid. That was the beginning of our deliverance from fear. 

Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 
Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 
Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 
Luk 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 

The verses above show us that our deliverance from our enemies, which represent our flesh which is empowered by the devil, is what makes us to serve the Lord without fear or being afraid. 

In verse 8, the disciples did not see Moses and Elijah again, but only Jesus. This indicates that when Christ comes to us, we are no longer under the law of sin and death or the law of Moses. We are now operating under a new law of the spirit of life, which sets us free from the law of sin and death. 

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. 

Mat 17:9  And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 

To understand what is being said here, we need to know why Jesus referred to Himself as the son of man. The term has dual meaning – His humanity status and His role as the Messiah. Jesus referring to Himself as the son of man is to emphasize His earthly nature and therefore reminds us that He was just like us in His walk here on earth. In Daniel 7:13-14, the “Son of Man” is a figure who receives an everlasting kingdom and dominion from God. This is connected to the Jewish concept of the Messiah, the promised savior. Jesus referring to Himself as the son of man was also to emphasize his status as the Messiah.

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

In verse 9 therefore, Jesus charging His disciples to tell no man about this transfiguration experience until He has risen from death is to let us know that it is when we come from death to life in Christ that we are given to understand we shall also be transformed in the fullness of time. During our time in the churches of this world, we were not given to understand our being changed within a twinkling of an eye at the last trump. All we knew was the false doctrine of being raptured.

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. 

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 
Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 
Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 
Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. 

Elijah lived during a time when the Israelites had turned away from God and were worshipping Baal, a Canaanite god. Elijah boldly challenged this idolatry, calling the people to repent and to return to the Lord. His work was therefore to pave the way for the Lord’s children to be reconciled to the Lord. That is why Elijah must come first to prepare for the Lord’s arrival in our lives.

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:  

It is important to note that Elijah’s work in the Bible is the same as John the Baptist. That is to say that Elijah or John the Baptist’s work was to prepare us for Christ coming into our lives when we were in the churches of this world. Therefore, spiritually, Elijah is the same as John the Baptist. 

Joh 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 
Joh 1:20  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 
Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 
Joh 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

Mat 17:14  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 
Mat 17:15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 

It was when Jesus came to the multitude that He encountered the lunatic who was possessed by the devil and therefore had no control of his actions. As we have learned from previous studies, the multitudes signify our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. We were part of this multitude at a certain stage of our walk. In Luke’s account of this episode, he mentioned categorically that the man was possessed with a spirit as follows:

Luk 9:37  And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 
Luk 9:38  And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 
Luk 9:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 

Being possessed by a spirit spiritually signifies being filled with false doctrines. That was our situation during our time in the churches of this world. It is instructive to note that the lunatic often fell into fire and also into water. We know from the word of the Lord that both fire and water represent the word of the Lord. What we are therefore being told in verse 15 is that when we are possessed by false doctrines, we are not able to walk according to the word of the Lord. We often stumble and fall. The lunatic experience portrays our situation when we were in the churches of this world, where we were inundated with false doctrines. We often fell short of the word of the Lord (the fire and the water).

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

Mat 17:16  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 
Mat 17:17  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 
Mat 17:18  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

The disciples were not able to heal the lunatic although they had walked with Christ for some time. This was because at that time they had no understanding of the truth of the word of the Lord or mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord. It is the truth that destroys the lies or the false doctrines in our heavens. 

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. 

The hail signifies the truth that destroys the lies of the serpent or false doctrines. When we were in the churches of this world, our situation was just like the disciples. Although we had started our walk with Christ, we were not able to cast out of our heavens, the false doctrines of the enemy. We were therefore the faithless and perverse generation, just like the disciples. Jesus rebuking the devil and the devil departing from out of the man symbolizes the coming of Christ into our lives with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. It is His brightness which destroys the false doctrines in our hearts and minds.

Mat 17:19  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 
Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 
Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

Here in these verses, Jesus revealed to the disciples that it was because of their unbelief that they could not cast out the devil. This shows that during our walk in the churches of this world, our walk was characterized by unbelief. At that time, we did not have faith. The Lord is revealing to us here in verse 20 that it is not the size of our faith that matters, but our simple faith in Him that does the work. We must remember that it is Christ’s faith that we all operate with. We do not have our own faith. When Christ’s faith is at work, everything is made possible.

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.  

Now, let’s come to the statement Jesus made in verse 21 about the fact that the devil is cast out only through prayer and fasting. Prayer is our communion with the Lord, and it is a two-way affair. We speak to Him in prayer, and He speaks to us with His words. Therefore, without prayer, it is impossible for us to cast out false doctrines from our heavens. Spiritual fasting involves loosing the bands of wickedness, undoing the heavy burden and setting the oppressed free and breaking every yoke. 

Isa 58:6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 

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

In a nutshell, spiritual fasting is being set free from our own flesh. When our flesh is dying, then it means that we are being judged, and being judged means that we are given the ability to hear the Lord’s voice in the midst of the fire. It is this voice that dispels the false doctrines in our heavens.   

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

Mat 17:22  And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 
Mat 17:23  And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. 

It is when we begin to know who Christ is in the spirit that we are given to know about the suffering that Jesus endured resulting in the destruction of His flesh. Being raised the third day means that Jesus went through the process of spiritual maturity through judgment and is the first man to be resurrected after death. His resurrection was what made Him perfect. 

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

As He is, so are we. We are also going through this process of spiritual maturity through judgment as our flesh or old man is gradually being destroyed. This destruction of our flesh is what guarantees the fact that we shall be perfected when we are raised from the dead during the first resurrection. 

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 

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

The Temple Tax

Mat 17:24  And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? 
Mat 17:25  He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 
Mat 17:26  Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 

These Bible verses are what the Lord used to start opening my understanding of the scriptures when I was in Babylon. The temple tax was an annual half-shekel tax imposed on Jewish males over the age of 20 to support the upkeep and maintenance of the temple in Jerusalem. When we were in the churches of this world, the tithes we were paying were spiritually equivalent to this temple tax. Jesus telling Peter that the sons of the kings of this earth are exempt from paying temple tax and that it is only strangers who are required to pay is to let us know that as sons of our King Jesus Christ, we are not required to pay tithes. The fact that our brothers and sisters of the churches of this world pay tithes means that they are strangers or are in bondage and that we, His elect, are free.

Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Mat 17:27  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. 

As indicated in previous studies, fishes represent mankind. Therefore, the first fish that is caught represents the Lord’s elect. In our mouth is the precious word of the Lord that is able to solve every problem that we shall encounter in our walk here on earth. The piece of money that was found in the mouth of the fish therefore signifies the word of the Lord in our mouth. 

Rom 10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

In the fullness of time, we shall give to them that receive tribute money (the leaders of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world), the word in our mouth, for the rebuilding of their temples in the lake of fire age. 

Summary

In summary, it is worth noting that when Peter and the disciples became converted, this transfiguration experience had a significant impact on their lives. This is what Peter said about this experience:

2Pe 1:16  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 
2Pe 1:18  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

Jesus was also motivated by the reward while He was here on earth.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Just like Peter, we must be motivated by the reward ahead of us as we pay attention to the light of Christ that is shining in this dark world, until Christ rises in our hearts. Amen!!

The Book of Habakkuk – Chapters 3:1-19

[Aired March 29, 2025]

Like many of the Lord’s prophets from the past, Habakkuk and Solomon frustratingly recognised that a more excellent ministry, one capable of keeping their Lord’s commands, must replace their currently burdensome covenant. In the meantime, they see only dimly through a foggy glass, often concluding their prophecies in the steadfast hope of the immeasurable joy some Godly power could facilitate faithfulness, a type that only the Elect experience much later. Habakkuk expresses that conclusive hope in verse 19 by glorifying God for the unshakable hope he has within (Hab 3:17-19), and to us, the Father, through Christ our hope of glory, the Chief Singer on us, HIS stringed instruments. It is Christ who strums us to His tune, and not Him to the whore’s. Mysteriously, however, His Bride learns His song as He ravishes her ‘strings’ and she now is singing euphorically! (Rev 14:3)

Heb 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 
Heb 8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 
Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Hab 3:19  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 

Isa 44:23  Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. 
Isa 44:24  Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; 
Isa 44:25  That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; 
Isa 44:26  That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: 

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. 
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. 

Fittingly, Habakkuk’s prayer “upon Shigionoth” (shig-gaw-yone – H7692) in Hab 3:1 means that it is a “song” and in the translation of its Hebrew meaning of number H7686, it classically depicts Israel’s and our preceding nature of ‘going astray, to err’ in our journey in being recreated as Christs (plural) singing His Song of Songs.

Significations:

Habakkuk’s Prayer

Hab 3:1  A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth [H7692; H7686 – song; to go astray, err]. 
Hab 3:2  O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 

The nature of ‘fearing the Lord’ is twofold. The paradoxical first induces fear, and by our former Babylonian orthodoxy, despite not being privy to the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, most certainly stirs up a dreadful fear of an ever-burning hellfire and the paradoxically barbaric nature of a loving God. That image was in our minds semi-consciously and conflictingly held in dread while chanting ‘God is love’ and ‘Jesus loves me ’cause he died in my stead on the cross.’ The second is the Elect; upon learning the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, fear transforms into a glorious reverence and respect for our Lord’s mighty works, which He is accomplishing in them. This is to bring our twisted and fearful mindset, and subsequently the world, to judgment, the eager acknowledgement of our sins, wrath upon our old man, and the joy of repentance, “full of praise” for the Lord’s mercy.  

Luk 8:10  And he said, Unto you [His Elect alone] it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others [The world at this time since the cross] in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand [until their time appointed]. 

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

Those events mentioned earlier depicting our journey to becoming Christ are upheld in the next verse of Habakkuk 3, where the name Teman relates to one of Esau’s firstborn sons, emblematic of our original nature of despising our inheritance (Gen 25:32-34). In coming from Teman, God dualistically represents Christ’s Christs, ‘the younger’ fleeing, coming out of our elder brother, Esau (Gen 27:1-40).

Gen 36:15  These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz, 

Hab 3:3  God came from Teman [in Edom], and the holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 

God, in coming from Teman, signifies Christ in us, coming from Esau and Midianites to the holy mount of the Lord, having symbolically hidden in “caverns” (Paran = place of caverns) from our murderous brothers and sisters in Babylonian Christianity (Jdg 6:2-3).

Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 
Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 
Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 
Heb 11:39  And these all, [Habakkuk and all in the Old Covenant including John the baptist just before the New]having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 

Consequently, the Lord’s Elect, not through anything they brought to the Lord’s table, received His praise and the promise of glory through Christ’s horn of strength alone and hidden in Him. Our trials of cruel mockings, scourgings, wandering in the deserts of Babylonian Christian teachings, afflictions, tormented with the pestilence of lies and confusion, hiding in emblematic caves preceded our fiery burning of His word upon our feet in our journey. We, the Lord’s Temple, are being measured by His plumbline being made worthy to destroy spiritually the nations inwardly and to the ‘earth’, mankind in the Lake of Fire — therein, the formerly blinding light of his brightness “hiding” the world from His truth, will be joyfully received. It is symbolised in Habakkuk 3:7 by Cushan’s (meaning ‘black’) associations with Benjamin (Psa 7:1) and our former darkened Midianite understanding of God’s word and afflictions from the Bond Woman’s ridicule rebounding on them in fear.

Hab 3:4  And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. 
Hab 3:5  Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 
Hab 3:6  He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. 
Hab 3:7  I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 

Our journey from Eden amid the Euphrates River and its major tributaries represents God’s word being sullied by the Babylonian system, which emerged from Eden to this day. It’s a phenomenal flood of lies that never fills the sea and powerfully indicates the world’s belief in ideologies that suit the individual or national wealth and pleasures at the expense of their fellow man.

The genuinely venerable “scientific method” showcases the ultimate analysis of systematic observation, measurement, and experimentation. The formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses guide humanity’s brightest minds towards the best truth until future studies prove otherwise to be sanctioned. As such, the 200,000,000 locusts of Revelation 9:16 represent mankind’s foundation of endless lies, unable to judge righteously even by scientific methods to prove the veracity of their doctrines. With indifference to truth, hypocrisy is easily accepted by Babylon’s rivers of counsel, baptising the world — the sea of mankind. Having consistently failed the Lord in keeping His word, Israel incites the Lord’s rhetorical injunction in the next verse of Habakkuk. To the Elect’s keen eye, the answer is ‘no’. He is displeased with His priests, the embrionic Elect, today since judgment is upon them, and not the Rivers of Babylon never filling the sea of mankind whose judgment is in the Resurrection to Judgment.

Hab 3:8  Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? 
Hab 3:9  Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. 

The bow being made naked represents God’s immutable word will never be broken by not flooding the world ever again with His physically understood word, but rather a flood of fire, the Lake of Fire of Christ’s spiritual baptism bringing the intense light of understanding upon all men ever to be conceived. In the meantime, Babylon cleaves to their food of lies spewing from their nakedness (Hab 2:15) even while gazing upon the nakedness of their brothers, “the mountains” buried in the sea of trembling mankind.

Gen 9:12  And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 
Gen 9:13  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 
Gen 9:14  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 
Gen 9:15  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 
Gen 9:16  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 
Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 

Hab 3:10  The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. 
Hab 3:11  The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 
Hab 3:12  Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 

As a Christ would expect, the positive representation of ‘mountains’ is the Mount of the Kingdom of God, which is represented by His Christs, His Two Witnesses who tremble. As the flood of lies passes by, they hear their Lord’s thunderous truth invigorating their strength while their Lord withholds time for their brothers and sisters to be killed. It all gives them light as they march with Godly anger through their land, threshing their giants within.

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles [Babylon, the world]: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 
Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses [The remnant, the Elect], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire [Christ’s word] proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 

It all begins with the Lord’s anointed, preceding the salvation of mankind in the Lake of Fire.

Hab 3:13  Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation [1. to be bare, be nude, uncover, leave destitute, discover, empty, raze, pour out] unto the neck. Selah [Selah means to lift, exalt; even a sarcastic trumpet grand finalè, ‘ta-taaah!’ – wouldn’t you know it, the Beast is back prouder than ever!]. 

God, in His indignation of our sins, marches through our land within, fulfilling His word that He will bring us into the fullness of His salvation (Eph 1:23). The head rules the rest of the body inseparable from that “foundation” made nude since the head is wounded by us having no ability to judge ourselves righteously, while our consciences’ excusing and accusing us with no ability to change—a venerable “two-fold child of hell” (Mat 23:15). Thus, our Lord sees our entire nudity below the neck — arms and legs making mischief, our stubborn hearts, bruised teats, stomachs not able to digest his strong meat rightly, our pudenda always wrongfully aroused, fornicating another Jesus, our dung littering where He walks in our camp, and feet consistently walking out of step with His; not just that, but we are proud (Selah) of our enthronement.

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 any more? 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. 

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

Everything is first experienced in the Great Whore, our ‘Old Man’, relying on her elevated power, illusory beauty and might, a signified ‘calf of Samaria’, who paradoxically transforms into a faithful city (Isa 1:21) who endures representations of the same afflictions as Christ did. She is the “annointed” whom the Lord is in the process of saving; for the moment, represented by Habakkuk’s powerful references to self-serving Old Israel, unconsciously in lockstep fornicating with the heathen Chaldeans, duplicitously fighting half-heartedly against them.

Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world [The heathen; Babylon] is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

It all substantiates our progression in becoming our Lord’s Christs. By being His spiritual Israel of God, we are, by His decree, infinitely more distinctly “anointed” by His anger against our Old Man, “the heathen”, wounded repeatedly until we no longer need His wounding for our spiritual nudity.

Hab 3:14  Thou didst strike through with his staves [Staff, branch, tribe, rod, shaft] the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. 

Hos 8:5  Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? 
Hos 8:6  For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. 
Hos 8:7  For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. 

All of God’s wondrous works that had gone before them in astonishing miracles never changed their hearts, just as the opening of the Red Sea didn’t affect Israel, along with countless other anomalies that barely received a second glance; such as is Babylon today who is blind to the marvelous work the Lord is doing in His Elect, right under their noses, even in their very physical families. However, at the return of Christ outwardly, the subsequent verse hints at a violent loosening of people’s loins and more so spiritually beginning the Lake of Fire when the world will wish for the rocks to fall upon them hiding them from the face of Christ and His Christs in their ‘day of trouble’.

Hab 3:15  Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. 
Hab 3:16  When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. 

What better rendition of understanding than from a fellow prophet, Joel is there, in spirit discerning spirit to represent these preceding verses.

Joe 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 
Joe 2:2  A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 
Joe 2:3  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 
Joe 2:4  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 
Joe 2:5  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 
Joe 2:6  Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 
Joe 2:7  They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 
Joe 2:8  Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 
Joe 2:9  They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 
Joe 2:10  The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 
Joe 2:11  And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 

Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord

Hab 3:17  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 

Those verses affirm the study’s introduction of Chapter 3, highlighting Solomon’s, Habakkuk’s, and all the prophets of old yearning for the inevitability of a different covenant to replace the current one, which was impossible to uphold to the perfect standard God commanded without attributing its Job-like perfection of works to the individual. Until that time when a better covenant should come, righteous figs, fruit of the vine, olive oil, wheat, barley and meat representing the best flesh can offer will continue to fall far short of glorifying the Lord — somekind of direct help from God had to come to empower man so that he could hope to keep the Lord’s commands. Accordingly, Habakkuk and Simeon could truly rejoice since their God-given faith emphatically believed that was the only way!

Isa 1:11  To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 
Isa 1:12  When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 
Isa 1:13  Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 
Isa 1:14  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 
Isa 1:15  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 
Isa 1:16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 
Isa 1:17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 
Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isa 1:19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 
Isa 1:20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Luk 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the holy ghost was upon him. 
Luk 2:26  And it was revealed unto him [… and felt by Solomon and all the prophets before Israel’s exile] by the holy ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27  And he came by the spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 
Luk 2:28  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 
Luk 2:29  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 
Luk 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
Luk 2:31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 
Luk 2:32  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel [The Israel of Christ]. 

Hab 3:18  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 

Psa 114:1  When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; 
Psa 114:2  Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. 
Psa 114:3  The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. 
Psa 114:4  The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs. 
Psa 114:5  What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? 
Psa 114:6  Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? 
Psa 114:7  Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; 
Psa 114:8  Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

Hab 3:19  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, [Hind’s hoofs, like their cousins lambs, skip like the hill  ] and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 

Habakkuk, along with all the righteous prophets, men and women, having never been jewels in the joints of the Bride, will shed tears of joy for having been faithful servants of the Lord, walking upon the high calling of their time in laying the foundation for the Bride’s grand debut — awaiting her New Song only she and her Husband knows.

Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women [Harlot churches]; for they are virgins [Imbued with spiritual virginity for their faithfulness]. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits [A remnant; very few] unto God and to the Lamb.

Rev 14:13-20 Part 1, The Angel Thrust His Sickle Into The Earth

[Study Aired February 21, 2025]

Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed [are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Rev 14:14  And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Rev 14:17  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
Rev 14:19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.

Introduction

Here we are in the verses before us today, right after being told that “the hour of God’s judgment is come” (Rev 14:7). We are now being told that those who die in the Lord are blessed. Then the very next verse tells us that the Son of Man has come with a crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. So it is quite clear that “the hour of God’s judgment” is integrally connected with our death and “the harvest of the earth”.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

According to this verse, death must precede judgment, not follow judgment. So let us remember that this is all leading up to the revelation of what comprises the seventh trumpet, and let us never forget that these are all words which are proceeding out of the mouth of God, which we are all to “read, hear and keep” (Rev 1:1, Mat 4:4, Rev 1:3). In these verses before us today, because we know that these are words that we are to “read, hear and keep” (Rev 1:3), we will see that both Christ, and we as His Christ, are the agency for the reaping of the harvest of the earth.

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Now let’s look at what we are to keep as we are brought to see the revelation of this seventh trumpet that is “beginning to sound.”

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

There are two forms of death mentioned in scripture. The one is physical death, and the other is spiritual death to the things of this world. Physical death, from Christ’s perspective, is not death at all. It is merely taking a nap, and it is referred to in scripture as “sleeping” or being “asleep”. Spiritual death, on the other hand, has two applications of its own. One is positive, as when we are the first to “die in the Lord”, and one is negative, as when we are given part in “the second death.”

Here is what are we told of those who ‘die in the Lord’… “the dead in Christ”:

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord [the same as being “dead in Christ”].

To God physical death is not an issue, except as the loss of God’s saints is a loss to those in this world involved in grieving that death.

Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Here are the scriptures which demonstrate that, from God’s perspective, physical death amounts to nothing more than a temporary nap.

Mat 9:24  He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

Joh 11:11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12  Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
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.

Christ first tells His disciples “Our friend Lazarus is asleep”, and in the same breath He tells them that “Lazarus is dead.” “Howbeit He spake of his death”, qualifies what Christ meant by the word ‘sleep’ in this instance. If death is nothing more than being asleep, who then is dead to God and His Son? The answer is that no one is permanently dead to God, and those are the words of our Lord Himself:

Luk 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

The fact that Christ did say… “Lazarus is dead” demonstrates that He acknowledges that ‘death’ is indeed a temporary, necessary “experience of evil” which He is using to humble all of mankind:

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

Then who is really dead in our Lord? Here again is Christ’s perspective on who is really dead:

Mat 8:22  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

So then, those who our natural man considers to be alive without Christ, are spiritually dead, and those who our self-righteous, Babylonian brothers count as dead in the street of their great city, are spiritually alive to Christ. Here is how Christ frames His perspective towards what is and what is not ‘life’.

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

How do we go about “losing our life for Christ’s sake?” Does “losing our life for Christ’s sake” have anything to do with physical death? Well, if we “endure to the end” the answer is yes. However, Christ considers Himself and all who are “in Christ” to being “crucified with [Him]” (Gal 2:20), and to be “dying daily” for Him (1Co 15:31) while we are yet physically living. Christ considers us to be living only if we are in Him.

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

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

Here is what the Lord Himself tells us:

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, [Be crucified with Him] and follow me.

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

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.

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.

1Th 3:8  For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

So while physical death is certainly included as the subject of Revelation 14:13, so is spiritual death to the things of this world. “The hour of His judgment” of Revelation 14:7 follows the death, crucifixion and losing of life spoken of in all of these verses. All the saints who have “endured to the end” in all the generations since Christ, considered themselves to have died with Christ long before the end of their physical life, and now they are simply “sleeping” and waiting for Christ to raise them up from that temporary condition. So we are told:

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

Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Ecc 7:15  All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Joh 12:23  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
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.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26  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.

Who is Jesus answering in John 12:25, and what is the request to which He is responding?

Joh 12:20  And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
Joh 12:21  The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Joh 12:22  Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.” That is how we “see Jesus”. That is the only way we will ever ‘see’ Him. It is not for the benefit of those “certain Greeks” only, but for our benefit also that Christ tells Andrew and Philip:

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.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

In other words, no man can see Christ at any time but those who have first died to “life in this world.” Only then does the true revelation of Jesus Christ begin to come into our spiritual vision.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Our ‘death’ to “life in this world” must precede our judgment. That is what the scriptures teach, and those are words which we must keep. Here is a very healthy spiritual view of this whole subject of life and death:

Php 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

When that becomes our true perspective on the subject of life and death, then we are ready and prepared to be reaped and judged and to “see Christ.” Then after we have been reaped, we can and will be used by God to reap others with and for our Lord.

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

“Now… by the church” is what Christ in and through “His Christ” (Act 4:26; Rev 11:15; Rev 12:10) is “now” in this life doing within those whom the holy spirit is ‘dragging’ to the Christ, revealing to them “by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [G1670: ‘helkuo’, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Here in the “Son of Man with a sharp sickle”, and “another angel with a sharp sickle” is part of this manifold wisdom of God, which is “now… being made known by the church… to all men”. Here is how those who are “crucified with Christ” are reaped by Christ:

Rev 14:14  And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

This obviously is Christ. It is Christ who will “return with the cloud of witnesses”, and that ‘cloud’ on which He sits is “His Christ… His body… His witnesses”:

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

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

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Daniel saw Christ “coming with the clouds of heaven”:

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

‘A cloud received [Christ] out of the sight’ of His apostles:

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

What do these clouds symbolize? The apostles were far too spiritually immature to understand that the cloud which received Him out of their sight signified them as “His body” and His “witnesses”:

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:

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Clouds in scripture are the symbol of those in whom Christ dwells and who are faithful to the Word, and witness of the Truths of God’s Words, and with whom the Lord will rule this world for a thousand years:

Job 36:29  Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:30  Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:31  For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

Christ is “the Son of man.” It is Christ who has “a golden crown on His head”, and it is Christ who has “a sharp sickle in His hand” and is told by “the angel out of the temple… to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” You and I are that temple (1Co 3:16-17). You and I are that “angel [messenger]” out of that temple.

Rev 21:17  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

If for one moment we forget that we are to keep these words written in these verses, we will lose our focus on where and when this harvest is taking place, and we will fail to realize that “the hour of God’s judgment is come” within us.

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

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?

“The hour of His judgment is come” mentioned in verse 14 is the same as “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” in 1 Peter 4:17. This “hour of His judgment” is the same as this “harvest of the earth” within us here in verse 15. It is all one and the same event, which takes place within each and every believer before he can enter into the temple of God. If we lose this inward focus, we will forget that 2,000 years ago “the time was [also] at hand to keep the things written in this book”, and we, too, will fall into the damning doctrine of placing all of the things written in this book out there in the future, upon the last generation of mankind which happens to be left standing on this earth when our Lord makes His appearance to resurrect His firstfruits and to give them the rulership of this earth for a symbolic “one thousand years.”

On the other hand, if it is given to us to maintain this focus, then these following verses, which all “proceed out of the mouth” of our Lord, will take on a new and wonderful and personal application:

Mat 13:24  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven [within us: Luk 17:20-21] is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field [Our lives in this world], Mat 13:38 “… the field is the world” [or damnable false doctrines]:
Mat 13:25  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [damnable false doctrines] among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27  So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The “good seed” in this and all parables, are the good words of the kingdom and “the children of the kingdom” who bring that good word:

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.

“The wicked one… catches away the good seed” by planting tares [lies] in with the good seed. The lying doctrines are tolerated in our lives “until the harvest” or until the “hour of His judgment is come.” That is why we have “the hour of His judgment” and “the harvest of the earth” in the same few verses here in Revelation 14. Here are these two verses side by side:

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Rev 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

Who keeps all these things? Where is all of this to happen? When is this all to take place? When is the day of our judgment?  When do we begin to ‘die’ so the hour of His judgment will begin? We are not left to guess:

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 [that is who and where these things are all to be kept]: for the time is at hand [Right now is when these things are to be kept].

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?

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it [judgment] is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Let’s remember that “the Son of Man” told us that He was sending us “as My Father hath sent me”, and let us realize just how monumental was the purpose for which His Father Christ sent into this world:

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Is that what Christ has sent us to do also? Is it? Here are His own words:

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

There were “many things” the apostles were not mature enough to receive until long after Christ had been crucified and was resurrected, and our part in the fiery sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the salvation of all men is one of those “many things”:

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

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.

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:

We will pause here and continue to seek to know what all is involved in accomplishing what Christ has sent us to accomplish Him in our next study.

Rev 11:15-19, Part 2 – The Seventh Trumpet

Now Is Come Salvation

[Study Aired Nov 15, 2024]

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great;   and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

In our last study we took note of the fact that the seventh trumpet is the only event among all the seven seals, all the seven trumpets, and all seven vials, which does not immediately describe the actions which this trumpet produces. Notice how this seventh trumpet, unlike any of the other six trumpets, is first alluded to in chapter 10:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

We are told that this trumpet eventually fulfills the mystery of God, but the same verse 7 of chapter 10 also reveals that this seventh trumpet is a process which requires a certain number of days to be fulfilled.

In chapter 11 we are actually given the fruit which is produced by this seventh trumpet… “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ”, but before the kingdoms of this world can become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, it is revealed that a “manchild”, who was “to rule the nations with a rod of iron” must first be born of a harlot woman, which ‘woman’ was to spend “a thousand two hundred and sixty days in the wilderness, while her “manchild” was caught up unto God and His throne”.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

But before that manchild can become mature he must first come to see himself as the beast of Revelation 13, which arises up out of the sea of all flesh. He then matures into “a second beast with two horns like a lamb, but which speaks as a dragon:

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

“The earth and them that dwell therein” includes you and me and all the rest of mankind:

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

Three sixes is not the number of “a man”. There is no article in the Greek. The Greek simply reads…”it is the number of anthropos…” and ‘anthropos’ is the Greek word for ‘mankind’. Mankind’s creation began on the sixth day along with all the rest of the beasts of this earth. Consequently ‘mankind’ has been branded with the number six, signifying his incomplete state ever since the beginning of his creation:

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

Being ‘incomplete’, which is the spiritual significance of the number ‘6’, mankind is universally afflicted with the false doctrine of “free will”. Mankind is therefore incapable of understanding that he must be brought to “cease from his own works as God did from His”, before he can “enter into the Lord’s rest” and thereby become complete, which is the spiritual significance of the number seven:

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

The thirteenth chapter of Revelation reveals that the Lord’s Christ must come to see himself as an incomplete and hopeless beast before he can enter into the Lord’s rest and be complete in the Lord, who is in the process of making man in His image. But there is chapters 14 and 15 still to be revealed to the Lord’s elect before he can enter into His rest.

Revelation 14 begins with a snapshot of the completed product, 144,000, of “the firstfruits unto God and the  Lamb:

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault [they are the complete and finished product] before the throne of God.

However, mankind cannot be completed by the work of this all important seventh trumpet, until he has been judged, because God’s judgments, whether in this age or in the great white throne judgment, always teach men to become righteous:

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

To that end, Revelation 14 tells us of the work of the three angels ‘flying in the midst of our heavens’. ‘Three’ signifies the process of being judged.

These three spirits are working our judgment in our heavens. The first angel brings the gospel to us. That good news includes the fact that “the hour of His judgment is come” upon us. The second angel destroys the very foundations of Babylon in our lives, and the third angel’s work is to pour out the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God upon us, and to torment the Lord’s very elect with the fire and brimstone which is His Word and His doctrines. That torment and judgment takes place “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of The Lamb”. The work of this third angel causes the smoke of our torment to ascend up for the eons of the eons giving us no rest day nor night while there is any tendency at all to worship the beast and his image within us:

Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, [Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:]
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The work of the third and final angel concludes with these words, which let us know exactly to whom these words are addressed:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The point that is being made is the imminence of the work of this seventh trumpet. “NOW is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ”.

This inheritance is all ours even now but only in down payment form.

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

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

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.

For all who are “found worthy” to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection, this kingdom and this reign is now. “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” (Rev 12:10)

The judgment of Revelation 14 is the judgment of “the very elect” and it is the product of the pouring out of the seven last plagues of the Lord’s wrath upon the kingdom of the beast within the Lord’s elect which is described in great detail in Revelation 15-16. That ‘wrath of God’ is His judgment which transforms the beast within the Lord’s elect into the four beasts and the four and twenty elders of Revelation four and five.

Where are the four and twenty elders?

Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

When we know what the four beasts and the four and twenty elders symbolize, we need not to even ask that question, because the four beasts and the four and twenty elders symbolize one and the same thing. Asking ‘where are the four beasts’ is like asking ‘what happened to the seven cows’ of Pharaoh’s dream, while discussing the the seven ears of corn. The cows and the corn are both symbols of the one point that is being made. There will be seven years of plenty, to be followed by seven years of famine.

Gen 41:25  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

So too, the beasts and the elders are one. The seven angels and the seven priests are one, and in this entire prophecy God is showing us what the Lord is about to do.

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And what is God about to do? It is the very next verse, and it is to be “read… heard… and kept, for the time is at hand”.

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

Christ has “given us a kingdom” just as His Father has given Him a kingdom, and like Him we are to “reign on the earth… for the time is at hand.” “Every creature in heaven and on earth” will worship God, and the four beasts do so continually.

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

Those who have been given “eyes within” know that the four beasts are always worshiping God

Rev 19:4  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

But when is this worship emphasized and made especially evident? It is especially evident at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, when the kingdoms of this world “within” is seen by those who are “full of eyes within” to fall and “become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ”.

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

What a wonderful day that is when the conquering king takes control of His own rightful kingdom which has been in the hands of wicked husbandmen for so long. Everyone will, in their own time, bow their knee and confess that our Lord is Lord over the man of sin “to the glory of God”.

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

Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Every part of our being rejoices at the time of this great event.

Rev 5:13  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

God’s wrath is, was, and will come before the dead are judged

Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

How few it is that realize that they are born and live their lives under the wrath of God until the day they believe on Christ. If “the time of the dead that they should be judged” means the resurrection that immediately precedes the millennium, and you do not experience the death and resurrection which is the revelation of Jesus Christ here and now, then you will not be in that resurrection that immediately precedes the millennium, and you will not be one of the priests and kings who will rule with Christ over the kingdoms of this world.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

This truth is demonstrated with two verses of scripture. It is a rare person who even sees the apparent contradiction between these two verses of God’s Word.

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?

It is “in judgment” that God pours out His wrath upon all of our ungodliness and unrighteousness. Let’s read it again: “keep the things that are written therein, for the time is at hand… and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged…” (Rev 11:18).

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Death must precede judgment. Only those who are “full of eyes within” can even begin to see that those who “are appointed once to die and then be judged” are us. It is we who are the first to die to our old man through the judgment of our old man, and that dying and that judgment has begun at the house of God and we must “die daily” and be crucified with Christ daily:

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

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

It is we who are “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20), and it is we who are “buried with Him in baptism” (Rom 6:3-4), even as we live and are being judged in these dying “earthen vessels”.

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

The ‘world’ that is within us and the ‘world’ that is without us are both bent on the destruction of “the seed of the woman”,  (Rev 12:5). There are many other titles given to the “seed of the woman” who is also called “a manchild who is to rule the world with a rod of iron”, but they are all titles of “the very elect” of God.

Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

While God is in the process of destroying our old Adam by replacing him with a “New Adam” who is called “the last Adam”, it is not our prerogative to “destroy the earth”. That is a task that has been delegated to those who are called ‘the seed of the serpent’ and are said by our Lord to be “of their Father the devil”.

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Who is it that our Lord says will bruise His heel? Who is it that seeks to destroy the manchild as soon as he is born? It is each of us when we are “those Jews which believe on Christ, but are still “of our Father the devil”.

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

This is us when we were “of our father the devil”, even as we thought we “believed on Christ”. This is us when our “man of sin” is standing in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God. This is us as the wrath of God is being poured out upon our ungodliness and unrighteousness and we are made to admit that “I am the man” (2Sa 12:7). This is us when we come to see that “Them that destroy the earth” are those who are seeking the life of our Lord Himself.

Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

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.

What is found within the ark of His covenant?

Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

These are the closing words of the introduction of the seventh trumpet. “The temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of His testament.”

What was in the ark in the temple of God? Here is the first and the last account of the contents of what “was seen in His temple [in] the ark of His testament”.

Deu 10:5  And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.

1Ki 8:9  There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Within the ark of the covenant was the law of God. That was the basis upon which the covenant was contracted. Israel contracted with God to keep His laws, and our Lord agreed to be their God. That is the same way we are married to our Lord today. That is how we become His bride. We agree to “do the things He says… and fulfill the law of Christ”. If we don’t do the things He says, then we are not His wife, and He is not our Lord.

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

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

That is what is meant by “there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament”. If we have our Lord living within us, then we will be doing the things He says and we will be doing “the will of our Father which is in heaven”. It is “the things which He says” which are the “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake”. It is “the things which He says” which are the “great hail” which will “sweep away the refuge of lies”.

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.

Summary

We have seen that “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ” is primarily to be understood as first happening within, as the image we are is destroyed by Christ as we decrease daily and He increases daily within us.

We have seen that “our Lord and His Christ” is speaking of us as those who are anointed of and are sent out by Christ, just as He was anointed of and sent out by His Father to save this world.

We have demonstrated that the four beasts and the four and twenty elders are one and the same symbol of God’s elect, just as the cows and corn both meant the same thing in Pharaoh’s dreams. Thus, when we are told that the four and twenty elders fall down and worship God when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, we are being told that the four beasts also fall down and worship our Lord and our God.

We have seen that it is God’s Word which is the fire of His wrath which is, was and will be poured out upon all of our ungodliness and unrighteousness, and we saw that this is all being announced and being done even as we are beginning to take the land away from the giants who have for so long dominated our land. This is the significance of the imminent judgment in every generation which is this seventh trumpet, which has already begun to take the kingdom of this world and “by little and by little” transform it into the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.

Finally, we saw that this is all accomplished by the Words of our Lord being within us and destroying by its great ‘heat’ all that can be burned out of us, as we learn to “do the things that our Lord says”.

Next week, Lord willing, we will begin to see what we are given to understand in the first of the four chapters which separate this introduction of this seventh trumpet from the chapter which reveals to us the exact nature of the judgments of the seven last plagues of this seventh trumpet. It will be the beginning of chapter twelve, concerning the woman, the manchild she is prophesied to bring forth, and the dragon who is right there seeking to destroy that manchild.

The Book of Hosea – Part 2, Hosea 2:1-23

[Study Aired April 20]

In the first chapter of Hosea, we see that Gomer and her children are deliberately designed to be the mother of harlots who directly depict the incipient Elect of God, Christ’s budding Bride. Indeed, “great shall be the day of Jezreel” since it is Christ’s Bride that soon, and following the one-thousand year reign of the ‘rod of iron’, she will bring together her children as the sand of the sea in the resurrection to judgment and redemption of every conceived son since Adam to the end of the one-thousand years.

In the meantime, that process is continuing to unfold in chapter 2 of Hosea.

Hos 2:1  Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. 
Hos 2:2  Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her Husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; 
Hos 2:3  Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. 
Hos 2:4  And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. 
Hos 2:5  For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. 
Hos 2:6  Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. 
Hos 2:7  And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first Husband; for then was it better with me than now. 
Hos 2:8  For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
Hos 2:9  Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. 
Hos 2:10  And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. 
Hos 2:11  I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. 
Hos 2:12  And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
Hos 2:13  And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

The Lord’s Mercy on Israel

Hos 2:14  Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. 
Hos 2:15  And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
Hos 2:16  And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. 
Hos 2:17  For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. 
Hos 2:18  And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
Hos 2:19  And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 
Hos 2:20  I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. 
Hos 2:21  And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; 
Hos 2:22  And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. 
Hos 2:23  And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. 

Study:

Hos 2:1  Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

Ammi H5971 Definition: 1. nation, people a. people, nation b. persons, members of one’s people, compatriots, country-men 2. kinsman, kindred. From H6604 Definition: 1. to dim, darken, grow dark a. (Qal) to dim, eclipse, be held dark b. (Hophal) to be dimmed, grow dark, hide.

Ruhamah H7355 Definition: 1. to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion a. (Qal) to love b. (Piel) 1. to have compassion, be compassionate 1b.

Hos 2:2  Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her Husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; 

In Hosea 2:2, who is pleading with whom? In this instance, it is Hosea, yet, all the twelve minor prophets representing Christ are urgently and ‘mercifully’ pleading with the ‘nation’ of Israel, their ‘countrymen’ and ‘kinsmen’ “mother”, depicted as Gomer, to turn away from their inherent whoredoms. The pleading is a designed misnomer in that Israel’s response to her Lord’s pleading intentionally results in her stonily and no doubt frustrating inability to change since the holy spirit was not yet given. We will see that she, like the Elect today, is equally frustrated even with the holy spirit to instantly put away her doctrinal whoredoms, the ‘giants’ of her land, in one decisive moment.

Exo 23:29  I will not drive them [giants, Babylon’s doctrinal lies] out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the Beast of the field multiply against thee. 
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Since Gomer and her whoredoms represent Israel having many ‘lovers’ and, therefore, equally husbands since sexual intimacies denote espousal, “uncleanness” (Deut 24:1 – Uncleanness  1. nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda) residing in her and under Mosaic Law, is a hard-core ‘stony hardness of heart’ reason for divorce. As such, and after seemingly endless pleading and mercy, he states, “She is not my wife,” though the Lord remains with her to fully play out the saga to juxtapose the difference in the yet-to-be-created distant New Covenant Bride of Christ. Our Lord will not suffer a hint of doctrinal whoredom; therefore, “she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts”…

Hos 2:3  Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. 

By design, Israel is already dreadfully ‘poor, blind and naked’ to her sins to depict the future Elect of God in the early stages of their calling. When our Lord wants to make an impactful point upon His people, scriptures are chock full of horrific events that etch the minds of whom He chooses for their hopeful spiritual memory. Ezekiel and Isaiah, like Hosea with Gomer, were similarly chosen to perform a humiliating task. (Imagine Ezekiel being requested to cook his food with human dung’s smoky infusions with his food! Eze 4:12). Barely more palatable, Isaiah was commanded to go barefoot and naked for three years to denote Israel’s shameless nakedness and ALL accounts mostly and solely for the future benefit of his Bride’s learning (… talk about humiliating)!

Isa 20:2  At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 
Isa 20:3  And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; 
Isa 20:4  So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

Egypt, Assyria, Sodom and Old Jerusalem are the same and for indiscernible differences of iniquity and are thus collectively called Babylon. It is Babylon within, Old Israel’s pride for shameless spiritual nakedness we must be made to see as our wilderness of understanding figuratively cooked upon our dung we formally presented as our Lord’s commands to learn their sordid correlations spiritually. Gomer’s daughter, the second child named Lo-ruhamah (no mercy) is animatedly highlighted by Ezekiel, Isaiah and Hosea’s God-commissioned shameful enactments to dramatise that Israel became the third child, Loammi equally; Def. Lo-ammi = not my people.

The three children born to Hosea to his harlot wife, Gomer, Ruhamah, Loruhamah and Loammi, perfectly represent the physical progression and completion of judgment on the house of Israel for the future spiritual pattern of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ’s parallel journey. The irony in the creation of the Bride begins with no mercy on our sins as portrayed in the meaning of Ruhamah’s name and painfully in Loruhamah to no mercy and, finally, the Lord’s rejection of his espoused wife Israel through the meaning of Loammi.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1Co 11:32 But when we are judged [Hebrew: krinō], we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned [Hebrew: katakrinō = a later judgment] with the world.

What man in his right mind would want to be married to the Deuteronomy 24:1 ‘unclean’ wife whom all 12 minor prophets depict? Well, Christ in His ‘right mind’ did it to show His beautiful Bride in the process of her creation, and how she, the “faithful city”, was not just equally corrupt but worse, as depicted by Aholibah, the younger sister of Aholah (a depiction of the elder serving the younger dictate, and embarrassingly the Bride of Christ), having born children of whoredoms.

Isa 1:21-31  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Hos 2:4  And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. 
Hos 2:5  For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. 
Hos 2:6  Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

Continuing…

Isa 1:22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 
Isa 1:23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 
Isa 1:24  Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: 
Isa 1:25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
Isa 1:26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Isa 1:27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 
Isa 1:28  And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 
Isa 1:29  For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. 
Isa 1:30  For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. 
Isa 1:31  And the strong shall be as tow [H5296], and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

A “tow” H5296 is a Definition: a strand of flax, tow (as shaken from flax when beaten). To make fine linen, the righteousness of the Saints, the flax’s big, broad, long leaf must be pounded to separate the thread-like fibres. These fibres are dried and beached white in the sun, ready for weaving cloth. Linen is known for its incredibly strong and durable characteristics; however, it burns easily or smolders for a long time and is not easily quenched since its smouldering characteristics cause it to re-burst into flames. Of course, it all is spiritually relatable to how God deals with our unrighteous clothing.

Hos 2:7  And she [Gomer representing Israel and later the emerging Bride sees her past] shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first Husband; for then was it better with me than now.

By saying in her heart that she will return to her first Husband, Israel is a historically classic act when we repeat the same sin. The difference is that the holy spirit, little by little, gives us power over our whorish enemies within. We will shortly see in Ezekiel 23:22 below that we, representing the younger sister, Aholibah, typically have chased our ‘lovers’ in Babylonian Christianity. We, having previously and breathlessly been validated by our religious lover’s lecherous arousals, which ultimately bore us no satisfaction, so more ‘lovers’ of different sects were pursued in a fruitless pursuit of spiritual happiness that produced displeasure and fruit of bastard children. The Philistines these two girls easily preyed upon were the equivalent likeness of encounters with the men of Ashdod, a major Philistine city, since they bore bastard children.

Deu 23:2  A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD. 

Neh 13:23  In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:  

Zec 9:6  And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

Hos 2:8  For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
Hos 2:9  Therefore will I return, and take away my corn [wheat] in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.

Taking away Israel’s riches, food, water, oil and clothing corresponds to us imagining that we are rich in the word of God yet clothed by greasy grace that rejects the Lord’s chastisement, thus leaving us naked.

Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

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

Hos 2:10  And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. 

Initially and painfully, the Bride of Christ ultimately learns to love her Husband’s chastening, for she sees it precisely as He designed it to be: an act of love.

Heb 12:5  And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him; 
Heb 12:6  for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” 
Heb 12:7  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the father does not chasten? 
Heb 12:8  But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are bastards and not sons. 
Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
Heb 12:10  For truly they chastened us for a few days according to their own pleasure, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. 

Hos 2:11  I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts [all her self-appointed righteousness in keeping days, seasons, months and years, including birthdays, anniversaries, mother’s day and father’s day etc.].
Hos 2:12  And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest [vineyard left to grow wild and overrun with thorns and thistles], and the beasts of the field shall eat them [… we end up similar to Nebuchadnezzar eating the herbs of the field, and alongside our Beast of the field sister’s of Babylonian and their wild Christian food]. 
Hos 2:13  And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim [Baal = lord n pr m 1. supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites], wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD. 

No physical account of harlot Israel is more graphically depicted than the escapades of the outrageously colorful characters of Oholah and Oholibah! Oholah, the elder, represents the very Israel the minor prophets are prophesying against for her Gomer-like whoredoms, yet, her younger sister, Aholibah, represents the Lord’s future very Elect prior to her being spiritually dragged out of Babylon. As lengthy as their account is, it cannot be outshone by any other chronicle more garishly deliberately to alarm us for our originally whorish condition.  

Eze 23:1  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 
Eze 23:2  Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother [Israel]:
Eze 23:3  And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
Eze 23:4  And the names of them were Aholah the elder [Old Jerusalem], and Aholibah her sister [the budding New Jerusalem]: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria [representing Israel in the North] is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah [the Priests, representing the Elect of God, who knew better and didn’t walk in all of God’s judgments and were slothful in chastising greater Israel].
Eze 23:5  And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
Eze 23:6  Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
Eze 23:7  Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
Eze 23:8  Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
Eze 23:9  Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
Eze 23:10  These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.

The slaying of Aholah, who represents Israel, depicts the Lord’s future Elect looking back at where she once was reveling in the strong, delusional riches of Babylonian doctrines. Today, and judging by the tender shoots of the fig tree, it appears that she, in the form of Zionism, and Jews who say that they are Jews and are not, are in for a grande finale ‘slaying.’

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns [the world’s kingdoms and nations waking up to Zionism] which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire [That ‘fire’ will be a combination of the Beast’s parallel ‘fiery word’ to God’s spiritual ‘fiery word’, calling out Zionism’s treachery, although, no doubt literal fire from multiple wars and rumors of wars will be included]. 
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city [Babylon The Great; the religious ideologies of the world], which reigneth over the kings of the earth.)

Continuing in Ezekiel:

Eze 23:11  And when her sister Aholibah [the younger representing the future Elect] saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.

Why was Aholibah more corrupt? She represented the Priesthood, the Elect of God who knew better than to corrupt the Laws of God, and thus was a warning for the Bride of Christ.

Eze 23:12  She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. 
Eze 23:13  Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way, 
Eze 23:14  And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion [1. red colour, vermilion and representing mankind’s sensuality], 

The young and colorful men of national honor portrayed on the wall in images and artwork and in person highlight the self-proclaimed richness of the culture that mesmerised and empowered Aholibah to work her beautiful femininity upon her lover’s lusts. That act is the same for us any time we go out of our way to proselytise a known enemy of Christ without being asked of our faith. The Shulamite in the Song of Solomon is the complete opposite spiritually to Aholibah and stayed faithful to her Lord by remaining “black” in understanding for her 1,000 sister wives of Solomon.

Eze 23:15  Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity: 
Eze 23:16  And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea [The dual instigations of her lust for them, and they for her, she sending messages to her lovers is an act of a harlot, “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids” – Pro 6:25]. 
Eze 23:17  And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
Eze 23:18  So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.

Aholibah’s conscience alerted her to her whoredoms, but she, like we have experienced when already immersed in a repeated sin, fleetingly thinks, ‘What the heck, I’m already guilty, so I might as well finish the act’ and repent at leisure.’ That is the act of lasciviousness (G766) and means  Aselgeia – Phonetic: as-elg’-i-a – Definition: 1. unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence and precisely represents our graceless Aholibah within “For they, being past feeling, have given themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness” – Eph 4:19.

Eze 23:19  Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth [Ecc 7:10], wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 
Eze 23:20  For she doted upon their paramours [H6370 – concubine], whose flesh is as the flesh of asses [muscular and well-formed], and whose issue is like the issue of horses [… for the sheer number/volume of concubine-like espousals ~ how low can you go?]
Eze 23:21  Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats [lactation for bastard children] by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth. 
Eze 23:22  Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; 
Eze 23:23  The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.
Eze 23:24  And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.
Eze 23:25  And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears [cut off]; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. 
Eze 23:26  They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels [H3627 – 1. article, vessel, implement, utensil a. article, object (general) b. utensil, implement, apparatus, vessel 1. implement (of hunting or war) 2. implement (of music) 3. implement, tool (of labour)]. 

The Lord designed a woman’s every nuance of her unique and beautiful femininity to be highly attractive for one man, her Husband’s delight and immense pleasure that rebounds for her like-immeasurable pleasure. She is made for him and not him for her (1Co 11:8-9), yet the glorious paradox is that she, by elegantly employing her every article of fair jewels as utensils and apparatuses of intentional music that He designed for His arousal, will receive the express desire of the Shulamite, His spiritual kisses that are better than wine (Son 1:2)!

Eze 23:27  Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more. 
Eze 23:28  For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated: 
Eze 23:29  And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms [remember the Great Whore being burned with fire?  (Rev 17:16)]. 
Eze 23:30  I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. 
Eze 23:31  Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. 
Eze 23:32  Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister’s cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. 
Eze 23:33  Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 
Eze 23:34  Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 23:35  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. 
Eze 23:36  The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations; 
Eze 23:37  That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. 
Eze 23:38  Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths.
Eze 23:39  For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house. 
Eze 23:40  And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments [her fair jewels lewdly used to arouse her paramours], 
Eze 23:41  And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil. 
Eze 23:42  And a voice of a multitude [the world of Babylon] being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness [entire world of humanity], which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads. 
Eze 23:43  Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?

Aholah and Aholibah being termed “old in adulteries” goes to show just how long Israel, the Lord’s first wife, indulged the sheer number of orgastic whorish nations from Sinai to this very day, yet ~ “Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them? – Yes! She is the old whore, Babylon, who is soon to be remembered by God (Rev 16:19. 18:2. 18:21).

Eze 23:44  Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women. 
Eze 23:45  And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.

Those “righteous men” are the Lord’s Seven Angels, the Elect of God (Rev 16:16-21), who have first drunk from the same cup as Christ, their Husband and received His wrath upon their Aholah and Aholibah ways spiritually within.   

Eze 23:46  For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled. 
Eze 23:47  And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.
Eze 23:48  Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women [H802 from H376 – 1. man a. man, male (in contrast to woman, female)]  may be taught [Chastened. Perfect tense] not to do after your lewdness.
Eze 23:49  And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

The “all women” being taught to cease their lewdness certainly refers outwardly to all physical men and women, yet most significantly to the Elect of God, his Bride, the Woman made up of many joints of men and women.

For the Lord’s Elect, and following the withering judgment upon our Aholah, Aholibah and Gomer ways spiritually within, the meanings of Gomer’s second children’s names returns to the meaning of the first child’s name, Ruhamah, 1. to love, love deeply, have mercy. It is the same pattern throughout the scriptures for chastisement for sin, repentance, forgiveness and redemption and now learned spiritually.

(Ruhamah H7355 Definition: 1. to love, love deeply, have mercy, Lo-ruhamah = no mercy. Loammi, Lo-ammi = not my people).

The Lord’s Mercy on Israel

Hos 2:14  Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably [to – 1. inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding a. inner part, midst (spiritually)] unto her.

Allure H6601 1. to be spacious, be open, be wide. Deceive, entice. Very similar to Allure G1185 – 1. to bait, catch by a bait 2. metaph. to beguile by blanishments, allure, entice, deceive.

Speak comfortably H3820 – 1. to bait, catch by a bait 2. metaph. to beguile by blanishments, allure, entice, deceive.

Hosea, by alluring and speaking comfortably in their order to Gomer, and Christ to the Elect, is aligned for each husband speaking with the same enthusiastic encouragement to their wives to change their harlot ways. To the wife, their husband’s ‘extravagant, spacious, broad allurement’ expressions with gentle urgency for hopeful change of behaviour are seen as a ‘deception’ to ‘entice, bait’ with ‘beguiling deceit’ for change. Every sinner being called out and held to acknowledge their sins is given to “accuse” the circumstances of their whoredoms or equally “excuse” themselves in victimhood and dig their heels in against change.

Subsequently, the vast majority of unconverted wives are unwitting whores while being physically chaste in marriage. By them not pursuing the unity of mind and spirit with their converted or unconverted husband, to him, is a (mostly an unwitting) act of Deuteronomy 24:1 “uncleanness”. That uncleanness for an Elect of God is fornication and the trademark of a whore; the notion of which all non-spiritually wise wives understandably violently revolt.

Speaking “comfortably” means appealing to the spiritual heart and soul of the Elect, the Bride in her youth, to hopefully allure her to war against her whorish ways and be washed by her Christ-like husband’s (Christ’s) commandments.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins. 
Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 
Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 

Hos 2:15  And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor [ 1. trouble, disturbance a. Achor – as the valley of trouble where Achan and his family were stoned] for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. 
Hos 2:16  And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi [1. man a. man, male]; and shalt call me no more Baali H1180  Ba`aliy – Phonetic: bah-al-ee’– Definition: Baali = my Lord 1. a deity in the northern kingdom, variation of the name ‘Baal’. From 1167 1. owner, husband, Lord  owner b. a husband].

What Hosea 2:16 means is that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God while lewdly serving ourselves, a Baal-like god sitting in the Temple of God, showing that we are god, central to our first father, Satan. Hence, we know no more Jesus after the flesh but as Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

2Co 5:14  For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all, then all died;
2Co 5:15  and He died for all, that the living ones may live no more to themselves, but to Him who died for them and having been raised. 
2Co 5:16  So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know Him so.
2Co 5:17  So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 
2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19  whereas God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and putting the word of reconciliation in us. 
2Co 5:20  Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as God exhorting through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 
2Co 5:21  For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

2Th 2:3  Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition,
2Th 2:4  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God.

Hos 2:17  For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. 
Hos 2:18  And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
Hos 2:19  And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

Clearly, the entire Bible is mostly for the Bride of Christ and her creation since she is the only one “betrothed forever.” Nonetheless, her children, meaning every conception since Adam to the end of the one-thousand year reign under the rod of iron will receive eternal life.

1Co 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 
1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Hos 2:20  I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. 
Hos 2:21  And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; 
Hos 2:22  And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.

The entirety of mankind will ‘hear Jezreel’ (Jezreel = God sows. From H2232 1. to sow, scatter seed) since Christ and his Christs will sow His commandments in the hearts of the scattered seed of mankind in the Resurrection to Judgement.

Hos 2:23  And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Remembering that in the Bible, the original text didn’t have chapters, and the conclusion of Hosea’s chapter two seamlessly steps into chapter three. However, to finalise chapter two, our Lord summarises Gomer’s God-given whoredoms, of course, meaning the called-out Elect of Christ’s awakening to their prostitution, and provides her immense hope for a chaste heart by calling her “my people”, and she calling her Husband, “my God.”

Ezekiel 12:1-28  A Remnant Shall be Saved

[Study Aired April 8, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study continues with the Lord’s decision to judge the city of Jerusalem with its temple for the sins they continued to commit. This was revealed to Ezekiel as He was asked by the Lord to demonstrate to the inhabitants of Jerusalem their going into exile in Babylon by packing his luggage and carrying it on his shoulders in plain sight of the inhabitants. The Lord emphasized to Ezekiel that the people of Israel were a rebellious people, and therefore they needed to be judged by letting them go into captivity as the Lord scattered them among the nations.  In spite of this judgment, the Lord stated that He shall preserve a few of them – the remnant. This judgment shall not be delayed as it shall surely take place in Ezekiel’s time. This judgment of the city of Jerusalem signifies the judgment of our old man which the Lord is carrying out in our lifetime as the called and chosen people of the Lord.

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

The Rebellious House of Israel

Eze 12:1  The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, 
Eze 12:2  Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 

As we have indicated in our previous studies, Ezekiel represents the elect. The dwelling of Ezekiel among the people shows us our time in Babylon when we were rebellious just like the people around us. At that time, we were not given eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven as our old man sat in the throne of our hearts and minds claiming himself to be God. During our time in Babylon, we thought that we controlled our own actions or destiny.

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

The coming of the Lord to Ezekiel is as the coming of the Lord to us to show us that we are indeed a rebellious people. We have to be shown our sins by the Lord as a rebellious people before we are given the opportunity to repent and be saved. 

Dan 9:4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 
Dan 9:5  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 
Dan 9:6  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Dan 9:7  O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

Eze 12:3  Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house. 
Eze 12:4  Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity. 
Eze 12:5  Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
Eze 12:6  In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

These verses show us that the Lord wanted Ezekiel to demonstrate to the people in the city of Jerusalem how they would be taken into exile as they left Jerusalem to other nations. Being taken into exile is the Lord’s judgment of the people of Israel. As we are aware, it is only the elect in this age who are being given the privilege of being judged. We saw in the previous study of Ezekiel chapter 11 that those who were in exile represented the elect while those who remained in Jerusalem signify Babylon. This is one of the few places in the word of the Lord that we see a positive application of being in Babylon.

Eze 11:15  Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession. 
Eze 11:16  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 
Eze 11:17  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 
Eze 11:18  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 
Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 
Eze 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

The request for Ezekiel to bring out his baggage by day for all the people to see and to go out of Jerusalem into exile by himself in the evening is therefore a sign to us that as the Lord’s elect, we must leave Babylon, which is signified here by Ezekiel leaving Jerusalem.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The fact that the Lord asked Ezekiel’s exit from Jerusalem in the evening to demonstrate the impending captivity of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in verse 4 suggests that our exit from Babylon begins the judgment of our old man, symbolized here by the captivity. It is when we come to see that we are spiritually dead that our judgment begins.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The evening is a time the sun is not around. The sun represents Christ. This implies that Ezekiel leaving in the evening to go into exile shows us that during our judgment, it is as if the Lord has abandoned us. As we can remember, our Lord Jesus Christ during His sacrificial death taught that He had been abandoned by God. As He is, so are we here on earth.

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

In verse 5 Ezekiel was also asked to dig through the wall in plain sight of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Walls in Biblical times were made of mainly mud or earth. Digging the earth out of the wall in plain sight of the people signifies our exposing of the lies or the false doctrines in Babylon which has become a wall separating us from seeing Christ. Ezekiel digging through the wall in the sight of the people means that as we expose the lies, we have imbibed in Babylon. It serves as a testimony against our brethren in Babylon.

Eph 5:11  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

In demonstrating the going out of Jerusalem in the evening into captivity in verse 6, Ezekiel was asked to cover his face so that he did not see the ground. This is to demonstrate our spiritual state in Babylon as the Lord prepares us to leave. That is, we were spiritually blind. Unfortunately, we thought we could see when we were in Babylon.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Eze 12:7  And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight. 

Our obedience to what the Lord is showing us in His words is what makes us His sons. As we know, our love for the Lord is demonstrated through our obedience to His words. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 

Eze 12:8  And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, 
Eze 12:9  Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? 
Eze 12:10  Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. 
Eze 12:11  Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.

What the Lord told Ezekiel to do in the sight of people was for the sake of the princes in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel among the multitude. This means that we are the princes and the house of Israel to whom the Lord was speaking during our sojourn in Babylon. We start our walk in Christ as rebellious people who do not care about the Lord. However, through the Lord’s mercy, He sends us His elect, represented here by Ezekiel, to speak to us through various means as a sign of the Lord coming to us. It is when we come to realize that these men (the elect) represent Christ here on earth and that they are blessed. That is when Christ comes to us with His judgment to begin the process of destroying the old man within us.

Mat 23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

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

The coming of the Lord to us with His judgment is symbolized here in verse 11 by the statement that they (the elect) shall remove and go into captivity. The captivity here represents our judgment which is the privilege of the Lord’s sons.

Eze 12:12  And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 
Eze 12:13  My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

As indicated, we are the princes that are supposed to carry our baggage on our shoulders in the evening as we exit Jerusalem. The baggage on our shoulders represents all the false doctrines and burden of sin that we carry as we exit Babylon. 

Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

The net that is being spread over us so that we are taken in a snare is the judgment of our old man which we cannot escape as the Lord’s called and chosen. To understand what is said in verse 13, we need to look at the positive application of Babylon. As we have indicated earlier, the exile to Babylon represents our judgment. Thus, in verse 13 where the exiles in Babylon shall not see it and shall die there in Babylon, means that when we are going through the Lord’s judgment, we do not see why we should go through such an experience. However, in the long run, it is through the Lord’s judgment that our old man dies as symbolized by the death of those in exile. As the old man is dying, we are learning righteousness.

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

Eze 12:14  And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. 
Eze 12:15  And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 

In verse 14, the Lord saying that He will scatter toward every wind, all our support as He draws out the sword after us means that all that we depend on that had taken the place of Christ shall be destroyed through the Lord’s judgment. As we have explained in previous studies, the negative aspect of sword refers to words that are spoken which destroy us. The sword refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary. 

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

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

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

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

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

Verse 15 is assuring us that at the end of the day, through the Lord’s judgment, we shall come to know who the Lord really is. 

Isa 5:16  But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. 
Isa 5:17  Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

Eze 12:16  But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

The few men that would be saved from the sword, famine and pestilence represent the Lord’s elect. The fact that we are being saved from the Lord’s judgment does not mean that we would not experience His judgment. However, through His mercy, we are not being tempted more than we can bear. As indicated earlier, it is through the Lord’s judgment of our old man that we come to know Him as He opens our eyes to see and ears to hear His words in the midst of the fire, which is another way of saying that we have seen the glory of the Lord. That is when we can proclaim the abominations among the heathen.

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.

Eze 12:17  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 
Eze 12:18  Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; 
Eze 12:19  And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. 
Eze 12:20  And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Because of the desolation (judgment) that was coming on Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord told Ezekiel to eat and drink with trembling and carefulness. This is another way of saying that we must tremble at the Lord’s words as His elect because our Lord is a consuming fire.

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Isa 66:15  For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 
Isa 66:16  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Trembling at the Lord’s word also means that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is the Lord who is at work in us to either blind us if we continue to remain recalcitrant or cause us to obey Him. Even though we say this, like Paul said, we are persuaded of better things on our behalf, that is, things that accompany salvation.

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

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

The Time is at Hand

Eze 12:21  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 12:22  Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
Eze 12:23  Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. 
Eze 12:24  For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. 
Eze 12:25  For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 12:26  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 
Eze 12:27  Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. 
Eze 12:28  Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.  

In these verses, we are being admonished that the time is at hand and that we should not be like the scoffers in Ezekiel’s time who were thinking that every vision had failed. During the time of the apostles, there were also scoffers, just like today, who doubted that the Lord’s coming was at hand. This is what Peter said about these scoffers:

2Pe 3:1  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 
2Pe 3:2  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: 
2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  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. 
2Pe 3:5  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: 
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.

We are therefore to pay attention to the Lord’s words and get ready for His appearance as the Lord grants us the grace to be ready like the five wise virgins who went to meet the bridegroom. They were wise because they were ready to meet the bridegroom, and their readiness was because they had oil. 

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 
Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 
Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 
Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 
Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 
Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 
Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 
Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 
Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 

The oil is that which keeps the lamp from going out. As we know from the word of the Lord, the lamp is the word of the Lord, and the oil represents the spirit of the Lord which causes our eyes to see and our ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom. The Lord has therefore given us what we need to be ready to meet Him. We should therefore not take for granted what the Lord has given to us and become unprepared for His coming.

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

May the Lord continue to make us ready as we wait for His appearing!! Amen!!