Zec 2:1-13  “Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD”

[Study Aired June 8, 2023]

Zec 2:1  I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 
Zec 2:2  Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 
Zec 2:3  And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 
Zec 2:4  And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 
Zec 2:5  For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 
Zec 2:6  Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. </b
Zec 2:7  Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 
Zec 2:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Zec 2:9  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. 
Zec 2:10  Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 
Zec 2:11  And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 
Zec 2:12  And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. 
Zec 2:13  Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. 

The first two verses from chapter one in last week’s study explains that it is in “the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah” typifying when the new man represented by the “eighth month” can begin to be formed in us by our hearing the true witness of Jesus Christ “in the second year of Darius” when the word of the Lord came “unto Zechariah.” Darius is a Persian king who represents our fleshly minds which are going to be witnessed against [“in the second year“], where we are told that the LORD has been sore displeased (Zec 1:1-2).

In this second chapter of Zechariah, we will learn what it takes for God’s people, and all of humanity in time, to “Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings” of Zechariah 1:4. At present, the world does not hear or hearken unto the Lord as this verse goes on to tell us, which is a prophecy that speaks to all of humanity who have all gone astray (Isa 53:6).

Zec 1:4  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. [Luk 64:4-64] 

Luk 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. [“but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD“] For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart [Christ, who is that treasure within (2Co 4:7, Col 1:27)] bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 
Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [Rom 3:23-24]

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace^G5463 [Rom 11:6] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” [Rom 5:10].

Grace G5463  χαίρω 
chairō  khah’ee-ro

A primary verb; to be full of “cheer”, that is, calmly happy or well off; impersonal especially as a salutation (on meeting or parting), be well: – farewell, be glad, Godspeed, greeting, hail, joy (-fully), rejoice.  Total KJV occurrences: 74

God’s elect, typified by the prodigal son, are the first to come to their spiritual senses (Luk 15:17) and be brought to see their need to be saved which results in our bringing forth fruit (Rom 11:1-6), and He uses the evil experiences in our life to bring us to that point of being humbled and crushed so that we can be spiritually productive in His service as the scapegoat that God lays the afflictions of Christ upon so as to fill up within our flesh in his stead (Psa 107:25-27, Col 1:24 [see JM version], Lev 16:10). Everyone needs to be saved because all have gone astray in the marred condition we are in, known as sinful flesh (Jer 18:4). 

Rom 11:1  I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. [1Co 15:22] For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 
Rom 11:2  God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 
Rom 11:3  Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Rom 11:4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Rom 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace^G5485.

Grace G5485charis khar’-ece

From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).  Total KJV occurrences: 156

The grace (G5463) or favor God is showing us in this age as His children will be received by him through the fiery trials of this life that bring us to our wits’ end making our flesh quiet, silent, or still before him (1Th 4:11, 1Ti 2:2-3, 1Pe 3:4, Psa 46:10, Psa 107:29, Exo 14:13). We grow in our ability through Christ to become more and more comfortable in the fiery trials of this life, as we remember and learn of His continual faithfulness to not try us beyond what we can endure, but always make a way for us to bear the trial and go through it to His glory (Heb 12:6, Psa 107:25-27, 1Co 10:13).

1Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; [Joh 21:22]

1Ti 2:2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 

1Pe 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

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.

Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. [1Pe 4:1]

Exo 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

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. 

When God says “doth he not leave the ninety and nine” in Matthew 18:12, it is a witness to the fact that God has turned His eyes away from the world (Rom 11:20-21) who are not being judged [“the ninety and nine“] at this time, and has made the elect the apple of His eye who are being judged ‘now’ (Zec 2:8, 1Pe 4:17). The elect are those who have been dragged to Christ and found in the mountain that represents Christ from where our help comes from (Joh 6:44, Psa 121:1).

Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith [Php 1:29, Mat 13:16-17, Rom 3:27]. Be not highminded, but fear: [“be quiet, be  silent, be still“]
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. [1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 4:18-19]

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine [the other fold who don’t think they need saving], and goeth into the mountains [signifying those being dragged to Christ in this age], and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Eventually all flesh will be as silent as silent can be when God subdues all things to Himself through Christ (1Co 12:6, 1Co 15:28, Eph 1:23). All flesh being silent before God is just another way of telling us that flesh and blood cannot inherit eternal life, and that ultimately no flesh will ever glory in His sight (1Co 1:28-31).

1Co 12:6  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

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

Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Zec 2:1 I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 
Zec 2:2  Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 
Zec 2:3  And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 

These opening verses are again talking about how we can have our eyes lifted, which symbolizes setting our eyes on things above and not on the earth (Col 3:2-4). When we have our eyes set on things above, our conversation is in heaven with Christ where we are raised in heavenly places “and  [we] behold a man with a measuring line in his hand” who represents Christ or those whom we follow as they follow Christ (Eph 2:6, 1Co 11:1). 

1Co 11:1  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 
Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

The context that is mentioned with the first instance of lifting our eyes in chapter 1 states, “Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” (Zec 1:17) That comfort will come through God commencing a work of judgment first within the elect, who will then rule the rest of humanity with a rod of iron (Zec 1:18-21). This pattern continues being shown as the world will also be scattered by judgment from the body of Christ that will begin to take away the stronghold of false religion and false worship from men’s lives, which process is revealed in these verses (Zec 1:18-21), followed by the second time he lifts his eyes and says “I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.” The narrative is from the perspective of the believer looking at how God’s plan is unfolding as His judgments go out to all the world (Isa 26:9) through Christ and His Christ (Rev 2:27, Rev 12:5, Rev 19:15, 1Co 6:2-3).

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 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron [1Jn 4:17,
Rev 2:27] and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 

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.

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?

We ask therefore [“Zechariah representing the elect“] “Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof” which in this instance can be seen as ‘Jerusalem below’ (Gal 4:25-26), the religions of this world. What we are being sent to do is “to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.” The angel talking to us in this verse typifies the body of Christ the fellow servant or angel (Rev 22:9), “And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him.” This “another angel” that went out to meet him represents Christ who meets the great cloud of witnesses who are ever with Him (1Th 4:17). They do this missionary work symbolized by the life of Paul who went to all the churches of Asia in his day, which was a type of all the world that we will go to during the reign of God’s elect. The same effect of that ministry will manifest as did with Paul’s, “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.” (2Ti 1:15, Rev 20:8)

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. 

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Zec 2:4  And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man [Zechariah], saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

Again, we are looking at both a prophecy which ‘now is in part’ and is yet to be fulfilled, and it is written to give us encouragement as to what we will come to learn and see is our role in God’s government that will be established on this earth. The “angel that talked with me” (the elect) that is told by “another angel” (Christ) to run “to this young man” represents our teachers who come to us with the word of God that witnesses to what God is going to do in the ages to come. We are told “Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein” meaning Jerusalem above, whom the elect represent, will be dwelling with men who are likened to the beasts God sees us as in our flesh [Jerusalem below], and there will be “towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein” which typifies the truth that God’s government, God’s elect, will be a spiritually walled city perfectly protected (1Co 1:9-10), that will not have any dominion over the many beasts of the field but will rather be helpers of their joy (2Co 1:24).

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 [a spiritually walled city perfectly protected].

Zec 2:5  For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 
Zec 2:6  Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. 
Zec 2:7  Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 
Zec 2:8  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 

We are the apple of God’s eye today as His little remnant, but in the future the world will become the apple of our eye (1Jn 4:17). These words we read speak of the encouragement God will bring forth through the church through the thousand-year reign of the saints, which we hear ‘in part’ now ‘in this age’ (1Co 13:9-12).

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

God’s elect, at this stage in the fullness of resurrected bodies, will be “a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her“, the “her” representing Jerusalem below. Our cry to the world still in Babylonian captivity is this: “Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.” This is discussed in the first chapter of Zechariah [four horns and four carpenters that scatter and tear down the old ways]. God spreads the world abroad for that reason, to help loose the bands of iniquity and the false judgments of Babylon that come from “the land of the North“. This judgment from the north is the negative use of judgment which more often is spoken of as being God’s positive judgment from the north (the negative use of judgment from the north proceeds from the law of the lawless [1Ti 1:9] and the law unto the Gentile that they/we are unto ourselves at our appointed time [Rom 2:14]).

1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 

Who are we telling the world to deliver themselves from, but Babylon? “Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon“, which the fleshly carnal mind of man cannot accomplish without Christ’s spirit within them. Zion represents God’s people, a people who are being witnessed against that they are operating in their flesh, their own righteousness. For today, there is an inward application to this verse that applies to God’s elect: “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” There is also a dispensational application that speaks to all nations coming out of Babylon, being judged and learning of God’s righteousness through the saints, and being reassured that we are there in the midst of this process as Saviors who are going to watch over them like a shepherd does his flock, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.“

Zec 2:9  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. 
Zec 2:10  Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 
Zec 2:11  And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 

These verses are talking about flesh God will judge and correct during the thousand-year reign of the saints. “For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants“, introducing God’s judgments to the “daughter of Zion” (Mic 4:10) rather than the mount of Zion of (Oba 1:21), that represents the elect who will “dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

Mic 4:10  Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies [“and they shall be a spoil to their servants“].

The result of that judgment with a rod of iron is “and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me“, which is another way of saying Isaiah 26:0 (see below). Learning righteousness is not the same as having the ability to reflect Christ’s righteousness (Php 3:9), seeing only Christ can be Christ (Rom 8:9). Therefore, although ‘the daughter of Zion’ is also likened to the elect who are called out of Babylon to be ‘judged in this age’ first (1Pe 4:17), in order to become those saviors on mount Zion, there is also a dispensational view on which we are focused in this study (Eze 23:36).

Eze 23:36  The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations; 

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. 

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: 

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

What we will be commissioned to do in the midst of the world at this time reflects what we will do with all of humanity in the lake of fire and that is to be helpers of others’ joy by giving them the words of life that will be as fire to them which begins to destroy the carnal nature and former conversation we all inherit in sinful flesh, which will reside in those who are resurrected in the second resurrection: “For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.“

The same message will be given to the world at that time and in the second resurrection (Joh 5:29), to rejoice for the many wonderful works unto the children of men of (Psa 107:30), the judgments which will be changing the heart of men and bringing them into a right relationship with their Creator. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.“

The result of that judgment is that “many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.” The “sent me unto you” part of this verse again is a reference to how God’s elect will be sent, just as Christ promised (Joh 20:21).

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

Zec 2:12  And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. 
Zec 2:13  Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

These last two verses once again give us perspective as to whom is being talked about, and the relationship we are looking at is that between the world and God’s elect during the thousand-year reign of the saints, a symbolic number (10x10x10) (Act 1:7). What is given to us to understand is that “the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” Since as He is, so are we (1Jn 4:17) is telling us that if we suffer with Christ in this life, we will rule with him in the next. Then the world, which can also be represented by Judah, will be our portion along with Christ (2Ti 2:12). Our message to the world at that time and in the great white throne judgment will be the same, which will be: “Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation” [the elect being God’s holy habitation where the “manifold wisdom of God” is made known by the church (Eph 3:10)]. 

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, 

Be silent and be still because the God of the universe is in your midst to save you and deliver you from yourselves (Exo 14:13, Psa 46:10, 1Ki 19:12, Oba 1:21).

Exo 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 
Exo 14:14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

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. 
Psa 46:11  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

1Ki 3:5-15 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us”

[Study Aired August 19, 2021]

1Ki 3:5  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
1Ki 3:6  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
1Ki 3:7  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
1Ki 3:8  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
1Ki 3:9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
1Ki 3:10  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
1Ki 3:11  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
1Ki 3:12  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
1Ki 3:13  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
1Ki 3:14  And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
1Ki 3:15  And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

The love that God bestows upon us is revealed by calling us sons who are not known of the world, and is typically being  revealed to us via Solomon, a type of the elect whose father was David, a type of Christ (1Jn 3:1). God’s love is expressed through Christ, and this tells us that we, being as He is in this life, will be sent as Christ was sent (1Jn 4:17, Joh 20:21) to express this same love to the rest of the world (2Co 5:18, 1Co 8:6).

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

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.

Solomon at first was truly humble and “not known of the world”, but as we know, later in his walk he would be corrupted by the world and have his heart turned by those things which represent our own power and self-willed nature that, if God does not chasten and scourge out of us (Heb 12:6), will cause us to drift back into the world like Demas, Titus and Crescens (Deu 17:16, 1Ki 4:26, Psa 33:17-18, 1Ki 11:2-3, 2Ti 4:10).

Deu 17:16  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way [negative – running with horses (Deu 17:16) and positive – expression of running with horses (Jer 12:5)].

1Ki 4:26  And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

Psa 33:17  An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
Psa 33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy [Heb 5:7];

1Ki 11:2  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
1Ki 11:3  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

This turning away of Solomon’s heart was simply because of a lack of fear and reverence toward God’s command that told him you “shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt” as well as his desire to cleave “unto these in love”. Love is obedience to God’s commands, which tells us to forsake the world and cleave unto him who is the author and finisher of our faith (1Jn 2:15, Jos 23:8-11)

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Jos 23:8  But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
Jos 23:9  For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
Jos 23:10  One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
Jos 23:11  Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

In type and shadow, God was not bestowing upon Solomon the kind of correction that would have prevented him from getting all those horses that represent his own power, his own righteousness (Php 3:9), and God did not prevent him from having all those wives and concubines that add up to one thousand, which represents the same hidden desire that will continue to be in the heart of mankind throughout the thousand year reign until the sins of the Amorites come to their fullness expressed in the rebellion of Gog and Magog against the camp of the saints (Rev 20:8).

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:

Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Solomon did not have any more power than anyone of us to walk in God’s commandments and keep His statutes, which if he would have had, he was promised God would “lengthen his days” of 1Kings 3:14. Yet for his father’s sake, who typifies Christ our olam/father, the whole kingdom would not be taken out of his hands despite himself: “Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes” (1Ki 11:34).

1Ki 3:5  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

It is in “Gibeon” (“hill city”), which typifies where we are raised in heavenly places (Eph 2:6), that we learn of our high calling that is in the Lord (Php 3:14, Psa 121:1-2).

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

It is “in a dream by night” that God comes to us and says “ask what I shall give thee“. The elect’s high calling in Christ is being typified at this express moment in Solomon’s life (Psa 2:8-10). The “dream by night” reminds us that light comes out of darkness and that the dream God gives us reveals the singleness that is in Christ (2Co 11:3), a dream that is one that brings us to conclude and be convinced that there is one body with many members (Gen 40:8, Gen 41:25, Rom 12:5).

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 (Joh 11:22).
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Gen 40:8  And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.

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

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity [singleness] that is in Christ.

Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another [Joh 17:22]

1Ki 3:6  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

This verse is central to our study as it shows us that David who was a type of Christ was shown “great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness”. The great kindness that God kept for Christ was the inheritance of the saints [his wife] typified by Solomon who was the son who would “sit on his throne [David’s], as it is this day” which is why the title of our study is what it is “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God [Rev 20:4, Mat 19:28]: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”(1Jn 3:1, Eph 1:18, Rom 8:17, Col 3:24, Col 1:12). Abraham, who also typifies Christ as David does, reminds us of this same inheritance that is in Christ and in the elect (Gen 17:4, 1Co 15:28).

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

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

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Gen 17:4  As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

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

1Ki 3:7  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
1Ki 3:8  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

This was a good place where God had Solomon, being able to acknowledge his need on the Lord for everything with these words: “I am but a little child” (Mat 18:3-4) who needed constant direction from God to know how to “go out or come in“, which is a shadow of how we need the Lord to show us how to walk circumspectly in this life as we’re led by God’s holy spirit (Rom 8:14-16), conducting ourselves in a way that glorifies God when we come together in “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (Eph 5:15-17, 1Ti 3:15). Understanding the will of God is walking circumspectly, and that can only be done by being given power over all that is in the world through Christ, both within and outside ourselves (1Jn 2:16-17, 1Jn 5:4).

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.

Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Eph 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

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

Solomon was in the midst of so great a people who were chosen,  “which thou hast chosen“, a symbol of how we are in the midst of the few chosen, taken from “a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude“, but who will be redeemed in God’s appointed time (Mat 22:14, Rev 17:14, Rev 7:9-14).

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

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

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
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,
Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

1Ki 3:9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
1Ki 3:10  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

This was a most pleasing thing Solomon requested of God: “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad.” Again we see the humility being expressed in Solomon’s words who recognizes that the job at hand is one that can’t be accomplished without God’s mercy and kindness being shown to him by giving him a discerning  heart, “for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?“

In the new covenant we have these parallel verses which remind us of the desire God has put in the elect’s hearts to ask for the ability to prophecy (1Co 14:1-3). The way we come to be able to “discern between good and bad” is the lifetime goal to which God has called us, bringing us to that point of maturity where we can partake of strong meat that nourishes us in our life of much tribulation in the Lord (1Pe 5:10, Act 14:22). Strong meat is eaten when we rightly divide that meat, discerning good and evil and light and darkness, understanding the goodness and severity that is required in God’s plan in order to mature (Rom 11:22).

1Co 14:1  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1Co 14:2  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
1Co 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11  To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Solomon’s question, “For who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” is answered for us with these verses: (1Co 6:3, Oba 1:21), and as we read earlier it is those who have suffered and are being made perfect and being established and strengthened and settled that God is setting to judge in the church, as opposed to laying hands on those who are least, meaning they are yet carnal babes in Christ (1Co 6:4-5, 1Ti 5:22, 1Co 3:4).

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

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.

1Co 6:4  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
1Co 6:5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

1Ti 5:22  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

Our goal then is to all come to that point of being mature sons of God who share in a unity of mind (Eph 4:13, 2Co 11:3) that produces a speech pleasing to the Lord, reflected in this verse: “And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.”

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity [singleness] that is in Christ.

1Ki 3:11  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

In type and shadow we are being told that Solomon did not ask amiss to consume these things upon his own lusts, by asking the things that we all would normally ask when we are trying to preserve our flesh from a carnal standpoint (Jas 4:3).

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

In the negative sense, Adam seeks “Long Life” and “riches for thyself” and destruction of “thine enemies without, but in the positive sense, God has promised those who lose their life (“thine enemies” all that is within the world within us [1Jn 2:16]) by honouring Him and the workmanship of His hands, the church (Eph 2:10), will be given “Long Life” with ‘the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth’ in glorified bodies (Eph 6:2-3, Joh 17:3-5, Joh 17:22).

Eph 6:2  Honour thy father [Christ] and mother [Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Gal 4:26)]; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

To ask for “understanding to discern judgment” is not something that the first man Adam asks for, seeing there is only a way that seems right unto him that leads to death which prevents him from desiring a discerning spirit (Pro 14:12). The “riches for thyself” represent the self-righteous acts of our life, like the rich young ruler, who we all once were, not being able to discern the true riches found in Christ that can’t be compared with anything (Php 3:8). The true “riches for thyself” begin to be understood when we come to see that we have no riches at all without Christ in our life (Luk 18:21, Rev 3:17, Joh 6:44).

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,

Luk 18:21  And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

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:

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. [“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them” in earnest now and one day in the fullness.]

The truth of the matter is there are no greater riches than that which God gives to those who diligently seek him and acknowledge their own blindness and continual need for a physician in this life as we overcome by dying daily to the wantonness within our flesh. Therefore, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2Co 7:1).

1Ki 3:12  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
1Ki 3:13  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Once again we are shown in type and shadow the outcome of those who are called and chosen and faithful to the end with these words: “I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee“; words that represent the exceeding great and precious promises (2Pe 1:4) God has promised to the elect, all foreshadowed in the life of king Solomon in this book of kings that was written for our sakes.

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God pours out such incredible blessings upon Solomon as one who typifies those who will be blessed and holy to be in the first resurrection, having all our life given to God, represented by the tithe we bring into the storehouse (Rev 20:6, Mal 3:10).

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.

Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

All of this is a gift from God toward Solomon that he inherited through birth and anointing, just as God’s elect who are born again by the will of God (Joh 3:3, Joh 1:13). We are “a little child”, the weak of the world, the not-many-noble brethren (1Co 1:28-29) receive “riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days“. This last typical statement was confirmed by this statement of Christ in the new covenant (Luk 7:28).

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

[What an amazingly rich and merciful gift God’s love is (Eph 2:4-6) toward Christ’s body and bride who is born again and has been chosen in this life to be kings and priests under him 1Jn 3:1]

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

1Ki 3:14  And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

The expression “lengthen thy days” is symbolic of receiving eternal life, and we understand that this is eternal life: to know God and Jesus Christ. As mentioned before, this is connected with the first commandment with promise for God’s kind of first fruits (Joh 17:3).  In the old covenant, ‘walking in my ways and keeping my statutes and my commandments as thy father David did walk’ is also typical of the new walk that we have in Christ Who makes it possible for us to bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, of which all these expressions are a shadow “walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments.” We walk “as thy father David did walk” who is a type of Christ, so we walk as Christ (1Jn 2:6) and not the physical man David, knowing that the least is greater than John, or David, or Abraham (Mat 11:11).

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

1Jn 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked [Col 1:24, Rom 8:14-16, Heb 5:7].

1Ki 3:15  And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

It’s true Solomon’s heart went after his many wives just as we went after many churches in Babylon, and his confidence was in his own flesh just as ours was or can be when we are convinced that we are rich and increased and have need of nothing like the rich young ruler spoken of in scripture. So, in the positive sense, Solomon’s life can be seen as a type of God’s elect who, despite himself and his eventual going after many wives and relying on his own power, was still promised in 1Kings 11:34, “Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes.” This tells us that it is because of Christ, who is typified by David, that if we are the elect of God, we are accepted despite ourselves, and the whole kingdom is not taken out of our hand (Eph 1:6, Luk 17:21).

“Solomon awoke” (Rom 13:11) is a spiritual statement revealing that when we are given eyes to see and ears to hear of all the blessings and promises God is going to bestow, it is done through “a dream” at night, which is the time when our flesh is most inactive and therefore better able to receive the instruction He has prepared for our good in our heavens (Job 33:15-18).

Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Job 33:15  In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Job 33:16  Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
Job 33:17  That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

What Solomon did when he awoke out of that dream: “And he came to Jerusalem (Gal 4:26), and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants“, symbolizes for us what we now do as God’s servants, offering our whole life to Him (Rom 12:1).

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.

Because of that dream, which we know is one in the Lord, we see ourselves as the beloved of God, one body of believers who have been chosen to be His servants in this age who go to Jerusalem above (Rom 12:5, Eph 2:6, Gal 4:26) to worship Him in spirit and in truth standing before our Father and Christ, symbolized by standing “before the ark of the covenant of the LORD” (Joh 14:20).

Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you [Rom 12:4].

In the positive sense, it is at this ark that we will offer up “burnt offerings” in order to be accepted of God and “peace offerings“, with which if not present in our lives, we won’t see the Lord (Heb 12:14-15).

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Making “a feast to all his servants” (Luk 12:37) reminds us of the love we have for one another as fellowservants who are sharing in our “feasts of charity<supG26” together as one body (Rev 19:7-9, Rom 13:11-13, Jud 1:12). When we sacrifice our lives for each other, we truly are beholding “what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us” and partaking of His life (1Co 10:16, Joh 6:54-55).

Luk 12:37  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted [Rom 3:27, 1Jn 5:4] that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: [“Solomon awoke“] for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

1Ki 2:1-11 “I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man.”

[Study Aired July 8, 2021]

1Ki 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 
1Ki 2:2  I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; 
1Ki 2:3  And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 
1Ki 2:4  That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. 
1Ki 2:5  Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 
1Ki 2:6  Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 
1Ki 2:7  But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. 
1Ki 2:8  And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. 
1Ki 2:9  Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood. 
1Ki 2:10  So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 
1Ki 2:11  And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. 

David’s death is very significant as it signifies that time in Christ’s life when he said “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” of John 16:7.

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

David is charging his son Solomon at this juncture in his life to keep the charge of the Lord thy God by walking “in his ways” while keeping his “statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments“. These statutes, commandments and judgments are types and shadows of “the law of Christ” which we keep when we are doers of the word who bear each other’s burdens (Gal 6:2-3).

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

[We deceive ourselves when we think our righteousness is something when it is less than nothing to God who is reminding us day after day as we die daily that only Christ can be Christ (1Co 1:30, Php 3:9)]

It takes the comforter, the power of the holy spirit within us, to be able to keep “the law of Christ”, and the function of that spirit is being explained to us in type and shadow via David who goes on to describe those who must die in order to avenge his life. The very next two verses in the book of John (Joh 16:7-8) explain the inward application of what David was charging Solomon to do and how we are avenged through God’s holy spirit which gives us the victory over our flesh as our enemies within are destroyed because Christ has gone the way of all flesh as a seed that dies (Joh 12:24), making it possible for the holy spirit to be sent so that we can be more than conquerors through him (Rom 8:36-37) who can now bring forth much fruit that “should remain” (Joh 16:7-8).

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin [1Jn 2:16, Tit 2:12], and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die [Christ and Christ in His elect as our hope of glory (Gal 3:16, Col 1:27)], it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit [Joh 15:16].

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

This section of Kings is very much an admonition to God’s elect ‘to be strong and show yourself a man’, which we will learn is only possible through “the man Christ Jesus” (Isa 33:22, Psa 18:17, Joh 8:36, 1Ti 2:5.

Isa 33:22  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. 

Psa 18:17  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me [Rev 13:4]. 

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

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

The Lord is showing us in this section of scripture the process from start to finish that God has ordained for his children so that we can go “the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man” through Christ our hope of glory within (Col 1:27).

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

1Ki 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
1Ki 2:2  I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
1Ki 2:3  And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

As we die daily, we are getting our spiritual house in order, as David typified, by going to Solomon and telling him “be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies.” Christ is our strength who tells us also to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” so we can be as He is in this world (1Jn 4:17-18). Our strength will come about as a result of His judgments in our life which will nourish us (Num 14:9) as they teach us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts by putting off our flesh. His love will be perfected in us because of those judgments within our earth (Eph 6:10, Jer 22:29).

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. [1 John 4:17 explains what 1 Kings 2:2-3 is telling us typically in our day of judgment (1Pe 4:17)]
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

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

The fruit of obeying God’s commandments comes about as a result of our committing all our ways unto the Lord as unto a faithful Creator (1Pe 4:19) who gives us that increase after we have watered and planted (1Co 3:6-7) so “that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself“. All the increase is of the Lord along with the desire and drive to water and plant in the first place as well (1Co 15:10, Php 2:12-13).

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.

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 
1Co 3:7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 

1Co 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 

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.

1Ki 2:4  That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

The symbolic meaning of these words which follow on the heels of our being made aware that our strength comes to us as a result of having God’s holy spirit within us, is that it is through God’s holy spirit that the word of God will continue to prevail through the ages and the gates of hell will not prevail against it within the church (Mat 16:18).

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [“there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel“]

These words “That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel” can be summarized with these verses in the new covenant: (Joh 17:20-21, Joh 13:35, Joh 8:32, Jer 29:13).

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; [“That the LORD may continue his word“]
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another [1Co 10:17].

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [We are made free because where the spirit of the Lord is, which quickens or empowers us, we are made free (Joh 6:63, 2Co 3:17)]

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart [“with all their heart and with all their soul“].

Will Christ find faith when he returns to the earth? Yes, but it will be as small as a grain of mustard seed which represents the kingdom of God that is currently within us in earnest (Luk 17:21) and will one day be the greatest of all trees (Mat 13:32). God has determined (Joh 15:1) who will be prepared and made ready from the foundation of the world as a royal priesthood (1Pe 2:9), and that promise is typified by this statement: “there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.”

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Mat 13:32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: [Luk 17:10]

1Ki 2:5  Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 
1Ki 2:6  Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 

If ever there was a statement in the bible that showed that David is yet carnal it’s these found in 1 Kings. On the other hand, the reason we know this is symbolic language is because God tells us they were ministering to us, meaning those who have God’s holy spirit within them making it possible for us to love our enemies as we are commanded to do (Mat 5:44). The enemy therefore within us is being typically represented by these men who did various things to David throughout his life (1Co 10:11, 1Pe 1:12, 1Co 2:12-14). There is no love toward the enemy in these statements that typify how we must overcome our sinful nature at all cost and destroy everything that breathes (Jer 17:9). It also demonstrates that what these men sowed in their appointed time was going to reap a prophesied result. King David is telling us that we also will see this destruction of our old man within us if God is working with us in this age at this appointed time (Rom 8:37).

1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  

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

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

This story about king David saying “let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace” is a way of instructing us to keep fighting a good fight of faith until our last breath against our old man, represented by what “Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet“. What we wrestle against is constantly trying to take away our peace and “shed the blood of war in peace” (Eph 6:12). However, God’s peace given to us through Jesus Christ passes all understanding, giving us victory over the enemy against which we wrestle, being blessed to keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Php 4:7).

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

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Putting “the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet” sounds very much like what Christ will do in the positive sense to these powers and principalities that once had dominion over us, keeping us enslaved by a power represented by “the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet” which we could not overcome until… (Rev 19:13-16, Rev 1:13).

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. 

Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 
Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; [the positive hoary head that destroys the first Adam that has seven heads and ten horns (Rev 12:3, Rev 13:1, Rev 17:3)]
Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Joab represent powers and principalities within ourselves and others, that, for the time being, took away our peace, but now with the mind of Christ we are girded with truth, and having done all, can stand against these enemies of the cross both within and without ourselves (Act 20:31-32). There are three names named in this verse, showing the process of overcoming, and scripture often says “the son of” to remind us that we were all of our father the devil at our appointed time, ‘the son of…’. In this case Joab^H3097 “Jehovah is father” the son of Zeruiah^H6870 “balsam/wounded” murdering Abnar^H7 “my father is a lamp” son of
Ner^H7 “lamp” and
Amasa^H6021 “burden” son of
Jether^H3500 “abundance”.

Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. 
Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. 

1Ki 2:7  But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. 

These sons of Barzillai^H1271 “my iron” really represent those who have shown themselves as strong men who were willing to lay down their life for their king: “I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man“.

Iron can be both positive and negative in the scripture, but in this case the “iron-hearted” sons of Barzillai represent the positive expression of iron. The reward God’s elect receive when we fight a good fight of faith is “let them be of those that eat at thy table” (Heb 13:10), that table representing the meat for which we labor that does not perish (Joh 6:27).

This story reminds us that God is faithful to reward those who diligently seek him (Heb 11:6), and that we must “be thou strong” and confident in our hearts (Jos 1:9, Heb 10:35-37) and must be about our Father’s business (Luk 2:49) knowing He will provide the meat for us to endure whatever we have to endure in His service (Php 1:6, Joh 4:32, 1Jn 4:17) that is being accomplished not by might or power but by His holy spirit, the choice oil that comes from the “choice olive” (Zec 4:6). These sons of Barzillai came to David’s help when he was fleeing from “Absalom thy brother”, which also reminds us that, at the appointed time in our trials and temptations if God is saving us in this age, He will deliver us through Christ and “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.” (Jas 1:12, Heb 10:37, 1Co 10:13).

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

Joh 4:32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 

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. 

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

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. 
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; [confidence in their flesh (Heb 6:6)] but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. [“I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man” (no confidence in our flesh Php 3:3)]

H1271
barzillay
bar-zil-lah’ee

From H1270; iron hearted; Barzillai, the name of three Israelites: – Barzillai.

H1270
barzel
bar-zel’

Perhaps from the root of H1269; iron (as cutting); by extension an iron implement: – (ax) head, iron.

H1269 – Definition: Birzavith or Birzath = in leanness: choice olive

a descendant of Asher

1Ki 2:8  And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. 
1Ki 2:9  Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

It is “Shimei^H8096 the son of Gera^H1617, a Benjamite^H1145 of Bahurim^{H4480 H980}” who brings this grievous curse on David in the day that he “went to Mahanaim^H4266“. The names along with the locations to which David went when he received this curse should help us understand what the holy spirit was causing to happen for our sakes upon whom the end of the ages have come (1Co 10:11, 2Pe 1:21).

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

H8096
shim‛ı̂y
shim-ee’

From H8088; famous; Shimi, the name of twenty Israelites: – Shimeah [from the margin], Shimei, Shimhi, Shimi.

Shimei is renowned or famous in the earth, and reminds us of the two hundred and fifty men of renown in Numbers 16:2 (Luk 6:26), and his father’s name confirms this, which means “grain”: Gera^H1617. The grain needs to die in each of us in order for the new man to be born (Joh 12:24), and Shimei was still alive at this point before David’s death. Our old man is “six Israelites”, Gera^H1617, and the new man working in us is Christ [#8] who brings about that completion [#7] of the new creation. That process of destroying the six Israelites within us is what brings about the completed new man in fullness, represented by the number eight, and this is accomplished through the judgment which begins at the house of God, and then the rest of the world will be judged (1Pe 4:17, Rev 17:11, Joh 7:37) at the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:11-15). As well, God is showing us what He is doing with our sinful nature with these confirming verses that relate to the “twenty Israelites [Shimei]” (Num 32:11, Exo 30:13-14).

Rev 17:11  And the beast [#6] that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition [#7, #8].

Num 32:11  Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: [The negative example of twenty years and above.]

Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. 
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered (Eph 2:8), from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD [positive example of twenty years and above].

H1617
gêrâ’
gay-raw’

Perhaps from H1626; a grain; Gera, the name of six Israelites: – Gera.

This grievous curse toward David happened at Mahanaim [“two camps” = double minded (Jas 1:8)], from one whose name [Shimei] means [“renowned” = in the earth (Num 16:2, Num 16:32)],  and so it is no wonder that it was at the Jordan where David would say “sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword” just as John the Baptist who said “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” at the Jordan, which would witness to the double-mindedness having been put away if such fruit would manifest (Mat 3:8). Time had transpired however, and in 1Kings 2:19 David saw that no fruit of repentance had been borne in the life of “Shimei” and therefore he says: “Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood“(Luk 13:8, Luk 13:25, Rev 3:7, Rev 22:11).

Luk 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 
Luk 13:9  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down [“but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood“].

Luk 13:25  When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

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

1Ki 2:10  So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

We are called to rest in the Lord, and that rest comes about as a result of the putting to death of our enemies within, as David did for us typically in the verses we have looked at tonight (Heb 4:11, 1Ti 6:12).

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

To be “buried in the city of David” is typical of our dying daily and being raised into heavenly places represented by “the city of David“.

1Ki 2:11  And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron^{H2275 H2267}, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem^H3389.

This last verse of our study speaks to us of the days that we live in our flesh, until we “go the way of all the earth” represented by seven years that David reigned in Hebron representing our time in Babylon, where we were under the spell of earthly charmers having our seat of association in the earth and not in heavenly places, and then, if we are called and chosen and faithful to the end of this life in Christ, it will require that each of God’s elect “be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man” through Christ, for “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Act 4:12).

Hebron
H2275 chebrôn
kheb-rone’

From H2267; seat of association; Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two Israelites: – Hebron.

H2267
cheber
kheh’-ber

From H2266; a society; also a spell: –  + charmer (-ing), company, enchantment, X wide.

H2266châbar
khaw-bar’

A primitive root; to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate: – charm (-er), be compact, couple (together), have fellowship with, heap up, join (self, together), league.

That strength to be saved is something that comes about as we are nourished through our trials which judgment will bring with it as we are raised in heavenly places above (Jerusalem above) symbolically stated this way: “thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem^H3389“. That time is the symbolic number of times Christ must rule and reign in our hearts to give us power over the beast which mankind is 3+3=6. (Ecc 3:18, Rev 13:18, Rev 11:3). It is Christ’s peace that passes all understanding that can only come from Jerusalem above.  His peace in us, just like the word “Jerusalem” shows us, is an ongoing (Qal) work that is “to be complete, be finished, be ended” and that will be accomplished by the author and finisher of our salvation Jesus Christ (Gal 4:26, Jas 1:17, Heb 12:2-5, Php 1:6). The world will try to take away our peace, but through Christ we can resist those spiritual attacks unto the shedding of blood as were granted his faith (1Jn 5:4).

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

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.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (Rom 3:27, 1Co 1:26)

Jerusalem
H3389 yerûshâlaim  yerûshâlayim
yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im, yer-oo-shaw-lah’-yim

A dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of H3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) H3384 and H7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine: – Jerusalem.

H3384 yaw-raw’, yaw-raw’

A primitive root; properly to flow as water (that is, to rain); transitively to lay or throw (especially an arrow, that is, to shoot); figuratively to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach: –  (+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-er, -ing), through.

H7999 shâlam shaw-lam’

A primitive root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively to be (causatively make) completed; by implication to be friendly; by extension to reciprocate (in various applications): – make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace (-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper (-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, X surely.

– Transliteration: Shalam
– Phonetic: shaw-lam’
– Definition: 

to be in a covenant of peace, be at peace
(Qal)
to be at peace
peaceful one (participle)
(Pual) one in covenant of peace (participle)
(Hiphil)
to make peace with
to cause to be at peace
(Hophal) to live in peace
to be complete, be sound
(Qal)
to be complete, be finished, be ended
to be sound, be uninjured
(Piel)
to complete, finish
to make safe
to make whole or good, restore, make compensation
to make good, pay
to requite, recompense, reward
(Pual)
to be performed
to be repaid, be requited
(Hiphil)
to complete, perform
to make an end of

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 [Isa 59:8]. 

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. 

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

David reigned over Hebron and Jerusalem for forty years symbolizes that it is through much tribulation (40) that we will enter into the kingdom of God (Act 14:22).

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

God’s elect must “go the way of all the earth” which is to die; the difference being we die daily (1Co 15:31), and that death is precious unto God (Psa 116:15). If we are granted to endure until the end, the symbolic ten days in this flesh, which is a prison or pit we are in (Rev 2:10), God will receive all the glory for giving us that victory through Jesus Christ so we can “shew yourself a man“, a manchild (Gal 3:28, Rev 12:5).

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 [40] ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 

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. 

1Ki 1:41-53 “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

[Study Aired July 1, 2021]

1Ki 1:41  And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
1Ki 1:42  And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. 
1Ki 1:43  And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. 
1Ki 1:44  And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule: 
1Ki 1:45  And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. 
1Ki 1:46  And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 
1Ki 1:47  And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. 
1Ki 1:48  And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
1Ki 1:49  And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 
1Ki 1:50  And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 
1Ki 1:51  And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 
1Ki 1:52  And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 
1Ki 1:53  So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. 

King David’s utterance of these words in 1 Kings 1:48: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it” is a type and shadow of Christ’s own words to God’s elect in Revelation 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.”

Solomon’s reign as the son of king David typifies our blessed rule under Christ during the “thousand years” in which the stage will be set for the true conversion that will occur at the great white throne judgment. The riches of Solomon’s kingdom are described in part in 2 Chronicles 1:15. These riches represent the word of God which will come forth from Jerusalem above, the church, from where every good and perfect gift comes (Jas 1:17) and “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14).

2Ch 1:15  And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.

That being said, there will be no true conversion of heart, no Godly repentance, represented by silver, which is why “all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon” (2Ch 9:20)

2Ch 9:20  And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

Drinking from a vessel of gold without true repentance truly represents the heart of mankind during the thousand-year reign as the world will drink the word of God from God’s elect who are those vessels of gold which have been made fit for the Master’s use. God’s use for us during that period will be to baptize the world with His word, just as the Israelites of old were (2Ti 2:21, 1Co 10:2-4).

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 
1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 
1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ [no conversion but they did drink].

Drinking from those vessels of gold during Solomon’s reign and living in a time when “the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” is how God seeks an occasion against all flesh. That word will not return void when the great white throne or lake of fire judgment begins, and every man in his appointed time must be baptized both with water and with fire (Isa 55:11, Mat 3:11, 1Jn 5:6, Joh 3:5, Rom 8:9, 1Jn 4:17).

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize 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 baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 

1Jn 5:6  This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 

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

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. [1Pe 4:12, Rom 6:3]

In the verses we’ll look at in this study, we will see how God will accomplish what He has purposed from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4, Joh 15:16) being typified by those who prophesied not unto themselves but unto us, upon whom the end of the ages have come (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11). These prophecies should serve to encourage, exhort, enlighten and comfort those who are truly blessed to be going through this sanctification (Joh 17:17) process which is what this typical statement means: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it,”

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 

1Ki 1:41  And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?

“Joab^H3097 heard the sound of the trumpet” and the answer to this entourage’s question posed by Joab “Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?” toward those who were surrounding Adonijah having just finished eating their own food while wearing their own apparel (Isa 4:1) is that this trumpet is summoning disaster for their kingdom, which represents another Jesus, while at the same time announcing the ordination of the true king by king David’s decree.

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

Joab, whose name means “Jehovah is Father”, is the one God uses to pose the question “Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?” reminding us that it is God the Father who puts these thoughts in our hearts of events that cannot be revealed by flesh-and-blood men (Mat 16:17). Joab represents a trumpet being blown by God that men in their flesh cannot interpret (1Co 14:8) but God’s prophets are the vessels through whom God will work to reveal what His judgments or trumpets mean (Amo 3:6-8) and are about to come on the scene to interpret what this trumpet means for everyone involved (2Co 4:15.

1Co 14:8  For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Amo 3:8  The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? 

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 
2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

Adonijah and his guests represent our trust in princes and flesh (Psa 146:3), until the Lord brings to light, through the destruction of our old man, the new king, Jesus Christ, who is to rule and reign in our hearts as we learn to not be respecters of persons (Amo 3:6, Rev 8:6, Rom 2:11, Rev 22:8-9, 1Jn 4:17).

Psa 146:3  Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? 

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

Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God. 

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

1Ki 1:42  And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

The fact that Joab is still speaking while “Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came” symbolically reminds us that God does a quick work in our lives upon our earth (Rom 9:28) and His judgments reveal the folly and delusional state of Adonijah whose flattering lips are soon going to be silenced by the message being brought by God’s servant “Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest” (Psa 12:3).

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 

Psa 12:3  The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

“Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings“, Adonijah says not knowing that he is about to receive double from the hand of God in regard to judging his kingdom as being a hoax as opposed to Solomon’s that has been ordained by God (Rev 18:6-8). The lesson, as always, is for God’s elect, whose first man Adam is being judged by God today in our day of the Lord, and we are the first to be “utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” meaning God’s elect as result of that ongoing judgment can now enter into the temple of God today and eat at His altar (Rev 15:8, Heb 13:10).

Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. 

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

1Ki 1:43  And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

Here comes Jonathan, whose name means “Jehovah has given”, and what he has given Jonathan to do as one of David’s mighty warriors is to be the vessel He uses to confirm God’s plans for Solomon which is a revelation to Adonijah that must feel like he is being “utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” Adonijah is about to get an earful in regard to how God operates in the kingdoms of men, more specifically the lineage of David that represents the One elect seed, Jesus Christ, who the Father (Gal 3:16, Mat 22:14) “giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” which represents the weak of the world who we are (Dan 4:17, 1Co 1:26).

Gal 3:16  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

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

Dan 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

God’s judgments are going to reveal to our first man Adam that He is not a respector of persons and does what He wants with what is His, to do with as He pleases and tells us, “Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive” (Mat 20:4-16).

These are not the plans of men. Jonathan reminds us of this by saying, “Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king” seeing David represents Christ, the vine, who is directed by the husbandman God our Father (Joh 15:1).

Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 
Mat 20:5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 
Mat 20:7  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 
Mat 20:9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 

Mat 20:10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 
Mat 20:11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 
Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 
Mat 20:13  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 
Mat 20:14  Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 
Mat 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 
Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

1Ki 1:44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule:

The certainty of what God has started in the life of His elect is being discussed here in this verse “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1Jn 4:4). We discussed what these names mean with our last study, but two we did not mention that tie in nicely now are “the Cherethites, and the Pelethites“. These groups represent the muscle of king David’s government, and they caused Solomon “to ride upon the king’s mule“, symbolically telling us no one has resisted his will as we go toward Jerusalem above as the beasts that we are. Christ is far higher than the powers and principalities to which this beast is subject in this vain life (Eph 1:21). We are given victory through the power of the holy spirit symbolized by the anointing of Solomon whose burdens are born in this life “upon the king’s mule“. We bear each other’s burdens best and so fulfill the will of God when the Lord directs our life in His service for each other, all typical of this event of the anointed king Solomon of which it was written “they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule” (Rom 9:19, Php 2:12-13, Heb 12:2, Eph 2:8, 1Jn 5:4).

The meaning of these two groups who were king David’s executioners and couriers, or guardsman of the king, makes it very clear how our old man will die if God has determined it to be so in this life, and he will send couriers and guardsman to accomplish what has been ordained from the foundation of the world to do so (Joh 12:24, Joh 15:16). Therefore we are not to give any anxious thought, for God has thought it all through already for us in regard to what we must go through in order to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection. These two groups, the “Cherethites” and the “Pelethites“, demonstrate that if we are that sacrifice which is bound to the altar (Psa 118:27), then God will send the encouragement we need and the strength to overcome in this life, and nothing shall separate us from the love of God (Mat 6:34, Rom 8:36-39).

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 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 

Cherethites, H3774
kerêthı̂y
ker-ay-thee’

Probably from H3772 in the sense of executioner; a Kerethite or life guardsman (compare H3876), (only collectively in the singular as plural): – Cherethims, Cherethites.

Pelethites, H6432
pelêthı̂y
pel-ay-thee’ 

From the same form as H6431; a courier (collectively) or official messenger: – Pelethites.

1Ki 1:45  And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

As was discussed last week, David who typifies Christ, has made this decree to anoint Solomon, and this anointing took place in “Gihon^H1521“.  That ordination of Solomon was known by all the kingdom of his time and is symbolic of the breaking forth or bursting forth of the manchild or nation of God’s children who will be born in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye. They will be that river of Paradise that will bring healing to the nations (1Co 15:52, Isa 66:8, Rev 22:2)

Gihon H1521gı̂ychôn  gichôn
ghee-khone’, ghee-khone’

From H1518; stream; Gichon, a river of Paradise; also a valley (or pool) near Jerusalem: – Gihon.

H1518gı̂yach  gôach ghee’-akh, go’-akh

A primitive root; to gush forth (as water), generally to issue: – break forth, labor to bring forth, come forth, draw up, take out.

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. 

Isa 66:8  Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

1Ki 1:46  And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 
1Ki 1:47  And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. 
1Ki 1:48  And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

These verses (1Ki 1:46-47), as was discussed last week, are confirmation that we will do greater works than what Christ did (Joh 14:12) which sounds blasphemous to a carnal mind, but not if we understand that Christ is the one who has always been doing all the work within this flesh which cannot inherit the kingdom of God. These verses confirm that truth (Php 2:12-13, Rom 14:8, Joh 15:5). 

The greater works cannot be accomplished unless we are blessed to have eyes to see and ears to hear so we can be sent forth as He was, to bring healing to the nations (Joh 20:21). Christ never converted anyone in the flesh, but now, if our names are written in heaven (Luk 10:20), we rejoice greatly because we know He has not only separated us to be more than conquerors through Christ, but also saviours who will come up on mount Zion to do those greater works of bringing spiritual healing to the nations in the lake of fire or great white throne judgment (Oba 1:21).

We will see him as He is if we are in that blessed and holy first resurrection simply because the King, typified by king David, has decreed these words “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.“(1Co 13:12-13).

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 
1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

1Ki 1:49  And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 

The sheep are being scattered with the news that their supposed king is not a king after all, and with no head to lead, fear overtakes the people who “rose up, and went every man his way“, not unlike what happened to Christ’s disciples when He died, except Jesus Christ our King was being smitten for righteousness’ sake and was reconciling us unto God through that sacrifice of His life so we could then be saved by the gift of His life within us (Mat 26:31, Rom 5:10, Col 1:27).

Mat 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 

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

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

When God’s government breaks forth on this world it will be earth shattering news just as it was for Adonijah and his Babylonian entourage: “all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid“. These verses in  Revelation 11:10-13 really parallel this moment right down to the feasting and rejoicing that was taking place with Adonijah, just as it will be in this world prior to the first resurrection (Mat 24:38).

Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 
Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 

Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 

1Ki 1:50  And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 
1Ki 1:51  And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 

This cry of Adonijah will be the knee-jerk reaction of the yet unconverted world when God’s government is established and “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”.

The world will lay hold of “the horns of the altar” in what will look like godly sorrow that is working “salvation not to be repented of” (2Co 7:10), but what is really happening is the unconverted soul is crying out like Esau producing “the sorrow of the world worketh death” because they can’t open the seals just yet that will deliver them from this body of death (Rev 5:4). We don’t mourn as others means our mourning is working  “salvation not to be repented of” as we are granted to enter into the house of mourning (Ecc 7:2), whereas the world’s mourning is “the sorrow of the world worketh death” where there is no hope in that death process that brings forth groaning and travail, not yet being baptized into Christ’s death that leads to life (1Th 4:13, Rom 6:3, Rom 8:22-23). That time is reserved for the lake of fire. These actions then of holding “the horns of the altar” are the negative example of how the flesh can be truly fearful and broken up and appear outwardly to be seeking repentance as Esau did (Heb 12:17), but in reality it is all just a fleshly show of repentance with no possibility of bringing forth fruit meet unto repentance (Mat 3:8).

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

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

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

“It was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword” reminds us that the old man in us does not want to be slain with the sword of the king, but with Christ in us as our hope of glory, the seals can be opened that bring about the much needed judgment in our lives as God does not let the sword depart from the house of His elect (2Sa 12:10). The oath is not going to be made from Christ to preserve our flesh. Just the contrary is true (Rom 8:36), although in our flesh we want to bargain with God as Adonijah is doing here with Solomon. Solomon goes on to show him, to show our old man, that there are terms and conditions that must be met, and that we know they cannot be obtained without Christ as the vine in our lives making that possible (Joh 15:5).

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

1Ki 1:52  And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 

Here are those conditions that God requires of us, typified by these words of Solomon to Adonijah:

“And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die”

Again, there is none righteous so there no chance that Adonijah or anyone of us is going to change the spots of the leopard beast we are (Jer 13:23, Rev 13:4) without a miracle from God. The new man, God’s elect being the bride of Christ, are the ones of whom it can be said “there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth“, a promise which is the same as saying the gates of hell won’t prevail against the church (Luk 21:18-19, Mat 16:18).

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

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? 

Luk 21:18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 
Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls. 

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

The encouragement for those whose names are written in heaven is being expressed with these words of king David: “there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth“. The admonition for us is to look well to ourselves and to the flock of God so that we repent when we see any root of bitterness, any envy, lust, or jealousy in our hearts, otherwise “wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die” telling us that God’s elect must die daily in order to prevent these roots of bitterness from forming and taking root in our heavens (Heb 12:15-16).

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 

1Ki 1:53  So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. 

King Solomon sent and they brought him down from the altar “And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house“, reminds us how the world will initially be compliant to the commands of God when His government is established, but as time progresses, the sacrifices and obedience will become less and less and will be a witness against the unconverted masses who, at God’s appointed time, will demonstrate that they were always enemies of the cross (Zec 14:17, Rev 20:7-9).

Paul warning the church for three years with tears tells us while in this flesh it’s easy to be naive and not discerning of spirits around us, of which we are to constantly be trying within and ouwardly whether or not they are of the Lord (Php 3:18, 1Jn 4:1).

The rebellion that happens at the end of the symbolic thousand years has three tens, and the multiple of those numbers is significant, as it tells us evil men always wax worse and worse when they’re told “go to thine house” but go there forgetting where they came from (Joh 7:38-53, Zec 14:17, Jdg 21:25).

Joh 7:43  So there was a division among the people because of him. [Mat 10:34 God’s elect are that sword of (Mat 10:34) during the 1000 year reign unbeknownst to the world 1Jn 4:17]

Zec 14:17  And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 

Joh 7:52  They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. 
Joh 7:53  And every man went unto his own house. 

Jdg 21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

If we are blessed to have eyes to see today, this verse will apply to us now: “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it“, and we will understand how blessed we are to be drawn to His house where it is better to dwell for one day, than a thousand days without. The one day in Psalm 84:10 represents the day of the Lord upon our first man Adam who is being judged now (1Pe 4:17) as opposed to having to be ruled over for a thousand symbolic years, to then be judged in the lake of fire (Heb 10:25, Mal 3:16, Psa 84:10). It is the same fire that must judge all men, each man in his appointed time (Heb 9:27, 1Co 15:22-23).

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

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Psa 84:10  For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 

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

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.

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-book-of-hebrews-heb-91-part-1-christ-being-come-an-high-priest-of-good-things-to-come/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-book-of-hebrews-heb-91-part-1-christ-being-come-an-high-priest-of-good-things-to-come Thu, 26 Nov 2020 17:45:42 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=21775 https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j9m5gu7nfc2wz5/Tony-Heb-9_1.mp3?raw=1

Heb 9:1 Part 1 – “Christ Being Come an High Priest of Good Things to Come”

[Study Aired November 26, 2020]

Heb 9:1  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 

The statement “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come” in verse 11 of Hebrews chapter 9 (Heb 9:11) is contrasted with the first ten verses of Hebrews chapter 9 which speak of the “ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary” that were all found within the temple or tabernacle God ordained and established for our sakes (2Co 4:15) to help us understand what He is doing within the temple which we are today (1Co 3:16).

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

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

As we compare “spiritual things with spiritual” (1Co 2:13), using the physical tabernacle and all the “ordinances of divine service” within that tabernacle, what God is doing today in His workmanship which we are (Eph 2:10) should become brighter, giving us the vision and hope of those things He has promised to finish in us through Christ (Php 1:6) to whom we look as our high priest (Heb 12:2) who is the “minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb 8:2).

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

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.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

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.

Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

We are abiding in Christ’s body, which is the temple (Col 1:24), where we “consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself” knowing that as the body of Christ we can fill up what is behind of His afflictions “for his body’s sake, which is the church” as we endure, through Christ (Php 4:13), being hated of all men for His name’s sake (Mat 10:22). This endurance is only possible as we nourish and supply what each of us needs, (Eph 4:16) bearing each other’s burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ (Gal 6:2).

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:

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.

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

The new commandment God has given His church is a spiritual law in our members, His love being shed abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5) that makes it possible for us to abide in His truth (Joh 8:31-32) which is witnessed in our obedience to His commandments (Joh 14:15). Our discipleship, our love toward one another, is expressed through that obedience (Act 5:32, Joh 13:35).

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

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 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The “ordinances of divine service” in the temple of old is a type and shadow of that discipleship and explains to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear (Mat 13:16) how we are nourished at the altar, which is the cross and the place where our Lord strengthens us and provides all that we need in order to fulfill our Father’s will “in earth, as it is in heaven” (Php 1:29, Mat 6:10).

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

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

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

If we don’t labour for that meat which does not perish, we would “be wearied and faint in your minds” of Hebrews 12:3, but if we know that our labour is not in vain and that Christ is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, then we should rejoice and again I say rejoice (Php 4:4, Rom 8:16) as we go about our Father’s business working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Heb 11:6-7), knowing that those labours are building up the temple of God and making us stronger and ready to face whatever the future holds (Php 2:12-13, Eph 6:11-12, Heb 4:11). This building up of the temple is all being accomplished through Christ (Psa 127:1) and is the reason we point each other to this statement: “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle (Col 1:24), not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building”.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

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.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil [Mat 24:24, Mat 16:17-18].
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Heb 9:1  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service^G2999, and a worldly sanctuary.

In this first verse it is very informative to notice how the word “divine service^G2999” is used in other verses, particularly in John 16:2 and Romans 9:4.

G2999 latreia
Total KJV Occurrences: 6
service, 5
Joh_16:2, Rom_9:4, Heb_9:1 (2), Heb_9:6
divine, 1
Heb_9:1

The service^G2999 of God can have both a negative and positive viewpoint, and yet as with all of the promises of God and all the service that we render unto Him, whether it is under strong delusion (Act 4:27-28) or with the clear mind of Christ, they are still all working out “for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” in the end (2Co 1:20, Rom 8:28).

2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

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

When the time is appointed for God’s elect to be put out of the synagogue, there are those who believe they are doing Godly service by carrying out these actions, which we do in our appointed time when we rejected Christ and put Him out of our midst because of our spiritual blindness (Psa 14:3, Psa 53:3, Rom 3:10).

For those who are called and chosen in this life (Mat 22:14), we are told “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service^G2999“. The positive end result of this service is expressed with the story of the blind man who was healed and put out of the synagogue, where he then met Christ who had a very pointed question for him (Joh 9:35, Joh 9:1-39).

Joh 9:1  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
Joh 9:2  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Joh 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Joh 9:6  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
Joh 9:7  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
Joh 9:8  The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
Joh 9:9  Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
Joh 9:10  Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
Joh 9:11  He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
Joh 9:12  Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
Joh 9:13  They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
Joh 9:14  And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:15  Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
Joh 9:16  Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
Joh 9:17  They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
Joh 9:18  But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
Joh 9:19  And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
Joh 9:20  His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
Joh 9:21  But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
Joh 9:22  These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Joh 9:23  Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
Joh 9:24  Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
Joh 9:25  He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
Joh 9:26  Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
Joh 9:27  He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
Joh 9:28  Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
Joh 9:29  We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
Joh 9:30  The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
Joh 9:31  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Joh 9:32  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
Joh 9:33  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
Joh 9:34  They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Joh 9:35  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? [Joh 6:28-29, Jas 2:19, 1Jn 5:4, Joh 8:31, Joh 8:44]
Joh 9:36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Joh 9:37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
Joh 9:38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
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.

This story in John 9 typifies our coming out of Babylon and the need for us to be healed from spiritual blindness (Joh 9:39, 1Pe 4:17). Spiritual healing comes through judgment that occurs once we are able to receive God’s word that is sent to us (Psa 107:20). We come to see that we have been spiritually blind and are now coming out of the strongholds under which Babylon had us. Through the grace and faith God gives us, we begin to see how that blindness has always overtaken the whole world (2Co 4:4), including the religious world of Babylon out of which we have been called (2Co 6:17). Christ meets us with our newly opened eyes and asks the question in John 9:35: “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” because there is a lifetime of overcoming in front of us that is going to be accomplished by believing “on the Son of God”. That belief in the truth motivates us to labour for the meat that will not perish (Joh 6:27).

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.

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?

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

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

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

That blindness continues to this day in the synagogues of this world where there are blind guides leading the blind, and both are falling into the ditch (Mat 23:24, Mat 15:14, Mat 16:6). Christ had compassion on this one specific man for our sakes (Joh 9:1-39, Joh 6:44), so we see with this one story how a man was dragged out of “a worldly sanctuary” that represents the churches of this world today where there is no stay of bread or water (Isa 3:1) and was healed by the only One who can heal our eyes spiritually so we can understand the truth (Joh 9:32, Luk 8:10). This statement in John 9:32 is still true in the body of Christ. Even greater works than these physical healings Christ did are predestined to happen as Christ works in us both to will and do of our Father’s good pleasure, which is to bring spiritual healing to the eyes and ears of those whom the Father drags to us (Joh 14:12, Joh 6:44).

The verses which lead up to Paul mentioning the service of his fellow Israelites (Rom 9:1-4) reveal the desire that should be within each of us for all our fellow kinsman in Adamic flesh. We know that in their appointed time they will come to know the truth (1Co 15:23). Moses expressed this same sentiment in this verse (Num 11:29):

Rom 9:1  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Num 11:29  And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

Paul longed for his fellow Israelites “to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service^G2999 of God, and the promises” to know what he knew by grace through faith. However, not only his fellow kinsman but all the world, represented by the seven churches of Asia, would “be turned away from me” (2Ti 1:15). Those churches represent the “worldly sanctuary” as well, in not being able to spiritually see and eat at the table which the Lord has exclusively given to very few in this life (Heb 13:10, Luk 10:24).

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

Luk 10:24  For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

There is a divine order in Babylon as people live and move and have their being in Christ (Act 17:28) just as there is order in the court section of the temple that we are not to measure (Rev 11:2). That service that is rendered through the unbelieving who are typified by Levi who are joined unto us is for our sakes, and they serve us in their unbelief (Rom 11:32) and remind us of the incredible miracle of our calling and the need to never take it for granted, neglect it, or become highminded or conceited as though we had anything to do with our eyes and ears having been opened (Rom 11:11-22). We are to remember these words as God’s elect and see our calling as a work of God’s hands: “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service^G2999, and a worldly sanctuary“, never spitting on it or looking down on anyone, knowing that God has each and everyone of us exactly where we are, to His glory.

Rom 11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom 11:12  Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
Rom 11:13  For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
Rom 11:14  If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Rom 11:17  And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look into a few of the various physical items in the tabernacle of old so we may learn what those various parts of the temple mean for Christ’s body today. The story of the blind man being healed really encapsulates what we want to learn from our Lord as He draws us out of the shadows or “patterns of things in the heavens” so that our heavens can be purified with “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (Heb 9:23-24)

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

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Isaiah 30:19-25 Our Eyes Can Now See Our Teachers

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Isa 30:19-25 Our Eyes Can Now See Our Teachers - Discussion

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Isa 30:19-25 Our Eyes Can Now See Our Teachers

Isa 30:19  For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
Isa 30:20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
Isa 30:21  And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Isa 30:22  Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.
Isa 30:23  Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
Isa 30:24  The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.
Isa 30:25  And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

Before we begin our study today it will help to remind ourselves who the holy spirit considers to be "the people [who] dwell in Zion at Jerusalem". Let us let God be true and every man a liar. We need to know what the scriptures mean when they speak of 'circumcision', 'a Jew', 'the seed of Abraham', 'the son of the free woman' and 'the Israel of God'. Since the "times of reformation" all those words and phrases have taken on an entirely new spiritual meaning.

Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Here are a few verses concerning the significance of "the time of reformation", which, if we are given to receive it, will make our study today to take on so much more significance for each of us individually:

Rom 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Not one Christian in a million believes, "He is not a Jew which is one outwardly." The Christian world proclaims the physical Jews are still the Lord's chosen people, while the scriptures declare they are not even Jews, and they are not circumcised, except for those who are in Christ.

We are told "Zion [is] at Jerusalem", but where is Jerusalem since "the times of reformation"? This is what the scriptures teach is now 'Jerusalem':

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

We are told "cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman".  To whom is Paul referring as "the son of the bondwoman"? The answer of the holy spirit is:

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.

The holy spirit, through the apostle Paul, informs us that "Jerusalem which now is" is "the son of the bondwoman" and "is in bondage with her children". We are told:

Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren [Gentile Galatians], as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

The Gentiles who believe in Christ are now called the children of promise "as Isaac was". These are then called, "Jerusalem above, the mother of us all."

All of this is telling us that we, in Christ, are now "the Israel of God":

Gal 6:15  Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16  Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

With all of this in mind we can now begin our study and know who is "Zion at Jerusalem":

Isa 30:19  For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

This verse gives us a simple statement of truth without telling us when, "You shall weep no more." Spiritually we can, in Christ, rejoice even now as we are enduring the most excruciating persecutions. For example

Act 5:40  And to him [Gamaliel - vs 34] they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

The Lord is indeed gracious to us when we pray to Him. He hears and answers every prayer that accords with His will:

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

Christ told us to always pray 'thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven':

Luk 11:2  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

The apostle John tells us that when we pray in this manner, the Lord will hear our every prayer:

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:

If our sincere prayer is only to seek and want what is the Lord's will, then all of our prayers will be answered, because we were informed in Dan 4:35 "He does according to His will... and none can stay His hand [and] he [is] very gracious unto us] at the voice of [our] cry; when he shall hear it, he will [always] answer [us] according to His will".

Isa 30:20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

It is the Lord who gives us "the bread of adversity", and Christ made that very clear. This is what He came to do in our lives:

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

That is "the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction", and both Isaiah and Matthew inform us that it is the Lord who came to bring us that trial for our own good. "Yet shall not [our] teachers be removed into a corner any more, but [our spiritual] eyes shall see [our] teachers".

This is what Christ Himself said of His teachers:

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

So there it is! That is what this prophecy is telling us, and I repeat:

Isa 30:20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

Our spiritual eyes spiritually see Christ in each other as we are told:

2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

To say that we know no man, not even Christ, after the flesh is a revolutionary statement. This is what we are being told by these verses:

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.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

In other words, in spiritual terms we should understand that as Christ is in this world, the light of the world, being sent to save this world, bringing His Father's Word to a lost world, in any way Christ serves His Father, "so are we in this world". But is that really what the scriptures teach? The answer is, "Yes that is exactly what the scriptures teach."

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 message of this verse is exactly what Christ told Thomas and Philip:

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

If we know Christ, then we also know His Father, and from that point on we know and "have seen" Christ and His Father. That is a spiritual statement, and it is speaking of spiritual eyesight which can and does see Christ spiritually wherever He now abides.

Now we can begin to 'see' and understand how the things of the spirit are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made. Christ tells us how we are able to "see" our teachers, and we should 'see' our teachers only with spiritual eyes. Christ is no longer a physical man who has a physical body. 'Christ' is now spiritually 'seen' within the lives of all of those who spiritually are "His flesh and His bones":

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

"All things are become new" means 'all things are now to be seen through the eyes of the spirit'.  Even Christ Himself is now to be seen in those who make up His body:

Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

We no longer 'see' Christ "after the flesh", and yet, "we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones." To the natural man those words are contradictory foolishness.

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

How does the holy spirit go about "comparing spiritual things with spiritual"? It does so, "not in the words which man's wisdom teaches", but it does use words which sound as if they are speaking of physical things. "The body of Christ" sounds to the natural man as if it is speaking of the physical body of a man who physically walked this earth over two thousand years ago. But those with "spiritual discernment" know that 'Christ's body, His flesh and His bones" are all now to be understood as "His body... which is the church":

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:

The physical words "my flesh" convey a spiritual truth. That spiritual message is that our physical bodies are but the mere tabernacles of the spiritual body of Christ. "The things of the spirit" are expressed using words which have a primarily physical meaning, but the mind of Christ within us gives us spiritual eyes and spiritual ears which discern a spiritual message which is foolishness to the natural mind.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Let's read it again:

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

"Not in words which man's wisdom teaches" is not saying that the things of the spirit are not expressed in words which men understand in their carnal "letter" meaning. What it means is that man's wisdom understands only the primary carnal meaning of the words which the spirit uses to express to us "the things of the spirit". That is the meaning of "the holy spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things, with spiritual".

If I tell you, as Paul tells us all, "I fill up in my [physical] body what is behind of the afflictions of Christ", I am not making the spirit into letter. The mind of Christ knows that all men must be natural before they can become spiritual, and again, the mind of Christ tells us that the secret which has been hidden from the ages is that Christ, a spirit, is temporarily dwelling in "vessels of clay".

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

The words "Christ in you" mean exactly what they say. Christ, through His Father's spirit, lives within us. However, the natural man cannot see one man living within another man, just as Nicodemus could not conceive of being "born again".  The words "every man" also mean just what they say inwardly, but not at this time, outwardly.

Christ's conversation with Nicodemus is a perfect example of how "the holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual". Here is the holy spirit through Christ teaching Nicodemus by 'comparing spiritual things with spiritual':

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Joh 3:9  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

'Water' in this instance typifies the 'waters' on which the harlot sits:

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

We must all be born into "the first man Adam" before we can be born into "the last Adam". We must all be naturally born before we can be 'born of the spirit'.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

"That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual" is the meaning of "Except a man be born of water and of spirit, he cannot inherit the kingdom of God". It has nothing at all to do with being physically baptized in physical water. Christ is comparing spiritual things to spiritual in teaching Nicodemus.

The natural man asks, "How can these things be?" Let's consider that question. This what we are told of our present standing with Christ:

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

How is it possible to tell us "now are we the sons of God" and at the same time tell us "it does not yet appear what we shall be"? Here is how that must be at this present time and in this present age:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we 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 [Greek: down payment of a future fullness] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

So yes, we are now sons of God but only in "earnest", only in down payment form, with the great hope of "the redemption of the purchased possession" at a later time:

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Christ was speaking words which Nicodemus heard, but he did not and could not understand anything Christ said to him. Everything Christ spoke to Nicodemus was "for [our] sakes".

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
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.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

"Hearing you shall hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive". That was why Christ taught the multitudes in parables. Christ's parables contains a spiritual message which the natural man simply 'cannot receive because they are foolishness to the natural man' (1Co 2:14).

Isa 30:21  And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Christ explains to us: "it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." And that is the message of this verse. Our ears hear a word behind us saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it..." and in Christ we "acknowledge Him... in all our ways... when we turn to the right hand and to the left." In Christ all we want is "thy will be done".

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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

Is that not the exact same message which was given to John as he was given to reveal Christ to us:

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Christ is in the midst of His church. Seven simply means His complete church. (A link to the study on the number seven is here) He tells us "this is the way walk you in it" when He tells us:

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.

As we begin to 'see and hear and keep the things written therein' this is what we do:

Isa 30:22  Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

We are made aware of this inevitable end in the second chapter of this prophecy:

Isa 2:20  In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

The things to which we have in the past returned over and over and over again, finally, in the Lord's mercy become repugnant to the new man who is being formed within us. We are at long last given to begin to reign over our graven images which spiritually symbolize our own carnal-minded flesh, with all the false doctrines to which we spiritually bowed down in worship for so many years. We tell them "get thee hence", and we cast them out of the temple of God, which temple we are:

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

As we begin to clean up our spiritual house and rid the Lord's temple of all the idols with which we defiled His temple for so long, the Lord begins to send us so much more of His life-giving words, symbolized by refreshing, life-sustaining rain:

Isa 30:23  Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

Our 'cattle' are the Lord's cattle. Our flocks are His flock of whom we are told:

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1Pe 5:2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Peter was given every incentive to write these words after the Lord's thrice repeated admonition to Peter for our sakes:

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 21:16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Joh 21:17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Isa 30:24  The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

We are the Lord's oxen, and we are His young asses that plow His ground, and as such we are spiritually fed "clean provender". In other words the food the Lord give us is not defiled with false lying doctrine. It is "winnowed with the shovel and with the fan" and all the chaff is driven away.

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.

"Feed my lambs [and] my sheep... clean provender". It is in service to our brothers and sisters that we most profit and that we grow spiritually. Just ask any of our teachers.

Pro 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. [By Christ in us]

We are that ox by which comes "much increase" in the Lord's service, and we will reap what we sow in His service:

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

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

Isa 30:25  And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

It sounds gruesome, but "the great slaughter, when the towers fall" is spiritually speaking of the fall of the high towers of our old man. No flesh will glory in His presence, and the Lord will give no quarter to the wild beast within us.

Isa 2:11  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Isa 2:17  And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

The loftiness and pride of our old man is the fall of our towers. Our pride and our towers fall in that day when "the Lord alone is exalted".

It will be our new man, Christ in us, who alone will exalt the Lord in that day. There is no place for our old man in the day when the Lord alone is exalted.

In our next study we will learn the valuable lesson that The Lord's Voice Is Heard With The Flame Of A Devouring Fire.

Isa 30:26  Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Isa 30:27  Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
Isa 30:28  And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
Isa 30:29  Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.
Isa 30:30  And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
Isa 30:31  For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
Isa 30:32  And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
Isa 30:33  For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/studies-in-psalms-psa-821-8-we-are-his-witnesses-of-these-things/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=studies-in-psalms-psa-821-8-we-are-his-witnesses-of-these-things Fri, 10 Mar 2017 01:10:55 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=13501 Psa 82:1-8 “We are his witnesses of these things”

Psa 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Psa 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Psa 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Knowing who Asaph is by looking at the various scriptures that mention his name and then correlating that understanding of who and what he did in his life will serve to help us understand this “Psalm of Asaph” and how God’s people are gathered or drawn together, which is what Asaph’s name means. We are gathered together to be witnesses of these things today.

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

Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

This particular Psalm demonstrates what God is doing in the midst of his people, and how He is bringing us to see that we go from being false prophets at first and then by the grace and faith of God we become faithful witnesses or “recorders” of God’s truth once we have been judged and our “dead bodies” lie dead in the street for “three days and an half” as stated in.

Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

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.

Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: 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, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

God will not allow the people to bury His two witnesses (Eph 1:11) or “not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves”, which tells us that being trodden under the foot of men is a good thing and something that must also be witnessed by “they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations” who “shall see their dead bodies three days and an half”. God puts our dead bodies on display for all the world to see (Gal 2:20), and the world cannot understand why we won’t run to the same excess of riot and come down from the cross that we must endure with Christ through the darkness of this world in man’s flesh which is symbolized by the three hours of darkness, the process of coming out of the earth, earth, earth, that can only unfold by being on the cross with Christ.

Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

1Pe 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Mar 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

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

We are asked in verse 2 “how long will you judge unjustly” and “accept the persons of the wicked” which questions precede verse one which tells us “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods”. God’s judgments will always be just long enough to serve His purpose of showing us how powerless we are without Him and how we are beasts (Ecc 3:18) that need deliverance through judgment that only becomes just judgment in our hearts after we’ve been granted to follow Christ’s example of a life completely dependent on our Father (Joh 5:30, Heb 12:1-2).

If we are going to “comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” and to ” know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Eph 3:18-19), we must as His children enter into a narrow path of judgment and much tribulation (Mat 7:14, Act 14:22) which will be accompanied by His mercy which is shown in how our Father prepares our hearts to heed the admonitions that tell us to be awake and be ready (Eze 38:7, 1Pe 5:8).

What God must do at first is show us that we don’t judge justly, and that we accept the persons of the wicked until we are judged of Him, then we can learn through that judgment upon us to do what is required in verses three and four, which speak of pure religion (Jas 1:27). God’s mercy is found in the Ark which is a type of the church where the saints of God come to understand what is “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” that make up the spiritual construction of this ark or temple or body of Christ that we are (1Co 3:16).

Verse 5 reminds us again of the faulty foundation of the church, or the earth that we come out of that knows not, neither understands, as we walk in darkness (1Jn 5:19). It is not just some of the foundation that is “out of course” but rather “all the foundation” the whole stay of bread and water taken away (Isa 1:3, Isa 3:1)

Being a son of God as Adam was (Luk 3:38) and knowing that “Ye are gods” (Joh 10:34) does not make you of that generation who are being judged and made anew in this age (Mat 24:34), however if we are blessed to not “die like men” or “fall like one of the princes” it will require that we are blessed of God to die daily and be baptized into His death which dying was only typified in the old covenant and every life that is sacrificed in unbelief to teach God’s elect that lesson (Col 2:16-17, 1Co 10:11).

In other words, we can be dead in the street today for three and a half days (Rom 14:5) while at the same time be alive in Christ and raised in heavenly places (Eph 2:6) to bear witness and record of His might and power for three and one half symbollic years by the power of the holy spirit, which spirit makes it possible for this record, this witness, to be accomplished (Rev 11:3, Zec 4:6). The only days that God’s elect are “fully persuaded” of is the ‘day of the Lord’ and not the days, months, times and years of this world (Gal 4:10). It is in the ‘day of the Lord’ that all nations are gathered (Asaph) and judged and blessed to become a new creation in Him (Joe 3:2).

The end result and purpose for God raising us up as a kind of first fruits being judged in this age is described in.

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

If we are made ready to be judges, kings and priests in this age, it will be because He has risen us up and gathered us together into heavenly places to be judged so that we can “inherit all nations” and see all men be saved through the body of Christ the church who will be used to gather “my heritage Israel”. The valley of Jehoshaphat is another type and shadow of that time when Gog and Magog come up against the camp of the saints who have been made ready and done all so they can stand against the adversary who will be saved yet so as by fire.

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:

Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Psa 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

Clearly it is God who does the dragging and converting in our life (Joh 6:44, 1Co 3:6) and He brings His people to see that there is no might in us [lying dead in the street] at all until His power is given (Rev 11:3). This is why it says “he judgeth among the gods”.

People thought Paul was a god because of their superstitious ways and by what he was able to do in their midst (Act 28:3-6).

The symbolism is not lost on us being that not only are we not hurt by the sting of the serpent who represents Satan (1Co 15:55, Heb 2:14), but we are also able to heal each other as we confess our faults and seek His mercy by looking to the Seraphim in each other (Num 21:9, Joh 3:14, Eph 2:6).

Paul explained to the church what he and Apollos and all God’s elect are in His sight.

1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

So now we need to ask who was Asaph? Asaph is Christ and God’s elect in type and shadow, and looking at the words forest, gardens, orchards, and paradise in the following verses is very instructive to show us what we must be doing if we are about our Father’s business as Christ was (Luk 2:49).

Who is Asaph? His son(s) record and bear record, who witness and are used of God to take care of the garden, of the orchards, and of the kings forests. Asaph is you and I in this age if we are being blessed to “eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise^G3857 of God”.

(recorder) 2Ki_18:18; Isa_36:22; 2Ki_18:37 ; Isa_36:3
(made a sound with) cymbals to praise the Lord: 1Ch_15:19; 1Ch_16:5 ; 1Ch_25:1; Ezr_3:10
(chief of the) singers to praise the Lord with thanksgiving: Neh_12:46
keeper of the king’s forest: Neh_2:8

(KJV) Neh 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest,^H6508 that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

(ABP+)Neh 2:8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden,^G3857 which is to the king, so as to give to me wood to roof the gates of the palace of the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house, for which I shall enter unto it. And [³gave ⁴to me ¹the ²king] by [³hand ⁴of God ¹the ²good] upon me. (1Co 3:16 not just the temple of God but what went into that temple, the building and all that was within and around it).

… H6508 pardês Total KJV Occurrences: 3

Neh 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest,^H6508 that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Son 4:13 Thy plants are an orchard^H6508 of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

Ecc 2:5 I made me gardens and orchards,^H6508 and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

… G3857: seen in KJV:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.^G3857

2Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise,^G3857 and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise^G3857 of God.

“He judges among the gods” 1Ki 3:28

(ABP+) G3588 God^G2316 stood^G2476 in^G1722 the congregation^G4864 of gods;^G2316 [²in^{G1722 3}the midst^{G3319 1}and]^G1161 of gods^G2316 he examines.^G1252

(CLV) An Asaphic Psalm Elohim is stationed in the congregation of El; Among the elohim is He judging:

(DRB) A psalm for Asaph. God hath stood in the congregation of gods: and being in the midst of them he judgeth gods.

(ERV) One of Asaph’s songs of praise. God stands in the assembly of the gods. He stands as judge among the judges.

(KJV) A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

(LITV) A Psalm of Asaph God stands in the assembly of the mighty; He judges in the midst of the gods.

(Rotherham) A Melody of Asaph. God, hath taken his place in the august assembly, In the midst of the gods, will he judge.

(YLT) –A Psalm of Asaph. God hath stood in the company of God, In the midst God doth judge.

The reason we can be blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, is because God has granted us to be given “to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

There is a “Selah”, a pause, at the end of this question because God wants us to reflect and examine ourselves daily, to know if we are truly judging justly and not accepting the persons of the wicked. It is always easier for our flesh to go along and get along as does the whole ecumenical world whose mantra is “unity in the essentials and tolerance in the nonessentials”.

What is nonessential to the flesh is to mortify the deeds of the body and judge that body, and the flesh feels no need to be holy and reject the persons of the wicked. The world cannot understand that God has called us to the highest possible standard of bringing every thought into subjection unto him, knowing that we will give account for every idle thought to our merciful Father who is little by little preparing the bride of Christ for the rest of humanity who cannot at this hour cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

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:

Psa 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

These two verses can be summed up with this verse:

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

We are “afflicted and needy”, the weak of the world who are in need of a physician. The world has been blinded to not see their need for this physician and consider themselves spiritually healthy, which mindset is what keeps us spiritually blind.

Luk 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

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.

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.

Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

God purposed from the foundation of the world that humanity would “know not” and be blinded by the parables that Christ would speak. Walking in darkness is the corrupt foundation that we are called out of, and it is the earth or Babylon who’s “out of course” as her paths are not straight, and it is only those who are called out of the church in this age or out of the wilderness who can be blessed to make our ways straight through Christ who is the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel who makes this possible.

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

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.

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.

Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

We are God’s children, and behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we may have this privilege and honour to be judged in this age to be blessed to be able to die to self and be baptised into his death (Rom 6:4). 

1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Psa 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

We are the seed that must die (Joh 12:24) in order to bring forth fruit, and if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death as one body, one seed (Gal 3:16) then we are being raised today into the newness of life that is Christ and his body also called the ‘manchild’ (Eph 2:4-6, Rev 12:5).

Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

“Arise, O God, judge the earth” is being fulfilled in these verses where we read:

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

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

‘We are his witnesses of these things.’ We are advancing the gospel of God through our suffering (Php 1:12) which causes us to cease from sinning (1Pe 4:1). Our gathering [Asaph] helps us heal and mend from those chastening moments and scourgings that every son must receive to become sons of God in this age (Heb 12:6). And finally our gathering, recording and overcoming together as one family of God is preparing us as a ministry of reconciliation that shall together “inherit all nations”.

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/is-it-okay-to-debate-those-in-babylon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-it-okay-to-debate-those-in-babylon Fri, 27 Feb 2015 19:24:42 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=9145

Mike,

Is it okay to engage in debates with those in Babylon? I do say “debate” knowing very well it is a thin-line between debate and “argue”, and I do not approve “arguing” myself. So I try to discern the spirit of the responses and not to let my flesh get in the way and come in a spirit of anger. So for example, there is one debate in particular I got in with a few people.

“Why wouldn’t God create all humans to innately believe in him, or did He?”

Now, I didn’t specifically bother to answer the question. I know the answer, but by the time I saw it, there were already people spewing “God gave man free will” and the idea that man must freely choose to believe in him. But there were a few people I did comment on to challenge them. One person said, “free will was high in His priority list”. That was pretty laughable. I questioned was that in the same Bible that has Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc., etc.

This verse witnesses to how I feel about things like that:

Psa 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

I feel so obligated to “preach” and correct, even though it seems overwhelming. Just so much lies. But the few to whom I did comment, they commented back, and it became a debate with them using a lot of opinions with nothing to confirm it and with me using Scripture references to confirm what I said. Am I wrong for doing this? I do feel convicted, I will confess that much. It feels wrong to tell people they are wrong, even though I’m attempting to present the truth to them. And I will not use the excuse used with Jesus “reprimanding” the pharisees, etc. I don’t mean to do that; I just do have a love for the truth, and these lies are “eating me up”.

So am I wrong in this? If I should stop, I will. I just need advice, and now I wonder if I should say anything or not.

ybic,

S____

Hi S____,

Thank you for this question about whether you should debate those in Babylon.

Christ is always our example, and while He never once backed down from those who attacked Him or who attempted to trip Him up in His words and His doctrine, neither did He ever once jump into an ongoing debate, must less go about looking for an ongoing debate into which He could insert Himself and His truths. Without exception Christ’s detractors always came to Him and not the other way around.

Christ himself makes this clear with this commandment:

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.

“Give not that which is holy unto dogs” is exactly what we do when we attempt to give God’s Truth to people who show no signs of having been drug to God against their own will.

But we cannot make a doctrine out of one verse of scripture, so I will also point out this verse of scripture which is in complete and total accord with Mat 7:6:

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek: helkuo, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Here is the definition of the Greek word ‘helkuo’:

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

“Every man… that has heard” is only those who have been granted “ears to hear”, and “eyes to see” the mysteries of the kingdom of God as Christ informed His disciples when they asked him why He spoke in parables: Notice what the holy spirit inspired Christ to say in verse nine just before His disciples ask their question:

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
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.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

When we attempt to share the mysteries of the kingdom of God with those who have not even been given eyes to see or ears to hear those mysteries, we are actually attempting to give them that which God has blinded them from seeing and that which He has not yet given them ears to hear. In other words we are attempting to give sight to those whom Christ came to blind:

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.

Those whom Christ has made aware of their spiritual blindness are those to whom He has come to give spiritual eyes that see. All such people will be those who cry out to Him, “Jesus… have mercy on me… that I might receive my sight”:

Mat 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mat 9:30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
Mat 9:31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

Mat 20:29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Mat 20:30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Mat 20:31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Mat 20:32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
Mat 20:33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
Mat 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Spiritual Pharisees are generally great believers in the doctrine of free will. Here Christ has an opportunity to engage such spiritually blind people, and He passes up that opportunity because He did not come to open their eyes but to blind them. You and I are Christ, and as such we, too, have come “that they which see might be made blind”.

Having shown you these verses and the principle of recognizing that only the holy spirit can grant us eyes that see and ears that hear, and only the holy spirit is capable of dragging anyone to Christ, it is of utmost importance that we do not go overboard and withdraw ourselves from our calling to let our light shine in this dark world.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

As a Babylonian minister pointed out when I was in the World Wide Church of God, it takes very little spiritual power to be a spiritual fog horn. You can play the radio on a car all night long, and in the morning the battery will still crank the car, because it takes very little power to make a noise. But if you leave the lights on for only a couple of hours, it can completely drain a new battery simply because it takes much more spiritual power to “let your light so shine before men” than it takes to be a clanging brass preaching to people who have been given neither eyes to see nor ears to hear.

If we simply follow in Christ’s footsteps and “do the things [He said] to do” we will be the light we are commanded to be, and we will attract plenty of attention from those before whom we are being made a spectacle.

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

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

Just follow faithfully in Christ’s footsteps, and God will cause those in whose lives He has been working to seek you out as they sought out our Lord. So be a light, and be patient to do the things Christ has commanded us to do, and He will send you others to whom you can indeed be both a light and an instructor in righteousness:

I hope this serves to given you some faith and confidence in what the Lord would have you to do.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 71

“The judgments” part B

December 3rd, 2014

We are continuing this week to cover “the judgments” as laid out to us in Exodus 21.

Last study we covered the “intents of the heart” concerning slavery and murder, and in this study we are going to cover the judgments given to us in the Old Testament concerning assaults and injuries that do not result in death, as well as those same types of injuries that happen from masters and their beasts as well as “free men”.

Exo 21:20  And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Exo 21:21  Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Like many things that came before the law of Moses, there were many things that were given more consideration and judgment on how the Lord laid out His laws to His people.

Much like women were not treated very well in marriage before the law of Moses and then were given a bill of divorcement with the law, so, too, did things change a bit with slavery.

Before the law, there were almost no laws that gave slaves any sorts of rights if they were treated brutally by their masters. However, the Lord gave slaves a way to be somewhat protected from outright savagery. The law did a lot to ameliorate the slaves that were slaves under the law of Moses.

As we just read, if a master smote his slaves and they died, they were to be punished. Some translations say the masters were also put to death, but I do not think this was the action that was taken most of the time given what we will read in a few minutes.

The spiritual significance of the lessons of smiting our servants is that we do not intend to cause death but to give life. Even if death occurs, spiritually speaking it would only be the death of the old man, and it is a good thing for the new man to be born.

If you look at verse 19 again, you will notice that any hurt that is NOT a slave was to be repaid for his time loss because of the injury. Likewise, nothing is paid to a slave that is hurt because the owner’s punishment itself is that “his money” is producing nothing while being injuried. So, this is enough under the law for a master to be reprimanded with.

As I mentioned last week, the law really emphasizes intent of the heart. Take for example these next verses:

Exo 21:22  If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
Exo 21:23  And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
Exo 21:24  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Exo 21:25  Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

In verses 22 we are clearly being told that if men are fighting and a woman intervenes, is with child, and is then hurt, then there are two courses of action in this matter.

1. If the baby dies but the woman doesn’t, the husband can determine the compensation that will then be determined to be proper in the sight of the judges.
2. If they woman dies too, then equal payment would be paid for whatever the loss was that happened.

This is where we clearly see the concept of eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth coming from. There are many commentaries on “eye for and eye, tooth for a tooth”, as you can imagine, but I honestly believe most are rubbish.

Most contend that eye for an eye can’t possible mean what it says. Many of these commentaries give the example of a one-eyed man having to pay the penalty of becoming completely blind if he had to actually follow through with obeying this law if he caused injury to the eye of a two-eyed man. Most contend that this just wouldn’t be fair, and this is not what the law intended.

However, as can be seen when you just read what is said and written, a lot of situations allow the person being wronged to determine the course of action including compensation.

What is not written is that a one-eyed man can determine his own punishment if he broke the law concerning “eye for an eye”. Simply stated, most people do not want to take the Lord at what He says and instead want to interpret what is said to mean something else “more fair”.

If the Lord did not intend “eye for an eye” for example, then He would not have restated it in Leviticus.

Lev 24:17  And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
Lev 24:18  And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
Lev 24:19  And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
Lev 24:20  Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
Lev 24:21  And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
Lev 24:22  Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.

Another example and witness of this is when Jesus Himself said that the Pharisees and scribes were hypocrites because they DID NOT follow the law but instead created their own “traditions of men” to make themselves feel better about disobeying the law they were given.

I read this before, but it is an important point to get across.

Mat 15:1  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Mat 15:2  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Mat 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Mat 15:4  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
Mat 15:5  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Mat 15:6  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Mat 15:7  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

In other words, the lesson we are take from these judgments given to us in Exodus 21 is that we all are guilty of taking what the Lord tells us to do, twisting it to be our own better version of that law/judgment, and then claim we are serving the Lord by doing so instead of DOING WHAT HE SAYS TO DO.

Jesus calls this VANITY.

If you think I am preaching something that is too harsh on those who have committed these vain actions, then you aren’t realizing that I am speaking about myself when I say we ALL have participated in this VANITY and are GUILTY before the law which is “a law unto ourselves”.

I’ll prove this with Jesus’ own words, which are about this very “eye for an eye” doctrine. Now, which doctrine are you believing whole-heartedly? Is it a doctrine of “the commandments of men” i.e. what you have learned to be “FAIR” and “JUST” in your life and upbringing or is it according to what Jesus told us to do? Are we being DOERS of the Word?

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
Mat 5:41  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

I know and I feel naturally just how UNJUST and UNFAIR these “but I say unto you” Laws of Liberty feel and sound to my heart and mind. Likewise I know this is the same for you naturally.

However, we are now SLAVES buried in baptism with Christ Jesus and BORN into the Life He would have us represent Him in as His ambassadors. After all, what is a coat or cloak that I have on and someone else wants if not the cloak the Lord put on my back to be given to that person who is in the position to ask it of me?

Do we truly believe the Lord works all things after His own counsel, and if so, what is our REACTION to that?

I’ve said many times that Jesus’ walk on this earth was to show us REACTION to what the Father placed in front of Jesus, and those reactions were for OUR BENEFIT to know how to live our lives out.

When considering the law we are discussing in Exodus, we must take the same thought process and apply it to what we are to truly glean spiritually from what we are being told.

When the bar is being raised, we must simply accept that standard and DO IT or we are not obeying our Father, and we are simply just paying lip service to Him.

Look at what we continue to read in Exodus 21 concerning a master and his servant and the concept of “eye for and eye”.

Exo 21:26  And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
Exo 21:27  And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

We just read that an eye was to be repaid for an eye, but that is NOT the case in the relationship of master and slave. Why?

1) We are being given clarification on the different situations, but 2) we are being told that the master realizes the seriousness of what has happened the servant and is being put in check by the law

Likewise and of a “higher” spiritual application, our Master knows the price that is being paid when we actually do what we are commanded to do and He tells us that our freedom lies there. We are prisoners of Christ but we are FREE in His Liberty because we know why it is we serve.

“If an ox gore a man or a woman”

Exo 21:28  If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
Exo 21:29  But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
Exo 21:30  If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
Exo 21:31  Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

These laws were put into place to show us just how much the Lord cares about the “life” of a son of man. It may not seem like He does, but He does.

If an ox kills a man or woman, that beast was to be put to death and not even be eaten. In other words, it was a complete loss for the owner of the beast.

However, if the owner of the beast was neglectful Himself of the life of a fellow man by ignoring that His ox was given to goring things, it was the same penalty as murdering that person – death. The only exception to that was that unlike murder, the owner could get out of the death penalty by paying whatever fee was laid upon him.

This was the same penalty regardless if it was done to a man or woman, girl or boy.

However, if it was done to a slave, then the price of a slave must be paid.

Exo 21:32  If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Thirty shekels of silver is what was paid to betray Jesus, and it is interesting to note that a spiritual type of being an ox stoned for the penalty of murder is that we, as natural beasts with the old man in us, will have the stone fall on us, too.

Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Luk 20:17  And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
Luk 20:18  Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

The gospel of Mark actually links the act of murder with the stone falling on us.

Mar 12:6  Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mar 12:7  But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
Mar 12:8  And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
Mar 12:9  What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
Mar 12:10  And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Mar 12:11  This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

What is “marvelous in our eyes” is that and eye for an eye applies directly to these verses just read.

The penalty of killing the son of the “Lord of the vineyard” is death for death. The reason given that the husbandmen wanted to kill the son was so that the “inheritance shall be ours”.

Spiritually speaking, the old man represented by the husbandmen DOES NOT gain this inheritance but the DEATH resulting from the old man’s actions, PRODUCES LIFE in the new man represented by “unto others” who gain the vineyard having done NOTHING to gain it.

It is all about the death of the Son which gives INHERITANCE to others. This indeed is a marvelous mystery which is “the Lord’s doing”.

There are always two men being talked about in the entire bible and in each story and this is no different when talking about the kingdom of God being spoken about in the parables Jesus taught.

In the next study, we are going to cover chapter 22 and the judgments contained in it concerning thievery, seduction, bestiality, witchcraft, worshipping of false gods and oppression.

Hey, Mike,

I would like to ask if you can clarify Rev 1:7 where it says every eye shall see Him. I’m struggling with it because I was told that Jesus’s return is only to his chosen. Those are the only eyes that will see him and that the other unsaved people have already seen Christ with their eyes already through us. Is this correct? I understand about the cloud receiving him out of their sight, but it was drilled in me that, just like in Acts believers received him out their sight, that only believers will be able to see him at his return? Let me know, Mike, when you get a chance.

Y____

Hi Y____,
You ask about when Rev 1:7 will be fulfilled. Let’s look at that verse:

Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Of course there is a “will be” application to this verse, which will be fulfilled in the lake of fire. But the answer you and I need is to be found just four verses earlier:

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.

Now if we have forgotten those instructions just four verses later, then hopes of understanding this book are very slim to non- existent. Christ comes to us via His “great cloud of witnesses”. Every eye within you (within you and me) shall see him when he comes.

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.
Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

The lightning of verse 24 is “the brightness of His coming” mentioned in these verses:

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Paul had told these Thessalonians the same thing he had told the Corinthians:

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

This is what Paul is referring to when he said this:

2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

While the whole world takes “as that the day of Christ is at hand” to be a warning against those who say Christ is about to return, or that He has already returned physically,  the Truth is that Paul is simply saying that when Christ finally does come into our lives, we will know it without a doubt, because the man of sin within us will then be deposed by the brightness of His coming. It is the apostle Paul who said this:

Php 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

If “the Lord is at hand”, then surely “the day of Christ is at hand”, and His coming is like lightning which lights up our heavens and causes “that wicked one [within us] sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, to be revealed” for what he really is, “the son of perdition who the Lord will destroy with the brightness of His coming” in the “the day of Christ”.

Verse 7, “He who now restrains will restrain until he is taken out of the way” is what Christ referred to when He said,

Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

The apostles all endured this bitter and painful time when they forsook our Lord and denied Him, and we all do the very same thing in our own time and place.

That is the inward application of Rev 1:7. Everything that seems to be plural and outward is actually just a part of “the kingdom of God within you” which is in the process of destroying the nations within you and becoming a mountain which will “fill the whole earth” within you.

Dan 2:34  Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

That is the inward application which should be our emphasis at this time. We are all spiritually the “them also who pierced Him” of Rev 1:7, and we certainly do see Christ, when He comes to us, and we know Him, and we know His voice.

Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?

Seeing Christ and His Father and knowing His voice, has nothing at all to do with doing so physically. It is a spiritual experience with spiritual eyes and ears.

Those who physically and historically and outwardly killed Christ will not see him until after the thousand year reign, when they will be raised up and cast into the lake of fire, to be purified as a spirit along with “the devil and his angels”.

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:

Those who want to see Christ at the beginning of the millennium will not do so if they cannot even understand that Christ is in us, and that he who sees us has seen Christ.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

No one knows how Christ appeared physically, except to say that “He had no form or comeliness… that we should desire Him.”

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Right here we are plainly told that those who do not know Christ, and who are not part of that blessed and holy first resurrection, will think that He has “no beauty that we should desire Him”. But Christ is the most handsome man who has ever been to those who know Him and are His bride. Those are the ones who will see and know Christ at His coming at the beginning of the millennium. All others will only see Christ in us as their rulers “with a rod of iron.”

I hope this has helped you to see that “seeing Christ” is a spiritual matter. As Christ told Philip, we have to know and “see” Christ before we can know and see His Father. But when we do come to know and see Christ, we also know and see His Father.

Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike