The Spiritual Significance of Numbers:  The Number Four Signifies the Whole

[Study Aired January 9, 2026]

The first mention of the number four is in Genesis 1 in connection with the fourth day of creation:

Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day [The Sun], and the lesser light to rule the night [The moon]: he made the stars also.
Gen 1:17  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19  And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

This first mention of the number four gives us the establishment of the four parts of the physical universe. First was the earth, and then here on the fourth day the Lord creates ‘the sun, the moon and the stars for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.’ This is the whole universe which is now in place. His work upon His creation is not complete but with these additions it is now whole. ‘Whole’ and ‘complete’ are two separate concepts, and the Lord wants us to make that distinction. The signification of the number seven is completion.

The number four throughout God’s Word signifies the whole of whatever is under discussion.

The Whole Earth

Gen 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

Waters in scripture symbolize God’s nourishing Word. It is symbolized here as the nourishment for the WHOLE earth.

Gen 2:6  But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

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

The Whole Tribulation of God’s Elect

Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Isa 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Four hundred years symbolizes the whole period of tribulation endured by God’s elect at the hands of the world. Egypt was a very religious society. Going into Egypt for four hundred years symbolized Israel being carried away into Babylon long before Israel was carried away as slaves into Babylon. Babylon is simply God’s people in captivity in the world. Four hundred years signifies the Whole as opposed to the complete period of time when God’s elect are “strangers in a land that is not theirs.” Four hundred years is the symbol for the time God’s elect spend serving the flesh:

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth [“a land that is not theirs”]

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

The Whole of the Flesh is to be Subdued by God’s Elect

2Sa 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

Notice that four words are used to describe the destruction of our flesh, and only two words are dedicated to our rulership with and through Christ:

Jer 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, [1] to root out, and [2] to pull down, and [3] to destroy, and to [4] throw down, to [1] build, and [2] to plant.

We will see this principle of using far more words to describe our destruction than are used to discuss our victory and rulership with Christ. We will see this at the end of this study when we examine how the number four is used in relation to our judgment.

The Whole of God’s Elect Who are Rejected by This World

1Sa 22:2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

Three groups of men signify the whole body and family of God. 

The Whole Process of Salvation

Pro 30:15 The horseleach [Judaism, the mother of harlots] hath two daughters [Protestants and Catholics], crying, Give, give. [Indulgences, tithes, offerings, etc.] There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
Pro 30:16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

Four Signifies the Whole Process of Apostasy

Pro 30:18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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.
Pro 30:20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

Adultery signifies spiritual apostasy, and “as the way of a man with a maid… such is the way of an adulterous woman.” It is not out in the open, and it is vehemently denied when confronted with the truth of her infidelity. Do not even attempt to tell any of the daughters of the great harlot that:

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

God has blinded the great harlot and all her daughters from seeing that twice repeated word “NOT.” Anyone who denies that Truth is being unfaithful to these words of Christ Himself:

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain [Samaria, signifying the religions of this world], 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 [true] Jews [“which is one  inwardly”, (Rom 2:28-29)].
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers [“inward Jews… of the spirit”] 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 [The Truth of Romans 2:28-29].

Abraham’s physical pedigree is no longer of any more significance to God than that of a Samaritan. Physical circumcision takes away the flesh of the foreskin but does nothing at all to the fleshly heart. Our nation and the great harlot and all of her daughters, both Catholic and Protestant, are committing spiritual adultery when they deny this straightforward doctrine of Christ. Like any harlot, they vehemently deny their adulterous infidelity due to the fact that all that matters to God now is that we all come to know Christ, have His mind, and become a new man:

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

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

Notice that this “Israel of God” is opposed to “Israel after the flesh.”

We have all been spiritual adulteresses:

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 [the whole world] 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.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world [Through his work in the great harlot]: he was cast out into the earth, and his [adulterous] angels were cast out with him.

‘Four’ in the New Testament

The whole body should care for the whole body:

Mar 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

Joh 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest [We are ‘harvesting’ each other].

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.

Four parts of the body are mentioned to signify the whole 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.

Four days signify the futility and the destruction of death:

Joh 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

There are four kinds of corruptible flesh:

1Co 15:39  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

Four states of being signify our whole experience in these vessels of clay:

Rev 22:11  [1] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and [2] he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and [3] he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and [4] he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Our whole covering is Christ as our own four-part garments, and the ‘four… soldiers’ involved in His crucifixion signify the whole of mankind:

Joh 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

Four things in Psalms and four things in Acts are used to signify that all men of all time contributed to the crucifixion of their own Savior:

Psa 2:1  Why do [1] the heathen rage, and [2] the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2  The [3] kings of the earth set themselves, and [4] the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, The whole of mankind is being called of God:

Act 4:25  Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did [1] the heathen rage, and [2] the people imagine vain things?
Act 4:26  [3] The kings of the earth stood up, and [4] the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

The “four corners” of the sheet of Peter’s vision signify that salvation is coming to all men:

Act 10:11  And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Act 10:12  Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Act 10:13  And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Act 10:14  But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Act 10:15  And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common [The ‘beasts’ in this four-cornered sheet represent the whole of mankind].

Four days signify the patience given us by the Lord:

Act 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Four quaternions of soldiers is used to signify the whole-hearted vigilance on the part of the Adversary.

Act 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Philip’s four daughters signify that the whole church serves as the witnesses of Christ:

Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

The four men who are still “zealous of the law” signify the whole church which is still under the law:

Act 21:20  And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
Act 21:21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Act 21:22  What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself [Paul himself at this time] also walkest orderly, and keepest the law [The whole Jewish church was still under the law].

Four anchors keep us safe through the dark stormy night:

Act 27:29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

For winds of heaven signify the whole Word of God which unites His whole church:

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The four beasts signify the whole of the elect who are even now in downpayment form, seated with Christ, enthroned with Christ, in the heavens:

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest [the downpayment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Rev 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever.

The whole church is working in the whole earth and is holding the whole spirit of the earth to accomplish the Lord’s will on the earth:

Rev 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

Here is both the negative and the positive accomplishment of these ‘four angels’:

Jer 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth [The four angels].
Jer 1:10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to [1] root out, and [2] to pull down, and [3] to destroy, and [4] to throw down, [1] to build, and [2] to plant.

The holy spirit uses twice as many ways of describing the destruction of our old man as it uses to describe the blessings of our new man.

This is a principle which we will observe is used by the holy spirit to make us aware of the fact that “in [our] flesh is no good thing” (Rom 7:18).

Nevertheless we must [1] root out, and [2] pull down, and [3] destroy, and [4] throw down all the giants within our land inwardly first. Then “through Christ who strengthens [us]” we will be given “[1] to build, and [2] to plant” :

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The whole work of the cross (the altar is the cross), is signified by “four angels” who are even now working to destroy the strength of our flesh:

Rev 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

The whole world is deceived:

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

We will close with an examination of how the number four is used to express the whole of the Lord’s “four sore judgments”; once in Jeremiah 15 and once in Ezekiel 14.

Jer 15:1  Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
Jer 15:2  And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are [1] for death, to death; and such as are [2] for the sword, to the sword; and such as are [3] for the famine, to the famine; and such as are [4] for the captivity, to the captivity.
Jer 15:3  And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: [1] the sword to slay, and [2] the dogs to tear, and [3] the fowls of the heaven, and [4] the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.

Eze 14:21  For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, [1] the sword, and [2] the famine, and [3] the noisome beast, and [4] the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

It is interesting to note that in Jeremiah 15 the “four kinds” of judgment consist of one inanimate object, 1) “the sword,” and three animate objects  1) dogs to tear, 2) fowls of the heaven, and 3) beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

In Ezekiel the order is reversed and there are three inanimate “sore judgments” 1) the sword, 2) the famine, and 3) the pestilence, and just one animate judgment [1] the noisome beast.

Both are groups of four, and both signify the whole of our judgment.

Finally, we will see that the holy spirit employs about four times more words and phrases to enumerate all of the curses for our disobedience than it does to tell us about the rewards and blessings of being obedient.

I will not read the whole chapter, known as the chapter of blessings and cursings, but I am referring to Deuteronomy 28. All the blessings for obedience are found in the first 14 verses. I will quote just the first three verses of each section:

Deu 28:1  And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deu 28:2  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Deu 28:3  Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

The next eleven verses inform us of all the blessings which will come upon us if we are granted to “listen diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all of His commandments”.

This 28^th chapter of Deuteronomy is 68 verses long, and the next 54 verses all inform us of the curses which will befall us “if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes”. Here are the first three of those 54 verses.

Deu 28:15  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Deu 28:16  Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
Deu 28:17  Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.

If we multiply 14, the number of verses describing our blessing for obedience, by four we get 56 verses. The total of those two numbers is 70, and 70 is just two verses more that the actual number of verses in this chapter of 68 verses total. The point being that the holy spirit sees fit throughout scripture to emphasize the curses of our self-righteous, carnal mind far more that it emphasizes the blessing of being spiritually minded. That demonstrates the counterintuitive wisdom of the mind of Christ who knows what wretched men we all are and just what is needed to best make us aware of that fact:

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Rev 7:1-3 – Part 3, Four Corners of the Earth

[Study Aired November 18, 2009]

[Updated May 25, 2024]

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Rev 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Rev 7:3  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Introduction

We are in chapter 7 of the book of Revelation. Christ has opened six of the seven seals which have the contents of this book closed and hidden from the multitudes who come to Christ. Before we get into the contents of the seventh seal, which consists of much of our judgment being spiritually revealed to us through seven trumpet judgments, the seventh trumpet judgment is the pouring out of the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon the kingdom of our old man which has been dominated by a great spiritual whore. The Lord knows our frame, and He knows that it is at this point we need to be told that He has chosen us to be His “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb (Rev 14:4) and that through our mercy (Rom 11:30-31), “a great multitude which no man can number… all in Adam” will be dragged to Himself:

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

This is how we closed our last study:

Next week, Lord willing, we will compare the spiritual significance of the four horses of Zechariah 1 and Zechariah 6, with the spiritual significance of the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8, and the four winds of heaven which are in the hands of the four angels who stand on the four quarters of the earth here in Revelation 7:1. Comparing the spiritual significance of the things of the Old Testament with the spiritual significance of the things of the New Testament, we will demonstrate the meaning of ‘the earth’ and the scriptural meaning of “the four winds of the earth.”

Comparing the spiritual significance of the things of the Old Testament, with the spiritual significance of the things of the New Testament, we will demonstrate the spiritual meaning of ‘the earth’ and the scriptural meaning of “the four winds of the earth.”

Here is what we are told about the four horses of Zechariah 1:

Zec 1:10  And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These [all four horsemen] are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the [whole] earth.

This is what we are told about the four chariots of Zechariah 6:

Zec 6:5  And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

There are four horsemen in chapter 1, and there are four chariots in chapter 6. In chapter 1 we are told that all four horsemen “are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.” The fact there are ‘four’ tells those who know the meaning of that number that it is ‘the whole earth’ in which they are walking to and fro.

Now look at what is said of the bay horses of chapter 6:

Zec 6:7  And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.

This seventh verse of chapter 6 concerning the bay horses tells us that these bay horses are doing the same thing all four horses do in chapter 1:

Zec 1:10  And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

Applying the principles of ‘the dream is one’ (Gen 41:25-26), the principle of “line upon line and precept upon precept” (Isa 28:9-10), and the principle of “the sum of thy Word is Truth” (Psa 119:160 ASV), we can understand that Zechariah 1:10 does not contradict Zechariah 6:7, but Zechariah 6:7 rather complements Zechariah 1:10. The message of the sum of both chapters and the message of Revelation 7:1 is that the Lord has sent His “four winds [spirits] of the earth (Rev 7:1)… into all the earth” (Rom 10:18) working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11, Rom 8:28) to the intent that “the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men” (Dan 4:17). What is so powerfully wonderful about the message here in Revelation 7 is that “the four winds of the earth” are working the Lord’s work of dragging all men of all time, the whole of humanity, to Himself:

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

Last week we saw that the spiritual significance of the number four is concerned with the whole of any subject, and we saw that the spiritual significance of the four angels is that the work which they do with ‘the four winds of the earth’ affects the entirety of mankind, both the extremely small number of 144,000 “firstfruits unto God and The Lamb” (Rev 14:4), as well as all the rest of  mankind, who later in this 7^th chapter are referred to as “a great multitude which no man could number” (Rev 7:9). Today we will see what the scriptures reveal to be the spiritual meaning of “the four corners of the earth” and “the four winds of the earth.” As always we will do so with a view toward how every word we read and hear can and must be kept and observed inwardly by each of us.

What is the spiritual significance of “the earth?”

What is the scriptural opposite of ‘heaven?” No, it is not hell. The opposite of ‘heaven’ in the scriptures is ‘the earth.’ Notice how the spirit contrasts these two and uses them as a symbol of all that is:

Isa 37:16  O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

Isa 44:23  Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Jer 23:24  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

We saw earlier concerning the “great earthquake” mentioned in Revelation 6:12 that the “earth” is Bible-speak for God’s own people who live in rebellion against Him and His Word. Here are the verses we used to make that point.

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

Jer 22:5  But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

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

So the ‘earth’ is all of us as “Jews who believe in Christ, [who see ourselves as] Abraham’s children, but we are seeking to kill Christ… because His words have no place in us” (Joh 8:30-44). “In Adam” (1Co 15:22), the son of God (Luk 3:38), all “in Adam” (1Co 15:22) become “the earth”, all of mankind in rebellion against his Creator.

The Earth is the Potter’s “Vessel of Clay”

We are reading of “the four corners of the earth” here in chapter 7, and because we will be seeing the word ‘earth’ mentioned throughout this revelation of Jesus Christ, we need to take a much closer look at this word. The word ‘earth’ appears more in this one book than in any other New Testament book. The Greek word translated ‘earth’ is the word ‘ge‘ from which we get our English word ‘geography.’ In the entire new Testament, this word ‘ge‘ appears 243 times. Of those 243 entries, eighty entries, or basically one third of those entries are in this one book; the book of Revelation.

A proper, scriptural understanding of what the ‘earth’ is, is pivotal to understanding this revelation of Jesus Christ. Here are just a few of the verses in this revelation of Jesus Christ, which we are yet to cover, which mention the earth:

Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

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 8:13  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!

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 9:3  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.

Those are only seven entries from the next two chapters where this Greek word ‘ge‘ appears in this revelation of Jesus Christ. The only time this word ‘ge‘ appears here where it is not translated into the English with the word ‘earth’ is in this verse:

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

“The earth” is “all the world.”

“Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1Co 2:13)

In 1 Corinthians 2:13 we are told how the holy spirit teaches us so that the princes of this world cannot see the things we see:

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

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

We are all natural “vessels of clay” before we begin to be given “the mind of Christ”:

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.
1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16  For who hath known [aorist tense – we are coming to know] the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have [present tense – we are in this time being given] the mind of Christ [by “the spirit teaching us [how to] compare spiritual things with spiritual”].

God’s dealings with “the earth” are central to this revelation of Jesus Christ. So we definitely need to establish firmly how the holy spirit uses this word ‘earth’, and once again, what we will see is that when “the holy spirit teaches us comparing spiritual with spiritual” using the word ‘earth’, then that word ‘earth’, through the spirit, no longer refers to the physical earth, but becomes the spiritual type of our earthy bodies in which Christ now spiritually dwells. The same holds true when we read about “the Lamb of God, the bride the Lamb’s wife, the firstfruits unto God and The Lamb.” Every word we speak has a primary physical meaning, and yet the holy spirit bequeaths to those whom He chooses the ability to give each of those words a spiritual meaning which can then be compared to other spiritual words to establish through the sum of God’s Word, line upon line and precept upon precept, that the message of ‘the dream is one’ consistent message even though both cows and corn are used to bring us that one single message.

Let’s see just how true this is. The first two verses of all scripture tells those whom “the holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1Co 2:13) what God is doing with mankind, both in mankind’s heaven and in mankind’s earth.

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

To the natural man who has no understanding of the ‘is, was and will be’ nature of these words of Christ (Rev 1:8), whose words will never pass away (Mat 24:34-35), these words of the first two verses of scripture are nothing more than a history lesson. To the man who knows that all of Christ’s words “are spirit and life” (Joh 6:63), these words are also spirit and they tell him much more than the simple physical Truth of how “the things which are seen” (1Co 4:18, Heb 11:3) came to be and why the Lord made them in a physical realm first. To the man to whom the Lord has chosen to “teach comparing spiritual things with spiritual”, these first two verses of Genesis tell us what God is, was and will be doing in ‘the earth.’

To the man with spiritual discernment, all of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are merely a spiritual shadow of what God is doing with His ‘earth’ and His ‘heaven’ in which He has placed His ‘earth.’ The first day is merely God showing man that there is such a thing as light and darkness, that there is good and evil and that He, and He alone, is the Creator of both (Isa 45:7, Pro 16:1, Pro 16:4)

Gen 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The second day shows us that God has placed a great expanse between our old earthy man and our new heavenly man. He is showing us that the doctrines of the earthy man are not as high as the doctrines and understanding of the heavenly (Isa 55:9, 1Co 15:46-49).

Gen 1:6  And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Gen 1:7  And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
Gen 1:8  And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

The third day, like the first day, shows us that while the sea is of the earth, God separates the dry earth from the seas of the earth, and He reveals that the earth brings forth herbs and the fruits that come of the earth for man to eat. God calls that which is just above the waters of the sea, ‘earth.’ However He does not give strong meat to us before we are able to bear it, so while we are yet only on the ‘earth’, He feeds us only with herbs and the fruits of the earth (Heb 5:12-15, Rom 14:1-2, 1Co 3:1-4):

Gen 1:9  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Gen 1:10  And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13  And the evening and the morning were the third day.

The perception of what is light and what is darkness is greatly increased on the fourth day. Our understanding is now far superior to the mere “knowledge of good and evil” of the light and darkness of the first day. We now understand that our ‘light’ comes from “the Sun of righteousness” (Mal 4:2) in the true ‘heavens”, and we now understand that even the darkness is really just a “lesser light”, and there are “signs and seasons, days and years” to be endured in what God is doing when He “gives us light upon the earth to rule the day and the night.”

Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.
Gen 1:17  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19  And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Comparing spiritual things with spiritual we see that God’s work in the earth is far greater on the fifth day when He causes the sea, out of which the dry land came, and out of which we all come (“the dry land”), to bring forth many and various types of life, over which He later commands us to gain and exert dominion. On the fifth day we also learn that the seas and the earth and the heavens are all very intimately connected, and that the sea waters and the heavens both bring forth an abundant variation of life each in its own realm. It is on this fifth day that we learn that the fowl which are created to fly above the earth in the heavens can and do “multiply in the earth.” In other words, we begin to see that there is a ‘heavens’ of our earth, which is a mere “figure of the true” heavens, which is where Christ dwells and from whence He rules our hearts and minds.

Gen 1:20  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Gen 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:22  And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Gen 1:23  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

It is on the sixth day that God reveals to us His crowning but not yet completed achievement. It is really just a marred prototype of that to which He intends to give the true dominion of all the creatures He has placed upon the earth and in the seas and in the heavens of the earth. It is also on this day that the strong meat is created which will later be given to nourish those who will be given to receive it. Strong meat will not be given to mankind until after the baptism of the flood of Noah, but strong meat is created as “the beasts of the earth” right along with the ultimate ‘beast of the field’ which God calls ‘Adam’, meaning mankind.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men [H120: adam], that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Gen 1:24  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Gen 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27  So God created [Qal stem: is making] man in his own image, in the image of God created [creating] he him; male and female created [Creates] he them.
Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Gen 1:30  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

So the days of creation are a spiritual type of what God is doing with His incompleted, unfinished ‘earth’, which is a spiritual type of our physical bodies. As is always the case, that which is used to typify what is said to be “very good” in Genesis 1 rebels and begins a life of opposition to God in Genesis 3. This use of one symbol, in this case ‘Adam’ (1Co 15:45-50), for both good and evil is continued throughout scripture for all the holy spirit [is] teaching comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1Co 2:13). For example, Pharaoh is a spiritual type of the Father giving the kingdom over to Joseph, who is a spiritual type of Christ, in Genesis 41 to Genesis 50, while in the very next chapter of scripture, Exodus 1, Pharaoh becomes a spiritual type of the ‘seed of the serpent… the man of sin’ who seeks to destroy God’s elect by destroying all of the first born males of Israel. Likewise the ‘earth’ in Genesis 1 typifies the “many called” out of the waters of the sea, who later revert to becoming a part of the sea when it is revealed they “cannot receive” Christ’s Word.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them [the multitudes (vs 2)]  in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them [His disciples], Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Christ affirms this statement in:

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

In passing, the Hebrew word here translated ‘replenish’ in verse 28 is ‘male‘ pronounced ‘maw-lay’ and means ‘to fill.’ It does not mean to refill as some teach in support of their false gap theory doctrine. God is in the process of making mankind to rule over all the beasts and creeping things and the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air. He will be finished with this work when all of mankind, spiritually typified by “a great multitude which no man could number” (Rev 7:9), has entered with Him into His rest on their own spiritual ‘seventh day.’

Gen 2:1  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

It is in the New Testament where we learn that the work of God really is ended on the seventh day, and only after mankind has entered into His rest and has, with and in Christ, “ceased from his own works as Christ did from His.”

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

These words of Hebrews 4:10-11 are just one more example of how the holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Now, for the sake of this study, let us ask of what was mankind made? Many people teach and believe that Adam was made an “immortal soul”, a phrase which appears nowhere in scripture. Most Christians believe that mankind is really a spirit which God has placed into a body of clay. Is there any basis in scripture for such a doctrine? What material does God Himself tell us He used to make mankind? What did He use to make Adam? Here are the plain words which have proceeded out of the mouth of God concerning Adam’s composition:

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Man is not “the breath of life.” Mankind was not made of ‘the breath of life.’ “The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground.” So Adam is “of the dust of the ground.” What happens to Adam when he dies? Is Adam an immortal spirit which needs no resurrection and which goes to his reward the moment of his death, as all of Babylonian Christendom and all Pagan religions teach? What did Adam’s Maker tell Him concerning Adam’s composition and Adam’s fate without benefit of a resurrection from among the dead? What did Adam’s Maker tell him was Adam’s place after his death and until his resurrection from among the dead? Here is what the One who ought to know had to say to Adam concerning Adam’s makeup, and of what sort it was, and what would be the fruit of His transgression:

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

Is that not astounding? Here is our Maker telling us what the wages of our sins are, and He fails to even mention the eternal flames of hell. Instead our Maker tells us that we are “dust … of the ground”, of the earth and we will return to dust, and later we are told that if there were no resurrection, then those who have “fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”

1Co 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ?” Does that not sound like there is hope in Christ, beyond this life? Indeed there is, and it is not even in this life that most men will be saved, because Christ’s Words have no place in the lives of most who believe on Him in this life (Joh 8:37). The reason for this has nothing to do with mankind’s fabled “free will.” The reason most of mankind will be saved after this life is “because they cannot hear Christ’s Words” now.

Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Here is how the Lord likens giving His Words and His doctrines to His people:

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

Here is how God explains His dealings with all who are “in Adam.”

Jer 18:1  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 18:2  Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Jer 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].
Jer 18:5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 18:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Jer 18:7  At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

So mankind is “of the earth, earthy,” and that is why Jeremiah 22:29 reads “Oh earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord.” Let’s look at a few more verses which make clear that the word ‘earth’ is spiritual language for mankind in the first Adam. Here are some examples.

1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [At the resurrection].

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

Jas 5:5  Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

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

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

How true are the words of Jeremiah, “Oh earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” It is only those who are given ears to hear who can “hear the word of the Lord.”

Here, in conclusion, is the function of “the earth” which is in us all:

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves,  and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

This same earthy sentiment is repeated at the end of the New Testament.

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

We will pause here for now and look more closely the spiritual meaning of “the four winds of the earth” in our next study.

We have seen that the four horsemen of Zechariah 1 and 6 help us to understand that the four horsemen of Revelation 6 are one and all spiritual types of those things the Lord is doing with the whole of mankind. They one and all ask to do so and they are commissioned to “walk to and fro through the whole earth, working all things after the counsel of God’s will, which ‘will’, as this seventh chapter of Revelation reveals, is the salvation of “all… in Adam” (1Co 15:22). We did not get to the spiritual meaning of “the four winds of the earth”, but, Lord willing, we will do so in our next study.

[Study Aired January 5, 2023]

 The stages of growth God’s people must go through to come to a mature faith in Christ (Eph 4:13), which leads to our going unto perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32), are typified by the journeys of Judah and Israel in the old covenant.

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

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

We looked at part of the journey last week that symbolized the period of time when the generational curse of Adam was coming to the forefront for Israel, typified by the fourth generation spoken of in 2 Kings 15:12. God will be faithful to judge all in Adam [the fourth representing the whole of humanity that must experience this judgment] each man in his order, starting with Israel, who typifies the Israel of God who were reaping what they sowed, this all being a work of the Lord for our sakes (2Ki 10:30, Rom 9:21-23). 

2Ki 15:12  This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. 

2Ki 10:30  And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. 

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 
Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 
Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 

The Lord’s promise toward Israel (2Ki 10:30) would be carried through because of Jehu’s, the king of Israel, judgment against Ahab, “Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” From a natural perspective it sounds like God is giving Jehu the credit, but knowing God is sovereign tells us that this ability to execute rightly in God’s eyes in declaring judgment on our enemies is only possible through Christ, and that is at every stage of our maturing in the Lord (Joh 8:36).

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

The outline of this promise of God that Jehu’s son would sit on the throne was a time of proving and showing the kings of Israel their inability to rule rightly before God and the nation. “Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.” The ‘fourth’ represents the whole judgment culminating in having the nation of Israel go into captivity of which we read in the 17th chapter of 2 Kings (2Ki 17:6, 2Ki 17:18). Before that, God anointed Jehu king over Israel and avenged the blood of his prophets and servants at Jezebel’s hand, slaying the whole house of Ahab, which was discussed in earlier chapters (2Ki 9:6-10).

Christ is the fourth man spoken of in this living parable found in Daniel 3:25, which again reminds us that it is all a work of God’s sovereign hand making it possible for us to go through a process of judgment [3] because of that fourth man, Jesus Christ, who is with us in the fiery trials of our life not leaving us comfortless (Isa 33:14, Isa 43:2, Joh 14:18, 1Co 10:13). 

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. 

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? [those who are going through a process of judgement [3] with Christ [1] in the midst of their lives]

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

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

Another ‘fourth’ that was recently reviewed is found in Larry Groenewald’s Foundational Themes in Genesis  – Study 59, and I quote:

“The rule with the rod of iron of God’s Word is what brings the iron or flesh into subjection until the day we are finally released from this wretched body of death to inherit our spiritual land which Abram was looking forward to (Rom 7:18-25):

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

The number four is the symbol of wholeness or entirety, as Israel only came out of slavery in the fourth generation. When we think we stand and are self-fulfilled to look down on others, these lustful and proud Amorites in us are not yet fully revealed to us (Luk 18:10-14; 1Co 10:12).”     **end quote

The primary lesson we are learning in the book of kings is that, whether it was a good king or bad king or a somewhat-in-between king, every man’s work must be tried with fire to reveal what sort it is, and Israel’s very fleshly works will be revealed in this section of kings that leads to them going into exile, an exile that typifies the deeper and more profound trials of our life of much tribulation that Christ gives us the faith to endure through, as the author and finisher of that faith (1Co 3:13, Heb 12:2, Php 1:6).

Our hope is that the Lord will start and finish this work of grace through faith (Eph 2:8) in the lives of those who have been predestined from the foundation of this world for that purpose, revealing His firstfruit workmanship which God’s people are to the world (Eph 1:4, Eph 2:10).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

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

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

2Ki 15:16  Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. 
2Ki 15:17  In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
2Ki 15:18  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

This evil king of Israel ruled for [10] years, symbolizing a fleshly rule in the capital Samaria, and he began to reign in the [39th] year of Azariah of Judah symbolizing a process of judgment he is going to go through as he tried to expand his empire, as explained in verse 16 – “Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah.” This carnal king’s desire to expand his borders typifies how we oppressed people when we were in Babylon with all our false doctrines, trying to make proselytes (Mat 23:13-15, 2Pe 2:19) of others even as we rejected what little undeveloped truth they had, symbolized by this horrific event, “all the women therein that were with child he ripped up“, where “all the women” symbolize the churches of Babylon and the “child he ripped up” represents doctrine.

Mat 23:13  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Menahem,^H4505 whose name means “comforter”, represents for us how our flesh wants to proceed to take the kingdom of God by force or violence via selfish means (Mat 11:12), even making deals (2Ki 15:19-20) with those from whom we should really be separating ourselves for the kingdom’s sake, and rather using them to advance our own control over others (2Co 6:17). The comfort therefore that Menahem typifies is devilish and akin to a Nicolaitan spirit which we should hate as God does (Jud 1:19, Jas 3:15), and that spirit is comprised of the lust of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life (1Jn 2:16). He’s an in-it-for-himself king who is not someone who is losing his life for his subjects, but rather gaining his life at the expense of all those he “smote” (Mat 10:39). Verse eighteen just comes out and declares the outcome of this king’s life long-pursuit of eating, drinking and being merry (Luk 12:19-21) with these words:  “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”

Jud 1:19  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

2Ki 15:19  And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. 
2Ki 15:20  And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land. 
2Ki 15:21  And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 
2Ki 15:22  And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead. 

Pul, the worldly Assyrian king, came against the land and therefore Menahem, who should have seen this as a declaration of war, ends up making a treaty with his enemy by bribing him with “a thousand talents of silver.” Why?  So “that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.” So Pul was like a hired hit-man that Menahem was going to use to exact money from the nation of Israel so he could remain in power. We may not think of the churches of Babylon this way, but God’s word says that when we reject Him as being sovereign over us in all things in our life and remain subject to the powers and principalities that rule men’s heavens, we are in fact denying Christ as we try to take the kingdom by force, meaning by our own strength and means as we deny His power and sovereignty in all things (2Ti 3:5, Php 2:12-13, Mic 6:8). 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

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

Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Mal 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings [by operating in our flesh with a spirit of a Nicolaitan].
Mal 3:9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 
Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Mal 3:11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:12  And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:13  Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 
Mal 3:14  Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts [Ecc 7:2-4, 1Co 15:31]?
Mal 3:15  And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered [Psa 73:2-3, Psa 84:10] .
Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

In the negative use of ‘silver’, Pul is given “one thousand talents of silver” representing a controlling work of the flesh which is based on fleshly-manipulated coinage rather than true repentance that, in the positive, is also associated with silver. Menahem “exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria“, which is again a negative example of God’s chastening grace (5X10) as this “fifty shekels of silver” represents the burdens of putting people under the law, or physical tithing, or days, months, times and years. etc… and then ‘fleecing the flock’ of their money which goes into the hand of the Assyrian king that, in this story, represents Satan who owns all the wealth of the land (Mat 23:4, Mat 4:9).

Mat 23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 

The end result of this unholy dynamic between king Pul and king Menahem is that “the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land” — that is, as long as this agreement was in place, otherwise that hedge was coming down. This peace Israel was experiencing was no peace at all (Jer 6:14), which would later prove to be the case for Israel. God was going to take down that wall of safety and bring the nation into captivity, a lot like the story of Job who had a wall hedged around him based on his being self-assured in his own flesh as both these kings were.

Jer 6:14  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

In typical fashion, we’re then told:  “And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.” We see this standard ending to remind us of where our old man is going to end up, “And Menahem slept with his fathers“, and to remind God’s people today that these words are also an admonition and witness for us being written in two (2) places (the book of kings and the book of chronicles) and recorded for our sakes upon whom the end of the ages is come (1Co 10:11).

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

2Ki 15:23  In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years. 
2Ki 15:24  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
2Ki 15:25  But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
2Ki 15:26  And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 

We are witnessing, via these kings, a typical view of the four generations of our own flesh which must be brought into subjection to Christ by much tribulation (Act 14:22). That would explain the manipulating spirit of Menahem, and Pul’s divide-and-conquer approach, along with the betrayal we now read of that the new king of Israel [Pekahiah son of Menahem] is going to experience at the hand of Pekah the son of Remaliah. All of this reminds us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all, and unless the Lord rules in our heavens, we cannot make war against this beastly nature that we have (Jer 17:9, Rev 13:4).

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

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

Pekahiah, the son of Menahem, reigned over Israel in Samaria for two years, and this happened in the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, and witnesses [2 years] to us that this evil king is also going to be chastened by the Lord for our sakes and have his kingdom overthrown. The result of all his troubles as the new king stems back to the same cause “he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin“, and the means by which God was going to take away the kingdom from him is by “Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, [who] conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.” Killing him with “fifty men of the Gileadites” was according to the counsel of God’s will and was a chastening that led to death and not to life, as it did in the life of Saul whose experience was given to him to demonstrate how God will one day begin to work with all these corrupt kings who will be shown great mercy and a pattern of longsuffering just as there was with Paul (1Ti 1:16).

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

2Ki 15:27  In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
2Ki 15:28  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

We are told it is in the 52nd year of Azariah king of Judah that “Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria” and he did so for “twenty years.” The 52 years witness to the chastening grace that Pekah is going to experience (5 and 2=52) and the 20 years ruling is a witness to us that he was ruling in his flesh (2X10=20) and was therefore not fit to be a king who was living to serve his flesh only, as most of these kings did. This was the bad fruit of their lives that again has its origins in not departing “from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.“

2Ki 15:29  In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. 
2Ki 15:30  And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah. 
2Ki 15:31  And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Taking all these cities into captivity (which Gill makes note was the first captivity of Israel in which half their tribes were carried away), represents those things in us that have to be overcome through His chastening grace that teaches us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age (Tit 2:11-12). It is wicked men who are His sword whom God uses (“Tiglathpileser king of Assyria” – Psa 17:13), to accomplish this chastening. 

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

Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

Yet we know that it is by little and by little (Exo 23:30) that our eyes are opened and our flesh is put off, just as all these names and places suggest. Here’s a look at verse 29 using both Strong’s numbers and the Proper Name Bible version:

In the days of PekahH6492 (opening) king of Israel^H3478 (he will rule with god) came Tiglathpileser^H8407 (captive taker) king of Assyria^H804 (plain), and took all the land of Naphtali,^H5321 (my struggle), and carried them captive to Assyria.H804 (plain):

Here are the names of the places in the land of “my struggle” that were taken:

Ijon,H5859 ruin (ruins), and 

Abelbethmaachah, H62 (origins from ‘grassy’ and ‘house’ and ‘pierce/bruise’) (oppression’s house is mourning), and 

Janoah, H3239 (origin from ‘cast down’) (he will give rest), and

Kedesh, H6943 (origin from ‘prepare, purify)(sanctuary), and 

Hazor, H2674 (origin from ‘surrounded by walls’) (village) and

Gilead, H1568 (origin from ‘witness heap’) (mound of testimony), and 

Galilee, H1551 (origin from ‘roll’, ‘remove’, ‘seek occasion’) (revolving wheel),

Hoshea, who was the nineteenth and last king of Israel before their complete exile, was an opportunistic king who “made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah” and represents and witnesses to us (2×10=20) how flesh finds a way to get its own way, and that way leads to death (Pro 11:27-28, Pro 14:12).

Pro 11:27  He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. 
Pro 11:28  He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

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

2Ki 15:32  In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. 
2Ki 15:33  Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
2Ki 15:34  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

Now we see it is in the “second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel” that Jotham the king of Judah begins to reign. He was twenty-five years old and reigned for sixteen years. The second year of Pekah of Judah reigning coincides with the fact that Jotham was twenty-five years old at this point and reigned for sixteen years. It is a positive witness when the king does what is right in the sight of the LORD as he did, and being 25 when he began his 16 year reign, tells us that his rulership was going to witness to God’s chastening and grace (5×5=25) in type and shadow that will make his rulership successful for those 16 years (1+6=7), but wait for it!

2Ki 15:35  Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.

Yes, “Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD” meaning the story is not over for Judah yet and despite the exile they will experience and the dispersion of their nation that would take them far away from their culture and home, God would use this time of great testing to further refine the nation. This should encourage us to see that God really is longsuffering toward us and demonstrates this via the patterns He is working in the lives of all these people, just as He is growing the body of Christ up in the patience and faith of the saints which we will need to be able to endure to the end through the many humbling trials of this life. 

2Ki 15:36  Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 
2Ki 15:37  In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
2Ki 15:38  And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

More kings are being introduced and being sent against Judah, specifically Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, all telling  us that God is not finished working with us as the author and finisher of our faith – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works“, and those works can only be fashioned through fiery trials which is what “Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah” would be used to create in Judah (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17, Rev 3:18) as we will see next week.

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 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: [“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works“] and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Daniel 7:1-8  And Four Great Beasts Came up From the Sea

[Study Aired December 27, 2021]

Dan 7:1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 
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. 
Dan 7:8  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 

Daniel chapter 7 is concerned with what is within us and the external environment which mitigates against the knowledge and growth of Christ in our lives here on earth.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Dan 7:1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 

The first year of the reign of king Belshazzar points us to the significance of the number one, which means unity. Verse 1 is therefore telling us that it is only in union with Christ, who is represented here by king Belshazzar, that we, the elect (represented by Daniel), can be privileged to have Christ unveil to us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. This union with Christ is about our election before the foundations of the world. It is not our works or effort.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

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.

Seeing a vision by night lets us know that Christ came to speak to us during the period of darkness in our lives. In other words, it is while we were yet sinners that He came to us. After our failure to know Him through our own efforts while we were in darkness, our Lord came to us when all hope was gone.

Son 3:1  By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The statement “Behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea” is to let us know how the Lord makes use of His spiritual resources to deal with the flesh of man or the beast. As we are aware, the number four means the whole of the subject under discussion, which in this case is wind. The four winds therefore signify the whole of the spiritual resources of God. The sea also represents the flesh of humanity. What we are being told is that our Lord uses the whole of His spiritual creation to deal with the flesh of mankind or His physical creation. For example, the Lord used the four winds to scatter His enemies and also to give life to the whole of mankind.

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

Jer 49:36  And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

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

Dan 7:3  And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

As we indicated, the number four means the whole of the matter under consideration, and the sea means mankind. So, the four great beasts coming up from the sea signify the whole of the beastly characteristics which emanate from mankind. These four beasts are not separate beasts but form a composite beast within every man, including us, His elect. However, this composite beast has four distinct characteristics as portrayed by the description of various categories of beasts. These characteristics are distinct or diverse from one another.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

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

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

THE BEAST AS A LION

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.

The first description of this beast is that it has the characteristics of a lion. A lion has a positive application and a negative one. In the scriptures, this is how a lion is described in the negative context, which is consistent with the description in Daniel 7:4.

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

Num 23:24  Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

Deu 33:20  And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.

1Ki 20:36  Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

From these scriptures, this is what we can glean concerning the lion nature of the work of the beast within every individual: One key characteristic of lions is their strength in hunting and tearing down their prey. The beast, or the old man, was specifically created by God to have enormous strength to destroy our relationship with Christ.

In Deuteronomy 32:20, we are being told that the work of the lion nature of the beast within us is to tear the arms with the crown of the head. It is only God’s elect who are promised the crown of life. The arm or the hand represents our works. So, a key function of this beast is to destroy our own works or efforts before the Lord so we can rest in Him or depend on God for everything.

In 1Kings 20:36, we are being told part of God’s ways of judging us for our disobedience. He strengthens the beast within like a lion to destroy our walk with Christ or to put us in further spiritual darkness.

Verse 4 of Daniel 7 says that the lion had eagle’s wings. Eagle’s wings in the scriptures refer to God’s provision and protection as shown in the following:

Exo 19:3  And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
Exo 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

Verse 4 of Exodus 19 also means that the work of the lion, as a beast in our lives, is all part of the process of bringing us to Christ.

Now let’s look at how the beast as a lion destroys us.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The lion’s most powerful tool is his mouth. As stated above in Revelation 13:2, the beast within utilizes the mouth to speak great swelling words of man’s wisdom which destroy us or make us worse off. That is how the lion as a beast tears us apart.

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The statement that Daniel observed the wings of the eagle being plucked from the lion is to let us know that at a certain point in our walk with Christ, the Lord removes His protection and provision for the beast within us. That is when we come to see who we really are – that we are a beast!!

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

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

It is when the eagle’s wings are plucked that the lion is lifted up from the earth to stand on man’s feet and is given the heart of a man. We know from the word of God that ‘earth’ means God’s rebellious children who do not hear His words. So, what we are being told is that in our rebellious state, the Lord comes to us to show us who we really are in the sense that we have the heart of a beast and that our walk before Him is not perfect because we are dominated by this beast.

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Gen 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Outwardly, this beast as a lion represents wicked men who are the Lord’s sword.

Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

These wicked men being used as a sword relates to the bitter words spoken against God’s elect and also against one another. The use of wicked men is one of God’s four judgments which are represented by every man’s sword against his fellow. Here is what the sword does:

Jer 2:30  In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

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

2Sa 2:16  And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim [field of swords], which is in Gibeon.

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

1Sa 14:20  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

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

THE BEAST AS A BEAR

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.

In this verse, the beast here is represented by a bear. The beast as a lion demonstrates the swelling words which destroy us. A bear has to do with our walk as shown by the description of the beast in Revelation chapter 13.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

When we are under the control of the beast within, our walk does not please the Lord, and we end up being worse off than before. The process of destruction of the old man starts with a lion speaking great swelling words to deceive us. This deception affects our walk such that our relationship with the Lord is destroyed completely as demonstrated by a bear who has lost her whelps.

Jer 2:5  Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

Hos 13:8  I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.

Amo 5:19  As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

In Daniel chapter 7 verse 5, the beast as a bear raised up itself on one side. Raising up itself means depending on our own strength, which is self-righteousness. The use of “one side” in the scriptures is usually about a demarcation or a boundary. Thus, the bear raising itself on one side is to let us know that our Lord has placed bands on our self-righteousness or iniquity. In other words, our self-righteousness is only for a period of time in our lives.

Eze 4:8  And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

In the scriptures, the first mention of ribs has to do with the making of a woman:

Gen 2:21  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

The bear having three ribs in its mouth signifies that the making of the church of the first born is through the process of judgment shown by the number three of the ribs.  The ribs are between the teeth of the bear. The teeth here represent the sword that devours the poor of the earth and the needy from among men. The poor and the needy refer to the Lord’s elect. It is the sword, which symbolizes the lying words and the false doctrines of the enemy, which in the final analysis, causes the Lord to have an occasion to judge us with the aim of devouring or destroying our flesh.

Pro 30:14  There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

THE BEAST AS A LEOPARD

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.

In verse 6, the beast is described as a leopard, which is consistent with the description of the beast in Revelation 13:2.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The description of the beast within us as a leopard is to let us know that it is impossible to change the beast who is created to perpetuate evil, just as it is impossible to change the spots of a leopard.

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

The leopard having at its back four wings of a fowl means that the beast within is preserved and empowered by the devil. As we have discussed earlier, the number four means the whole of the matter under discussion. So, the four wings of the fowl represent the whole of the power of the devil is made available to the beast within.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The beast as a leopard had four heads, signifying the fact that the whole of the authority and dominion of the dragon has been made available to the beast for its evil course.

THE FOURTH BEAST

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 fourth beast is significantly different from all the other beasts and is characterized by ten horns. This description is the same as the dragon with seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 12:3. So, the fourth beast here represents the dragon, also known as Satan.

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.

The dragon’s most effective instrument, as shown in verse 7, is his iron teeth which devours its prey and breaks them into pieces. As indicated earlier, the teeth of the dragon symbolize the sword, which is the lying words and false doctrines.

Pro 30:14  There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Its teeth are described as that of iron because iron is an instrument of death. In other words, the dragon’s iron teeth signify the lying words and false doctrines which result in our spiritual destruction or death.

Num 35:16  And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

By his iron teeth, the Devil has deceived the whole world, including us at a certain stage in our walk with Christ.

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The Devil stamping his feet on the residue symbolizes the bruising of the heels of the elect. The bruising of his heels means that the devil will influence our walk with Christ. The bruising of the head has to do with the elect overcoming the evil one.

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The fourth beast, or the dragon, is described as having ten horns. The number ten means the perfection of the flesh in unlawfulness. Horns in the scriptures signify strength. So, the ten horns of the dragon connote its strength in perfecting the flesh in unlawfulness. As we have stated earlier, the strength of this beast is in its iron teeth which symbolize the sword. This sword is the lying words and false doctrines of the dragon by which he has deceived the whole world.

In Revelation 17:11-14 we are given more insight into the ten horns as follows:

Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Here we are told that the ten horns represent ten kings. This means the ten kings signify ruling doctrines within us which resist the word of God when it comes to us. In verse 13 of Revelation 17, we are told that the ten kings have one mind of giving their power and strength to the beast, which in this case is the dragon or Satan. This means that the aim of these ruling false doctrines in our lives is to make us servants of the devil, our father. At a certain stage of our walk, the devil was indeed our father until Christ came to us with the brightness of His coming.

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

In verse 14, it is said that these ten kings or ten horns make war with the lamb. This is to stress the point that these ruling doctrines within us resist the word of God which is the lamb or Christ. However, if we are destined to overcome, then Christ shall come to us with His brightness which is His words to destroy these ruling doctrines or ten kings or ten horns.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Dan 7:8  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Another horn came up while Daniel was wondering about the horns. This horn is not the eleventh horn, as the sum of God’s words shows us there are only ten horns on the beast. However, this horn is actually the eighth, as its appearance resulted in the plucking up of three of the horns, leaving only seven horns together with this new little horn as the eighth. The number eight stands for new beginning or the new man, and so this little horn represents the new man.

Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The three horns plucked up by the roots lets us know that it is through the process of judgment that the horn, representing all that resists the Lord in our lives, is pulled down. This judgment is effectuated through the fire of the word of God in the mouth of His elect.

Jer 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man and a mouth speaking great things. This means that along with the coming of the new man in our lives comes the opening of our eyes to see the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and to make known or speak about the great and mighty things the Lord is doing for us, the elect, first and then the rest of mankind.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

1Ch 17:19  O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

CONCLUSION

In view of all that we have been told of this composite beast, we are admonished to take the following stance in our quest to see its destruction in our lives:

Jas 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The proud here in James is you and I who think we can serve the Lord in our own strength. When we rely on our own effort to serve the Lord, we are no match for the beast within. The humble are those who have come to know they are beasts and that it is only the Lord who can save them from this evil beast within them. God giving grace to the humble is to make us aware that it is the Lord’s grace that makes the difference between the called and the chosen. Both the positive and the negative aspect of grace are what God gives to the humble to be able to resist the devil within (the composite beast) to flee from us. To flee here implies to be defeated. Now let’s look at these aspects of God’s grace.

In a positive sense, grace means Christ coming to us to be our helper of our lives and enjoyment.

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Psa 46:1  To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

The law by Moses is to let us know that our efforts cannot accomplish anything. It only makes us aware of being sinners. It is when Christ comes to us to be our lives or a helper so we become overcomers.

The negative aspect of grace is God’s chastisement or judgment.

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

As we are aware, ‘teaching’ here means chastening. It is through God’s chastening we learn righteousness or become overcomers of the raging beast within us.

So, receiving grace from the Lord is what gives us the strength to resist the devil, or this composite beast, so that he flees from us. We must remember that the fourth beast (which is the devil who influences the composite beast within) is defeated when we overcome the beast within. In other words, when the beast within is defeated, the devil’s influence in our lives to cause us to go against God is significantly diminished or destroyed.

Since it is the Lord who is using all His spiritual resources to deal with the beast within every flesh to bring us closer to him, we are advised by the Lord as follows:

Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

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.

Here we are dealing with the evil outside of us, which we are admonished not to resist as it is all part of Lord’s ways of bringing us to Himself.

May the Lord have mercy on us to receive grace upon grace from Him as we see the end of the age approaching!! Amen!!

Psa 119:17  GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Psa 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psa 119:19  I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
Psa 119:20  My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Psa 119:21  Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Psa 119:22  Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Psa 119:23  Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Psa 119:24  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

Psa 119:25  DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
Psa 119:26  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
Psa 119:27  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
Psa 119:28  My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Psa 119:29  Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
Psa 119:30  I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Psa 119:31  I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
Psa 119:32  I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

One of the main points brought out regarding Aleth and Beth which will continue to be witnessed throughout this Psalm is that Aleth is connected to “the way”, the “Alpha and the Omega” (Rev 22:13), Jesus Christ who is our strength and sacrificial ox who loves us and who abides with our heavenly Father where they make their dwelling place with us in this house, “Beth”, where we are given strength of heart to endure and overcome because of the bread of life, Christ, who is in our midst (Joh 6:35). He is our peace, and we are more than conquerors through him Who loved us first and called us as the Israel of God, the apple of His eye.

Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Joh 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.

Psa 104:15  And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Zec 2:10  Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: [Rev 19:7] for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

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

In this week’s study we will be looking at the third and fourth letters of the Hebrew alphabet, Gimel and Daleth, found in Psalm 119:17-32 to learn how these verses apply to God’s elect today and to all of the world in time. Not surprisingly, because the number three is involved and “Gimel” being the third letter in the Hebrew alphabet, we can be certain that “the process of spiritual completion” will be the main subject at hand for those eight verses. The letter, “Daleth”, being the fourth letter in the alphabet, will have us looking at verses which are connected to “the whole” as that is what four represents in the bible.

Third letter in the Hebrew alphabet Gimel^H1580  Three = The process of Spiritual Completion

Study link for the number three.

Fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet Daleth         Four = The whole
Study link for the number four.

The meaning of these two Hebrew letters should also shed some insight as to what our Lord is showing us about this section of Psalms and how it applies to our own lives in Christ.

GIMEL H1580
gâmal
gaw-mal’

A primitive root; to treat a person (well or ill), that is, benefit or requite; by implication (of toil) to ripen, that is, (specifically) to wean: – bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, + serve, wean,yield.

DALETH fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Biblical meaning of the number four.

As we go through this entire Psalm 119 in the next few weeks, we will look at the definition of the letters and the meaning behind their chronological order which remind us of the decent and orderly way (1Co 14:40) God’s plan of salvation is unfolding, of which plan Christ tells us, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.[Eph 4:6, 1Co 15:28]

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven^G3772 and earth^G1093 pass^G3928, one jot^G2503  or one tittle^{G2762 (G2768)} shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [This verse is another witness to the truth that the sum of God’s word is truth (Psa 119:160 ASV)].

Christ, who is our hope of glory (Col 1:27) will fulfill this process of maturing us beyond the letter of the law [one jot G2503  or one tittle G2762 (G2768)] taking us beyond the perfection of the flesh [the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet] and causing the new man to be formed within, as through the author and finisher of our faith which He is (Php 1:6) [“iota”, the name of the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet].

G2503
iōta
ee-o’-tah
Of Hebrew origin (the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet); “iota”, the name of the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, put (figuratively) for a very small part of anything: – jot.

These verses in Revelation 21:1-10 explain how the first Adam will pass away; meaning his purpose will be fulfilled [one tittle^{G2762 (G2768)}] and the new man will be formed out of the loss of the old man (Joh 12:24). It is the new man’s hair “not an hair of your head perish” that continues on, and that hair for the elect is symbolically understood in these verses (1Co 11:6-34)  which explain how we must be “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Luk 21:18).

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Luk 21:18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish^G622.
Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

[The context of these verses in Luke above talks about patiently possessing our souls through the process of dying daily, which will happen when we are prepared and adorned properly as the bride of Christ. That adorning mentioned is symbolically understood by talking about hair in 1 Corinthians 11:6-34, which is paralleled with the real physical decorum that is also expected in the house of God].

To be dealt bountifully with by the Lord means that we are going to bring forth much fruit, and we know that when a tree is pruned, meaning we are judged in this age (1Pe 4:17), that this judgment does not destroy our spiritual head, Jesus Christ, our hope of glory, our vine, within (Col 1:27, Joh 15:5).  In fact, the very opposite is accomplished as patience is formed through the destruction of the old man, and the rebirth of the new man within us comes forth through the pruning process (Joh 15:1-8). That is what Christ is telling us when He says “not an hair of your head perish^G622“. If we are granted to continue in Christ and continue to hear His word “in an honest and good heart”, much fruit is eventually going to come forth through this process (Luk 8:15, Col 1:24).

God’s judgment begins at His house today, and this is the reason we can bring forth the much fruit which He desires of us (Joh 15:8). That process of judgment, which the number three represents (“Gimel”), is connected to God’s kind of first fruits (Jas 1:18, 1Co 15:20, Luk 13:32) who are predestined from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4, 1Pe 1:20) to ripen in this life and go on to perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32). The peaceable fruit of righteousness cannot be born without the fiery trials and the mercy and kindness of God which sustains us through those encounters He gives us (Act 14:22).

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

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

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

Psa 119:17  GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

When God “deal[s] bountifully with his servant that [he] may live [by keeping] his word”, it will be through judgment that this is made possible.

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.

That judgment in the earth is described for Christ and His body right after Christ states what we just read in Luke 13:32 regarding going onto perfection. It is when we walk with our Lord and go outside the camp (Heb 13:13) that we witness to the world through that walk these words written for us, “It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.” The only way we can accomplish this walk is through Christ as we are raised together in heavenly places, in Jerusalem above, who is the mother of us all.

Luk 13:33  Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

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

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

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

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

We “keep thy word” in our heart in an undefiled manner only after that word has been tried by fire (1Pe 1:7), and that is the resulting effect our trials will have upon the word of God within us as we go outside the camp with Christ bearing his reproach (Heb 13:13-15).

Psa 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

The pattern emerges for us regarding the third letter “Gimel” that has everything to do with judgment, and in this verse, we are reminded that God has opened up our eyes to be able to “behold wondrous things out of thy law“. The law is what judges us, and that judgment comes in the form of the wondrous works God does unto the children of men who are spiritual Jews indeed, being judged by the law of liberty which is in Christ alone.

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Gal 6:4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

If we are not bearing each other’s burden and going without the camp, the Lord will remind us, as he did His disciples in these verses listed below. This kissing of the son is what we do for each other, by washing each other’s feet, and that is how we “deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, serve, wean, yield” and ultimately ripenon the Vine that is Christ.

Luk 7:45  Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish fromthe way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed areall they that put their trust in him.

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

GIMEL^H1580
gâmal
gaw-mal’
A primitive root; to treat a person (well or ill), that is, benefit or requite; by implication (of toil) to ripen, that is, (specifically) to wean: – bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, + serve, wean, yield.

Psa 119:19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

We have a guide in this earth when we know that we can’t see without Christ (Joh 9:41, Joh 15:5, Joh 5:30). Israel, the world, was meant to be blinded as blind guides to the blind, until we are called out of her and caused to see by Christ who is our Shepherd, the one who hides not his commandments from us.

God’s elect are being typified by the “stranger in the earth” who cries out by the faith granted us in Christ to say, “Hide not thy commandments from me.” These who all died in faith, died in a typical faith that prophesied of hope which was going to come to us (1Pe 1:12-13, 1Co 10:11). We must “gird up the loins of our mind” knowing that judgment is upon the house of God and that we have been called to learn obedience by the things that we suffer, thinking it not strange that our faith must go beyond typical faith of old, to become tried faith through the process of judgment to which God has called us – “Gimel”.

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

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.
1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

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

1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

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:

Psa 119:20  My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

When God’s words are sweet to us and seen as the words of eternal life which leave us saying, “To whom shall we go” when we have respect^G578 unto the recompense of the reward (Heb 11:26), when “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28), including the good and the evil in our life, then our souls will break with a longing for His judgments not just in our earth (1Pe 4:17) but for “the whole creation [that] groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” and will also need to be purified by the fiery words of God’s judgment (Rom 8:22-23). God’s judgments are always progressive and will conclude in the lake of fire for the rest of humanity (Rev 20:6, 1Co 6:3). God’s elect drink that cup now and long for the rest of the world to partake of that judgment as Christ desired to drink it with his disciples (Mat 26:29, Mat 20:23). The lake of fire is where perfection will be accomplished for the rest of God’s creation, where the trying of God’s word through fiery judgment will bring an end to the sinful nature of Adam, thereby destroying the last enemy, death, which manifests as a result of sinning (Rom 6:23, 1Pe 4:1, Rev 20:10-14).

Psa 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psa 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

Pro 16:24  Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Pro 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

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

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect^G578 unto the recompence of the reward.

G578 Respect
ap-ob-lep’-o
From G575and G991; to lookawayfrom everything else [Mat 19:27], that is, (figuratively) intently regard:– have respect.

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

God’s elect

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

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

Luk 22:15  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: [Death]
Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:[Death]
Luk 22:18  For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; [Rom 6:11]
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

The rest of humanity

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. [Death]
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [Death]
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord [Joh 14:6].

Psa 119:21  Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Psa 119:22  Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Psa 119:23  Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
Psa 119:24  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

That part of us that has not been judged yet of God will be rebuked of him and cursed in this age if He is working with us (Deu 21:23, Gal 3:13, Gal 2:20). That is how we can stop erring “from thy commandments”. Only when God judges us will we be able to have “reproach and contempt” removed from us that results from our not keeping “thy testimonies”.

When you are truly being judged in this age, as Christ was, it will be the men of renown who come up against God’s elect as they did in Moses’ day, typified by this verse: “Princes also did sit and speak against me” (Num 16:2, Num 16:41). Like Moses, who typifies the elect, we are the ones who deliver each other as Moses did the Israelites by God’s power, and yet those who were not of us forget that deliverance which was once given from Egypt and by whose hands it was accomplished (Ecc 9:14-15).

We continue to serve one another and “meditate in thy statutes” (Php 4:4-9), where God’s words are sweet in our mouth, and when we are subject to one another (Eph 5:21) as unto Christ, with the counsel He gives us to keep us safe in this life: “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.“

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Php 4:6  Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Psa 119:25  DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

God has enlarged our hearts as His children to be able to overcome in this life (Rev 3:21), and that could never happen except the Lord build the house as He quickens our soulish hearts which naturally cleave to the earth (Gal 5:17, Joh 6:63). “My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word“.

Psa 119:26  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

When God does quicken us with His word and leads us unto repentance (Rom 2:4), He is in the process of saving us through grace and faith (Eph 2:8) so we can be a true witness of His body who can say, “I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.” We declare before all the world that there is nothing good in flesh and that we don’t know Christ after the flesh any longer (2Co 5:16), but rather we recognize the power of the resurrection that Christ is in each of us (Joh 11:25) whom He has caused to be spiritually raised together in the earnest of this relationship (Eph 1:14), enduring together until the end, overcoming until the end so that we can be saved (Mat 24:13).

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Psa 119:27  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

God has to make us “to understand the way of thy precepts“, and that miracle of seeing and hearing is given to very few (Mat 22:14) in order to show all that God’s purposes will stand and are standing as a result of the judgment God’s elect will first go through “that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ” (Eph 1:11-12).

The fourth letter we are looking at is “Daleth”, meaning the whole, and all men will be saved but each man in his order (1Co 15:22-23, 1Jn 2:2).

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust [Eph 1:12] in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

“So shall I talk of thy wondrous works” is speaking of the struggles and burdens we share as one body; “thy wondrous works” that are wondrous because they are not in vain, just as our labour of love for one another is not in vain.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man sufferas a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Psa 119:28  My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Psa 119:29  Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

Being called and chosen in this age comes along with the certainty that we are going to have heaviness of heart, hearts or souls that are pierced, and will be in need of crying out “strengthen thou me according unto thy word“. It is through the struggles that we will learn of His faithfulness to see us through the night where we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities that God brings us to cry out “Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously” so that we can overcome as Christ did.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Psa 119:30  I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Psa 119:31  I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.
Psa 119:32  I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

We may choose to follow the Lord in our own hearts and minds that go in a way which seems right to us (Pro 14:12), but ultimately it takes all of these things spoken of in these last two verses of this study in the lives of those in whom the Lord is working in order for us to be saved in this age, and that is the type and shadow lesson being prophesied unto us for our sakes at which we are looking. The psalmist starts off with “I have” and “I will” with no understanding of Philippians 2:13.

Psa 119:30 “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” (Mat 22:14).
Psa 119:31 “I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.” (Joh 6:44).
Psa 119:32 “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.” (Eze 36:26).

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

We may run in this life, even having done many wonderful works unto the Lord, but in the final analysis, God has put a seal on those who are His (2Ti 2:19), the weak and despised things of the world (1Co 1:26-29) whom He will cause to “run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart” through Christ (Php 4:13).

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Psa 68:3-11

Psa 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Psa 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Psa 68:7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
Psa 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Right near the end of the Psalm we are looking at in this study we find the title of our study in verse 34 which says “Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.” Those words truly define the exercise that we are all called unto as the Lord makes his strength perfect through the Israel of God (Gal 6:16) who is was and will be perfected by the means that God has devised to reconcile all His creation (2Sa 14:14). That means is described in verse 34 of this Psalm as “his excellency” and “his strength“, which we know He is making perfect through the weak and marred vessels of clay that God created (Jer 18:4). He is making his strength perfect through us today, and we can conclude in this verse 34 that we are those clouds that He is perfecting and preparing to bring his strength and excellency over the rest of Israel in their appointed time as the body of Christ.

In our last study we examined the negative and positive use of the word ‘scatter’ to some degree and were reminded of how all the promises of God are ‘yes’ in Christ (2Co 1:20), meaning every word by which we live is essential and needful to understand how God scatters the first vessel of clay and brings out of that experience a new creation or vessel of honour that is fashioned by the same God who made the first man Adam to be destroyed and not able to inherit the kingdom of God (1Co 15:50).

It is through this process of tearing down and building up that the new creation is formed at the expense of the old.

Mar 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The garments of Christ, which represent the righteousness of Christ, are first scattered like the elect who are scattered in four parts. Each soldier got a part of Christ’s clothing, and there were four parts distributed. The number four represents that scattering of all the world, because all have sinned and gone astray and have been scattered as this event symbolizes. This parable also tells us what we must do to Christ first by making merchandise of his righteousness, his garments, and it is all done or accomplished by casting of lots which reminds us again that all these actions were predestined and accomplished for our learning and admonition.

Lev 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

What a blessing to know that when it comes time for mankind to try to rip the righteousness of Christ away from Him and His body, God does not let them prevail, but rather as we again read in this prophecy and parable of Joh 19:23-24, the garment cannot be ripped, and God inspires the actions of these men to preserve the word or cloth of Christ just like the Jews who were given to keep the oracles of God (Act 7:38, Rom 3:2).

Mat 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

Joh 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
Joh 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

In this study we will look more closely at the effect of Christ’s excellency and strength working in our lives and what is the fruit that is produced as a result of this blessed relationship were given to share today.

Psa 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

The pattern is revealed again how there is joy in the morning after weeping endures for a night (Psa 30:5, Mat 26:75). This is when we sing praises to his name: and extol him that works in our heavens by His powerful spirit or excellency and strength which we ascribe unto him.

Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Psa 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

God is turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers and showing us that without him we are spiritually fatherless and widows without our true groom (Mal 3:1, Mal 4:6).

God takes care of His children who have the honour of coming out of this world and understanding the shadows and types that are hidden from our own flesh and blood family who are deceived and cut off from God today for our sakes (Luk 10:24).

It takes his dwelling in “holy habitations” to convince us of this new family relationship where we now honour our heavenly Father and are no longer of our father the devil. We recognize that we are spiritual widows for having been dragged out of Babylon (Rev 18:4, Joh 6:44) which is a “dry land” that keeps people bound to lies where there is no stay of bread or water to be had (Isa 3:1).

Psa 68:7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
Psa 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The parallel thought for us in this verse is found in Hebrews 10:32 where we’re encouraged to remember the former days and what great struggles we were given to bring us closer and closer to that place where we don’t trust in our own flesh but in God alone (2Co 1:9, Pro 3:6-9).

Unless our earth shakes and our heavens (our minds) drop at the presence of God (Rom 14:11) we will not come to know God and Jesus Christ in this age (1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 5:6-9). The bride of Christ that comes up on Mount Sinai is of a meek and quiet spirit today and ultimately is becoming that example of a city set on a hill or nation which God provides for the world to learn of His glory and power (Oba 1:21, 1Pe 3:4, Isa 66:7-8).

Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

So on one hand we have the whole stay of water and bread taken away contrasted with what God is doing with those who are His in this age. Our inheritance is in Christ, and we are Christ’s inheritance (Eph 1:18, Col 1:12, Joh 8:12, Mat 5:14), and God is making His strength perfect through this weary flesh by sending “plentiful rain”.

God has called the “poor” of the world to be rich in faith (Jas 2:5), which demonstrates His goodness and desire to not overlook any crumb (Joh 6:12, Mar 7:28), any part of his creation, for He so loved the world that He gave Christ and His body (Joh 3:16) for the feeding of the masses of humanity. As we read “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.“

God’s elect are called in this age to witness to His great power as we demonstrate not just how God can take a small scattered group and do a great work through us, but also how that work ascribes to the world His strength and excellency in making us one body of believers, one bread and a ministry of disciples who love one another and are being used to ultimately reconcile all the world by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers (Mal 4:6).

Video Links

Rev 7:1-3 – Part 1, Sealing The 144,000

Updated May 17, 2024

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Rev 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Rev 7:3  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Introduction

As always, we must keep ourselves focused on how these words “proceeding from the mouth of God,” can be “lived by” (Mat 4:4), and “kept” by “he that reads and hears the things… written therein” (Rev 1:3). It will help us to do this if we remember what the goal is of those who are given to read, hear, and keep the sayings of this book. That goal is to “have a part in the first resurrection” and preclude having any part in the second death:

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

This “first resurrection” is the “work of God” about which the multitude inquired. This multitude is the five thousand who had just been miraculously fed by Christ. They wanted to know what was expected of them to “endure unto everlasting life.”

Joh 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The multitudes did not realize it, but what they were asking was, “How do we keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book?” Christ’s answer reveals that our works are not our works at all, and our faith is not our faith at all:

Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

‘Believing on Him whom He hath sent’ means that if Christ makes a statement, then we must believe what He says and do what He says to do. For example, if He says:

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Then “the work of God” is for us to believe on Him whom He has sent”, and not say the exact opposite, and attempt of twist and distort the doctrine of ‘living by ever word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ into meaning the exact opposite of those very words, and teach that even “he that overcometh” must also “be hurt of the second death” because the words ‘second death’ have proceeded out of the mouth of God. What utter heresy! Such a doctrine removes all incentive to overcome in this present time because there is no way to avoid being ‘hurt of the second death.’

There are two separate and distinct groups in this seventh chapter. The first group is numbered as being 144,000. The second group comes after the first group, and we are told that it consists of “a great multitude, which no man could number.” The first group is the first to die to their carnal-minded, rebellious old man in “this present time” (Rom 8:18). The second group consists of all the rest of mankind who are not part of the 144,000. The 144,000 who rule are raised up in “the resurrection of life” which occurs just prior to the beginning of the one-thousand year reign of Christ and His 144,000 “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb.” The second group “which no man could number” is the latter harvest whose judgment did not begin at the house of God… in this present time” (Rom 8:18). This “great multitude which no man could number” is the latter fruit of the redemptive work of Christ’s sacrifice. They are the second group who must die to the kingdom of their own carnal-minded rebellious old man. Hence the phrase “the second death… [which] is the lake of fire/white throne judgment, which immediately follows the short season of rebellion by the nations in the four quarters of the earth… when the thousand years are expired.”

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

It is only after the destruction of all flesh in all “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” that we are told that all of mankind, “a great multitude which no man could number”, stand before a “great white throne” in what Christ calls “the resurrection of damnation” (Joh 5:28-29), which should read ‘the resurrection of judgment.’ “The resurrection of judgment” is the judgment of those who “obey not the gospel of Christ… in this present time.” It is at this judgment, the great white throne judgment, that “them that obey not the gospel of Christ” will appear, in answer to Peter’s rhetorical question in 1 Peter 4:17, below.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged [“the resurrection of judgment” (Joh 5:28-29)] every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This [“resurrection of judgment” (Joh 5:29-29)] is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? [The answer is they will appear at the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-15]
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? [Rev 20:11-15]
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

It is most instructive that this seventh chapter reveals the salvation of all mankind before the judgments of the seventh trumpet and the seven last plagues are revealed to us. This is the point of doing that:

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 [the “great multitude which no man could number” (Rev 7:9)] also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Now with this assurance of the salvation of all men, the holy spirit has prepared us to begin to understand “the work of God which He is working “after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11).To begin to understand the way the Lord will accomplish this goal of the salvation of His firstfruits, and the salvation of all men we must first learn the Biblical meaning of the words ‘four’, ‘angels,’ ‘winds’ and ‘earth.’

We will demonstrate with the scriptures themselves that the number four signifies the whole of whatever is under consideration. We will show that ‘angels’ are messengers with a message or doctrine, that ‘winds’ and angels both effect the work of God with all of mankind, and we will again demonstrate that the ‘earth’ signifies the many called who are in rebellion against the doctrines of their own Creator.

What does the number four signify in scripture?

Here we will review our earlier study on this number. Once we know the scriptural meaning behind this number, and the scriptural meaning of the words ‘angel,’ ‘winds,’ and ‘earth,’ then we will understand the meaning of “the four angels,” “the four corners of the earth,” and “the four winds of the earth.”

Here are a few of the scriptures which reveal the Biblical meaning of the number four.

Four Equals The Whole

The number four throughout God’s Word signifies the whole of whatever is under discussion.

The whole earth:

Gen 2:10  And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
Gen 2:11  The name of the first [is] Pison: that [is] it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold;
Gen 2:12  And the gold of that land is good: there [is] bdellium and the onyx stone.
Gen 2:13  And the name of the second river [is] Gihon: the same [is] it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
Gen 2:14  And the name of the third river [is] Hiddekel: that [is] it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river [is] Euphrates.

Waters in scripture symbolize God’s nourishing Word. It is symbolized here as the nourishment for the whole land of Havilah and the whole land of Ethiopia. While the words ‘the whole’ are not used along with the rivers Hiddekel and Euphrates, nevertheless “the sum of God’s Word” (Psa 119:160) will demonstrate that this number always carries with it the significance of ‘the whole’ of whatever is under consideration.

Here is the link to our studies on the spiritual significance of the number four:

The Number Four

The whole tribulation of God’s elect:

Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Four hundred years symbolizes the whole period of tribulation endured by God’s elect at the hands of the world. Egypt was a very religious society. As such it symbolized Israel being carried away into Babylon long before Israel was carried away as slaves into Babylon. Babylon is simply God’s people in captivity in the world. Four hundred years is but the ‘whole’ as opposed to the complete period of time when God’s elect are “strangers in a land that is not theirs.” Four hundred is the symbol for the whole time God’s elect spend under the dominion of the flesh:

The whole of the flesh is to be subdued by God’s elect:

2Sa 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

The whole of God’s elect who are the outcasts of this world.

1Sa 22:2  And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

The whole process of apostasy:

Pro 30:15 The horseleach hath two daughters [ Protestants and Catholics], crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
Pro 30:16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
Pro 30:18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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.
Pro 30:20  Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

The whole of God’s elect in the whole earth:

Isa 11:12  And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

‘Four’ in the New Testament

The whole body should care for the whole body:

Mar 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

Our flesh is wholly slothful.

Joh 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

The whole of death will be destroyed:

Joh 11:17  Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

Our whole covering is Christ:

Joh 19:23  Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

The whole time of our struggles with the flesh:

Act 7:6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

The whole of mankind will be called of God:

Act 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: [The animals in this sheet represent the whole of mankind]

Wholeness of patience:

Act 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Whole-hearted vigilance on the part of the Adversary.

Act 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

The whole church should witness of Christ:

Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

The whole church is under the law:

Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

Being wholly anchored in any way:

Act 27:29  Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

The whole of God’s elect:

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Rev 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. The whole spirit working with the whole church:

Rev 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

The whole strength of the cross (the altar is the cross), versus the strength of the flesh:

Rev 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

The whole world is deceived:

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

The Greek word translated as ‘quarters’ here in Revelation 20:8 is G1137, ‘gonia’. It is best translated as ‘quarters’ instead of corners. It is an entirely different word than the word translated as ‘corners’ describing the “great sheet knit at four corners” full of unclean beasts which was shown to Peter in Act 10. That word is G746, ‘arche’, and has nothing in common with the word translated as ‘corners’ here is Revelation 7:1. It would be best translated as ‘quarters’ here in Revelation 7:1. ‘Arche’, G746, is most often translated as ‘beginning’ as in this verse:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning [G746: ‘arche’] was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This word ‘arche’ generally conveys the concept of being first in power or position, but it is also translated as ‘corners’ as in the “four corners” of the sheet let down to the earth before Peter in Acts 10. That is a study for another time and place.

The earth is a sphere, and this Greek word, G1137, ‘gonia’ conveys the concept of something that is capable of being quartered as we speak of quartering an apple or any piece of fruit. These “four angels” were “standing on the four quarters of the earth”. It does not convey the corners of a flat rectangle like the sheet of Acts 10.

What do the ‘winds’ signify?

Rev 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

We learned in the previous chapter that the shaking of a fig tree by a “mighty wind” causes it to cast its “untimely figs”:

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

The Greek word translated here as ‘wind’ is G417, ‘anemos’, and it is used to signify the work of both Christ and the adversary. Those “untimely figs” which are caused to be cast from the fig tree by a “mighty wind” signify the deadly fruits of our many false doctrines which are exposed for the lies they are when “the spirit of Truth”, Christ and the doctrines of Christ are made known to us:

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth [“A mighty wind”]; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he [Christ] dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Jude uses this same symbol to signify the negative application of this same Greek word, G417, ‘anemos’:

Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds [G417: ‘anemos, “every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14)]; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind [G417: ‘anemos’] of [false] doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

This ‘amemos’, ‘wind’ is the spirits we are commanded to try before we believe them:

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets [with false doctrines] are gone out into the world. [Doctrines are spirits which dominate our lives]

These “four winds” will also “hurt the earth”, which ‘earth’ signifies those who are not sealed with the seal of God (vs 3).

Summarizing what we covered today:

We have learned that this seventh chapter is all about two very distinct groups. The first group is those who die to the kingdom of their old man first and are given part in the first resurrection. The second group are those who will be the second to die to the kingdom of their old man in “the second death/ lake of fire at the great white throne judgment. We saw that this chapter gives us the outcome and the product of the opening of the seven seals, and the judgments of the seven trumpets and the seven last plagues. That outcome being the salvation all “all in Adam” (1Co 15:22).

We have learned that the number four signifies the whole of what ever is under discussion. In this instance it is the whole of mankind.

We have learned that the Greek word ‘gonia’ should read ‘quarters’ rather than ‘corners.’

Finally we saw that the word ‘wind’ signifies ‘the spirit’ be that spirit for good or for evil.

We will stop here for now and wait until our next study to discover who these ‘four angels’ are and all the other signs and symbols of these first three verses of Revelation seven.

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Revelation 6:1-2

Updated April 17, 2024

Rev 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Introduction

If we keep in mind that we are commissioned to “keep the things written therein” and the fact that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, then the first thought that should enter our minds is, “How does this prophecy apply to me?  Are these four horsemen evident in my life?” We also must remember that John is “looking behind” himself to see this revelation of Jesus Christ. If we can keep these principles in mind, then we will begin to see that the secrets hidden under these seven seals are all just the capstone on an entire Bible that is full of “the spirit of prophecy” and is full of “edification, exhortation, and comfort.” That is the very definition of the word ‘prophecy.”

1Co 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See you do it not: I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Who does God use to “show us these things? By whom does God “speak unto men?” God always uses “His body which is the church.”

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

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.

We have seen that “the four beasts, and the four and twenty elders” around the throne of God are the symbols of God’s firstfruit elect through whom He is bringing all men to Himself. We saw earlier, that the 144,000 are just another symbol of God’s firstfruit elect, who, like the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, are revealed to be the kings and priests of God who will reign with Him on this earth.

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7  And he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And have made us unto our God a kingdom and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Is this not what we are also told of the one hundred and forty four thousand?

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-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- four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in midheaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people,

Both in the same order have harps, both sing a new song, both are “redeemed from among men.” One is “a kingdom of priests and will reign on earth.” The other “has the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on earth.” That is the work of a priest.  So they are both symbols of God’s elect who will reign as kings and priests on earth and will bring the knowledge of Christ and His Father to all men. That is what the four beasts do in revealing to us these four horsemen of the first four seals which hide from our view the revelation of Jesus Christ in our lives. Notice who it is who reveals each of these four horsemen.

Who reveals to us these four horsemen?

Here it is (Rev 6:1). It is “one of the four beasts” which says to us, “Come and see.” So the message hidden behind the first four seals of the revelation of Jesus Christ is shown to us by “one of the four beasts” who we are told signifies “those who [are] redeemed from among men, and [are] kings and priests who will reign on earth.” What does the first of these four beasts show us? He shows us that there is a “white horse” behind the first seal. The second beast reveals that there is a red horse hidden behind the second seal which is upon this revelation of Jesus Christ. The third beast reveals a black horse, and the fourth beast reveals a pale or a green horse.

Notice that it is Christ who opens the seals, but it is not Christ Himself who shows us what is behind that seal. Rather, it is the first, second, third and fourth beast which are used by Christ to say to us, “Come and see.”

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Rev 6:3  And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:4  And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Rev 6:5  And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Rev 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Rev 6:7  And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Rev 6:8  And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Since we are told that it is the four beasts who are granted to reveal what is behind the first four seals, it is therefore the work of God’s elect who say, “Come and see.” That being the case, those four beasts are not at liberty to speculate about what a white, red, black and pale or green horse is. The Lord’s elect live by these words of admonition:

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other.

These four beasts signifying the Lord’s elect overcomers who will rule with Him on this earth “tremble at the Word of God” and take great pains not to speak of themselves. These four beasts have grown past the milk of the word. These four beasts signify those who follow the principle of “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” to come to know and understand that Word.

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:
Isa 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12  To whom he said, This [Christ is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13  But the word of the LORD [Christ] was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

“Precept [must be] upon precept”, so let us go directly to the word of God to understand “precept upon precept” what these four various-colored horses and their horsemen are. Where in the Old Testament are four horsemen to be found? Here they are, and here is what they do:

Zec 1:7  Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
Zec 1:8  I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
Zec 1:9  Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
Zec 1:10  And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
Zec 1:11  And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

Here in verse 8, we have a man on a red horse, and we are told “he stood among the myrtle trees.”  Myrtle trees are mentioned six times in the Old Testament.

– Original: הדס
– Transliteration: Hadac
– Phonetic: had-as’
– Definition:

1. myrtle (tree)

– Origin: of uncertain derivation
– TWOT entry: 475
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine
– Strong’s: Of uncertain derivation; the myrtle: – myrtle (tree).

Total KJV Occurrences: 6

• myrtle, 2
Neh_8:15; Isa_41:19

• tree, 1
Isa_55:13

• trees, 3
Zec_1:8; Zec_1:10; Zec_1:11

Three of the six entries for this word are right here in Zechariah 1, in verses 8, 10, and 11. The myrtle tree is mentioned once in Nehemiah as one of the trees of which branches could be used to make booths for the feast of booths, also called the feast of tabernacles. It is how the Myrtle tree is used in the prophecy of Isaiah which gives us the meaning of this tree as it is referred to here in Zechariah 1. Here are the verses from Isaiah which are so revealing:

Isa 41:18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Isa 41:19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
Isa 41:20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

The myrtle tree is planted by “the hand of the Lord.” The myrtle tree is associated with “rivers in high places… fountains in the midst of… valleys and a pool of water in the wilderness and springs of water… in dry land.” There is only one thing capable of doing all those things.

Now let’s look at the next entry for ‘the myrtle tree’ here in the prophecy of Isaiah and we will discover what that ‘one thing’ is which can do all these things:

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it [All those things of Isaiah 41:18-20].
Isa 55:12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. [For the ability to receive and live by “My Word”, which is Christ and His doctrines]
Isa 55:13  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Here Isaiah tells us that the Lord contrasts the myrtle tree with thorns and briars. The connecting word ‘for’ in verse 12 associates the myrtle tree of verse 15 with “My Word” – the Lord’s Truth as opposed to the lies and false doctrines signified by ‘thorns and briers.’

Here are three verses which demonstrate what is the mind of the spirit in using the phrase ‘thorns and briers’ or ‘briers and thorns’:

Isa 32:13  Upon the land of my [apostate] people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

“Thorns and briers” are used by the holy spirit to signify the false doctrines of “Many false prophets who have gone out into the world” (1Jo 4:1). Conversely “the myrtle trees” signify those who are used as the Lord’s prophets who faithfully adhere to His doctrines.

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.

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.

Queen Esther, who lived about 34 years prior to Zechariah, was named Myrtle by her Hebrew parents. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which means ‘myrtle’.

– Original: הדסּה
– Transliteration: Hadaccah
– Phonetic: had-as-saw’
– Definition: Hadassah = myrtle

• queen Esther’s Jewish name

– Origin: from of H1918
– TWOT entry: None
– Part(s) of speech: Proper Name Feminine
– Strong’s: Feminine of H1918; Hadassah (or Esther): – Hadassah.

Total KJV Occurrences: 1

• Hadassah, 1

Est_2:7

Going back to the first chapter of Zechariah, verse 11 tells us that this man on the red horse is “the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees.” The “man riding upon a red horse” is there with another red horse behind him. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs Concordance, the word translated ‘speckled’ in verse 8 is defined as “sorrel, reddish, tawny, bay.” So, what we have in verse 8 are two red horses, a bay horse, and one white horse. Zechariah sees these four horses “by night… and standing among the myrtle trees.” What are these four horses and the men, or angels, who are riding upon them? Zechariah wants to know, and the angel tells him who they represent. The rider is called “the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees”, which we have shown signify the Lord’s people.  It is “the angel of the Lord” who tells Zechariah, “These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.” While the four horses of Zechariah do not include the black and pale (green) horses which we find in  Revelation 6, we still learn that they signify “the angel[s] of the Lord.” Now we know who the riders of our four horses are. These four horsemen are “they whom the Lord hath sent…” to speak His fiery words of Truth:

Is it not a good thing when we are told that “all the earth is at rest?” That is certainly what any natural carnal-minded man would think, but that is not what those who are taught to “compare spiritual things with spiritual” think, and that is not what Zechariah thought.

Zec 1:12  Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
Zec 1:13  And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
Zec 1:14  So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
Zec 1:15  And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
Zec 1:16  Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Why are there three red horses and just one white horse? The answer is that there is peace on the earth in the time of Zechariah. Christ is working all things, including the peace of the Gentiles, after the counsel of His own will. So He is here “among the myrtle trees” on two red horses, a brown horse and white horse. Later Christ will come to “take peace away” from the earth. At that time “the heathen will [not] be at ease” within us. This may sound discomfiting to the natural man, but is it comforting to the New Man who is signified by the myrtle trees among which the Lord is standing in the midst of the night. The fact that Zechariah witnesses this vision “by night… among the myrtle trees” signifies that when the earth is at peace, it is because the Lord’s people are being suppressed and oppressed by the man on the red horse because of their sins against Him.

The function of these four horses is explained in the preceding verses.

Zec 1:2  The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Zec 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 1:4  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
Zec 1:5  Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
Zec 1:6  But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

It is only through judgment that we return to the Lord, and when we do He returns to us:

Zec 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

“The Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words” (Zec 1:13). When it is finally given us to “see the things of the spirit” and to “compare spiritual things with spiritual things,” then we, too, will agree that when the four beasts say “Come and see” what we are seeing are “good words and comfortable words” which reveal the making of the New Man within us as we “read, hear, and keep the things written therein.” That good work of the Lord within us will always be at the expense of the peace and comfort of the old man within us.

Why Horses?

Why are we talking about horses instead of a donkey or an ox or a camel? The reason we are talking about horses is to inform us that this is all speaking of the power which the Lord has to wage war, instead of the simple work of an ass to carry us and our possessions about…

Num 22:30  And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

… or the “increase that can come from the strength of an ox,”

Pro 14:4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

… or the merchandise that can be carried by a camel.

Gen 24:10  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

This revelation takes place in heaven, and there is “war in heaven.” We are waging a war against all the “principalities and powers of the heavens.”

Exo 14:9  But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Eph 6:12  For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)

Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

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

Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

“In righteousness He judges and makes war.” Peter tells us that “judgment is now on the house of God.” This is our “day of judgment.” This is our day of making war against “the principalities and powers in [our] heavens.” This is our “day of the Lord.” This is the day of our “war in heaven”, and that is why we are dealing with horses instead of any other animal here in the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

We will consider the spiritual significance of each of these four horses and their riders in our future studies.

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Rev 4:6-7 – Part 4, Fourteen Characteristics Which Chapters 1 and 10 of Ezekiel Have In Common

Updated Feb 16, 2024

Introduction

Our study today will cover the spiritual significance of only the first three characteristics of the patterns of the things of the heavens, which are common to chapters one and ten of Ezekiel.

The significance of understanding the message of Hebrews 9 and many other verses of God’s word concerning the meaning of the words “the heavens” cannot be overestimated. The heavens are where God dwells, and God dwells in the hearts and minds of His elect. God’s elect are “the heavens themselves”, and it is this bit of understanding that is missing in virtually all the commentaries on the scriptures.

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

These verses reveal to us where Christ is:

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:

What we saw last week is that the word ‘patterns’ in the plural is used for a very good reason; that reason being that there are many functions which are being performed in the heavens, and each function needs a separate pattern to describe for us the things which cannot be seen, but which are within us and which must be accomplished within “the heavens themselves.”

For example, we have seen that Christ within us has to have a pattern for this part of the things of the heavens. The pattern of “Christ in us” is given to us as “a wheel within a wheel.” It typifies the last Adam living within the first Adam and becoming the very means for the transportation of the omnipresent God.

We also need a pattern of the things of the heavens which communicates to us that the last Adam also comes “out of the ground” and comes through the death of the first Adam.

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.

Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

That pattern has to show us that the first Adam, from whence we all originate, is but a beast. That pattern also has to demonstrate that God is dealing with all who are in Adam. So the pattern for “all in Adam” is four living creatures, or beasts, who are now “a new creature.”

The Significance of the Number Four

The pattern which tells us that we are to “rule with Him” is the presence of these four living creatures “in the middle of and round about” the very throne of God.

Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

The heavenly pattern of the fact that the first Adam is being judged at this time in those who are His elect is given to us by showing that this whole vision comes “out of the north” and also in the fire within and from between these four living creatures.

Since we not only judge ourselves and the world, but we are to judge the angels also, we are given the pattern of a man dressed in linen, who first slaughters the old man, and then casts coals of fire from between the cherubims, over all of Jerusalem.

Eze 9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

There is another judgment for those without the sanctuary in which the same “man with a white robe casts coals of fire from between the cherubims, over all of Jerusalem.

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

What we have seen is that all these patterns are of “the things of the heavens themselves”, and that it was into the heavens themselves where Christ ascended out of the sight of His “yet carnal” disciples. While there was not one converted person into whom He could yet ascend, He ascended to His Father, knowing that in just a few days there would be 120 temples into which He could ascend and dwell in “the heavens themselves.”

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

Act 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

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

God does not need us to have His own dwelling place, but we do need Him, and He has decreed that He has chosen us as His temple and His house.

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

Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

As noted earlier, Hebrews 9 is used by God to teach us the meaning of what are the true heavens into which Christ was received and to which these verses in Acts refer.

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [“the blood of calves and goats”]; 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:

We covered the five points made in chapter 1 of Ezekiel concerning these four living creatures, which are not mentioned in chapter 10. Then we covered the four points covered in chapter 10, which are not mentioned in chapter 1. In this study we will cover the spiritual significance of three of the fourteen characteristics of this heavenly vision which the first and tenth chapters of Ezekiel have in common.

1) The cloud:

Both chapters mention the cloud.

Eze 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Eze 10:3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Eze 10:4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.

Both chapters mention “the cloud,” and verse 1 of Ezekiel calls it “a great cloud.” What is this “great cloud” which is also called “the cloud?”  Once again we find that the scriptures are centered around Christ and His Christ:

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

We have just seen that Christ is “in you” and was “received into a cloud.”

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Christ dwells in and rides upon His elect, that “great cloud of witnesses.”

Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

2) Four living creatures:

Both chapters mention that there are four living creatures. There were just two creatures in the tabernacle of Moses, which tells us they encompass God’s two witnesses. Now they are four, adding to our knowledge of who these four creatures represent, and telling us that they are the whole of God’s elect, by which the whole of mankind will be brought to God. The fact that each animal has all four faces is to be remembered and put together with the fact that the four separate creatures of the same kind, in the book of Revelation, are also called “four and twenty elders.” We are constantly looking for “the sum of thy Word.”

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

Psa 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ESV, ASV, etc.)

Eze 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

Eze 10:12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

The spiritual significance of the number ‘four’ is ‘the whole.’ As ‘the whole’ relates to these four creatures, they are the pattern of the heavenly things themselves, which are the whole of Christ’s Christ, and they are the vehicle by which God will bring the whole of mankind to Himself, and by which God will be made to become “all in all.”

Isa 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Jer 49:36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

“Four winds from the four quarters of heaven” leaves out nothing. Elam is to be scattered throughout the whole earth, and these four living creatures are the whole of God’s elect, by which He will bring to Himself the whole of mankind, even scattered Elam.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Eze 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof [came] the likeness of four living creatures. And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

3) Four faces:

Both chapters mention that each living creature has four faces. In Ezekiel all four faces are on each creature. In Revelation each ‘face’ is a distinct creature, but as always this is a matter of “the sum of Thy Word.” The scriptures do not deal with or consider ‘the remainder of Thy Word.’ ‘The remainder of Thy Word’ is not a Biblical concept and no way to arrive at the revelation of Jesus Christ. In the sum of God’s Word, each “face” is part of that Revelation. That is why we have been given four gospels. Each gospel gives Christ a different “face’, and each of those four faces is one of the four faces of these four living creatures which typify all mankind and the whole of Adam.

Matthew is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah”

Matthew’s gospel presents Christ with the face of the “lion of the tribe of Judah” as the king of Israel. The genealogy proves Him to be the Son of King David as well as the Son of God.

Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The sign of the tribe of Judah, from which tribe sprang both King David and Christ, was a lion:

Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people be.

The King’s throne was flanked by lions.

1Ki 10:19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne [was] round behind: and [there were] stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
1Ki 10:20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

Matthew is the lion.

Mark is the powerful ox. Mark presents Christ as the tireless “ox, by whose strength is much wealth.”

Pro 14:4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

This gospel is characterized by phrases like “and straightway… and immediately” as if Christ went from one task to the next without a break.

Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

Mar 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

It is in this gospel that Christ’s tireless compassion for mankind shines through, as in this statement, found only in Mark, concerning the rich young ruler who was so close and yet so far away from our Lord.

Mar 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Mark shows us Christ as the powerful, tireless ox.

3) Luke is the man

In Luke Christ is given the face of a man, and it is in this gospel only that Christ’s genealogy is traced all the way back to “Adam, the son of God.” Yet the phrase that most characterizes Luke, is a phrase that is also common to this book of Ezekiel, where we also read so much about these “four living creatures.” That phrase which is common to and typical of both Ezekiel and Luke is “the son of man.”

It is here in Luke that Christ most often refers to Himself with the same name as Ezekiel refers to himself. Both call themselves “the son of man.”

Eze 2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man‘s sake.

This phrase “son of man” is found over 90 times in the book of Ezekiel, and it is the exact same phrase that is found so often in both Matthew and Luke. It actually occurs 32 times in Matthew and 26 times in Luke, yet it is Luke who is the one non-Jewish author of one of the gospels, and it is Luke alone who traces Christ’s genealogy all the way back to Adam.

In the New Testament the phrase “son of man” occurs 86 times. The phrase “son of God” occurs 46 times. Both give us the sum of God’s Word, but the overwhelming emphasis is that Christ was our fellow human being who struggled against the same weak flesh and blood with which the children of Abraham struggled.

The word ‘man’ here in Ezekiel is the Hebrew word ‘adam.’ The Greek translation of ‘Adam’ is ‘anthropos.’ Every time Christ tells us He is “the Son of Man”, He is telling us that He is the son of Adam, just as we all are. This is a concept which is blasphemous to a world which wants desperately to separate Christ from Adam, but Christ Himself is not ashamed to call us His brothers in Adam:

Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Heb 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Heb 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

It is Luke who shows us Christ as “the Son of Man.”

John is the eagle:

It is the gospel of John that gives us Christ in “the face of a flying eagle.” Only in the gospel of John do we see the whole world from an eagle’s heavenly perspective. John is not even a synoptic gospel, and its very beginning typifies its whole:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
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.

The gospel of John is the face of a flying eagle and approaches the revelation of Jesus Christ from that perspective. There is not even the thought of His physical genealogy, either from King David or from Adam. The entire perspective is from a much higher plane. It is the perspective of “a flying eagle.”

We have to have all four faces to know who is Christ and who is His Christ. So we are given the four faces of the four living creatures who make up the whole Christ and the whole of those who are Him and who are His body. That is Christ’s own perspective, and He made that clear, both in the gospels and in this statement to Saul of Tarsus.

Act 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Act 26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

Christ told Saul of Tarsus that when Saul was persecuting His disciples he was persecuting Jesus Christ Himself. What pray tell, does that make the body of Jesus Christ? What does that make these four creatures who have His spirit in them and who tell us that they are those who have been redeemed to God out of every nation?

Eze 1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

Eze 10:14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

These four faces are “patterns of the heavenly things themselves.” They are the patterns of “our Lord and His Christ.”

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

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

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

Does any of this lend itself to believing that these four creatures are nothing more than what they tell us they are; the firstfruits who are redeemed to God out of every nation who will reign with Christ a thousand years?

Summary

The spiritual significance of the first pattern we saw today was the cloud on which Christ sits. We saw that this cloud is both a cloud of witnesses and the throne on which Christ sits. Since the four beasts are also in the throne on which Christ sits, these four living creatures are also the very clouds in which they are “enfolded.”

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

Christ is seated on his white cloud wearing his “golden crown” because that white cloud is also the “great cloud of witnesses” who are also the four beasts who are in the throne on which He also sits.

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.

The second thing we saw was that there are four living creatures for the purpose of telling us that these four creatures are the patterns of the whole of Christ’s elect body and that it is through these four creatures that the whole of mankind will be brought to their Creator and to our Lord in their time. Four is the spiritual pattern of and the spiritual figure of the whole.

Finally, the third thing we saw was that the four faces of these four living creatures show us who is Christ as He is presented to us in the four gospels. Matthew presents Christ as “the lion of the tribe of Judah.” Matthew traces Christ’s linage only to Abraham, with the emphasis being on the fact that Christ came out of Judah, and is “the son of David.” As such Matthew shows us Jesus as “the lion.”

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.

Mark presents Christ to us as the tireless, powerful, wealth-building ox. This gospel is typified by the use of the phrases “and immediately… and straightway.” Mark is the ox.

Luke, the only gospel writer who is not a physical Jew, presents Christ to us as “the Son of Man.” It is Luke who traces Christ’s genealogy all the way back to the very first man, Adam. The phrase “the Son of Man” is in this gospel many more times than the phrase the Son of God. Luke is the man.

The gospel of John gives us the view of Christ from the heavens. John is not a synoptic gospel and concerns itself entirely with spiritual principles and spiritual realities. John is the eagle.

Next week, Lord willing, we will continue to cover the spiritual meaning of the remaining eleven patterns of the things of the heavens which are given us in Ezekiel, chapters one and ten.

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Revelation 4:6-7 The Four Beasts, Part 2A

Updated January 25, 2024

Introduction

Here is what we must keep in mind as we read all these Old Testament prophecies:

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

That especially includes all of the symbols of all of these prophecies concerning “the patterns of the things of the heavens themselves.” The heavens are where God dwells in His temple, and His ‘temple’ is within His people (1Co 3:16). We will not belabor that already established truth, but we must keep our focus on the Truth that Heaven, and all these things about the kingdom of the heavens, are all within each and every one of us. All these writings concerning “a door opened in heaven” and “the pattern of the heavens themselves” are not written aforetime for others. They are written for you and for me.

Last week we followed the scriptures concerning these four beasts from their first mention in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 through Exodus and then to Ezekiel 1. In Genesis their number is not even given, but we did become familiar with the Biblical term ‘cherubim’, and we were given to know that these creatures “Keep the way of the tree of life with a flaming sword.” We know from the gospels and from the book of Revelation that Christ is both “the way” of the tree of life and that He is “the life” of that tree of life.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

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

So it is Christ’s “way” with His fiery words that is kept by these cherubims which “keep the way of the tree of life… which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” So, for those with eyes that see, we are being told right from the beginning that “the way of the tree of life” is a fiery way. It is “the word that Christ speaks to us.”

Gen 3:24 So he [God] drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of 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.

It’s simply not possible that the tree of life can signify anything other than Christ and His words of life.

Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life [You are “the way of the Tree of Life”].
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

The next time these cherubims appear in scripture is in Exodus where we discovered that they shadow the mercy seat, which Ezekiel 1 shows us is a type of the throne of God. Does no one ask, “What became of the tree of life? Where was Eden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life from Adam to Noah? Where were these cherubims all those 1500 or so years?” The answers are that Eden, the serpent and those trees were used to symbolize spiritual realities, and after they had served as the symbols of those spiritual realities, they were no more needed than a physical altar and physical animal sacrifices after the sacrifice of Christ.

The point of the events of the garden of Eden is that the “tree of life” was a type of Christ who is seated on the spiritual throne of God. The serpent signifies Satan, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signifies the law of Moses, by which we know what sin is:

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

Christ tells us plainly that His Father dwells in Him.

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Therefore His Father’s throne has always been in Christ, and the tree of life, which was rejected by Adam and Eve in favor of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was really nothing more or less than the rejection of the throne of God for the throne of Satan, typified by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was the rejection of the things of the spirit in favor of the things of the flesh. And this is all “after the counsel of His own will.”

Mat 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

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 learned in Exodus that it is from His throne that God speaks to His people “from between the cherubims.”

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Num 7:89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that [was] upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

1Sa 4:4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims [“the spirit of God dwells in you” (1Co 3:16)]: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

Isa 37:16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

In Exodus we learned much more about the meaning of the phrase “round about the throne” because we saw that the cherubims were not just shadowing the mercy seat. They were also everywhere in the tabernacle of Moses and everywhere in the temple of Solomon. They were woven into the veil that comprised the tabernacle and made up its walls and doors. They were carved into the walls and doors of the temple, and in the temple they were covered with pure gold.

Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [Cherubims] full of eyes before and behind.

We also discovered in Exodus that the cherubims were even on the bases of the lavers, which were made of copper, in the court of the brazen altar. Our earlier studies in the spiritual significance of base metals in scripture, showed us that the significance of finding that the cherubims are also of copper, and they are found in the court of the altar is that God’s elect are His elect from “before times eonian” or as the KJV puts it, “before the world began.”

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Here in Exodus we are shown that there were only two cherubims shadowing the mercy seat, and we were told only that they had two wings with which they covered the mercy seat throne.

1Ki 8:7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

The next place we encountered these cherubims was in Ezekiel 1. Here we were told that “the heavens were opened.” We have learned from this chapter we are covering in Revelation, that an “open heaven” is an exponentially increased knowledge of heavenly things, and sure enough, Ezekiel sees much, much more concerning “the pattern of the things in the heavens.” It is here in Ezekiel that we learn for the first time that there are four creatures around the throne; that they each have four wings; that they are like fire and like lamps of fire. We learned that they each have four faces, that those four faces are the face of a man, a lion, an ox and a flying eagle. We saw that there was a very close relationship between the four creatures and the four wheels which are like a wheel within a wheel. We learned that these wheels are full of eyes before and behind, and we learned that the relationship between the four creatures and the four wheels was so close that we are told that “the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”

All of this throne scene, we are told, is surrounded by a rainbow, and it is all said to be “the glory of the Lord.”

Eze 1:26 And above the firmament that [was] over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
Eze 1:27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

This is what Christ tells us about this very same throne:

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration  when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Ezekiel 10

Today we will examine the next entry where these four living creatures are found which is in Ezekiel 10.

Eze 10:1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
Eze 10:2 And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
Eze 10:3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Eze 10:4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.
Eze 10:5 And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
Eze 10:6 And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.
Eze 10:7 And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.
Eze 10:8 And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
Eze 10:9 And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.
Eze 10:10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.
Eze 10:11 When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.
Eze 10:12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
Eze 10:13 As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
Eze 10:14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face [was] the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Eze 10:15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This [is] the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.
Eze 10:16 And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.
Eze 10:17 When they stood, [these] stood; and when they were lifted up, [these] lifted up themselves [also]: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in them.
Eze 10:18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
Eze 10:19 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also [were] beside them, and [every one] stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel [was] over them above.
Eze 10:20 This [is] the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.
Eze 10:21 Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man [was] under their wings.
Eze 10:22 And the likeness of their faces [was] the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.

Five Characteristics of “The Pattern of the Things of the Heavens Themselves” Mentioned in Chapter One Which are not Mentioned in Chapter Ten

First:

This whole vision is presented only in chapter 1 as “a whirlwind out of the north.”

Eze 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

The fact that the tribe of Dan was to be on the north during Israel’s travels and when they settled in the land, tells us of the meaning of the symbolism of ‘the north.’ Dan means ‘judge.’

Gen 49:16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

Num 2:25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan [shall be] Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

Ezekiel 9, describing the judgment of Jerusalem coming out of the north, the killing of the offering on the north side of the altar, and Israel’s judgment coming out of the north country, all tell us that this entire vision of “the pattern of the things of the heavens themselves” is a vision of the judgment of the deeds done in this “marred in the hand of the Potter… vessel of clay” which we call this body.

Eze 9:2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

Lev 1:11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.

Eze 8:5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

It is this verse 4 which explains the tone of both the book of Ezekiel and of Revelation. Both books are the judging of God’s people and are a record of the purging of “the pattern of the things of the heavens themselves.”

Eze 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Second:

That these creatures have “the likeness of a man” is mentioned only in chapter 1. The spiritual significance of this statement is obvious in light of what they tell us of themselves in Revelation 5.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Eze 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

This statement at the very beginning of this “open heavens” vision tells us up front who these “four living creatures” symbolize.

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

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

We will pause here and continue to the third through the fifth differences between the first and the tenth chapters of Ezekiel which describe the four beasts and their function and service in the Lord’s kingdom in our next study.