1 Samuel 16:1–23 David Anointed King

[Study Aired April 27, 2026]

Today’s study begins the story of David, who became the king of Israel. The study can be divided into three parts. The first part has to do with the Lord commissioning Samuel to anoint a king from among the sons of Jesse in Bethlehem to replace Saul.  The second part shows how the Lord chose David from among the sons of Jesse. The third section has to do with Saul being possessed by an evil spirit and therefore requiring David to play the harp to relieve him.

The Lord Commissioning Samuel to anoint a King

1Sa 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. 

This verse shows us how Samuel continued to mourn the rejection of Saul as king. Inasmuch as we feel the pain of losing a brother or sister, we must continue to focus on the race that is marked out for us since our brother or sister’s rejection is all of the Lord. 

Verse 1 also indicates that to be sent by the Lord requires that we fill our horn with oil. Horn in the Bible signifies strength on a positive note, and oil is a symbol of the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore, the sending of Samuel means that as the Lord’s elect, we must be strengthened by His spirit. 

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

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

The verse above also implies that as the Lord’s elect, denoted by Samuel, we must go to the house of bread (the meaning of Bethlehem) or the church of the Lord’s elect in order to be anointed as king, through what every joint supplies. Since only one of the sons of Jesse is to be anointed as king, this shows us that many are called but few are chosen in this age to be kings. We are therefore privileged to be called and chosen in this age. 

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

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

It is instructive to note that the name Jesse means ‘I possess.’ It is the Lord who possesses or rules over the church of the Lord’s elect. 

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 

1Sa 16:2  And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. 
1Sa 16:3  And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. 

Samuel was going to anoint a successor to Saul. However, the fact that Saul was still the king of Israel means that what Samuel was going to do would create a major problem. The Lord therefore gave Samuel the wisdom to go to Jesse requesting him to accompany him for a sacrifice. It was during this sacrifice that David would be anointed. These verses therefore suggest that we must apply wisdom from the Lord to guide us in executing our God-given mandate here on earth. 

Pro 4:7  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 

Jas 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 
Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

According to the word of the Lord, wisdom is defined as the fear of the Lord. This fear of the Lord entails applying knowledge to live righteously and therefore avoid evil. In the verses under discussion, Samuel applied the knowledge (wisdom) that the Lord had given to him to avoid evil. 

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

Here in Proverbs 9:10, the Lord is showing us that the knowledge that He has given us must result in our understanding of how we are to avoid evil in every circumstance we encounter. That was exactly what happened to Samuel. He applied the wisdom or the knowledge from the Lord to avert a crisis.

The fact that the Lord told Samuel that He would show him what he should do as he invited Jesse to join him in sacrificing to the Lord, is to make us understand that the Lord does not give us the full picture of what we are to do. He takes us step by step, and in so doing we learn to become dependent on him.

1Sa 16:4  And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 
1Sa 16:5  And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 

A key takeaway from these verses is that if we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifice unto the Lord, then it behooves us to sanctify ourselves, as we see Samuel enjoining the elders, Jesse and his sons to sanctify themselves. To sanctify means to be holy or set apart for the Lord. In one sense, the work of sanctification is the work of the Lord. 

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:  

In another sense, we must sanctify ourselves, for the Scripture commands us to be holy.

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 
1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 

The question is, “how can we sanctify ourselves?” The word of the Lord shows us what we have to do. We are cleansed or sanctified by the washing of water by the word. In other words, we are sanctified as our understanding is enlightened by the truth of the Lord’s word. The fire of the word of the Lord has the cleansing power to destroy our old man or flesh and make us holy or sanctified, such that we can offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord. This fire is our judgment. We can see therefore, that we bring nothing to the table and that our sanctification is all the work of the Lord. 

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

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

1Sa 16:6  And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. 
1Sa 16:7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 
1Sa 16:8  Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 
1Sa 16:9  Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 
1Sa 16:10  Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 
1Sa 16:11  And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

The rejection of each of the seven sons of Jesse to become a king of Israel by Samuel under the guidance of the Lord, signifies the complete rejection of all of the old testament prophets up to John the Baptist, in favor of the Lord’s disciples to date, who are destined to become kings in the fullness of time. 

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

Samuel’s admiration of the stature and the countenance of the eldest son, Eliab, signifies our admiration of the law of Moses, when we came out of the world (Egypt). All the Old Testament prophets were in admiration of the law of Moses until Christ came. The following verses show the beauty of the law of Moses which was our school master, until faith came through Christ:

Psa 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 
Psa 19:8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 
Psa 19:9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 
Psa 19:10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psa 119:72  The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. 

However, the Lord’s rejection of Eliab and the other sons of Jesse signifies that without us, His elect, they (the prophets) would not be made perfect. 

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

In another perspective, the rejection of the seven sons of Jesse in favor of the youngest is made clear in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, where many went early and worked hard, but it was the few who went late in the eleventh hour, who were paid first. In this study, it was David, the youngest, who received his wages first of becoming a king of Israel, as we shall see later. 

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. 

David Chosen and Anointed

1Sa 16:12  And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 
1Sa 16:13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 

When David came before Samuel, he had a healthy complexion, attractive eyes, and a handsome appearance. He was chosen by the Lord among his brothers to become a king and was therefore anointed with oil. David represents us, the Lord’s elect, who are promised to reign with Christ in the fullness of time. Just as David was anointed with the spirit of the Lord coming on him, we, His elect, are also given the Holy Spirit of promise, which is to make sure that we will be given what the Lord has promised us – our inheritance. 

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.   

David in Saul’s Service

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. 
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 

When a brother or sister becomes disobedient to the Lord and falls away, such a person is possessed by an evil spirit from the Lord, which troubles him or her. Just as the words of the Lord are spirit, false doctrines are also spirits from the devil. Therefore, Saul being troubled by an evil spirit from the Lord, means that those who fall away are troubled by the false doctrines in their hearts and minds. 

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 
1Ti 4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;    

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 

1Sa 16:16  Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 
1Sa 16:17  And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 
1Sa 16:18  Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

In verse 16, we see that a brother or sister who falls away, can be restored only by a cunning player on an harp. We all started well at the early stages of our walk with Christ before we fell away through false teachers and apostles, parading in the corridors of the church system of this world. 

Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 
Gal 5:8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 
Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

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

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

In the Book of Revelation, we are shown that it is the Lord’s elect who are cunning players of the harp. This implies that it is a brother or sister, who is an elect, who can restore a brother or a sister who falls away. Here in Revelation 14:2, it is the voice of the harpers which can restore a brother or sister. This voice is the truth of the Lord’s word which as hail, destroys the false doctrines in our heavens or hearts and minds.

Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 

In verses 17 and 18, the search for a harper or the Lord’s elect, ended up in Jesse’s house in Bethlehem. As indicated earlier in the study, Jesse means “I possess” and Bethlehem denotes “house of bread.” The house of bread signifies the church of the Lord’s elect which is the Lord’s possession. This shows us that it is in the assembly of the Lord’s elect that harpers can be found, who represent the Lord’s firstborn or His redeemed.

The description of the cunning harper is that he must be skillful in playing the harp, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, a man of good presence, and the LORD being with him. That is the description of the Lord’s elect. We may think we are not up to these standards highlighted, but that is how the Lord sees us!  Inasmuch as we are not to think highly of ourselves, we must see how the Lord sees us – because He sees the end from the beginning.  

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:    

1Sa 16:19  Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. 
1Sa 16:20  And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. 
1Sa 16:21  And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 
1Sa 16:22  And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. 
1Sa 16:23  And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. 

David being with the sheep in verse 19, spiritually signifies that he was with the assembly of the Lord’s elect. As we continue to study to show ourselves approved of the Lord like David, He will use us at the right time, to deliver those to whom He sends us, from evil spirits or false doctrines. 

Verse 20 shows us that David did not go to Saul empty-handed. His father, Jesse, supplied him with a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat to be sent to Saul.  This is to show us that the Lord gives us the appropriate words (bread and wine) and the means to minister effectively on His behalf. 

Mat 10:20  For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 

When David came to Saul in verse 21 and 22, Saul loved him greatly and found favor in his sight. This is to make us aware that the Lord will grant us favor in the sight of men at the appropriate time to help us. For example, when the Israelites were planning to kill Paul, the Lord granted him favor in the sight of the chief captain who asked his men to protect him on his journey to Felix, the governor.   

Act 23:23  And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;
Act 23:24  And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

As indicated in a previous study, an armor bearer signifies all those that the Lord brings our way to help or encourage us with our walk with Christ. David becoming the armor bearer of Saul is to help Saul overcome the evil spirits or the false doctrines in his heart and mind. In verse 23, through the ministration of David, Saul was relieved of the evil spirits. It shows us our role as the Lord’s elect in helping destroy the false doctrines in our brothers and sisters’ hearts and minds through what every joint supplies. 

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 
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. 

Amen!

Not All Receive the Gift of Tongues

Posted March 11, 2004, updated April 2026 

Introduction

This study was originally published 22 years ago in response to several questions from a brother who believed that unknown tongues was a Biblical doctrine. At that time I had not yet written anything on this subject and I told Sandi that when she posted this that we would probably lose as much as 50% of our readership. I knew that many, if not most, of the people attending our conferences back then believed that unknown tongues were the sign that you had received the gift of the holy spirit.

This study was done in response to questions from a reader who seemed to be sincere. They were questions I had myself at one time, and I was excited to share what I had learned with this reader, but I knew very well how tenacious this particular false doctrine is to those who have spoken in unknown tongues, and I was right about losing many readers when I let everyone know that I considered the doctrine that “Speaking in unknown tongues is the initial evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost” is a false doctrine. Yet that statement is an article of faith among many Pentecostal and Charismatic congregants. The acceptance of this false doctrine has continued to grow in popularity in virtually every Christian denomination, both Catholic and Protestant. They read these verses and because they have no ability to discern spirits, they fall for that lie:

Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Hi Mike!

Thanks for your response. I do want to discuss this subject of speaking in tongues. I just wanted to explain how I’ve believed this. I had a few thoughts about your statement that not everyone who has the Holy Ghost receives the gift of tongues.

Thanks, M____

Hi M____,

Yes, Paul makes it very clear that not all who receive the Holy Ghost receive the gift of tongues when he lists all the gifts and offices and then poses seven questions. The obvious answer to every one of those seven questions is an emphatic, No! His point being that each member of the body has a different function. No one sincerely seeking to know the mind of God on this subject can read the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians and conclude that everyone who has the Holy Ghost must speak with tongues. Read that chapter. After each question Paul poses, ask yourself, “Does this person have to speak with tongues to have the Holy Spirit?” The only verses where the answer is yes will be the verses which deal with the gift of tongues. Yet Paul assert that they all have the “selfsame Spirit”.

1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Tongues are mentioned only three times in the book of Acts:

1. When they were first given on the day of Pentecost in Act 2, as a sign to the Jews from all over the world, followed by Peter’s witness to all those Jews.
2. At Cornelius’ house, in Acts 10, as a sign that the gospel was to go to the Gentiles, again followed by Peter’s witness to both the Gentiles present and as a sign to Peter himself and the Jews that were with him that the gospel had, indeed, been given to the Gentiles.
3. To the 12 men at Ephesus, again as a sign, to the very “Jews of Asia,” who were later to be so instrumental in attempting to stop Paul’s ministry as “the apostle of the Gentiles” ( “Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers.” That is the only scriptural purpose given for this gift. Tongues, in scripture, are always real languages.

Let’s just let the scriptures speak for themselves. I will embolden a few words for emphasis:

1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. [There; if you have Christ, you have the Spirit]
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

The many members with many gifts and functions have only one “Holy Ghost”- verse 3. The “more excellent way” is the way of ‘agape,’ love. The love of God is totally ignored by many who actually teach that “Speaking with unknown tongues it the initial evidence of the gift of the holy spirit.” To these immature and deceived brothers speaking with ‘unknown tongues’ is by far a more reliable sign of how close one is to God in the mind of many than the “more excellent way” revealed in ‘the love chapter’ of 1 Corinthians 13.

I know this is true, because I was just such a person as a teenage Pentecostal. I remember clearly how shocked I was  when it was pointed out to me that Paul said that he would rather speak five words which could be understood than ten thousand words in a tongue no one understood:

1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

These gifts here in 1 Corinthians 12 are listed in descending order of importance. Tongues are always the last gift mentioned. Paul concludes with the admonition to “covet earnestly the best gifts.” Notice how Paul characterizes those who prefer to edify themselves by displaying their gift of tongues instead of edifying the church:

1Co 14:20  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Why then is it that the emphasis today is the exact opposite as the so-called ‘gift of unknown tongues’ is becoming more and more mainstream in so many churches?

Apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments are all around, but they can’t hold a candle to the popularity of ‘unknown tongues.’ Why is that? Could it be that a healing is a bit harder to perform? Well, in truth, that is certainly not the case for God, but that is the case for the Adversary. Yet it seems that the only gift being sought so diligently by most Christians is ‘unknown tongues.’

Again, the obvious answer to every question Paul poses concerning whether all possess all of the gifts is an emphatic NO! Not every one who receives the Holy Ghost, talks with tongues, and NO one speaking in the true spirit of God speaks in ‘unknown tongues’ because such a doctrine is not even mentioned in scripture.

The “Holy Ghost,” is “Christ in you.” That is why He said, “The Father will take of mine and give to you.” That is why Christ said, “I will not leave you Comfortless. I will come to you.”

That is why we are told that ‘the parakletos’ is “the comforter which IS the holy ghost…”:

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter [G3875: ‘parakletos’], which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Notice where this verse appears and what Christ had just said:

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [The ‘we’, and the ‘our’ refer to Christ and His Father]

Christ’s teaching is that He and His Father will come and make their abode within us. There is no mention of a “third person” because we are told that this “parakletos, which is the holy ghost”, is Jesus Christ:

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate [G3875: ‘parakletos’] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Our ‘advocate”, our “comforter” is our “parakletos”… Jesus Christ the righteous” That is what Christ meant when He told us the Father had given everything to Christ. When He said that, He was referring specifically to the holy spirit, which Christ said He would send to us:

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come [“The Comforter”, (Joh 15:26)], he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine [Including the Father’s spirit]: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Christ had already told us that “the spirit of Truth” is the same as “the comforter.”

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

[Be sure to read Is God a Trinity? on the web page.]

In Act 2, it says that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues. Okay, here we have them all speaking in other tongues. There seems to be an indication that, when a person is filled with the holy spirit he ‘begins to speak’ .

Of all the conversions mentioned in the book of Acts, from the 3000 on the day of Pentecost to the Ethiopian eunuch, to all the people Paul and Barnabas brought to Christ, to Paul’s and Silas’ jailer, etc., tongues are mentioned only three times. 1 Corinthians 12 explains why. Not every part of “the body,” needs the same gift. Besides that, the only tongues mentioned in Acts 2, or anywhere else in scripture, are real languages, spoken clearly by people who weren’t even able to interpret what they were saying. They were of no value to the person speaking, as far as being edified by what was coming out of their own mouth. However, those words were very edifying to “unbelievers,” and that is why tongues were given to those to whom they were given in the New Testament.

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem [unbelieving] Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

These as yet unbelieving Jews knew that these men were all uneducated “Galileans.”

Act 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

The languages spoken by those given the gift of tongues are enumerated, and not one of the languages is referred to as being an “unknown tongue”:

Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Act 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? [This was a “sign to these unbelievers”]

I have never denied that on the day of Pentecost, “they all spoke in other tongues [languages].” This is a bonafide gift of God. This is the real thing. If the Spirit is moving in this way, as is claimed, why have we not one modern case of such an event. Television  and news magazines have from time to time been forced to admit to a Bonafide healing. Personally, I have yet to see or hear of any such event as was witnessed by thousands on the day of Pentecost. I want to experience such a miracle, but I want it to be as real as it was that day when “speaking with tongues … profit [ed] you, …[by] speak[ing] to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine” (1Co 14:6). This is what happened with real languages on the day of Pentecost, and every time tongues are mentioned in scripture. Again, there is no mention in scripture of ‘unknown tongues.’

We know this is so because Paul goes on to tell us that the tongues he is discussing in 1 Corinthians 14 are so real he makes this statement:

1Co 14:7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds [Distinction means that it has significance to someone in the room], how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound [how in the world can anyone be certain about a language that is not mentioned in scripture and is understood by no one on earth?], who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1Co 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood [does this sound like Paul is talking about ‘unknown,’ tongues], how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
1Co 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

That last verse is in contrast to: He that speaketh in an [foreign] tongue [when there is no one there who needs that particular tongue] edifieth himself [hey, look at me, I’ve got my gift]; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church (1Co 14:4). The “edifieth himself” of this verse is not talking about spiritual edification, because the man himself does not understand what he is saying in the language he is speaking. Nevertheless, it is a real language under discussion, as real as the languages on the day of Pentecost, or Paul would never have made the statements we have just quoted or the statement that follows that:

1Co 14:5  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

An ‘unknown’ tongue would serve no purpose whatsoever. It is a false ‘sign’ because no one can possibly know whether it was being properly interpreted, because it isn’t even a language. That is why Paul poses the question, “How shall it be known what is spoken?” (verse 9). Paul is not even talking about ‘unknown tongues.’ He asks that question in the context of having no one around who would be benefited by the real foreign language being spoken. ‘Unknown tongues’ as that phrase has come to be understood, are not even part of the discussion in 1 Corinthians 14, or anywhere else in scripture.

You ask:

“In Luke it says wait until you’re endued with power from on high. Do you believe that at salvation you receive the Holy Ghost as well?” (End Quote)

The phrase “at salvation” is not in the scriptures. I am not intending to offend you, but the way you have framed this question, demonstrates that you are not aware that ‘salvation’ is a continual, “dying daily” (1Co 15:31) process. Of course you receive the Holy Ghost when you receive Christ. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit which God the Father gave to Christ who then gives His Father’s spirit to us.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth [“The Comforter”, (Joh 15:26)], is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine [Including the holy spirit]: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost [Which is “the Spirit of Truth”, (Joh 15:26)], whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Here is Christ telling us the comforter and the spirit of truth are the holy ghost which the Father has given to Christ. That is how Christ can say “He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you”.

Both English words ‘ghost’ and spirit’ are translated from the same single Greek word ‘pneuma‘. The Greek for ‘holy ghost’ is Hagios Pneuma. The translators have done us a very great disservice by not giving this Greek phrase a consistent translation.

Ephesian 4:30 tells us not to grieve the holy spirt of God:

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Why did they not translate that verse as… “And grieve not the holy ghost of God…” Could it be that doing so would indicate that the spirit of God is not a person but that of which God consists… His all powerful, ever present, everywhere present spirit.

Getting back to your use of the phrase… “at salvation”, the apostle Paul demonstrates the fallacy of that phrase when he speaks of our salvation in this way:

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.

How does “salvation nearer” square with the concept of “at salvation?” Again he says:

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, [Why not ‘Holy Ghost of promise?’]

Then he also reveals this:

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.

These verses reveal that ‘salvation’ is a continual “working out” process. We receive the ‘Holy Spirit [Ghost] of promise immediately “after ye believed.” Just because the twelve men at Ephesus had never even heard of the Holy Spirit does not mean that one must wait for a so called “separate work of the Spirit.” Those twelve men were still under “the baptism of John” and were completely unaware that Christ, through His Father’s spirit could come and dwell within them:

Act 19:1  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
Act 19:2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Act 19:3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Act 19:4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Act 19:7  And all the men were about twelve.

John’s baptism was to repentance, but it did not include the conversion that comes with the gift of the holy spirit. As Christ told Peter, His own apostle the night of His apprehension by the Jews. This was after Peter spending three and a half years as Christ’s apostle:

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Luk 22:33  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Luk 22:34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Like Peter before his conversion, the twelve men at Ephesus were not yet converted because they had not yet received the holy spirit. Even then we still must “endure to the end” to receive our salvation:

Christ is always the final word on any subject and the statement that ‘we must endure to the end to receive our salvation’ is Christ’s own words:

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

This Truth is repeated by Christ in Matthew 24:

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

So, to answer your question as to what I believe, based on these and many other like scriptures, I do believe that you receive the Holy Spirit immediately upon conversion, but I do not believe that you are mature in the Spirit at the moment you become aware of your need for a Savior, and the fact that a Savior has been provided. Salvation is an ongoing process. Though you have been given God’s Spirit, right from the beginning, God’s Spirit does not make you mature and complete right from the beginning. The steps involved in our maturing process are outlined for us in Israel’s experience and history. Paul tells us that this is so in:

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

I am sending you another email on this subject of salvation. It is entitled The Seven Steps To Salvation.

We will pause this study at this point and continue with this brother’s questions in our next study.

The Amethyst

Royal Purple and the Stone That Bypasses the Old Man

[Study Aired March 24, 2026]

Introduction

Throughout this series, we have established that the three great gemstone passages of Scripture — the high priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28), the anointed cherub’s covering (Ezekiel 28), and the foundations of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21) — form a unified typological witness to God’s two-stage plan: natural first, spiritual afterward. The stones that appear across all three contexts declare truths that span the full arc of redemptive history. Yet among the twelve stones of the breastplate, some transfer across all three contexts, some transfer across none, and some move selectively — appearing in the beginning and the end while bypassing the middle. It is in that selectivity that God often inscribes His most precise instruction.

The amethyst is precisely such a stone. It holds its appointed place on the breastplate of the high priest —

And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst (Exodus 28:19)

— and it anchors the final foundation of New Jerusalem —

the twelfth, an amethyst (Revelation 21:20).

But when we search the Ezekiel 28 passage for this stone, we find only absence. The cherub’s covering contains no amethyst. Among the nine stones listed there, the purple stone does not appear.

“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46). God’s two-stage plan governs all of redemptive history, and the movement from Stage 1 shadow to Stage 2 substance is precisely the path the amethyst travels. The Ezekiel context — which this series has established as representing the first Adam in his natural/carnal state, created first by divine design — is simply not on this stone’s route. The creature was made subject to vanity “not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope” (Romans 8:20). The first Adam’s appointed limitation is not a failure to be mourned but a boundary inscribed by purpose.

The reason for the amethyst’s bypass lies in what it declares. Its color is purple — the color of kings. That color, as we shall trace across Scripture’s consistent witness, belongs to a domain that the carnal nature, however elaborately adorned, was never appointed to carry. The high priest bore the amethyst as external representative pointing forward to the One who would truly wear it; New Jerusalem is founded upon it as the eternal declaration that the kingdom is His. But the Ezekiel cherub — that figure of the carnal creation under its appointed limitation — carries no purple among his nine stones. What the King reserves for His city, the first Adam was never made to hold.

In the sections that follow, we will examine the amethyst’s identity and placement on the breastplate, interrogate the structural pattern of the third row’s absence from the Ezekiel context, trace Scripture’s consistent witness that purple is the color of royal identity, and follow the stone’s path through Babylon’s counterfeit and into New Jerusalem’s eternal foundation — there to understand what the twelfth and final stone declares about the completion of Christ’s kingly reign.

The Stone on the Breastplate: The Third Row and Its Singular Profile

The amethyst appears in Exodus 28:19 as the third stone of the third row, the ninth stone overall in a breastplate of twelve. ’Achlamah (H306) appears in both Exodus 28:19 and its parallel execution account in Exodus 39:12, and nowhere else in the Hebrew Old Testament. Outside these two parallel texts — which are a single context — the term yields no independent usage pattern. The Septuagint provides the critical lexical bridge. The LXX translators rendered ’achlamah as amethystos (ἀμέθυστος, Strong’s G277), the same Greek term John employs in Revelation 21:20. This is not a coincidence of translation choices but a deliberate lexical identification — the Greek-speaking translators who rendered the Pentateuch recognized the Hebrew ’achlamah as the stone their world called amethystos. The LXX thereby establishes the linguistic continuity between the breastplate stone and the foundation stone, bridging the two Testaments through the stone’s consistent Greek identity. This is our foundational linguistic witness.

The amethyst’s position in the third row alongside ligure (leshem, H3958) and agate (shebo, H7618) proves structurally significant when the full three-context grid is examined. The breastplate has four rows of three stones each. When those twelve stones are compared against the nine stones of the Ezekiel 28 cherub covering, a pattern emerges that demands attention. Row one of the breastplate — sardius, topaz, carbuncle — is fully represented in Ezekiel. Row two — emerald, sapphire, diamond — is fully represented. Row four — beryl, onyx, jasper — is fully represented. Row three — ligure, agate, amethyst — is entirely absent. Not one stone from the third row appears in the cherub’s covering.

This is not scattered incompleteness. If three stones were removed at random from twelve, the probability that all three would fall within the same row is less than one in two hundred — making this profile the signature of structured exclusion, not incidental selection. What we find is a pattern that preserves three rows with perfect consistency and omits a fourth with equal consistency. Three complete rows present; one complete row absent. The observation does not in itself determine the theological meaning, but its structural precision establishes that the absence is categorical, not random.

Among the third-row stones, the amethyst is uniquely distinguished by its transfer forward into Revelation. Ligure does not appear in the New Jerusalem foundations. Agate does not appear. The earlier articles in this series treated them as stones whose testimony ends at the breastplate. Amethyst alone among the three carries forward — bypassing only the Ezekiel context, then arriving as the twelfth and final foundation. It is a partial transfer stone in the most precise sense: shadow to substance, with the first Adam’s domain entirely excluded from its path. The reason that exclusion exists is written in its color.

The Testimony of Purple: The Color of Kings Across Scripture

The amethyst is purple — a deep violet-purple consistent across both ancient and modern identification of the stone. This is not a physically incidental characteristic but a scriptural color that carries deliberate theological weight wherever it appears. Purple in the biblical witness is the color of kings, of royal authority, of sovereign identity — not as a vague cultural association but as a consistent pattern established across multiple books by multiple witnesses.

In the historical narratives, purple marks the person and possessions of kings specifically. When Gideon sought restitution from the Midianite campaign, the royal character of the spoil was identified:

beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian (Judges 8:26).

Purple was not ordinary clothing worn across ranks; it was the raiment reserved for kings. When Mordecai was elevated by Ahasuerus, his royal appointment was visibly clothed:

Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple (Esther 8:15).

Purple accompanied the crown. In Solomon’s description of his royal chariot seat, the covering of that throne was specifically identified: “the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love” (Song of Solomon 3:10). The king’s seat is covered in purple. Three witnesses across three books — Judges, Esther, and Song of Solomon — establish the consistent scriptural function: purple marks royal identity and belonging. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

The New Testament carries this testimony directly to Christ in an act of mockery that became unwitting declaration. When the Roman soldiers prepared the Lord before His crucifixion:

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! (John 19:2-3; see also Mark 15:17-18).

The soldiers intended ridicule. In placing the royal color upon the crucified Lord, they declared — against every intention — what the purple color had always identified across Scripture: this One was precisely the King. The mockery they performed was unwitting declaration. He bore the purple at Calvary; He claimed the kingdom at the resurrection; He will reign eternally in the city whose final foundation is purple stone.

This convergence illuminates the amethyst’s Ezekiel bypass. The Ezekiel 28 context represents the first Adam in his natural/carnal state, created as the necessary shadow pointing toward what God purposed from eternity. The first Adam’s covering in Ezekiel carries nine stones spanning the colors of earth, flame, and deep — the hues of the natural creation. But that covering carries no purple. The carnal nature in its first-Adam condition was never appointed to bear the royal color that belongs to the Last Adam.

“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47). The first man was not made to wear what belongs to the second. This is not a deficiency — it is a design boundary. The creature was made subject to vanity in hope (Romans 8:20), limited by purpose, pointing forward. Part of what it points forward to is precisely the purple it cannot hold: the kingly identity of the One who will succeed it.

One clarification is worth making here. Purple did appear in the earthly tabernacle — woven into the veil, the curtains, and the high priestly ephod (Exodus 26:1, 31; 28:5-6). Does this not place purple in the earthly context, undermining its use as a marker for what exceeds the carnal state? The answer is that the tabernacle’s purple was forward-pointing shadow — the priestly system served as “the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). Purple on the breastplate and the ephod was prophetic declaration of what was coming, not possession of what had arrived. The Ezekiel cherub’s covering represents what characterizes the first-Adam condition — a categorically different function from what the priestly garments declared as prophetic sign. Purple on the breastplate points toward the King; its absence from the cherub’s covering confirms the first Adam does not hold what belongs to the King. These two realities reinforce rather than contradict each other.

The Counterfeit and the True: Purple in Babylon and New Jerusalem

Before the amethyst appears as New Jerusalem’s final foundation stone, John witnesses another figure clothed in purple — and the contrast is theologically decisive. The great harlot appears:

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication (Revelation 17:4).

The great harlot — Babylon, the figure of the carnal world system in its most seductive and pretentious form — has appropriated the purple that belongs to the King. She wears the royal color as a counterfeit queen, presenting herself as a sovereign worthy of allegiance and devotion. Later, her merchants lament:

Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! (Revelation 18:16).

The purple marks her false royalty. Babylon does not wear purple arbitrarily; she wears it because she is impersonating the kingly authority that does not belong to the carnal world system. It is the most audacious act of the counterfeit: wearing the color of the throne.

But the purple is taken from her. Babylon’s judgment comes swiftly: “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire” (Revelation 18:8). The counterfeit purple is stripped and destroyed. And in its place, the Bride receives not appropriated purple but genuine white — “fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Revelation 19:8). The authentic identity of the Bride is displayed in imputed righteousness, not seized royal color. What Babylon claimed by counterfeit, the Bride receives by grace.

The narrative movement through Revelation’s latter chapters is now clear in its structure: counterfeit purple in Babylon (chapters 17–18), stripped and judged; authentic white righteousness in the Bride (chapter 19), granted by Christ; permanent purple foundation in New Jerusalem (chapter 21), established forever. The purple that the first Adam’s covering could not hold (Ezekiel), and that the carnal world system seized and lost (Babylon), arrives in its true and permanent home as the twelfth foundation of the city that belongs to the eternal King. Three stages, three fates for purple: refused by the first Adam’s covering, counterfeited by the harlot, and established forever in the foundation of the King’s city.

This three-stage movement mirrors the two-stage creation order in its own way: the natural realm — both in its first-Adam state (Ezekiel) and in its most elaborate carnal expression (Babylon) — cannot rightly hold what belongs to the spiritual and heavenly realm. The purple stone was always destined for the eternal city, bypassing every carnal domain on the way there. “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21). The hope in which creation was subjected is fulfilled in the city whose final foundation is the purple stone.

The Twelfth Foundation: Royal Identity Established in Permanence

John’s description of New Jerusalem’s foundations lists the amethyst as the final stone of the twelve:

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst (Revelation 21:19-20).

The amethyst is the final stone — twelfth in position, completion in function. The number twelve throughout Scripture carries the weight of divine government and complete administration. Twelve tribes governed Israel as God’s covenant people (Genesis 49; Revelation 7:5-8). Twelve apostles form the foundational witness of the church — and their names are inscribed upon the twelve foundations of this very city: “the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14). The amethyst, as the twelfth and final foundation, anchors the completion of that apostolic and governmental structure. It is the last stone, set after all others, declaring that the foundation is laid, the number is full, and the city will be built upon it in permanence.

The path from breastplate to foundation is itself significant. On the breastplate, the amethyst was the ninth stone — third in the third row, carried on the chest of the Aaronic high priest as external, visible, temporary representation of all Israel before God. In New Jerusalem it is the twelfth foundation — no longer borne on a priest’s chest but laid beneath the eternal city as the final element of its permanent base. The movement is from carried to established, from external shadow to eternal substance, from the priest’s representation to the King’s foundation. The shadow pointed forward with the stone upon the priest’s heart; the substance establishes it permanently beneath the city of the King.

This is the movement Paul describes for those who are in Christ: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). That conversion — out of the first Adam’s domain, into the New Jerusalem realm of the Last Adam — is what the amethyst typologically traces before us. The stone’s path bypasses the first Adam’s covering entirely; it moves from the breastplate of the interceding priest directly to the foundation of the reigning King’s eternal city. The stone’s trajectory is the picture; our conversion is the reality.

It is fitting that the stone completing the foundation is purple. New Jerusalem’s twelve foundations carry the names of the twelve apostles — the witnesses of the risen Christ, the foundations of the church’s doctrinal and missionary structure. The final stone beneath that apostolic witness is the amethyst: the royal color, the kingly hue, the purple declaration that this entire structure is built not on human achievement but on the sovereign authority of the King whose soldiers mockingly clothed Him in purple on the day He bore the world’s sin. That purple robe was removed before the crucifixion. But the purple stone is laid forever beneath the eternal city. What was placed on Him in mockery is established beneath His city in glory.

Conclusion

The amethyst traces a path through Scripture as instructive in what it bypasses as in what it inhabits. From the breastplate’s third row to the final foundation of New Jerusalem, passing over the cherub’s covering entirely, this purple stone marks the boundary between what the carnal creation was made to hold and what was reserved for the King and His eternal city.

We observed the structural pattern: the entire third row of the breastplate — ligure, agate, and amethyst — is absent from the Ezekiel cherub’s nine stones, while every other row is fully represented there. We traced Scripture’s consistent testimony that purple marks royal identity: the raiment of the kings of Midian (Judges 8:26), the garment of Mordecai’s royal elevation (Esther 8:15), the covering of Solomon’s royal seat (Song of Solomon 3:10), and the robe placed upon Christ before His crucifixion (John 19:2-3; Mark 15:17-18). We watched Babylon appropriate the royal color that was not hers, display it in counterfeit majesty, and lose it in judgment (Revelation 17:4; 18:16). And we saw the authentic purple established permanently as the twelfth foundation of the city that belongs to the true King (Revelation 21:20) — the purple that was never Babylon’s to claim and never the first Adam’s to wear.

All of this proceeds from design, not accident. “Our God is in the heavens and hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3). The creature was made subject to vanity not by failure but in hope — every  boundary inscribed by purpose, every absence deliberate, every stone placed exactly where the King determined it would go. The first Adam was created in his natural state as a necessary shadow pointing toward what God purposed from eternity. The nine stones of the Ezekiel cherub represent what that natural state can hold. The amethyst — royal, purple, final — represents what it cannot hold and was never designed to hold, because it belongs to the Last Adam and His eternal city alone.

Those who are in Christ have been translated out of the first Adam’s domain: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). We are no longer defined by the nine-stone covering of the carnal state. We are moving toward the twelve-stone foundation of the eternal city — toward the city whose final foundation is the purple declaration of the King’s permanent, uncontested reign. The priestly shadow carried the amethyst on a chest of flesh; the eternal city will stand forever on it as its final base.

The amethyst bypassed the first Adam’s domain. It was always intended for the city of the new. And the purple stone, set last in the eternal foundation, declares that the royal identity of Christ — mocked at Calvary, counterfeited by Babylon, refused to the carnal creation by design — is established forever beneath the city of the King of kings:

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever (Revelation 11:15).

Proverbs 26 “To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”

Part 3  (Pro 26:6-12)

[Study Aired February 26, 2026]

Pro 26:6  He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
Pro 26:7  The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Pro 26:8  As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
Pro 26:9  As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
Pro 26:10  The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
Pro 26:11  As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
Pro 26:12  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Did you notice every verse in our study has the word fool in it, seven times mentioned. Flesh has to see itself for what it is, corruptible foolish flesh that thinks it sees when in reality we are blind without Christ opening our eyes and giving us eyes to see and ears to hear (Joh 9:41, 1Co 3:18, Mat 13:16).

The word fool is mentioned 41 times in the proverbs and 69 times in the entire bible. Fools, with the s, is mentioned 19 times in the proverbs and 42 times in the entire bible. Foolish is meFntioned 13 times in proverbs, and 52 times in the entire bible.

The book of Proverbs corners the market on the subject of a fool, fools, or foolish with a total of 73 entries of those three words as opposed to 90 entries of those three words in the rest of the books of the bible.

The first mention of the word fool is in (1Sa 26:21) where Saul who typifies our flesh is brought to see how he, we, have “erred exceedingly” (Rom 2:4, 1Sa 26:21). David who is a type of Christ brings Saul to see that he is powerless, taking away his sword, and the cruse of water, that belong to him, two symbols of the word of God (Isa 3:1,  results in this Isa 4:1). David does not want to destroy Saul, just as Christ does not want to destroy His anointed, but rather show them that they are powerless, wretched, miserable, poor and blind without Him in their lives (Rev 3:17). This story with the first use of the word fool in it was written for our sakes (1Co 10:11), and unfolded as it did to show us how God is dealing with our own foolish flesh by the sharp two edged sword of God’s word, and the water of the word by which we are washed. It is after we confess our faults that a blessing is pronounced upon us as was the case with Saul who after this encounter with David blessed him and declared that David would prevail, another way of saying our wretchedness will be overcome by Christ in our lives, and we will be more than conquers through him (Rom 7:24-25).

Before we start this section of proverbs, let’s look at some of the verses that lead up to the first use of the word fool in the bible:

1Sa 26:8  Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
1Sa 26:9  And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?

David’s mercy and grace is contrasted with Abishai who represents the spirit of Moses, the old covenant eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth approach discussed in (Mat 5:37-41). Going on…

1Sa 26:10  David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. [Rom 14:4, Rom 12:19]
1Sa 26:11  The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
1Sa 26:12  So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster (Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1); and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.[the deep sleep is symbolic of the whole world being deceived at this time by Satan (2Co 4:4, Rev 12:9)]
1Sa 26:13  Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: [The great gulf between our flesh and Christ being symbolized by these actions of David on the other side (Luk 16:26)]

Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

1Sa 26:15  And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
1Sa 26:16  This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’S anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
1Sa 26:17  And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

Saul recognizing the voice of David typifies him hearing the voice of the true shepherd Jesus Christ (Joh 10:27-28). There are those who have been in our midst typified by Saul who “have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come”, only then to fall away as God’s rejected anointed (Heb 6:4-6). In the final analysis, we are being shown Saul will hear the voice of Christ typified by David in the lake of fire, and will know that God worked everything according to the counsel of His own will, taking away the king’s spear and the cruse of water, as He has done with the whole world (Eph 1:11, Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1).

David called Saul God’s anointed, and did not assume that he would be rejected, which is the lesson for each of us to receive each other as Christ, and let God sort out the details of each life in His time as David went on to say in the last part of this chapter (1Sa 26:18-25). A fool as we are seeing is someone who is operating in their flesh as Saul was, and it takes Christ typified by David to bring us to understand  that God is working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). Saul repented of his wanting to destroy David at this point, and that was what mattered, and David acknowledged by His words and actions that he understood that Saul’s life was a work of the Lord for his sake.

1Sa 26:18  And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?(Gal 5:17) [This question typifies Christ convicting us of our sins, which lie at the door of our heart and want to rule over us but will not if Christ is our stronghold in this life (Rom 2:4-6, Gen 4:7, Rom 8:37)]

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: “1Sa 26:10  David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.”

1Sa 26:19  Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
1Sa 26:20  Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

David typifies God’s elect [the few small hidden like a flea or partridge that Saul seeks out, like Saul of Tarsus also sought out in the new covenant (Act 9:1-2)] who are accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:5-6), “let him accept an offering” and love our enemies, and heap coals on their heads as he was doing with Saul in this instance (Rom 12:19-21).

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

1Sa 26:21  Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes [you loved your enemy (Mat 5:45-45)] this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.
1Sa 26:22  And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
1Sa 26:23  The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.
1Sa 26:24  And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. [because we love our enemies, God comforts us through all our tribulations in this life 2Co 1:2-4]
1Sa 26:25  Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

[David going on his way symbolizes our continuing in the Lord, and Saul returning to his place symbolizes our flesh that we continue to need to overcome the rest of our lives]

Christ’s love toward His bride transcends knowledge, and is filled with mercy and will make us more than conquerors through Him (Psa 20:1-9). David as a type of the elect was given power over the enemy, his flesh, represented by king Saul (Rom 8:37).

Pro 26:6  He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

In the story we just looked at it is David who was sent not as a fool but as a wise man, typifying Christ who brings warning to our flesh, typified by Saul. When we lean unto our own understanding and are not led of the holy spirit (Rom 8:14-16) we cut off our feet, and drink damage, meaning the words we speak do not nourish because they come from our own broken cistern (Jer 2:13), our own carnal reasoning and not from the well spring of life Jesus Christ our hope of glory within who represents the positive cistern from where living waters can flow (Joh 4:14, Pro 5:15, Rev 7:17, Joh 7:38)

Jer 2:13  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.[Php 4:6-7]
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Pro 26:7  The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

The legs not being equal represents our walk our way of life. So even if the words are correct in our mouth if they are not being spoken in love God says that those words are coming from one whose legs are lame, not equal, nullifying the parable that is coming from the mouth of a fool. Why do you call me Lord Lord and don’t do the things that I say is having unequal legs (Luk 6:46). The unequal leg represents those times of hypocrisy in our flesh that God is able to burn out of us through His chastening grace (Rom 2:21-24).

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

Pro 26:8  As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

A sling was used as a weapon in the ancient world and if the stone was not bound when it was launched it would be an effective weapon, a metaphor for us today of using the word of God rightly in order to slay Goliath in our heavens (1Sa 17:48-51). Killing Goliath twice is a witness that this battle against our inward giants can only be accomplished through the true witness Jesus Christ within us (Rev 3:14, 1Sa 17:47).

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.
1Sa 17:48  And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1Sa 17:49  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
1Sa 17:50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1Sa 17:51  Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

If the stone is bound in a sling it won’t launch, and it may backfire and injure the person using the weapon, another metaphor telling us that if we are unskilled in using the word, we are as a babe (Heb 5:13), unskillful not having had our senses exercised yet to discern good and evil (Heb 5:14). God permitting we will grow unto maturity by the increase that He alone can give (Heb 6:1-3, 1Co 3:6).

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

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

Giving honour to a fool can be likened unto laying hands on a novice who is yet a babe and not skillful in the word. Doing this can backfire like the bound stone in the sling and injure the body of Christ, or just simply stunt the growth of the church (1Ti 5:22).

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

Pro 26:9  As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Thorns and briars as we know represent false doctrine (Isa 27:4, Gen 3:18), and when a fool who is likened unto a spiritual drunkard takes God’s word and wraps it around the idol of their heart [a stone bound in sling], that word becomes a thorn or briar that causes damage to the one holding on to the lie “a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard”. As such they can bring spiritual damage to themselves and also to the one who receives the lie and does not try the spirits whether it is of the Lord or not (1Jn 4:1).

A beautiful and comforting reminder is written for us of what God will do with all the thorns and briars in our lives (Isa 27:1-6).

Isa 27:3  I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
Isa 27:4  Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.(Jer 5:14)
Isa 27:5  Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.(Php 4:6-7)
Isa 27:6  He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. [the elect symbolized by Aaron’s rod that budded will bring salvation to all the world (Num 17:8, Oba 1:21)]

Pro 26:10  The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

Pro 26:10 Much travails forth all the more, Yet the hire of the stupid person and his hirer shall pass away.”[CLV]
Pro 26:10 [As] an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool, and he who hires those who pass by.[ACV]

God formed the fool and the transgressor, who is naturally within us as was the case with Adam and Eve, and needs to be destroyed (Isa 45:7 , Gen 3:6).

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

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Rewarding a fool^H3684 and a transgressor^H5674 is the same thing, and in the Hebrew language we see this witness happening all the time in scripture, where an idea is repeated twice. The word transgressor here means ones who passes over, or crosses over, or goes over, and that is what manifests in the fool when he crosses the path of a harlot and does not flee fornication (problem Pro 6:1-35 , solution Pro 7:1-27).

God’s elect have been blessed to escape like a bird from the fowler’s snare (Psa 124:7) and don’t pass near her gates any longer, or cross over toward the spiritual house of ill repute one could say. God uses the odious sin of fornication that should not be once named amongst us (Eph 5:3) to show us His great disdain for the harlot churches of this world. It is in our simple unconverted easily manipulated, less than carnal babe state that we are easily seduced by the false doctrines of the harlot. We have to go into her to come out!(2Co 6:17)

Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or greed, shall not even be named among you as befits the sanctified,

Pro 7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

H3684  kesı̂yl   kes-eel’   fool
From H3688; properly fat, that is, (figuratively) stupid or silly: – fool (-ish).
Total KJV occurrences: 70

H5674  ‛âbar   transgressors
BDB Definition:
1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over
1a2) to pass beyond
1a3) to pass through, traverse
1a3a) passers-through (participle)
1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)
1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by
1a4a) passer-by (participle)
1a4b) to be past, be over
1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance
1a6) to pass away
1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one’s territory) [Jud 1:6]
1a6b) to vanish
1a6c) to perish, cease to exist
1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)
1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands
1b) (Niphal) to be crossed
1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to pass over, cause to bring over, cause to cross over, make over to, dedicate, devote
1d2) to cause to pass through
1d3) to cause to pass by or beyond or under, let pass by
1d4) to cause to pass away, cause to take away
1e) (Hithpael) to pass over
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root

Pro 26:11  As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

There is that stage in our walk where we come to see that we are powerless over sin, and cannot overcome being in bondage to sin (Eph 2:1-6).

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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.

Even if we are remorseful for the sin in our life and seem to gain temporary relief from the slavery were in, God uses these most discouraging times of our life to remind us that it is only Christ who can set us free from sin (Rom 8:28), and if he does we will not repeat those patterns any longer being made freed from these sinful patterns by the son of God (Joh 8:31-36).

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Pro 26:12  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Here is an example of a man who is wise in his own conceit “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” (Rom 11:18-27). That is the self righteous spirit that wants to rule over our heavens and can only be overcome by the righteousness of Christ being found within us (Php 3:6-9, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:3-5, 1Jn 5:4-5, 2Co 1:24).

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:(Joh 8:36)
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
Gal 3:5  He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Matthew 16:1–12 The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees 

[Study Aired July 28, 2025]

Our study today is centered on the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding a sign from the Lord. The study also explains the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

Mat 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 

In the Bible, the Pharisees were a prominent Jewish religious and political group during the time of Jesus. They were known for their strict adherence to both the written Law of Moses and their interpretations of it through oral tradition. They believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and the importance of both written and oral law. 

The Sadducees on the other hand, were known for their adherence to the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) and their rejection of the “traditions of the elders,” which were interpretations of the law developed by other Jewish groups. They were often in conflict with the Pharisees, and they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or the existence of angels or spirits.

These groups represent the church system in Jesus’ days. They therefore depict the church system of this world which is divided into millions of different factions based on their numerous beliefs. The fact that these religious groups were divided shows us that the church system of this world has failed in its walk with Christ. This is what the word of the Lord says about this:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 
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 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. 
1Co 1:11  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 
1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?  

In verse 1, we are shown one of the key characteristics of the church system of this world or Babylon represented by the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Their belief system is based on physical evidence of signs and wonders; that is why they wanted Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. No wonder the church system of this world or Babylon, thrives on signs and wonders. When our faith is based on signs and wonders, then we are not walking by faith at all. This is because faith is based on what we have not seen. 

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.    
Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report. 

Mat 16:2  He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 
Mat 16:3  And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? 

In these verses, the Lord is telling us, His elect, through the Pharisees and the Sadducees, about one of the key principles of understanding the word of the Lord. That is, from the things that are made, we are able to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. 

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

However, in the case of these Pharisees and Sadducees who represent the apostate church in this world, they could not discern the signs of the times because they were not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. This implies that it is not given to our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world to discern the times we are in or simply, they are not given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. 

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.

The signs of the times refer to the reformative work of the Lord in this dispensation which enables us to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. It involves the changing of the law of sin and death to the law of the spirit of life. As a result, our worship of the Lord is now spiritual. 

Heb 7:11  If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 
Heb 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world cannot discern the signs of the times as they still cling to the law of Moses with its physical interpretation of the word of the Lord, just like the Pharisees and Sadducees who were adept at predicting the weather but did not understand spiritual reality of the Lord’s words. The letter or physical interpretation of the word of the Lord kills or profits nothing. It is the spirit that gives life.

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

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

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Mat 16:4  A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.    

The wicked and adulterous generation refers to us during our time in the churches of this world where we were enthused by signs and wonders. This is the situation with our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who authenticate their belief in the Lord by the miraculous signs and wonders they observe in their churches. As indicated earlier, our faith is not based on what we see but what we believe, even though we have not seen. 

Joh 6:2  And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.  

We must understand that the signs and wonders were initially necessary to authenticate the resurrection of the Lord as we saw the disciples performing miracles, signs and wonders in the early part of the church history. 

Act 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 

However, over time the Lord cut back on physical signs and wonders as the disciples had to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. For example, in the letters of Paul, we see Trophimus being left sick, while Timothy had problems with the stomach. One would then ask, where were those signs and wonders that even the shadow of Peter brought about healing?  

Act 5:14  And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) 
Act 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.  

2Ti 4:20  Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

1Ti 5:23  Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.  

We are not saying that the Lord is not in the business of signs and wonders. Our walk with Christ every day is a miracle. It takes a miracle for us to be lifted out of the miry clay and be established on the rock, who is Christ.

Psa 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 
Psa 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 

The very signs and wonders which testified of the resurrection power of the Lord at the birth of the church of the first born, is now being used to deceive the many. That is why we are warned by the Lord to pay attention so that we are not deceived by false prophets.

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

The question is “By what means are we deceived?” It is through signs and wonders as shown in the following:

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

Now let’s turn our attention to the sign that the Lord has given to us – the sign of the prophet Jonah. What is the sign of the prophet Jonah? We know from the word of the Lord that Jonah was swallowed by a whale for three days and three nights in the depth of the sea. After these three days, the whale vomited out Jonah on dry land.   

Jon 1:17  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jon 2:1  Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,

Jon 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah’s three days and nights experience in the belly of the whale is what  Jesus is referring to as a sign for this wicked generation. Spiritually, the three days and nights of Jonah in the belly of the whale signify Jesus’ death and burial in the heart of the earth. The whale vomiting Jonah on dry land after the Lord spoke to the whale represents Jesus’ resurrection after three days. Jesus’ death and resurrection is therefore the sign for us who were part of this wicked generation. 

The healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple by Peter and John demonstrated the power of the resurrection of the Lord to take us out of the miry clay and to establish us on the rock, which is Christ. Now, what the Lord is doing is all spiritual. In effect, what the Lord is telling us is that if we are able to understand the mysteries of the kingdom and our flesh is being crucified daily, then we are seeing His resurrection power (signs and wonders) at work in our lives.

Luk 7:22  Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 

Act 4:9  If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 
Act 4:10  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.      

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Mat 16:5  And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 
Mat 16:6  Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 
Mat 16:7  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 

The disciples at this stage of their walk with Christ, did not know Him. Therefore, while Jesus was talking to them regarding spiritual matters, they were thinking about physical issues. This situation is what characterized our walk when we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. Our focus was on the physical as we had no understanding of spiritual reality of His words. In other words, our attention was on the letter of His words and not on the spiritual significance of His words. We were therefore spiritually dead since the letter kills or profits nothing in our spiritual journey with Christ. 

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

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

Our circumstance at that time of our walk in the church system of this world was characterized by the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus at the well. While Jesus was talking about deep spiritual truth regarding the water of life, which is His word, the woman was only paying attention to ordinary water, which represents the letter of His words. This was what transpired between them at the well:

Joh 4:7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Joh 4:8  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 
Joh 4:9  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 
Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 
Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 
Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 
Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 
Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 
Joh 4:15  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 
Joh 4:16  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 
Joh 4:17  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 
Joh 4:18  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 
Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 
Joh 4:20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 
Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 

We know from the word of the Lord that a woman represents the church. This Samaritan woman therefore represents the church system of this world. We were fetching water regularly as we read the word of the Lord daily. However, because our focus was on the letter of His word, our spiritual thirst were never quenched, until Jesus came to us to show us the living water (the spiritual aspect of His word) which quenches all thirst. 

Jesus pointed out the problem of the woman – she has had five husbands and the man she was with was not her legitimate husband. The negative application of the number five is famine which leads us to spiritual poverty as shown in the following verse:

Gen 45:11  And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.   

Jesus telling the woman that she has had five husbands means that when the devil is our husband, we go through a famine period of the word of the Lord which brings us to spiritual poverty. The fact that the man the woman was currently with was not her husband signifies that during our walk in the corridors of the churches, Christ was with us, but He was not yet our husband. That was our situation in the church system of this world, just like the disciples when they were with Jesus. 

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to 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 that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

Coming back to Matthew 16:6-7, the Lord cautioning His disciples to be wary of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees was to let them know of the danger that false doctrines of the churches of this world pose to our marriage with Christ as leaven signifies false doctrines. This leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees refers to man’s wisdom and traditions which prevent us from coming to know the truth of the word of the Lord. 

Mar 7:5  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
Mar 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 
Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 

We know from the word of the Lord that by the things that are made, we are able to understand the Godhead. In a marriage, for example, when we are filled with false knowledge of our partner, the marriage suffers, and in most cases it leads to divorce. 

The  leaven or false doctrines serve as idols of our hearts and minds and therefore becomes the stumbling block of iniquity, which bounces off the truth of the word of the Lord. 

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 

Mat 16:8  Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 
Mat 16:9  Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 
Mat 16:10  Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 
Mat 16:11  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 
Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 

There are three instances in the Bible when Jesus rebuked His disciples for being of little faith. Verse 8 is one of them. The other two are as follows:

Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Mat 8:26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.    

These instances show us that during our time in the churches of this world, our faith was negligible. We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord. 

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

This implies that when we were in the church system of this world, we were not understanding the Lord’s word which brings us the faith that we needed. We were just like the disciples who were hearing the word of the Lord but were not given to understand. It was after Jesus’ resurrection that they were given the power to understand His word. 

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,   

The next three verses (Verses 9-11) confirm the lack of the disciples’ understanding of the word of the Lord, just like us, during our time in the churches of this world. It was not until faith came to us through the Lord’s coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness that we left behind the law of Moses which emphasizes the letter of His word, to understand the Lord’s words in spirit and in truth.  

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

In verse 12, the disciples understanding that the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees refers to the doctrine of these religious groups is to make us aware that we, His elect, shall come to know His word. That is the same as being given the keys of David. It is these keys that grant us access to understanding the word of the Lord in the spirit and to be able to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

Isa 22:22  And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 
Isa 22:23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. 

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; 

We thank you our Heavenly Father for your mercies towards us in this age. May your name be praised. Amen!!    

Matthew 14:22–36 Peter Walks on the Water

[Study Aired July 7, 2025]

In today’s study, we shall look at the spiritual implication of the Lord and Peter walking on the waters of the sea. We shall also come to understand the spiritual meaning of the people of Gennesaret getting healed as they touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.  

Jesus Walks on the Water

Mat 14:22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 

The word “straightaway” in verse 22 is to make us aware that it was immediately after the feeding of the five thousand that Jesus constrained His disciples to go to the other side where Jesus followed later. It shows us how the Lord worked as hard as a bull in fulfilling His ministry here on earth. Spiritually, this implies the zeal of the Lord to serve God and His elect. 

Joh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 

According to Strong’s Dictionary, the word “constrained” can mean to compel by force. Therefore, the Lord constraining the disciples to get into a ship means that the Lord forced the disciples to get into the ship. This is to show us that we do not have free will as taught in the churches of this world. Yes, we do have a will, but our will is not free – it is caused. That is to say that it is the Lord who controls our will and all our actions. We therefore do not make decisions independent of the Lord. Even the sins we commit are caused by the Lord.

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

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 

Here in verse 1, the Lord constrained the disciples to get into a ship. A ship or boat is what causes us to journey through the sea without drowning. We know that the sea represents the flesh of humanity. This suggests that to an elect, the Lord drags us in this age to start this journey of overcoming the flesh as He comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. All the multitude were sent away by the Lord to their various places on foot. As we have indicated in our studies of the Book of Matthew, the multitude represents our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who are not given to become overcomers of the flesh, of which we were part at a certain stage of our walk. They are therefore not constrained by the Lord to overcome the flesh. 

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.

Our lives as an elect here on earth can therefore be likened to travelling in a boat over the sea, that is, overcoming the flesh, just as Jesus overcame the flesh in His life here on earth.

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 

In the Book of Mark, we learn that the other side referred to in verse 22 is Bethsaida. 

Mar 6:45  Jesus quickly made his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him while he sent the people away. (GW)

The name “Bethsaida” means house of fishing or simply, fishing. As we know, when Jesus called Peter and Andrew, he told them that they shall be fishers of men. We are called to fish for men, but before we can do this, we have to go to the other side. To get to the other side means we must overcome the flesh in this age in order become saviors of the world or fishers of men.   

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. 

The boat is where the Lord’s disciples were gathered in the midst of the sea, and it is what keeps us afloat on the sea. Our gathering or assembly is what helps us to become overcomers through what every joint supplies.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

This mystery of how the Lord constrains us to get into a ship or boat as we overcome the pulls of the flesh is what Solomon mentioned as follows:

Pro 30:19  The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

The way of a man with a maid shows us the mystery of the Lord’s unflinching love for His elect.       

Mat 14:23  And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 

This verse shows us that in spite of the ministry that the Lord has given to us, we must pay attention to our personal growth in Christ as we see Jesus sending away the disciples and the multitude so He can pray. Any relationship without effective communication is bound to have problems. Our relationship with Christ must be nurtured to grow through personal prayers and the study of His words. 

The mention of the fact that Jesus was alone when evening came is to show us that this walk is a lonely one. Lonely in the sense that we are going contrary to the wind or the standards of this world, and therefore not many people will agree with us regarding what the Lord is showing to us. In Paul’s letters, we can see that he was lonely as we see him telling Timothy to come to him as the whole of Asia had departed from him.

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 
2Ti 1:16  The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 
2Ti 1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.    

2Ti 4:9  Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 
2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 
2Ti 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry

Mat 14:24  But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 

As the Lord constrains us to start this journey of overcoming the flesh in this life, He raises storms in our lives to bring us to our safe haven – to become overcomers as the flesh is destroyed through the Lord’s judgment. 

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

The wind being contrary in verse 24 implies that our walk with Christ in this life is in opposition to the standards of this world. As the Lord indicated in His words, going against the standards of this world means being renewed in our minds. The boat being thrown around by the waves because it was going against the wind indicates that it is because the Lord wants us to go against the standards of this world that is why He raises a storm in our lives or judges us. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.    

Mat 14:25  And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 

A little while before morning, the Lord Jesus Christ came to His disciples by walking on the sea.  The dawning of the morning is when the day star, which is Christ, begins to rise in our hearts. That is the beginning of our  understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. 

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

To walk on the sea means to overcome the pulls of the flesh in our walk with Christ. Jesus going to His disciples as He walked on water is to show us, His elect, that as our understanding is enlightened, we are given to know that we can also overcome the pulls of the flesh in this life through Christ. It is also to show us that because He has overcome, we, too, shall overcome.

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

Mat 14:26  And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 
Mat 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 

Why were the disciples troubled? It was because since creation, no human being had been able to walk on the sea. Therefore, it must have been a spirit. Indeed, they were not far from the truth in the sense that it is those who walk in the spirit who do not fulfill the desires of the flesh or walk on the water of the sea. 

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

It is also important to note that Jesus coming to the disciples walking on the water during the storm is to show us that the fiery trials we go through are to strengthen us to walk on the water, that is, to overcome the flesh. When Christ comes to us while we are undergoing fiery trials or storms, we do not immediately recognize His presence. That is to say that we do not appreciate that what we are going through is the Lord establishing His kingdom within us. The Lord in His mercy, however, reassures us of His presence to let us know that we are on course and that we should not be afraid. 

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

Mat 14:28  And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 
Mat 14:29  And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 

The verses above show us that the only way we are assured of the presence of the Lord in our lives is when we are able to walk on the water just like Peter did. As we have indicated, walking on the water of the sea is overcoming the pulls of the flesh in our lives. That is the same as walking in the spirit and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh. 

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

Mat 14:30  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 
Mat 14:31  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 

When our focus is turned from Christ to our circumstance, we start to yield to the desires of the flesh, and therefore, we become afraid just like Peter. It is instructive to note that Adam yielded to the woman (Eve), to eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden. As a result, he became afraid when Jesus came into the garden looking for them. This scenario is the same as what Peter went through.

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

What happened to Peter is what we have experienced or experiencing in our walk with Christ. This is what Paul said about the Galatian church which applies to us:

Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 
Gal 5:8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 
Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 
Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 
Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 

Indeed, Peter did run well while he was walking on the water focusing on Jesus. It was when he turned his focus to the boisterous wind that he became afraid. The boisterous wind in this case can represent false doctrines which, when we imbibe, it takes us away from Christ and we begin to sink in the sea of flesh. In other words, we are overcome by the flesh. 

Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 

In verse 30 and 31, the Lord stretched forth His hand to rescue Peter, when he cried to Jesus to save him. These verses assure us that the Lord will not relent in saving us. In other words, He who has began a good work in us will not leave us alone, but will come to us to see to its completion. 

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: 

Jesus addressing Peter as having little faith is to reveal to us that it is through faith that we can overcome the pulls of the flesh or walk on the water. Our walk with Christ is a walk of faith, and when we compromise our faith, we yield to the desires of the flesh.

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 11:32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 
Heb 11:33  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 
Heb 11:34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 

Mat 14:32  And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 
Mat 14:33  Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 

As indicated previously, the ship is where the disciples had gathered and therefore, the ship in this case signifies the assembly of the Lord’s elect. Peter leaving the ship to initially walk on the water means that when we neglect our fellowship with our brothers and sisters, we initially think we are all right because we think our Lord Jesus has called us to a higher calling of walking on the water. However, this walking on the water or overcoming the flesh, will not last as long as we neglect the fellowship of the Lord’s elect. The boisterous wind of false doctrines will eventually sink us in the depth of the sea of flesh. The fact that Peter asked the Lord if he could come to him is to show us that even our failures are the work of the Lord, to bring us to our safe haven. 

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

It is insightful to note that when Jesus rescued Peter and brought him to the ship where the disciples were, the wind ceased. The ceasing of the wind  implies that it is in our gathering that the hail of the truth of the Lord’s words, destroy all the false doctrines or lies of the enemy. 

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 

That is why we are admonished by the Lord not to neglect our assembling together as we see the day approaching. The day approaching in its present application means the coming of Christ into our boat to bring us to our safe haven.

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

Again, we are made aware in verse 33 that they who were in the ship came and worshiped the Lord. It is in our assembly that we worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. The disciples saying that Jesus is truly the son of God, is to show us that it is in the fellowship of the Lord’s elect that we come to know who Christ really is – the son of God. Knowing Him as the son of God means that we come to appreciate the fact that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature and that it is through Him that everything consists or is sustained, and that it pleases the Father that in Jesus should dwell all fulness.  

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

Mat 14:34  And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 
Mat 14:35  And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 
Mat 14:36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. 

The disciples finally came to the land of Gennesaret, which means a harp. This brings to mind Revelation chapter 14:1-2, which talks about the Lord’s elect as harpers with their harps praising the Lord. That scenario depicts the victory of the Lord’s elect after their journey through the raging waters of the sea of flesh in this life, which accords with the study. 

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 
Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 

In verse 35 and 36, people from all the country round about that area brought all who were diseased, and they were healed as they touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. What does the hem or border of Jesus’ garment signify? We know that garments represents righteousness and therefore the people wanting to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment show us how the Lord will humble humanity  to seek after His righteousness in the lake of fire age where they will be made perfectly whole. 

This will be done in the presence of the Lord’s elect represented here as the Lord’s disciples, just as Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were in the fire with the Lord and were not burnt. 

Dan 3:23  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
Dan 3:24  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
Dan 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 

May the Lord continue to constrain us in the boat so that we can reach the other side through His mercy. Amen!!

Rev 9:3-4 – Part 3 of The Fifth Trump

[Study Aired August 9, 2024]

Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6  And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Introduction

As we “look behind us” to see the process of this “revelation of Jesus Christ” has already begun (Rev 1:10). We see that this revelation reveals the very beginning of the judgment of our old man. The fact that we are ‘looking behind  us’ signifies that judgment has already begun before we ever become aware that “Thou art the man” who has betrayed and denied our Lord (2Sa 12:7). Others have, of course done so, but so have you and me. Christ can only be revealed through the daily dying of our rebellious old man, and the dying of our old man entails this painful sting of the ‘scorpions’ of this study which accompany this part of our walk signified by the “power of scorpions of the earth.”

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

This “voice as of a trumpet” is revealed in its ‘complete’ form as “seven trumpets. These seven trumpets are the seventh seal of this revelation of Jesus Christ. This “great voice, as of a trumpet” is the ‘voice’ of the words of our Lord, who is giving us this revelation of Himself within us. This mystery of Christ and His kingdom, which is at this time being formed in us, is hidden from the masses of mankind and from the multitudes of orthodox Christianity. He does not give the masses that come to Him the ability to see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God, ‘within us’:

Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

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.

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.

That kingdom is within us only if its King is within 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:

The means by which God has hidden the mysteries of the kingdom of God within us is to cause us to believe all the lies and false doctrines of the many daughters of Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots, and keep hidden from us the meaning of any of His parables, all of which concern the kingdom of God, also called ‘the kingdom of heaven’:

Mat 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Truth is that the kingdoms which comprise Nebuchadnezzar’s great image are also all first within us. It is the kingdom of God, which is within, which destroys all the kingdoms of this world, that are also,  one and all, within mankind. All that is “in Adam” is also within his seed, just as surely as all that is “in Christ” will be in His seed.

Dan 2:31  Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. [Are you, at this moment, thinking of Nebuchadnezzar, or are you thinking of Matthew 4:4 and Luk 17:20-21?]
Dan 2:32  This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
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.

Remember what we learned was “the earth” upon which these locusts are sent forth.

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

The earth signifies the Lord’s own people, and it is also we who, because we all ‘leave our first love’ we become the nations of this earth, and we are those who are hurt by these devouring locusts before we become the green things which are not hurt of these hurtful, scorpion- like locusts.

All of the metals which comprise this great image are also within us, and if we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, then we must understand that all of the beasts of Daniel 7 are also first one composite beast within us.

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

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

The point is that we are not just the “green things” which are not hurt by the power of these locusts, but we are first those who are hurt by the power of these locusts. We must all first be the first Adam and come to know that life of darkness. Then, and only then, will we be dragged by God to become the green things which are not hurt by the power of the locusts of the earth. This message is throughout the Word of God, and is hidden from us by our inability to see the mysteries of the kingdom of God, which kingdom is within us. We are the grass that is burned up before we become the grass that is not hurt of the locusts.

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

We are all under “the power of darkness”, and we were all “the children of disobedience” before we are granted to become “the children of light” and we are “raised up together and made to sit in the heavens in Chist”:

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
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,
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:

Remembering that this is all being told us so we will know what we are to keep and live by, let us note what the symbols of these two verses of this fifth trumpet of the revelation of Jesus Christ are within us.

1) Our first symbol is smoke. 2) The second is locusts. 3) The third is the earth. 4) The fourth symbol is the power as the scorpions of the earth. 5) the fifth is the grass, any green thing, and trees. 6) the sixth is those men who have not the seal of God. 7)  The seventh symbol is their foreheads. 8) The eighth symbol is “they shall be tormented five months. 9) Our final symbol is “they shall seek death and shall not find it”.

Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only t hose men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6  And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

What is smoke?

1) We saw last week that the smoke that darkens the sun and the air is the false doctrines, whether Christian or Pagan, which are used to keep us from seeing the Truth as being the light of the world.

Mat 4:16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

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 [dark] 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.

Mat 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23  But if thine eye be evil [full of false doctrines], thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

It is instructive that an evil eye is not contrasted by a righteous eye, but by a single eye. Until we come to see that God is sovereign, we have an evil eye that cannot acknowledge the truth that it is that sovereign God Who is working all things after the counsel of His own will, and that not just all good but even all evil is created and worked by God.

Gen 45:8  So now it was not you that sent me hither [as a slave in Egypt], but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Gen 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it [the evil you did to me] unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

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

Exo 14:19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Exo 14:20  And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it [Christ, the cloud] was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these so that the one came not near the other all the night.

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:

We all first think that light is darkness, and we think that darkness is light, because we all first have “an eye that is evil.” We all “sit in darkness and the shadow of death” until the light comes to us. When the light of God’s Word does come, we eventually acknowledge that our God is the sovereign Creator of both all the good and all of the evil that is in this world.

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Good and evil are both alike to God because they are both the work of His hand. That is not true for us.

Isa 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

God alone can make good come from evil. We cannot do that and must never be guilty of attempting to justify evil, even as we acknowledge that God is the Creator of both.

What are locusts?

2) Locusts are not themselves darkness any more than the fruit of a tree is the tree. John the Baptist was nourished with locusts:

Mat 3:4  And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

In most cases, locusts signify destruction and ruin both physically and spiritually:

Exo 10:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

The locusts in this verse here in Revelation 9 signify the product of the “darkness by reason of the smoke of the pit”, just as fruit is the product of the tree. So what is it that darkness produces? Here are just a few of the fruits of darkness which are symbolized by these “locusts.”

Pro 4:19  The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Darkness causes us to stumble, and when we stumble, we do not prevail or overcome. Like the apostle Paul, we are all first Saul of Tarsus, persecutors of the way of Truth, before “the Lord is with us.”

Jer 20:11  But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Here is what happens to us all when we are persecutors of our Lord and of those who brought us His Truth.

Exo 10:4  Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
Exo 10:5  And t hey shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
Exo 10:6  And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

When our spiritual house is full of that which darkens the sun and the air and devours everything that is attempting to grow, we are quickly being destroyed. We are as Pharaoh, and we are given a hardened heart before we are delivered out of that darkened and devastated condition. Our substance [our false doctrine] is devoured as if by locusts.

Exo 10:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, [ even] all that the hail hath left.
Exo 10:13  And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

Exo 10:14  And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

What is the affect of these locusts upon Egypt within us?

Exo 10:15  For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

The locusts are thorough in devouring “any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the fields” of Egypt within us. The locusts devour anything that is left after the destruction of the hail upon the things of Egypt that are within us.

What is the earth?

3) The third symbol is the earth. We have seen in great detail that “the earth” within is the Biblical symbol of who we are when we have rejected the truths of God’s Word.

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

We received that word with joy, but when persecutions and tribulations arise because of the word, we are quickly offended and fall away into the lies of Egypt, which all the rest of society believe, and which are far more appealing to our flesh. The earth, the land, the world and the field, all have very much in common, according to our Lord.

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children [the doctrines] of the kingdom; but the tares are the children [the doctrines] of the wicked one;

“The field is the world.” That is why we read this of Esau, the symbol of God’s rejected twin, born of the same free woman.

Gen 25:27  And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

This verse contrasts the true man of God with the rejected man of God. “A cunning hunter, a man of the field” is contrasted with “a plain man, dwelling in [temporary] tents,” which is the essence of Christ and those in whom He dwells.

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 [He was “a plain man”]; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

“The earth” within us, the “man of the field”, sees no beauty at all in the things of the man of the spirit.

What is the power of the scorpions of the earth?

4) The fourth symbol is the power given these locusts, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

What power do the scorpions of the earth possess? Here is the power scorpions have been given.

Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6  And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Rev 9:10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

The pain of the sting of a scorpion is a severe and sharp pain. If it persists, it truly does cause us to want to die. This is that part of our walk that ‘brings us to our wits’ end.’

Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

What is the grass, any green thing and trees?

5) The fifth symbol is the grass, any green thing and the trees.

Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

That God intends for this revelation to be hidden from the multitudes of Christianity is demonstrated by the symbols of this fifth trumpet and by this symbol in particular. For many years I personally could not understand the meaning of this symbol simply because it seems, to the natural man, to contradict the obvious meaning of this very same symbol, which is referenced to in the previous chapter in the description of the first trumpet:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

In the previous chapter and in the previous trumpet, the first trumpet, the “trees… and all the green grass are burned up” by the “hail and fire mingled with blood.”  As we saw when we covered that verse, “the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies.”

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

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 [the lies and false doctrines] with unquenchable fire.

So if the grass and the trees and green things symbolize the lies of Babylon in chapter eight, how can it possibly symbolize “those men which have the seal of God in their foreheads” in chapter nine? How is that possible? It is possible in the same way that so many Biblical symbols are given a positive connotation in one context and a negative connotation in another context. For example, Adam is both positive and negative throughout scripture as both the old man and the new man.

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.

The symbol of the lion is used as both a symbol of the Devil and a symbol of Christ:

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

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Psa 17:9  From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Psa 17:10  They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
Psa 17:11  They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

Here in Psalms 17:13, ‘the wicked’ are used as “Thy sword”, the Lord’s sword which He uses to punish us when we  defy Him and His ways. That is the same principle by which the king of Assyria is called “the rod of mine indignation” when the Lord use the king of Assyria to punish His people:

Isa 10:5  O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
Isa 10:6  I will send him against an hypocritical nation [The Lord’s own people], and against the people of my wrath [His own people] will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

The symbol of a ‘sword’ also has this “two-edged” application. It is both “the wicked, which is your sword,” and it is “the Word of God.”

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Why then cannot “the grass, the trees and every green thing” also have the negative meaning of the things of the flesh in Revelation 8:7 and the positive meaning of those in whom is the Word of God, and who have the seal of God in their foreheads in Rev 9:4?

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

This characteristic of God’s Word, being both positive and negative, is deeply hidden from the natural man, and He is thereby rendered completely incapable of either “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” or “trying the spirits to see whether they are of God.” The natural man certainly does not recognize that if we do “rightly divide the word of truth” then we will recognize and acknowledge that we must all be “the first man Adam… which has not the mark of God,” before we can become “the last Adam… with the mark of God in our foreheads.” It is by the use of this principle of the Word of God being both positive and negative that the Lord has kept the natural man from understanding the things of the spirit:

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.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

6) The sixth symbol is “those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads”.

Who are “those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads?

We will pause our study of the meaning of the symbols of this fifth trumpet at this point and  resume our next study examining what the scriptures reveal to be the meaning of the sixth symbol of this fifth trumpet judgment, which is “those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”

Rev 9:1-2 Part 1-The Fifth Trumpet

[Study Aired Aug 2, 2024]

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Introduction

Before we begin to study the words of this fifth trumpet, let’s recall what is said of these last three trumpets in the last verse of the preceding chapter.

Rev 8:13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

As the life of any man of God, whether in the Old or the New Testament demonstrates, the trials we endure toward the end of our walk, in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace or in the Garden of Gethsemane, could never have been endured without first having our hearts prepared for those trials, by enduring easier trials earlier in our walk. So it is with each of these last three woes. Each of the first six seals and each of the first four trumpets were preparation for these last three “woes” culminating in the seven last plagues upon all who are to become the temple of God’s holy spirit.

1Ch 29:18  O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

Job 11:12  For vain man would be wise, though man be born [like] a wild ass’s colt.
Job 11:13  If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

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

Jer 12:3  But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

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.

“Pull out” who? Who is “pulled out” like sheep for the slaughter? Who is the temple, and who enters that temple? It is those who are “keeping the things written therein.” It is all who are now being judged by these seven trumpets. Being ‘pulled out like sheep for the slaughter’ is the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon mankind simply because ‘the slaughter’ refers to the death of our carnal minded old men and the destruction of what “is  in my flesh”:

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

Psa 44:22  Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Isa 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Act 8:32  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He [ Christ] was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

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.

“As He is so are we”, and just as Christ’s flesh was first judged for us, so must we “first be judged” for the sake of “the church which is His body”.

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.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

To remind us that the vials are but a later iteration of these trumpets, let’s take note of how both target the same subject:

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat [G2362: ‘thronos’, throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

With this reminder that “The sum of thy Word is Truth” is the proper approach to this prophecy (Psa 119:160 ASV), let’s number the symbols of the first two verses of this fifth trumpet. 1) The first symbol is the angel that sounds the trumpet. 2) the second symbol is a star that falls from heaven to the earth. 3) The third symbol is the heaven from which the star falls. 4) The fourth is the earth to which which the star from heaven falls. 5) The fifth is the key to the bottomless pit. 6) The sixth is the bottomless pit itself. 7) the seventh is the smoke of a great furnace. 8) The eighth is the darkened sun, which is darkened by the smoke of the pit, 9) and finally, the ninth is the air that is also darkened by the smoke of the pit.

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Since we have already given the Biblical revelation of what the first four symbols are and since we have already given the Biblical, spiritual meaning of what the eighth symbol of the darkened sun is, we will simply list and briefly review what these symbols and their meanings are before getting into what the scriptures reveal about the remaining four symbols.

1) What is the angel?

The angels that sound the trumpets, as we have demonstrated, signify the priests who alone are commissioned to “blow with the seven trumpets”:

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

Go back to our earlier study on Rev 8:1-6 – Part 2, What Is Fire of The Altar Cast Into The Earth? to review all the scriptures which reveal who these seven angels signify. They themselves tell us that they signify “your fellowservants who keep the sayings of this book and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8-9), and Peter and John tell us that if we are in Christ then we are these  seven angels…‘seven priests’:

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

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:

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

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

2) What is the star?

This star that “falls from heaven to the earth” is a messenger from the God who “dwells in the heavens.”

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall [G4098: pipto] from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

The use of the pronoun ‘he’ demonstrates that this ‘star’ is indeed a messenger from God, who is sent with a key to open up this thing called “the bottomless pit.” When the angel uses the key to open the pit, the sun and the air are darkened by the smoke from the pit.

This “key to the bottomless pit” appears again in the hand of an angel who does not “fall” (G4098: pipto) from heaven, but rather “comes down (G2597: katabaino) from heaven” and binds Satan for a thousand years and “casts him into the bottomless pit.”  Look at what this angel with this key is doing the next time we see him:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down [G2597: katabaino] from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

We are told that this star here in Revelation 9:1 “fell from heaven”, a phrase used elsewhere only of Satan and his angels.

Isa 34:4  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall [ G4098, pipto] from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall [G4098: pipto] from heaven.

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast [G906: ‘ballo’] them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

In Revelation 20:1 We are told “I saw an angel come down [G2597: ‘katabaino’] from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit.” Christ is certainly the preeminent ‘Star’ and as such it is He who sends both a good angel to cast “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan… into the bottomless pit… for a thousand years, and it is Christ who also sends an evil star, or angel, to open the bottomless pit and let the smoke of that pit darken the light of the sun and darken the air.” It is Christ who sends an angel “to testify unto [us] these things…”

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

It is by the agency of this “star,” Christ, that this angel is sent to open the bottomless pit so “the sun and air are darkened by the smoke from the pit.” It is God who sends evil spirits to darken the sun and the air.

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

1Ki 22:19  And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

This “star” in this ninth chapter “falls [G4098: pipto] unto the earth.” and has the key to open the bottomless pit and releases evil and lying spirits signified by the smoke of the pit which darkens the sun and the air. The angel of the 20^th chapter cast the dragon, that old serpent the devil and satan, into the pit and locks him up for a thousand years.

3) Where and what is heaven?

The heaven from which this star falls and “the heavens” through which this angel is “flying”, we have established beyond question, are the hearts and minds of God’s elect.

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [the blood of animals – verse 22]; 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:

Exactly where is Christ? We just quoted the verse that tells us where Christ now is.

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:

Upon what throne is Christ seated? Where is the kingdom over which Christ is ruling? Into which “holy place” has He entered? Exactly where is the dwelling place of “the presence of God?” Wherever all this is taking place – wherever all of these things are to be found – that is where Christ will be found “Making known to us the things that must shortly be done, [and] keeping the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Here is exactly where the kingdom of God is located.

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.

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

So where is the temple where God dwells in His heavenly kingdom at this very moment?

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.

4) What is the earth?

The fourth is the earth to which the star from heaven falls. Since we have seen in our previous studies that scripturally speaking, the “earth” is our physical bodies in which the spirit of God dwells in the heavens of our hearts and minds, we will gain much from the things which are written in the words of this prophecy, only if we keep all of these Biblical truths in mind, as we continue this study into the seven trumpets of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

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

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure [“Christ in us” (Col 1:27)] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We must not fail to remember that both the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as well as the tree of life, (Christ), both come out of the ground, out of the earth. That is why Christ was “made of a woman”…the ground… the earth:

Gen 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

8) What is the darkened sun?

The eighth symbol is the darkened sun, which is darkened by the smoke of the pit. We we have already covered this symbol in our study of a darkened sun in the previous trumpet where we saw that darkness is a word associated with lack of knowledge, and faith in the lies and false doctrines of Babylon. A darkened Sun is a deceived condition, with faith in the doctrines of “another Jesus… another spirit… and another gospel.” That ‘darkness’ is the lying doctrines of a triune God, an immortal soul, an ever-burning hell, a rapture, etc; etc; etc… “two hundred thousand, thousand” false doctrines of the messengers of Satan who appear as messengers of light.

Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

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

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Rev 9:17  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Rev 9:18  By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Rev 9:19  For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

Isa 9:18  For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
Isa 9:19  Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.

That is the “darkness of the sun,” with which we will be dealing throughout this revelation of Jesus Christ. This ‘darkness’ signifies all the lies and false doctrines of all the harlot daughters of Baylon the mother of harlots. Being caught up in that deception is all a necessary part of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

5) What is the key to the bottomless pit?

The fifth symbol of this fifth trumpet is the key to the bottomless pit. What is this key? The answer is that this key unlocks and unleashes upon us those doctrines which cause us to be blinded by the lies of the Adversary and His messengers.

Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

It is needful at this point to remind ourselves that his prophecy is “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” which we are commanded to “read, hear and keep, for the time is at hand.”  It is also needful at this point to remember, and to once again recognize “the preeminence of Christ in all things.”

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

“All things” includes Christ’s preeminence among the stars, good and evil. Christ is the preeminent “Morning Star,” or angel of God, as we pointed out above when discussing the meaning of a star.

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

So while Christ certainly does not Himself “darken the Sun and the air with the smoke of the pit,” He nevertheless tells us that it is “He who has the keys of death and hell.”

Rev 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Just as Christ gave the keys to the kingdom of God to Peter, and to all the apostles, likewise He gives the key to the “bottomless pit” to this “star”, and this angel opens the bottomless pit with this key.

Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee [Peter and you and me, Mat 18:18] the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be [have been] bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye [all the apostles and each of us if we are in Christ] shall bind on earth shall be [have been] bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be [have been] loosed in heaven.

If the kingdom of God is within you (Luk 17:20-21) then we are all given those “keys to the kingdom of heaven”:

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.

What does that have to do with the key to the pit? That key to the bottomless pit is also given to an angel who is within each of us, just as the kingdom of heaven is within us. The key of the bottomless pit is all the false doctrines which empowers us to deceive and be deceived and to confuse and lie to those who would enter the kingdom of God. That is the key to the bottomless pit out of which comes the smoke which darkens “the sun and the air”:

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

Here is how this angel uses this key to the bottomless pit.

Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered [with the wicked lies that burn like a furnace’ (Isa 9:18) lies and false doctrines.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Having the key to the bottomless pit and opening that pit and darkening the sun and air, by reason of the smoke of that pit signifies “taking away the key of knowledge.” We have all been guilty of opening the bottomless pit, and darkening the sun and air, by reason of the smoke from that pit. We have all been guilty of “deceiving and being deceived” as we use the key to the bottomless pit in our own lives

Where is the bottomless pit?

6) The sixth symbol of this fifth trumpet is the bottomless pit itself. Where and what is this thing called “the bottomless pit?” All of the commentaries think this pit and its smoke is speaking of some great false spiritual leader, and indeed it is. However, this great deceiver is sitting on Christ’s throne within each of us, and it is there that this entire revelation is taking place. Here is Gill’s very typical ‘somewhere out there’ take on what this bottomless pit is.

“Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit,… With the key that was given him; he made use of his universal power over all bishops and churches, enacted laws, issued out decrees, made articles of faith, and imposed them on men’s consciences, and obliged all to submit to his hellish principles and practices; and this, as it may be applied to Mahomet, the eastern antichrist, may regard the publishing of his Alcoran, and obliging all his followers to receive it as the infallible word of God:.”

If ever we need to remember that we are to “read, hear and keep the things written therein,” it is as we consider what the scriptures mean by “the bottomless pit.” All the comments and commentaries, such as this comment by Gill, serve only to further the function of the smoke that comes from this thing called “the bottomless pit.”  The last thing in the world the Adversary wants us to know is the correct location and the Biblical understanding of where this “bottomless pit” is.

Many of us have been taught that this bottomless pit doesn’t even really exist until the beginning of the millennium, when Satan is cast into the bottomless pit and restrained for one thousand years. Here are the verses which are most familiar to the majority of Christians.

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

We are not yet in Revelation 20. We are in Revelation 9, after which an angel is “given” the key to this bottomless pit and is permitted to “darken the sun and the air by means of the smoke that arises out of the pit.”

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

If you search for the phrase ‘bottomless pit’, you will find it seven times in the King James Version, and all seven instances are found only in the book of Revelation. The first is right here in this ninth chapter of Revelation.

We will pause our study here and we will examine the verses which contain the words “bottomless pit” in our next study. It is very revealing to discover that the Greek (G5421: ‘phrear’) translated ‘pit’ appears in only two of these seven entries containing the phrase ‘bottoneless pit’.

The Book of Joel – Joe 1:13-20 Part 2

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works” – 2Co 11:14-15.

[Study Aired July 20, 2024]

The Book of Joel is a relatively broad summary primarily for the Bride, although inclusive of all mankind’s transition from the flesh to being recreated as God. In the first part of Joel 1, we learned that locusts symbolise the innumerable lies and inventions of the Christian churches in the wilderness, drinking in their smooth, ear-tickling, more agreeable doctrines, thus creating their own clothing of self-righteousness. Moreover, now, in this second part of Chapter 1, the Bride precedes her brothers and sisters in Babylon for her appeal to repentance. Here, in the verses in John and Thessalonians below, is a reference to the Bride’s calling. The following in Isaiah 4:1 signifies the harlot church, from which the Lord wrested his incipient Bride, similar to the Angel of the Lord forcibly removing (dragging) Lot’s wife and his daughters out of Sodom.

Joh 15:18  If the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you [The Romans of Christ’s time didn’t hate him; it was the haters of his very household, the Jews who are Christians].
Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

2Th 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 
2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Isa 4:1  And in that day [ever since the cross] seven women [seven equals all the churches of Asia and the Christian world, today] shall take hold of one man [Christ], 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.

Crucially, concocting our own lying doctrines through our multitude of equally lying counsel of self-appointed elders in Babylon is what we have to repent. It is those inventive doctrines that clothe us in filthy, blood-soaked apparel. It is us, the ‘priests and ministers of the altar’, the embryonic Bride of Christ, at whom Joel 1:13-20 aims its indictments.

Job 9:30  If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
Job 9:31  Yet [Christ] shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

Pro 6:26  For by means of a whorish woman [Us as a harlot] a man is brought to a piece of bread: 

Being submerged in the ditch for our cleansing by our supposed pure doctrine will result in Jeremiah’s declaration:

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. 

Pro 6:26  For by means of a whorish woman  [Babylonian Christianity as greater Israel] a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 
Pro 6:27  Can a man take [God’s fiery word or “strange fire”] fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

Job 15:16  How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? 

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

Joshua was a faithful servant of God, masterfully dispatching the enemies of Israel with his bloody sword; his clothes were thus bloodied and filthy. Blood spiritually is Christ’s word, his very body! Blood, the physical essence of life, prefigures death to the Old Man and life to the New Man. If blood is spilt spiritually, it means the death of the truth or lies. Since the Elect metaphorically kill another person with the fiery sword of God’s word, that action results from them having killed us for our rejection of God’s word just as we killed Christ physically and spiritually – it all is figuratively spilling blood.

Isa 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

Joe 2:30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 
Joe 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman [Babylon the Great] drunken with the blood [Her zealous killing of God’s word] of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

A Call to Repentance

Joe 1:13  Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. 
Joe 1:14  Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, 
Joe 1:15  Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. 
Joe 1:16  Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 
Joe 1:17  The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. 
Joe 1:18  How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. 
Joe 1:19  O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. 
Joe 1:20  The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Significations:

Joe 1:13  Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. 

As earlier stated, the Bride of Christ is the priest and minister of Christ the “altar“, under whom we spiritually die daily.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange [bloody] doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 
Heb 13:10  We have an altar [Christ, our husband that only we can touch], whereof they [Gentile Christianity, the world] have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle [The Bride, the Temple of God]. 
Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those beasts [animal sacrifices symbolising our death], whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp [Equal to the Temple we are being chiselled into shape outside of the construction site]. 
Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 
Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 

When we were entrenched in Babylon and early in our calling, we often howled prayers all night and every other night for our Lord to release us from severe chastisement when, primarily, all we had to do was acknowledge our sin (Jer 3:13) and get up and walk in His statutes and judgements as the Lord told Joshua following Achan’s sin! An unrepented sin is an “accursed thing” spoken of in Joshuah 7 that we think is a trifling thing and thus our “meat and drink offering”, our prayers are not answered as we think they should.

Jos 7:10  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 
Jos 7:11  Israel [you and I] hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 
Jos 7:12  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 

The day of the Lord is at hand when we obtain his favour by first acknowledging our sins from our heart, and then our ‘fast’ becomes a sweet savour and joy to him.

Joe 1:14  Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, 
Joe 1:15  Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. 
Joe 1:16  Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 

That destruction of our old man within can only be effectively accomplished by the acceptable fast our Lord has chosen that soundly results in forgiveness and brings joy to Christ and eventually to us as we grow in faith and knowledge and learn to walk comfortably in the fire of His word. Our “meat” is either our false doctrinal meal or the spiritual sacrifice Christ desires. Our ‘meat’ offering is our sacrifice of spiritually dying daily to our sins and not pointing our finger at our brother’s sins.

Mat 5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift [prayers for ‘gimme this, or gimme that’ of selfish needs while not acknowledging your sins] to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 

Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 
Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

Isa 58:6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [How? By acknowledging from our ‘publican-like heart our sin] 
Isa 58:7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry [soul within!], and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the [yourself] naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? [FIRST inwardly and outwardly]
Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 

Joe 1:17  The seed is rotten under their clods [shovel; sweep away], the garners [treasure, storehouse] are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered [now shovelled out of the barn is dried up, mouldy and useless]. 

The seed being rotten directly corresponds to us being of our first father, the Devil and thus, his spiritually rotten seed. Wheat seed stored not completely dry in the garner or storehouse goes rotten and utterly stinks. It needs to be shovelled out of the silo by hand and comes out in big, stinking “clods”. Jesus, speaking to those Jews figurative ‘stinking clods’ who believed in him, meaning Christians, says,

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

1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 
1Co 15:35  But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 
1Co 15:36  Thou fool, that [seed] which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 
1Co 15:37  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 
1Co 15:38  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 

1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 
1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 
1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Needless to say, the result of not having good seeds to sow means there won’t be a harvest. As such, the beasts representing the people, groan because their priests have fed the laity Satan’s lies and are “perplexed” at the enigma the entirety of scripture is. Subsequently, the flock is made a desolate woman, even The Great Whore, who rules over the nations.

Joe 1:18  How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

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 [the entire World]. 
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns [Is the Beast] which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts [being those Jews/Christians who believe in ‘another Jesus’  (2Co 11:3-4)] to fulfil his [God’s] will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast [Non-Christian world that includes themselves] until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 
Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, [The Great Whore of Ephraiam-like Christianity inclusive of all other religions] which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Joe 1:19  O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. 
Joe 1:20  The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. 

The beasts of the field, representing mankind, are bereft of the truth in Christ since God gave us all over to spiritual deafness and blindness except for the little flock He called out of Babylon, representing Gentile Christianity and the world.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles [Babylon, the world] be come in.

Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 

Our former dismissal of our Lord’s ‘light bread’ doctrine emanating from his ‘good seed’, meaning the simplicity in Christ, didn’t sensually bond us to Him as it didn’t Old Israel in the wilderness to her Husband. The seed He planted in our hearts rotted in the earthy beast which we are.

Because of women’s intrinsic nature to be emotionally bonded to a husband that enigmatically enchants him and unwittingly curses us all because of her ‘inventive’ nature to capture men’s hearts (Ecc 7:23-29), she becomes the mother of harlots, the Lord’s former wife, Old Israel and us. Subsequently, ‘the beasts of the field perplexedly today cry also unto Christ: for unwittingly, the rivers of Christ’s commands are dried up, and his fiery word hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness’.

Babylonian Christianity found the Bible impossible to systematically piece together for understanding, as it did John regarding his visions in Revelations. Thus, it was much easier to default to the adage, ”Jesus loves you,” since that maxim soothed their consciences, paradoxically condemning them for the looming death in the equally inscrutable Lake of Fire.

Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 

On that note, it leads us next week, Lord willing, to Chapter 2, “The Day of the Lord.” ‘A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains’ Joe 2:2.

Rev 8: 10-11 Part 1, The Third Trumpet Upon The Rivers and Fountains

[Study Aired July 19, 2024]

Rev 8:10  And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11  And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Introduction

The first thing we will do is compare the target of this third trumpet judgment with the target of the third vial:

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

As with the first two trumpets this  trumpet affects “the third part of the rivers and fountains of waters” while the vial mentions no such limit.

Once again, we are confronted with six more symbols in this third trumpet. They are 1) “A great star fell from heaven.” 2) It is “burning as it were a lamp.” 3) It falls upon a third part of the rivers and fountains of water. 4) “The name of the star is called wormwood.” 5) “The third part of the waters become wormwood.” 6) “Many men died of the waters, because the were made bitter.”

Again we must ask, What do these six symbols mean, and where are all these six symbols explained? As always we must remember that these are words out of our Lord’s own mouth which we are to live and keep this very day.

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

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

So “the time is at hand” for “a great star to fall from heaven, burning as it were a lamp.” The time is at hand for that star to fall upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters. The time is at hand for us to know why this star is called wormwood and why it makes a third of the waters wormwood, and the time is at hand for us to know why many men die of those bitter waters. So let’s ask…

What is this great star that falls from heaven?

We were told what the spiritual significance of the word star is in the very first chapter of this book. Stars are angels, and angels are messengers who bring us a message from the Lord. This messenger is bringing us words which are for the seven churches of God.

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

There is no way we can ever go wrong if we simply agree with our Lord’s words that “stars are the angels”, and angels are messengers who bring messages to us. Those messages can be the Truth, which, if we are given to receive it, will be guaranteed to “send a sword” into our lives and separate us from our own physical families and friends and make us “hated of all men”, or those messages can be lies from the Devil which, we are told, will always be smooth words which will make this life easier for us as we love those who love us and hate those who hate us. The messages brought by any angel, or any spirit, are doctrines, and it is the affect of those doctrines that tells us which spirit we are dealing with.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Let’s try the spirits with the Word of God and ask…

Why is this star “burning as it were a lamp?”

It is statements like this which reveal to us what this star in this third trumpet signifies.

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

We have seen that the Word of God reveals that the hail and fire mixed with blood in the first trumpet is the Word of God which shall “sweep away the refuge of lies”, even as the waters of God’s word will overflow that hiding place. We also saw that this is all God’s judgments upon us, His house, in these seven trumpet judgments. We saw that this judgment is done progressively in thirds. Three being the process of judgment, all of these ‘thirds’ again witness to us of the process of judgment, and the revealing of Christ in us, which is the purpose for all of these seven trumpet judgments within our lives.

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

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

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?

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

We have seen that the great mountain burning with fire of the second trumpet is also that same flaming, burning word of God working by little and by little destroying our old man as our new man becomes more like Christ each passing day as His fiery judgment continues its bitter and destructive work against the kingdom of our old man within us.

The holy spirit uses many words to signify the fiery, destructive and bitter works of our Lord’s doctrines upon the kingdom of our old man:

Psa 148:8  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Jer 20:9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

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

There it is. God’s Words are “as a fire shut up in my bones.” Christ is God’s Word, therefore He is that fire, working progressively in thirds upon us. It is Christ who is working everything that is in our ‘earth’ (Eph 1:11). That is the revelation of Jesus Christ we are to ‘read, hear, and keep’ (Rev 1:3), and that is the message of the first two trumpets. That is also the significance of the “fire” in this third trumpet, and that is also be the meaning of our next symbol of…

The rivers and fountains of water?

Christ Himself made this statement about the meaning of this particular symbol:

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

A couple of verses which demonstrate what ‘trees’ signify in scripture, also reveal what rivers of water signify:

Jer 17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Jer 17:8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Just like the pillar of fire that led Israel out of Egypt and gave light to Israel and the same pillar was darkness to the Egyptians, so also, the rivers of waters are life to those in Christ and the same rivers of waters are wormwood, bitterness and death to our old man of those who are not in Christ. To understand how these words apply personally, the Lord has given us a parable about the king of Egypt who typifies our carnal-minded, rebellious old man:

Ezekiel 31 demonstrates how these fountains and rivers of waters are both positive to those in Christ, and negative to those who are not in Christ.

Eze 31:1  And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 31:2  Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

Eze 31:6  All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.
Eze 31:7  Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.

In scripture, Egypt symbolizes and signifies us while we are in the world. We all begin as a “beast coming up out of the sea”, which ‘sea’ signifies this world. We are all “in Adam” (1Co 15:22), and Adam is first in the world. It is this revelation of Jesus Christ which teaches us that He is both the first and the last, and that the first is merely a shadow of the last.

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who [“the first Adam”], is the figure of him that was to come.

Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

The natural man will argue that Christ cannot be both the first and the last Adam. The natural man cannot discern spiritual matters, and he cannot understand how the first Adam can in any way be a figure or a type of the last Adam. However, the Truth of God’s Word is that there must be a shadow before that shadow can disappear in the light of the full Sun at midday. The natural man cannot accept that we are in the process of the revelation of Jesus Christ, and that with Christ we are both the first and the last. The natural man reasons, “Well, did you win the race, or did you come in last?” The spirit answers, “I am the first and the last. I was destroyed, and I died, and I lost the race, so that I could be saved, so I could be given life and so I could be first and win the race.” The Truth is always counterintuitive to our carnal minded old man:

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

In Christ, we are first losers, and through acknowledging that we are losing, we become winners. How many can win? only one can win the race, and that one is Abraham’s “one seed.”

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.

As contradictory as it seems to the natural man, 144,000 somehow, without contradiction to the mind of the spirit, become the ‘one seed.’ It is all right here in this same third chapter of Galatians.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s [one] seed, and heirs according to the promise [and the “one winner” of the race].

This is the “two edged” nature of the word of God, and this same two edged characteristic is true also of these “rivers and fountains of water” here in Revelation 8. They become bitter to our old man whose “fair branches and high stature… because of the multitude of waters…” will be destroyed as he loses his life in increments of thirds as he becomes aware of the fact that he is guilty of hating his brother and therefore of murdering His own Savior.

Why is this angel, this star, called wormwood?

Here in this eleventh verse of this eighth chapter of Revelation is the only place in the New Testament we find this word ‘wormwood.’ This word and this symbol, as all the symbols of this prophecy, glean their weight and meaning from the prophecies of the Old Testament. Let’s once again allow God’s own Word to define this word for us. Here is how this word ‘wormwood’ is used in the Old Testament.

Deu 29:18  Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

There it is. That is the reason we read “many men died because the waters were made bitter.” “Many men” means all men of all time. That is made clear by all these New Testament verses:

Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

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.

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

1Co 3:8  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

1Co 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

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.

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:

We are called ‘saviors’ because it will be through our mercy that “every man” will receive mercy:

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all [every man] in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all [Every man].

Here are the other seven verses in which the holy spirit uses this word wormwood demonstrating the two-edged sword nature of this word:

1) Proverbs 5:4 and its context.

Pro 5:1  My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
Pro 5:2  That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Pro 5:3  For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
Pro 5:4  But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
Pro 5:5  Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Pro 5:6  Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Notice that the words of both Christ and the great harlot are said to be “sharp as a twoedged sword”:

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Wormwood is our time in Babylon listening to the “lips of a strange woman [with] movable ways.”  The lips [and doctrines] “of a strange woman” have an end which is “bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword.”

Is it not truly revealing that Babylonian ministers can prophesy a false prophecy which misses the date and the truth, and yet those who follow them just ignore the fact that they have proven themselves to be false prophets?

Deu 18:20  But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Deu 18:21  And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
Deu 18:22  When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that [is] the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, [but] the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

“Her end is bitter as wormwood” because the great star burning as a lamp is what makes our faith in the twisting of God’s words, His rivers and fountains of waters, into lies, to become a burning bitterness to us. This fifth chapter of Proverbs explains the bitterness that is this star called wormwood which turns God’s rivers and fountains of waters into wormwood when we listen to “the lips of a strange woman.”

Pro 5:7  Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Pro 5:8  Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
Pro 5:9  Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
Pro 5:10  Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
Pro 5:11  And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
Pro 5:12  And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
Pro 5:13  And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Pro 5:14  I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Pro 5:15  Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Pro 5:16  Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Pro 5:17  Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.
Pro 5:18  Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Pro 5:19  Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Pro 5:20  And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Pro 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Pro 5:23  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

“The lips of a strange woman” is the doctrine of Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of the earth. Verse 22 and 23 are the gall and bitterness that is the fruit of this ‘wormwood.’ It is very few Christians who realize that their ‘waters’ have become bitter, and it is few Christians who realize that it is that very bitterness which is designed to destroy the old man within. We must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and that means “Thou shalt not…” is a prophecy of what mankind will do. In this case we do not attend to the wisdom and understanding of our Father. Instead we have all listened to the lips of a strange woman which “lips drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil.” Consequently we have learned that “her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword” just like the Word of God.

2) Jer 9:15. Here is the effect that wormwood has upon us:

Jer 9:13  And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
Jer 9:14  But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
Jer 9:15  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, [even] this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Jer 9:16  I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

“Scatter them among the heathen” includes taking them captive to Babylon, where they (we) all drink the waters of wormwood.

3) Jer 23:15. Wormwood is the effect upon us of false doctrines from false prophets.

Jer 23:15  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

We will pause our study on the spiritual significance of ‘wormwood’ at this point and continue with the remaining five instances of this word in scripture in our next study.