Keep – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:11:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cropped-headerlogo-32x32.png Keep – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com 32 32 Rev 8:1-6 Part 2 – Seven Trumpets https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/rev-81-6-part-2-seven-trumpets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rev-81-6-part-2-seven-trumpets Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:33:22 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=30154 Audio Download

Rev 8:1-6 Part 2 – Seven Trumpets

[Study Aired June 28, 2024]

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
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 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Introduction

As always we want to remember that the things written in this prophecy are all “signified” things which we are admonished to “read… hear… and keep” (Rev 1:1-3). In our studies in Revelation 7 on the 144,000 and the great multitude which no man could number, we took note that the assurances of universal salvation found in that chapter are strategically placed between the dire warnings of the sixth seal, where the whole world cries out to the rocks and mountains to “fall on us and hide us from the face and the wrath of the Lamb” and the dire judgments of the seven trumpets which are being introduced to us here in this eighth chapter.

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?

God’s wrath is His judgments. That wrath and judgment “first begins at [and comes upon] the house of God” within first, and later, “[when] the thousand years should be fulfilled” (Rev 20:3), “and when the thousand years are expired” (Rev 20:7) then judgment, the “great white throne… judgment”, will come upon all the rest of mankind “at the end of days” (Dan 12:13) in the “great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death”:

Dan 12:13  But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

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

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

What do God’s judgments produce? Does judgment produce eternal, everlasting torment in literal flames of literal fire? Is that really what God’s judgments produce? No, of course judgment produces no such monstrous condemnation. This is what God’s judgments, including His final ‘great white throne judgment’, always produce:

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

God’s judgments are expressed through His wrath against our sins and our self-righteous iniquities:

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

So the “great day of [God’s] wrath” against our transgressions and our iniquity is signified by these seven angels with seven trumpets. Before we get into the spiritual significance of these seven trumpet judgments, which reveal “the great day of His wrath” (Rev 6:17), and the destruction of the kingdom of our carnal-minded old man (Rev 11:15), the holy spirit has chosen this point to comfort and strengthen us with the assurance of universal salvation for all in Adam. That inevitable outcome for all mankind is signified by the two groups of Revelation 7. We found in chapter 7 that there is a very small number of all mankind who will be used by God to bring the “great multitude which no man could number” to Christ and His Father. That very small group is symbolized by the number 144,000; twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. On the other hand, the “great multitude which no man could number” is signified by “the dust of the earth.” That outward dispensational day of salvation for “all in Adam” (1Co 15:22) will not come until the sayings of the prophecy of this book have first been “read, heard and kept” within the hearts, minds and lives of God’s 144,000 witnesses, as we are told in the chapter dealing with His witnesses. The number ‘two’ simply signifies ‘witness’:

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.

The seventh trump is the seven last plagues, so this proclamation that “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” is actually the proclamation of the beginning of a process which will end in the stone hewn out of the mountain without hands becoming a mountain that will “fill the whole earth.”

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

The process of the seventh trumpet will take all the time that is needed for the seven last plagues, of which this seventh trumpet consists, to be fulfilled within each of God’s elect. So, this statement that “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” is God “speaking of those things which are not as though they were” (Rom 4:17) just as Christ said His disciples “had kept His Words” only moments before they all denied Him and “left Him” to His fate on the cross.

Joh 17:6  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

The disciples of Christ had not yet “kept His Words.” They weren’t even converted at this time, and immediately after Christ declares “they have kept thy word”, we are told this of the apostles of Christ:

Mar 14:50 And they all forsook him, and fled.

Then we have this concerning this seventh trumpet, in chapter 10:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

So these trumpets all represent a process that takes time in our lives, and before getting into the events in our lives, which are revealed to us in the sounding of these seven trumpets, the first question we need to ask and answer is…

What is the spiritual significance of blowing a trumpet?

Here is the very first mention of a trumpet in scripture. The sound of a trumpet announces the occasion of Israel preparing to meet their God at mount Sinai. That is the spiritual significance of the events at Sinai which are a type and shadow of the revelation of Jesus Christ in our lives. Notice that even here in Exodus ‘the sound of the trumpet’ is associated with “the third day”; the day of resurrection of our new man (Rom 6:4-5).

Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Exo 19:12  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: [“the ministration of death” (2Co 3:7-8, Heb 12:20)]
Exo 19:13  There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
Exo 19:14  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
Exo 19:15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Exo 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
Exo 19:18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

“God answered [Moses] by a voice.” Moses here typifies those with whom Christ is communicating, and “God answers by a voice” those who are given ears to hear. However, this is what happens to the great multitude which no man can number.

Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Because the people did not want to die, in the end 3000 of them did die on this the first Pentecost observed by Israel in Exodus 20.

Exo 32:28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

On the other hand, this is what happens when Christ in us is willing die to the things of our flesh and the things of this world. This is what happened on the first Pentecost at the founding of the New Testament church.

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 2:40  And with many other words did he [Peter] testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

This account just proves the truth of these words of our Lord:

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

Three thousand souls lost their physical lives at the first Pentecost at Mount Sinai, and three thousand found their spiritual lives at the first New Testament Pentecost.

Here now is…

The purpose and function of trumpets in scripture

Num 10:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 10:2  Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
Num 10:3  And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 10:4  And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
Num 10:5  When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
Num 10:6  When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
Num 10:7  But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
Num 10:8  And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
Num 10:9  And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
Num 10:10  Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I [am] the LORD your God.

The only time Israel journeyed was when the Cloud they followed would move. When the Cloud moved, they moved, and that was accomplished by “blowing an alarm for your journeys.”

Num 10:6  When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

The call “to war in your land” was also by the alarm of the trumpets. “And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.” That is what is taking place in the eighth chapter of Revelation. There is war in the land against the enemy that oppresses you.”

But…

Only “the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets.”

No one else but the priests, the sons of Aaron, is allowed to even touch these two silver trumpets. The fact there are “two trumpets” signifies the Lord’s witnesses are those He uses to call His people together and call them to war against their enemies. “You are His witnesses of these things:”

Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isa 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

Isa 44:8  Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
Act 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

According to the shadows and types of the Old Testament, trumpets were to be blown only by the “seven priests”, and the seven priests, like the seven angels with the seven trumpets, are a type and a shadow of God’s elect.

Num 10:8  And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

These seven angels are those “who stand before God.”

Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

We saw that they “stand before God” because they are “in Christ’s right hand.”

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

These ‘seven angels’ are the same “seven angels” who are sent to the seven churches, and these seven angels are those to whom this entire prophecy is addressed.

Rev 2:1  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 2:8  And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Rev 2:12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Rev 3:1  And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

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

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

It is these same seven angels who tell us that they are our fellow servants and those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book. If we are God’s elect, we are these seven angels to the seven churches. It is these seven angels who are given the priesthood to “perform the service of God.” The promise of being kings and priests is not just to the leaders and elders  of the body of Christ. That promise is to the entire body of Christ:

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

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

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

We will stop here for today and finish part three of our study of these first six verses of Revelation 8 in our next study.

]]> Mal 1:1-5  The burden of the Word of the LORD https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/mal-11-5-the-burden-of-the-word-of-the-lord/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mal-11-5-the-burden-of-the-word-of-the-lord Thu, 14 Dec 2023 17:30:45 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=28852 Audio Download

Mal 1:1-5  The burden of the Word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi

[Study Aired December 14, 2023]

A true prophet, as Malachi was, does not shun to declare the whole counsel of God’s word (Act 20:27), and if it is a true message being brought, it should be seen as “The burden of the word of the LORD” to the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), meaning this story we will read in the pages of Malachi. It typifies for God’s elect the burden the elect are to bear in this age if we have been called and chosen and are blessed to remain faithful to the end of this life bearing His word and each other’s burdens, which are understood and supported through the power of God’s holy spirit that quickens us in our service to one another through Christ (Rev 1:3, Joh 6:68-69, Pro 7:1, Joh 14:23, Joh 6:63, Joh 8:31-32).

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

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

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.

Pro 7:1  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, [Rom 5:5] he will keep my words: [1Jn 5:2-3] and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

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.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

God’s word is a burden to our first old man in Adam but a joyful and light burden to the second Adam, Christ, our hope of glory within (Mat 11:30, Col 1:27) who gives us the ability to endure through this life (Php 4:13, Php 4:19). As we bear that necessary burden by the spirit of Christ (Gal 6:5) we can, as one body, grow together in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, bearing each other’s burden along the way through Him (Gal 6:2 , Php 2:12-13). 

Gal 6:5  For every man shall bear his own burden.

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

As we will read in this section of the gospel of Peter (2Pe 3:1-18), it would be catastrophic for us to not do our part in bearing the burdens of others, and our own burdens (Gal 6:10), as a fitly framed building of God of which we are told we should “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”

(That error is to stop being zealous toward God and being more concerned with zealously building bigger barns for our  own purposes, to lay up carnal store instead of laying up treasure in heaven as  one of the many joints that supplies, to the building up of the body of Christ in love Mat 25:25-27, Luk 12:18, Eph 4:16).

This section of Peter’s writings (2Pe 3:1-18) parallels very well with the opening chapter of the book of Malachi and the message that was written for God’s elect today to whom He has made known “what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” also called “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Col 1:26-29, Joh 10:16).

So to reiterate, we’re reading this section of Peter that reminds us what the body of Christ has to look out for as we learn to bear “The burden of the Word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi”.

2Pe 3:1  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2Pe 3:2  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, [Jas 5:10] and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation [Gen 1:1].

[Humanity has been worshiping the creation from the beginning and not the Creator (Rom 1:25) being under the sway of Satan whose spirit has been deceiving humanity from the foundation of the world into not believing what God has promised.] 

2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God [Gen 1:1] the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished [“Where is the promise of his coming?” (Luk 17:26)]: 
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.

[Still talking about that judgment which will commence with a rod-of-iron-ruling body of Christ who will flood the world with the knowledge of Christ to see that word or seed come to fruition in the lake of fire (Isa 26:9)] 

2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [still talking about judgment]
2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness [“Where is the promise of his coming?” (Luk 17:26)]; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [each man in his own order (Rom2:4, 1Co 15:22, 1Jnn2:2, 1Ti 4:10)]. 
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 [that day is described with these verses (2Th2:5-8)]. 
2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness [according to His promise (2Th 2:13-14)]. 
2Pe 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation (Rom 2:4); even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

[We fall seven times in the wilderness in order to learn that we are completely powerless over sin without Christ making war against the beast (Pro 24:16, Rev 13:4), and God will multiply us every time above our fathers of Deuteronomy 30:5 who represent our old man which we thought was blessed in the earth but ‘had even that which he had thought he had’ taken away (Mat 13:12). It seems counter-intuitive, but when our old man is decreasing through judgment, God also makes a way for us to bear that judgment and forget what is behind us as we press “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” which brings about the increase of the Lord within us (Php 3:14, Joh 3:30)]

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

As we learn of His faithfulness to hold us up through each other, we grow in our confidence in regard to the exceedingly great and precious promises (2Pe 1:4) that tell us all our suffering in this life has been and will be accompanied by His saving grace through faith, so that at the end of the day we will truly learn that His burden is light (“the burden of the word of the Lord” Col 1:24). When we wholly dedicate ourselves to the Lord in His service, He will be faithful to fulfill (Mal 3:10) that which He tells us He will do if we are granted to “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.“

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

Gal 6:5  For every man shall bear his own burden.

The book of Malachi is a book that has been written to reveal the day of the Lord in those who have been called out of spiritual exile, the captivity that all flesh must go into and come out of by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Conversely, it also reveals how the true gospel message is rejected in this age, and warns the elect specifically to not be high minded by losing sight of who it is that he delivers first in this life, by becoming proud because of what we know (1Co 8:1), instead of being crushed and humbled by our circumstances (Rom 8:21-25, Mat 21:31-32).

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope [Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, 1Ti 1:17, Joh 14:20]: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it [Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, 1Ti 1:17, Joh 14:20, Luk 21:19]

Malachi is the messenger of God, which is what his name means, and his message is no different than any of the other prophets who tell the people to repent and turn from sin. “The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi” is expressed in these verses of Ezekiel (Eze 33:1-29)  and parallel the seriousness of Malachi’s message to a backslidden nation whose bondage and deception is even greater than what it was when they were in physical captivity (“seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there”  Mat 12:45). That is the message for the body of Christ today, that we are not to build the temple and then rest in those works and defile the temple by not continuing on in our service to God which requires our one hundred percent devotion to Him, the bringing in of all of our life (Mar 12:30-31) represented by the tithe that goes into the temple to His glory and for His service (Mal 3:8-10). 

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.
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.

At the end of the book we are encouraged to see that God has made the bride of Christ ready, spoken of in Revelation 19:7, and typified by that remnant who came together often and spoke to one another about God and Christ, and a book of remembrance was laid up for them who were granted to do this (Mal 3:16-17). That book represents the books of the elect which God purposed to be written that way in ‘this age’ for the saving of the nations (Rev 20:12-15).

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

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. 

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

Being freed from the spiritual and physical bondage of sin is typified by the exodus by Judah from Babylonian captivity, but now years later the prophet Malachi comes on the scene to warn the nation of Judah, who typifies God’s people, that they have defiled this newly built temple of God which temple represents our bodies (1Co 3:16) and have taken for granted the deliverance God has brought them as a nation (2Pe 1:9). This is all typical language that reveals to us today how God alone can start and finish the work of faith within us through Christ (Heb 12:1-2, Luk 21:19) Who takes us from the bondage of sin, and even after we are freed and seven spirits more wicked enter (Luk 11:26), then the Lord, if we are His in this age, pours out the seven last plagues upon the body of Christ so we can ‘come out of her my people’ and escape the judgment that is going to come upon the rest of the world (Rev 15:8, Rev 3:1, Rev 18:4). In other words, the book of Malachi is a book that reveals God’s judgment in ‘the day of the Lord’ to those who are granted to have their whole life offered to God as a living sacrifice that is bound to the altar today (Mal 3:9-11, Rom 12:1-3, Psa 118:27).

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

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. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

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Mal 1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 
Mal 1:2  I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,  

These opening verses set the stage for the entire book of Malachi that is about two men, the old man of sin [Esau] and the new man in Christ, represented by [Jacob]. The burden of the LORD is speaking of the destructive fiery word of God that burns up Esau who represents our sinful nature that God destroys by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our lives so that in time we overcome the hypocrisy of our flesh and become comfortable in that fire (Isa 33:14-15). None of this could be possible unless God set his love upon us, “Jacob have I loved“, by way of shedding it abroad in our hearts so that we can be more than conquerors through Christ’s love that abounds in His body, the church (Rom 5:5-6, Rom 8:37-39, Col 1:24).

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? 
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
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. 

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Mal 1:3  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 

God goes on to show us that His hatred toward Esau, by laying “his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness”, is a demonstration of His love toward us as we are received through His chastening and scourging grace that puts off our former conversation, typified by Esau (Heb 12:6).

This laying waste of Esau’s heritage also represents that time in Babylon where the “dragons of the wilderness” that represent the forked tongue of the devil, abounded (Rev 13:11), leaving us without any stay of bread and water to the point of perishing, had God not delivered us from that bondage of deception when we were “deceiving and being deceived” (Luk 15:17-18, 2Ti 3:13, 2Pe 2:17-19).

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

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

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water [Isa 3:1], clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Mal 1:4  Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. 
Mal 1:5  And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

God’s word progressively shows us how we journey out of Babylon and how our old man does not die with a ten-second sinner’s prayer, not even nearly. What happens after we are chastened of the Lord and we are brought to that point of seeing ourselves as prodigal sons, is that we want to build again and go back to the captivity of sin, much like the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt after they began to realize what an arduous and tribulation-laden walk this was (Act 14:22) in the wilderness of sin [sinful flesh] they were called to endure. We must endure “until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory”, a purchased possession being represented by the promised land, which typifies our then newly resurrected bodies in Christ. So we read this hope-filled statement, “Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.” This statement is reminding us that, despite ourselves, if we are sealed of God He will “throw down” our wickedness, and we will call our actions what they were, “The border of wickedness“, acknowledging our sins (Jer 3:13) that God will always be against, “The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever” (Psa 7:11, Psa 32:2).

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 

Psa 7:11  God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 

Psa 32:2  Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

We are encouraged with scripture to realize that all of this process God is putting the body of Christ through will succeed in bringing us to a point where “…your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.” This same sentiment is described at the end of the book of Malachi in this verse (Mal 3:18), and is a good point to conclude this opening study on the book of Malachi with.

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. [within ourselves first as God’s kind of first fruits (Jas 1:18)]

Download – Old Testament Prophets Timeline (Right click to open in new tab)

]]> Our Faith Overcomes the World https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/our-faith-overcomes-the-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=our-faith-overcomes-the-world Sat, 12 Nov 2022 06:54:46 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26552

Our Faith Overcomes the World

[Mobile Conference 2022]

[Posted November 12, 2022]

We have all witnessed just how drastically the things one believes affects the way they live their lives. On the eleventh of September in 2001 the ‘faith’ of a few religious fanatics destroyed the world trade towers, struck the Pentagon, and would have struck the capitol if it had not been stopped by the ‘faith’ of a few who gave their lives to stop those hijackers from making their plane fly into the capitol building here in the U.S. That is what was reported, and while there is much speculation about how those events could possibly be allowed to take place, there is no one arguing against the fact that it was all done through the faith of religious zealots whose faith in the doctrines of their God led them to give their lives for that in which they had placed their faith.

Our faith tells us that if we are the Lord’s elect, the mission of saving mankind from himself will be accomplished by “the Lord and His Christ” alone.

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

He goes as far as telling this about ourselves without Him. This is where we are today:

Isa 59:8  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
Isa 59:9  Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
Isa 59:10  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

We live in perilous times, and mankind does not know the way to peace. The Truths of the scripture are as unpopular as they have ever been, and they are becoming even less  popular all by the Lord’s design to try our faith:

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

While it appears this world is falling apart, and indeed it is, nevertheless “they that be with us are more than they that be with them”.

2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Elisha typifies those who are in Christ. He typifies you and me, if indeed we are in Christ and He is dwelling within us. The Egyptian army was just as real as the Syrian army. The fiery furnace and the lion’s den were both very real (Dan 3:17, Dan 6:20). However, the Lord is far more powerful that the armies of Egypt and Syria combined, and He is also able to save us out of our own ‘fiery furnace’ and our own ‘den of lions’ if the Lord gives us the necessary faith to endure these fiery trials.

We are not likely to be surrounded by the armies of Syria, and we are probably not going to be threatened with being literally cast into a fiery furnace or a lion’s den. The Lord has already tailored all the trials we need to fit our modern day lives to show us just what we are of ourselves. After He humbles us and shows us our completely hopeless condition, then He shows us what we are when He is living His life within us.

The Truth is that this entire economy in which we live is designed to try our faith and to make us into ‘the sons of God’:

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

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

The natural man becomes puffed up with these words, but the new man is humbled because he is given to understand that “all things” is a two-edged sword which includes the trials as well as the blessings of this physical realm:

1Co 3:18  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1Co 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1Co 3:20  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

A Godly leader is not what the world considers a ‘motivational speaker’ who tells you that by your own will you can do all things you aspire to accomplish if you will just hunker down and dedicate your life to the pursuit of your goals with barely an allusion to the trials of this life. All the writers of scripture demonstrate the same motivational message Christ brought us. That message, unpopular as it is, includes “the world… life… death… things present [and] things to come”. Christ, Paul and Peter, and James all add to what this means for every future ‘manifested son of God’, and they all agree that all who seek to follow in the footsteps of our Lord will have their faith sorely tried.

We just read how Paul assured us that this world, life and death, things present and things to come are all ours. Paul also assures us the reward will far outweigh the sufferings we must endure to attain the promised reward which is not to be expected in this present time:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

According to these words of the holy spirit through the pen of the apostle Paul, if we are the Lord’s elect, then there is no way we can loose this battle:

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
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.

Here is how Christ motivated His disciples. It is the exact same message just with other words:

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Mat 10:24  The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Christ is the ultimate motivational speaker and as such He is honest with His disciples and tells them:

Mat 10:25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Is the pope “hated of all men”? Are the mega-ministers on world-wide satellite TV and radio hated of all men? Are the leaders of the Muslim religion “hated of all men”? The obvious answer is that they are not hated of all men. They all have their detractors, but they also have multitudes who love them and are willing to fight for them. However, there is one group who both Muslims and Christians hate and which neither will tolerate, and that group is the Lord’s “little flock” who don’t just hear and repeat the things Christ says, but they do the things He says we should do, and they are indeed “hated of all men”.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. [Doing the things Christ taught]
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Christians will repeat Christ’s words… “I say unto you that you love your enemies” and in the same breath they will urge you to go out and kill your fellow man for the love of God and country. Muslims do not hide the fact that they hate those words of Christ. They claim Christ as one of their prophets, but they blatantly place the words of Mohammed above the words of Christ. Their doctrine is the same as the law of Moses… “Love your neighbor, but hate your enemy”, and they simply do not tolerate the doctrine of Christ even being spoken. Both have millions of disciples, and it simply cannot be said by any stretch of the imagination that they are hated of all men. There is no need to stretch the imagination to believe that anyone who thinks that you should love your enemies, break the sabbath day, and claim to be the Son of God, while saying of the established religion of His day was “of your Father the devil”, just might be “hated of all men”.

After telling us we will be hated of all men and warning us that even our fathers and brothers will turn on us, Christ tells us this:

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.

Christ told us that He could do nothing of Himself, and He tells us that we can do nothing without Him:

Joh 5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

How was Christ able to endure the sufferings of His cross? He was able to do so because He knew who He was, and He believed His Father’s words. That is what He calls “the work of God”, and that is what He tells us will get us through the death of the cross with Him:

Joh 6:24  When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
Joh 6:25  And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
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.

That is why we must stay close to the ‘Vine’ – Christ. Being ‘in Him’ is to “believe on Him”, and believing on Him is “the work of God”. As Paul words it, our faith is “the gift of God” and it is not of ourselves:

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

A New Testament doctrine which is little known and is seldom ever taught is that the ‘grace’ by which we are saved “through faith… chastens us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live godly lives in this present age”:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching [G3811: paideuo, chastening] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

The Truth is that our mind learns nothing by simply being told… ‘do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. The Truth is that God has designed that we are given and “experience of evil” to humble us and make us submit to His will in our lives:

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

This verse tells us a part of what that “experience of evil” entails:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The Lord uses our own backslidings and wickedness to chasten and scourge us:

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

This chastening from the Lord makes our adversaries think we are cursed by God, but to those who know that grace chastens us to forsake ungodliness, our suffering for Christ is a “evident token… of [our] salvation”:

Php 1:28  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Our suffering, whether apparently self-inflicted or from persecution, is “for His sake [and] for His body’s sake, which is the church”:

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
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:

The Greek word translated as ‘hope’ in Colossians 1:27 is:

This word is always translated in the KJV as ‘hope’ except in this one verse where it is used in conjunction with the Greek word translated as ‘faith’ and ‘faithful’:

Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith [G1680, ‘elpis’, hope] without wavering; (for he is faithful [G4103: ‘pistos’, faith] that promised;)

This verse (Heb 10:23) is the only time this word ‘elpis’ is translated as ‘faith’. Of the 54 entries in the New Testament it is translated as ‘hope’ 53 times:

The Lord’s admonition to us is to ‘Hold fast the profession of our hope, without wavering, because God is faithful who promised’.

The word translated as ‘faithful’ here in Hebrews 10:23 is:

As a matter of interest, I want to point out that this Greek word, G4103, ’pistos’, translated as ‘faithful’ is “from G3982” which is grossly mistranslated as ‘obey’ in the King James, and is much better translated as ‘be persuaded’ in the CLV in this verse of Hebrews 13. I will quote the King James version first and then the CLV:

Heb 13:17  Obey [G3982] them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The Pope and many Protestant ministers love how the King James translates that verse. However, the CLV is a much better translation of what the holy spirit inspired to be written:

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded [G3982] by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you.

The Greek word in question is:

Here are all those entries so you can decide for yourself which is the best translation:

It is obvious that the English word ‘persuade’ is a much better translation than the word ‘obey’.

Getting back to the Greek word G4103, ‘pistos’ this is the BT+ definition of this word:

Here is where this word first appears in the New Testament:

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful [G4103: pistos] and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

“He is faithful (G4103, ‘pistos’) that promised” and He will have nothing less than the same fidelity in those He chooses to “make ruler over all His goods”.

Here are the other entries for this word in the New Testament:

The ability to believe “He is faithful that promised” is a gift from God. The Lord tries that gift to strengthen our faith and to help us to endure to the end even when we cannot see how His promises are physically possible.

The Greek noun from which the adjective ‘pistos’ is derived is:

The first entry of this Greek word is the New Testament Is in:

Mat 9:2  And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith [G4102: ‘pistis’] said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

The Greek adjective, G4103, ‘pistos’, and the Greek noun, G4102, ‘pistis’ both are derived from the Greek verb G3982, ‘peitho’, meaning ‘to persuade’. Our persuasion of the truth of the words of Christ is the gift of ‘pistis’, faith, through which we are all saved:

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

Without this gift from God it is impossible to please Him:

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

The opposite of faith is fear and “fear hath torment”:

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.

We are told that King Saul was tormented from the day that Samuel told him the Lord had taken the kingdom from him and had given it to another man who was better than he:

1Sa 15:26  And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
1Sa 15:27  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
1Sa 15:28  And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

In the next chapter we are told:

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

When we fear what family and friends, society and men think of us or can do to us, we are sorely lacking in the faith of Jesus Christ, and we are not displaying our love and fear of God, and we will live a life of torment when we do that.

Our lives are all in the Lord’s hands but that does not change the fact that we are all commanded to ask the Lord for both wisdom and faith because they work together to keep us faithful to the end:

Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Luk 17:5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

It is the faith with which the Lord gifts us that will overcome the adversaries desire to destroy us as he wanted to destroy the apostle Peter:

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The Lord is also our comforter and our advocate to His Father on our behalf:

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

With Christ on our side we need not fear what man can do to us nor that Christ will not plead our case with His Father, who Himself has given us His faith:

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

This is the faith that will see us through these perilous times in which we live:

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

We have been given the faith to believe these comforting words of the spirit:

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Christ is married to us, and He will cause us to acknowledge our iniquity and He will redeem us (Jer 3:13-14):

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
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.

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 1Ki 8:54-60  “All the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-854-60-all-the-people-of-the-earth-may-know-that-the-lord-is-god-and-that-there-is-none-else/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-854-60-all-the-people-of-the-earth-may-know-that-the-lord-is-god-and-that-there-is-none-else Thu, 20 Jan 2022 18:12:26 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=25097 1Ki 8:54-60  “All the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else”
[Study Aired January 20, 2022]

1Ki 8:54  And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 
1Ki 8:55  And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 
1Ki 8:56  Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. 
1Ki 8:57  The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: 
1Ki 8:58  That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 
1Ki 8:59  And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 
1Ki 8:60  That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

These last two verses of our previous study (1Ki 8:52-53) set the stage for the verses that follow in this study.

1Ki 8:52  That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
1Ki 8:53  For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.

The prayer being made to God was to be “open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee”. “Thy servant” is Solomon who represents Christ, and “thy people Israel” represents the body of Christ the Israel of God (Gal 6:16).

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

When we look at the following verses in 1Kings 8:52-53, we can be assured of who it is speaking to and should be blessed by the message of hope God wants us to see as it applies to the elect of God today (1Co 10:11, 1Pe 1:12).

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 1:12  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.

This section of Kings deeply assures us of Christ’s role as the one who intercedes on our behalf today, and it is after the temple is built and dedicated — which temple is a type of Christ’s body which has died and gone onto perfection (Joh 2:19) — that the assurance is given to the elect represented by the nation of Israel of how Solomon (Solomon, a type of Christ) is going to intercede and go before the Lord and confess before all the congregation, with his hands spread out to heaven, of how God is faithful (Deu 7:9).

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Deu 7:9  Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 

The verses we’ll look at in this study are very instructive and encouraging regarding how God was inspiring all these events for our sakes to confirm in our hearts today that if Christ could be raised from the earth, typified by Solomon who “arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven“, how much more will we be saved with our high priest who is now resurrected and become our hope of glory within (Rom 5:10, Col 1:27-29). That hope is clearly expressed by both the words and works (in type and shadow: Joh 14:11) of Solomon which poured forth on behalf of all of the nation of Israel [who symbolize God’s elect in this case]. Solomon’s prayer was for Israel and typical of those who were going to receive the word of God in this age and believe in God (Joh 17:9, Joh 17:20).

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

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

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me [1Ki 8:60].

1Ki 8:60  That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

1Ki 8:54  And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

Arising from “the altar of the LORD” after making “an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD” where Solomon was “kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven” is all symbolic language of what Christ did as our high priest and wave offering while He was in His flesh (Heb 5:7-8, Exo 29:21-25).

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

Exo 29:21  And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons‘ garments with him [This verse (Exo 29:21) is speaking of Christ and His body the church being sanctified (Col 1:24, Rev 19:8)].

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 

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

Exo 29:22  Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecrationH4394  [Exo 28:30, Mal 3:17]:

Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

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. 

Exo 29:23  And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
Exo 29:24  And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, [Heb 5:7] and in the hands of his sons; [Col 1:24] and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.
Exo 29:25  And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD [Col 1:24, 1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17].

Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

1Ki 8:55  And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 
1Ki 8:56  Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

It is “with a loud voice” that we will hear the Lord after we have done all and stand (Eph 6:13-19), and it is from this position in Christ that we can bless “all the congregation of Israel” meaning all the body of Christ and ultimately all the world. The blessing God has given His people as typified by Solomon’s blessing of the congregation of Israel is to enter into the “rest” of Christ stated this way: “Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel” (Heb 4:11-12). 

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 
Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

When we know and believe the exceedingly great and precious promises that God has made, and believe that he will carry them out for us, then we will see the meaning of this typical language in this section of Kings that explains that very reality that we have in Christ: “there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant“. A promise from God would not be exceedingly great and precious unless the One promising something to us could fulfill every part of that promise, which God, who cannot lie, has promised and announced to us through Christ who is also typified by Moses in verse 56 of our study tonight, who will do this (Heb 6:18, 2Pe 1:4, Php 2:12-13).

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

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

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

1Ki 8:57  The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
1Ki 8:58  That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 

To what end we have this relationship with God and Christ is described in John 17:3 where we learn that the Lord does not leave us if we are granted to abide in the truth or words of eternal life (Joh 6:68), keeping “his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers“. The goal is to not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds that we “may incline our hearts unto him” and lean not unto our own understanding (Rom 12:2, Pro 3:3-7).

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

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

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

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 
Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 

1Ki 8:59  And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 
1Ki 8:60  That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. 

As we saw from the beginning of the study, the prayer being made to God was to be “open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee”. “Thy servant” is Solomon who represents Christ, and “thy people Israel” represents the body of Christ the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), and this request was made in these verses in (1Ki 8:52-53).

This leads us into our last two verses which remind us that God is showing His faithfulness through us and not the other way around. The request of Solomon is a type and shadow of this prayer of Christ that was made for Peter who represents God’s elect (Luk 22:32). It is with that fervent prayer of Christ that our Father in heaven will “maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require“, knowing that it is Christ who intercedes for us and fulfills God’s will that we would otherwise not be able to accomplish (Php 2:12-13).

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

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. 

God and Christ are abiding in his people who are blessed to keep His words (Rev 1:3, Joh 14:20-23), and He is with us “day and night” as we are His workmanship which He is making into the image of Christ by forming the light within us and creating the darkness and making peace and raising storms or creating evil within us. All these things the LORD does so that one day “all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else” (Isa 45:7).

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

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 
Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 
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.

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

]]> Daniel – Dan 7:9-28  And the Kingdom and Dominion Shall be Given to the Saints of the Most High https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/daniel-dan-79-28-and-the-kingdom-and-dominion-shall-be-given-to-the-saints-of-the-most-high/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=daniel-dan-79-28-and-the-kingdom-and-dominion-shall-be-given-to-the-saints-of-the-most-high Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:43:21 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=24997 https://www.dropbox.com/s/gn99yiju0zlhvxs/20220104-Study_AtoB-DominiontoSaints.m4a?raw=1

Dan 7:9-28  And the Kingdom and Dominion Shall be Given to the Saints of the Most High

[Study Aired January 3, 2022]

Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 
Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 
Dan 7:11  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 
Dan 7:12  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 
Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 
Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 
Dan 7:15  I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 
Dan 7:16  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 
Dan 7:17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 
Dan 7:18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 
Dan 7:19  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 
Dan 7:20  And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 
Dan 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 
Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 
Dan 7:23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 
Dan 7:24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 
Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 
Dan 7:26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 
Dan 7:27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 
Dan 7:28  Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. 

This part of the chapter shows us that, through Christ, we have been given the dominion to overcome everything that opposes and exalts itself against the knowledge and growth of Christ in our lives.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

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

Today’s study also explains the meaning of Daniel’s vision regarding the four beasts which he saw. However, the explanation of the vision given to Daniel pertains to the vision’s outward manifestation. Daniel, like all the prophets of the Old Testament, was not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Dan 12:9  And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

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

Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Before we can understand this verse, we need to know what had taken place earlier. Daniel had a vision, and he saw four beasts. The fourth beast was diverse from the other three and had ten horns which we understood to represent ten kings. The ten kings are the ruling false doctrines in our heavens which resist the word of God when it comes to us. It is when the seat or thrones of these ten kings or horns, or the ruling false doctrines in our heavens are cast down, that we see Christ as the Ancient of Days coming to sit in the throne of our hearts. The term “the Ancient of Days” is a way of describing our Lord Jesus Christ as the beginning and the end. It is another way of saying:

Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The garment of the Ancient of Days being white as snow represents Christ being clothed in the righteousness of His Father. As our Lord comes to take His seat within our hearts, we are also given the righteousness of Christ.

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

The hair of our Lord being like pure wool is to let us know that our Lord coming into our lives is for the purpose of delivering us from our sins to clothe us with His righteousness.

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

His throne being like the fiery flame and His wheels as burning fire shows us that our Lord’s coming into our lives to take His seat in the throne of our hearts is through judgment.

Rev 19:11  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (ESV)

This vision of the Ancient of Days is the same as the revelation of Jesus Christ to John on the Island of Patmos.

Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

The fiery stream issuing from before the Ancient of Days is the fire of the word of Christ which judges us and, as a result, is able to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified. This fiery stream is the same as the pure river of water of life emanating from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Thousands and thousands ministering to Christ are the elect who speak this fiery word of God to one another. As we minister the word of God to one another, we are actually ministering to our Lord.

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The other group of ten thousand times ten thousand represents those who are not given in this life to become part of the elect. This includes all humanity except the elect. This group standing before the Lord to be judged indicates that all humanity will be saved through judgment, as the purpose of judgment is to bring righteousness.

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

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

Dan 7:11  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

As we indicated in the previous review, the horn that was speaking great words, on a positive note, is the eighth horn which represents a new beginning or the new man.

In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man and a mouth speaking great things (Dan 7:8). What this means is that 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.

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.

It is these great words of the Lord that destroy or slay the beast within us. This is affirmed by the statement that the beast’s body is destroyed and given to the burning flames. The burning flames are the fire of the word of God which destroys the raging beast within.

Jer 5:14  Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.

Dan 7:12  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

This verse is written to let us know that when this evil beast within is revealed, the Lord comes with His brightness to take away the dominion of the 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:

The lives of the beasts being prolonged for a season and a time means that the taking away of the dominion of the beasts is a process which lasts for a period of time that the Lord had appointed. This period of time is signified by a season and a time.

Ecc 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

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

One like the Son of Man is Jesus Christ, and the clouds of heaven represent His elect. As we have indicated earlier, the Ancient of Days is also our Lord Jesus Christ. So, what is being said here in verses 13 and 14 is that if we are blessed to be part of the first resurrection, then our Lord Jesus will lead us to Himself, and we shall be given the kingdoms of this world to rule for a symbolic thousand years.

Mat 26:64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

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.

Verses 13 and 14 of Daniel chapter 7 are therefore to show us the reward for overcoming the composite beast powered by the devil.

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.

Dan 7:15  I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 
Dan 7:16  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

These verses are to remind us that at certain periods of our lives, we were ignorant and lacked understanding of the words of the Lord, just like the Ethiopian eunuch. That is the period during which we grieve in our spirit like Daniel because we were not given to understand His words.

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

In the fullness of time, however, the Lord leads us to His angels (our brothers and sisters who are called and chosen) to open our eyes to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. For example, Paul was also blind spiritually for a period of time in which he thought he understood the Lord’s words. It was not until the Lord sent Ananias that Paul, who used to be called Saul, started to see or understand the mysteries of the kingdom.

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Act 9:10  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Act 9:11  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Act 9:12  And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Act 9:13  Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Act 9:14  And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
Act 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

Dan 7:17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 

The number four deals with the whole issue under consideration. In this case, therefore, the four beasts represent the whole of everything that resists the Lord’s words that rises from within us. The fourth beast making up part of the four beasts has ten horns as shown in Daniel 7:7.

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.

As we indicated in the previous review, the ten horns are ten kings. The mention of the number four of the kings refers therefore to the whole or all of the kings, which in this case are equal to 10.  These four kings signify the whole of the 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, or the whole of the 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 or our father. As we are aware, at a certain stage of our walk, the devil was indeed our father until Christ came to us with the brightness of His coming.

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.

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.

Dan 7:18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

In this dispensation, the kingdom of God is within. In a time to come, the kingdom of God will be outward as the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The saints taking the kingdom, therefore, means that the elect will overcome the beast within to possess the kingdom of God within.

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

Dan 7:19  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

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. 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 of 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.

Dan 7:20  And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

As we have said earlier, the ten horns symbolize the ten kings, which in turn stands for the ruling doctrines within us which resist the word of God when it comes to us. In the previous study, we mentioned that the other horn that came up is not the eleventh horn, as the sum of God’s words shows us there are only ten horns of 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 is to let 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. What this means is that 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 later 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.

Dan 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Here we are looking at a negative application of this horn, that is, the horn making war with the saints and prevailing against them. Another place where the scriptures say the same thing is in Revelation chapter 11:7.

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

So, we can say that the horn here is the same as the beast within us. All of God’s elect or saints had been overcome by this beast within them at a certain time of their walk with Christ, including us until Christ came to us with the brightness of His coming.

Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Inwardly, this verse is showing us that the words in the mouth of the elect are what judges the beast within and causes us to possess the kingdom within. Outwardly, when Christ comes, that will be the time when the elect will be given rulership over the kingdoms of this world. This shall be followed by judgment of all humanity except the elect who had been judged first. The judgment shall be executed by Christ and His elect.

Rev 11:15  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

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.

Dan 7:23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

As indicated in the introductory part of this study, Daniel, being part of the prophets of the Old Testament, is not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The interpretation of his vision by an angel therefore pertains to the outward manifestation of the vision. As we are aware, the fourth beast represents the fourth kingdom. The number four as we have explained earlier has to do with the whole issue under consideration. So, what is being said here is that the whole, or all, of the kingdoms of this world are furthering the course of the evil one, or the fourth beast, which results in all humanity becoming worse off.

Going back to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2, we realized that the fourth kingdom is the Roman empire which was diverse from all kingdoms and is described as follows:

Dan 2:40  And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41  And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

We should take note that this Roman empire comes just before Christ comes to set up His kingdom. Although the Roman empire is no more, its effect is still being felt all over the world, and so technically, we are still in the Roman empire age. This means that we are basically at the end of the ages when Christ’s coming is at the door!!

Dan 7:24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 
Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

As we indicated earlier, the horn and the beast are interchangeable as they play the same role as shown below:

Dan 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Verse 25 says the same as what is said in Revelation 13:5.

Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

The statement that they shall be given into his hands until a time and times and the dividing of time is the same as being given power to continue for forty and two months. The great words against the most High are the great swelling words of man’s wisdom spoken by these false men of God, which make us worse off than when we started our journey with Christ.

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.

Dan 7:26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

This verse is making us aware that it is through the judgment of God’s elect that the dominion of the beast within us is destroyed. This judgment is the fire of the word of God which destroys the beast.

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

Dan 7:27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Again, we are being assured by the fact that, if we overcome the beast within, we are ensured of reigning with Christ.

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.

Dan 7:28  Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. 

A simpler rendition of the verse above is as follows:

Dan 7:28  Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. (ASV)

This verse is another way of saying the following:

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

Therefore, we must not take for granted our eyes seeing and our ears hearing!!

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

May the Lord grant us the grace to continue to pay heed to this sure word of prophecy until the day dawns and the day star rises in our hearts!! Amen!!

]]> The Book of Jeremiah – Jer 26:1-12 This Man is Worthy to Die https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-book-of-jeremiah-jer-261-12-this-man-is-worthy-to-die/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-book-of-jeremiah-jer-261-12-this-man-is-worthy-to-die Sun, 19 Dec 2021 02:33:58 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=24908 https://www.dropbox.com/s/or28swa2a37ae9j/20211219-Study_MikeV-WorthytoDie.m4a?raw=1

Jer 26:1-12 This Man is Worthy to Die

[Study Aired December 19, 2021]

Jer 26:1  In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
Jer 26:2  Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
Jer 26:3  If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
Jer 26:4  And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
Jer 26:5  To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
Jer 26:6  Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
Jer 26:7  So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
Jer 26:8  Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
Jer 26:9  Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Jer 26:10  When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S house.
Jer 26:11  Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
Jer 26:12  Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

Christ spoke only what His Father commanded Him to speak:

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Where did such faithfulness get Christ with the self-righteous, religious people of His day? Where did His fidelity to His Father’s words get Christ with the very people He had just fed with His loaves and fishes? This is what Christ got for being faithful to His Father’s words:

Mar 15:13  And they [the very multitudes Christ had fed and taught] cried out again, Crucify him.
Mar 15:14  Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

Jeremiah typifies Christ since he, too, was faithful to the words he was commanded to speak to the Lord’s self-righteous, rebellious people.

Jer 26:1  In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

Here is the timeline Jeremiah gives us at the very beginning of this prophecy:

Jer 1:1  The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Jer 1:2  To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Jer 1:3  It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

This was not necessarily the first year of the reign of Jehoiakim. In Jeremiah 28 we are told that “the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah included the first four years and five months of his eleven-year reign.

2Ki 24:18  Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2Ki 24:19  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

Jer 28:1  And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

Unless we have qualifying words like “in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, we must be very careful not to say exactly how near the beginning of the reign of a king, or anything else, is signified by the words “in the beginning of …” We can safely say that it means the event under discussion occurred in the first half of his reign, which also happens to be an eleven-year reign, just as Zedekiah’s was an eleven-year reign:

2Ki 23:36  Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

We need to remember that the phrase “in the beginning of…” can simply mean ‘in the first half of…’ when considering this statement in the book of Revelation:

Rev 10:5  And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Rev 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Look at the verb tenses in verse 7:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall beginG3195 [G5725, present tense] to soundG4537 [G5721, present tense]G2532, the mysteryG3466 of GodG2316 should be finishedG5055 [G5686: aorist tense], asG5613 he hath declaredG2097 [G5656: aorist tense] to his servants the prophets.

As is often the case, the first two verbs are in the present tense, signifying a present Truth, but the last two verbs are in the aorist tense, signifying that the two preceding verses are presently true, and they will continue to be true in the aorist tense.

In this case we are not given how long the trumpet sounded, but we are told that the seven trumpets are the seventh seal, and we are told that these seven seals must be opened by Christ in us, in our ‘heavens’, before we can begin to know the revelation of Jesus Christ within us, and before we can hope to “read… hear… and keep those things which are written [in this book]”:

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

“The time is at hand [to] read… hear… and keep those things which are written therein”, is the same as saying:

Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see [aorist tense] all these things, know [present tense] that it is [present tense] near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass [aorist tense], till all these things be fulfilled [aorist tense].
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away [future tense], but my words shall not pass away [aorist tense].

The point being made is that the beginning of the sounding of the seventh angel is in the present tense, because it is present in every generation who reads this prophecy, but ‘the mystery being finished’ is in the aorist (is, was, and will be) tense, and the ‘as he declared to His servants the prophets’ is also in the aorist tense, because the judgment of God was, is and will be being declared by His servants the prophets. Knowing the tense of each verb is essential in understanding the timing of what is being discussed.

In Revelation chapter 5 we read that this book is sealed with seven seals. What that says about this book and the things written in it is this:

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

If we are being dragged to Christ, then we, too, will be shown an open door to the heavens, and we will begin to have Christ revealed to us:

Rev 4:1  After this I looked [aorist tense], and, behold, a door was opened [perfect tense] in heaven: and the first voice which I heard [aorist tense] was as it were of a trumpet talking [present tense] with me; which said, Come up [aorist tense] hither, and I will shew [aorist tense] thee things which must [present tense] be [aorist tense] hereafter.
Rev 4:2  And immediately I was [aorist tense] in the spirit: and, behold [aorist tense], a throne was set [imperfect tense] in heaven, and one sat [present tense] on the throne.

The meaning of the phrase “a door was opened in heaven” is that we are about to be given an exponential increase in knowledge of the things of the spirit. It will be things not heretofore known or understood; things like the spiritual significance of the four cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and 10 and things like the spiritual significance of the brazen sea, a woman and a manchild, etc.

With John, we begin to see Christ seated on the throne of our hearts and minds. Suddenly it seems that there is no one anywhere “in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth” who is worthy to open the book  which we were just told that we must “read…hear… and keep the things which are written therein.”

Rev 5:1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev 5:3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

We all have this experience. We are all dragged to see that the Word of God is our salvation, and yet we are sealed out of understanding what we somehow know is hidden within the Lord’s Words which we have not yet come to grasp. We want desperately to be given to read and hear and keep what we know is right here in our hands, and yet we still have not been given to know Christ well enough to begin to see the things of the spirit. That is the feeling we have which is expressed in these words:

Rev 5:4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

Then, just as we are about to give up hope, the Lord sends one of His elect with His healing words:

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.

“The revelation of Jesus Christ” is not just the book of Revelation. It has been said… ‘The book of Revelation is hidden within the book of Genesis, but the book of Genesis with all of its secrets is revealed in the book of Revelation.’

Just one example is “the seed of the woman” of Genesis 3:15 revealed to be the manchild who will  rule the nations with a rod of iron with Christ for a thousand years in Revelation 12:5:

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.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

The book of Revelation is simply the capstone of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end of all the Words of God:

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This prophecy of Jeremiah is “the Word” of God, and the ‘Yahweh’ speaking these words is Jesus Christ Himself (Who is Jahweh?).

This is what Christ commands Jeremiah to tell His own self-righteous, rebellious people:

Jer 26:2  Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
Jer 26:3  If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
Jer 26:4  And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
Jer 26:5  To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
Jer 26:6  Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

These words are addressed to all who claim to know Christ and to worship in the Lord’s house. Only the Lord’s elect are given to see and hear these words. Only they are granted repentance. However, these words will be given to those who are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, and they will be just as applicable at that time for those people as they are today for us.

What happened at Shiloh, many years before Jeremiah’s prophecy, must happen to the kingdom of our old man in this present time, and it must also be experienced by those who are in “the resurrection of damnation” (Greek: ‘judgment’), which will take place after the rebellion of all nations at the end of the thousand-year reign of “the Lord and His Christ”:

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

Here is what happened at ‘Shiloh’:

1Sa 4:1  And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
1Sa 4:2  And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
1Sa 4:3  And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
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: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
1Sa 4:5  And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
1Sa 4:6  And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
1Sa 4:7  And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
1Sa 4:8  Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
1Sa 4:9  Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
1Sa 4:10  And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
1Sa 4:11  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
1Sa 4:12  And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
1Sa 4:13  And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
1Sa 4:14  And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
1Sa 4:15  Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
1Sa 4:16  And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
1Sa 4:17  And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
1Sa 4:18  And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died:  for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
1Sa 4:19  And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
1Sa 4:20  And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
1Sa 4:21  And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
1Sa 4:22  And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

These five verses, verses 2-6 of this chapter of Jeremiah 26, are summarized by this admonition in the first chapter of the book of Revelation:

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

Revelation chapters 2-3 are an admonition against the seven churches of Asia. What Revelation 2-3 reveal is that “[we also] have not hearkened… to the words of [the Lord’s] servants the prophets”:

Notice to whom Revelation 1:3 is addressed:

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

“The seven churches” are not just the Lord’s elect. They certainly include the Lord’s elect, and it is only His elect who will read, hear and keep the things which are written in the prophecy of this book. However, the seven churches are located “in Asia”, which spiritually includes all the churches of this world and all who are in covenant with God. That means that “the seven churches” signify all the religions of mankind because of the covenant the Lord made with Noah:

Gen 9:8  And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Gen 9:9  And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

All of mankind, whether aware of it or not, are in covenant with the Lord, and we have all broken that covenant. This situation gives the Lord the occasion He is seeking to judge all men of all time, “each in his own order”:

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

Every man has “his own [appointed] order” in which we will all be “made alive… in Christ”.

Jer 26:7  So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
Jer 26:8  Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

I will repeat the words with which we opened this study… Christ spoke only what His Father commanded Him:

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

It was because Christ was faithful to the words His Father told Him to speak that He was at odds with the self-righteous, religious people of His day… the very people He had just fed with His loaves and fishes. This is what Christ got for being faithful to His Father’s words:

Mar 15:13  And they cried out again,  Crucify him.
Mar 15:14  Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

That is exactly what had happened to the prophets who prophesied before Christ, who did not diminish the Lord’s words of judgment. If you and I are granted to remain faithful to His words, this is what we will also hear from the established churches:

Jer 26:9  Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Jer 26:10  When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S house.
Jer 26:11  Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
Jer 26:12  Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

What happens to Jeremiah is exactly what Isaiah was inspired to tell us to expect from our families, friends and the historic established churches in every generation:

Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Isa 30:11  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
Isa 30:12  Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:
Isa 30:13  Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
Isa 30:14  And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water  withal out of the pit.
Isa 30:15  For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

“Prophesy not unto us right things” means ‘Do not speak to us about the Lord’s judgments. Speak only about all His blessings He has promised us. Tell us He did everything for us on the cross.’

“Because you despise this word” means we all just naturally hate and despise the Lord’s judgments and His way of thinking. How could He fail to ask us what He should do with His creatures? It just isn’t ‘fair’ to our old man to be condemned to destruction. We despise that He has declared “that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:50).

We will continue this story, and see how we can expect to be treated by our Babylonian bound brothers and sisters in our next study, Christ told us what to expect if we refuse to diminish His words concerning His judgments upon our own old man and upon all the smooth, lying, self-righteous lies of the adversary:

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

If the Lord gives us the ability to value “the kingdom of heaven” and to see what is not visible to the natural man, then we will “Rejoice and be exceeding glad [to be] persecuted [with] the prophets [which were] before [us]”, and we will appreciate the truth of these verses:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

We are not naturally capable of appreciating those words, but to Christ within us “the kingdom of heaven” is “a pearl of great price” for which we will sell all we have to “lay hold on eternal life”:

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

Here are our verses for our next study:

Jer 26:13  Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
Jer 26:14  As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.
Jer 26:15  But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.
Jer 26:16  Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.
Jer 26:17  Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,
Jer 26:18  Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
Jer 26:19  Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.
Jer 26:20  And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
Jer 26:21  And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
Jer 26:22  And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.
Jer 26:23  And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Jer 26:24  Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

]]> Prophecy of Isaiah – Isa 65:13-20 Behold I Create New Heavens and a New Earth https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-6513-20-behold-i-create-new-heavens-and-a-new-earth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-6513-20-behold-i-create-new-heavens-and-a-new-earth Sun, 04 Oct 2020 04:01:40 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=21565 Isa 65:13-20 Behold I Create New Heavens and a New Earth
[Study Aired October 4, 2020]

Isa 65:13  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
Isa 65:14  Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
Isa 65:15  And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:
Isa 65:16  That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
Isa 65:17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isa 65:18  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isa 65:19  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Isa 65:20  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

Our study today begins with the word, ‘Therefore’. For that reason, we will begin by simply reading the last four verses of last week’s study so we can understand the grounds for what is being revealed to us.

Here are those four verses:

Isa 65:8  Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Isa 65:10  And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.
Isa 65:11  But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
Isa 65:12  Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. [Chose to “believe a lie” – 2Th 2:2:11]

Regardless of the subject and regardless of the numbers of persons involved in any story in the bible, whether it is Joseph and his brothers, or King David and King Saul, or Israel and Syria, or Israel and Assyria and Babylon, it is not over simplifying the message of the scriptures at all to say that all scripture concerns nothing more than two men. Those two men are “our old man” and our “new man”, and those two men are always at war with each other. Here is how scripture frames these two warring parties:

Gen 25:22  And the children struggled together within her [Rebecca, Isaac’s wife]; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
Gen 25:23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Those “two nations” are indeed “two nations”. They are not ‘one nation’ although they do come out of one womb, and that ‘one womb’ is “the first man Adam”. The first Adam in “every man” was “made to be taken and destroyed” because he has a “natural… carnal mind” which must be destroyed if the new man is to be birthed. This is how Christ speaks of these two men:

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die [our carnal minded old man], it abideth alone : but if it die [if it is destroyed], it bringeth forth much fruit [If our rebellious, carnal-minded old man dies then it is through that dying process that our new man is born].
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life [the life of a carnal mind] shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Only one of these two men can “inherit the kingdom of God”. Therefore, the first man, our natural man, our “old man” must begin to be “put off” and be destroyed and begin to die before “the new man” can begin to be born. The ‘birth’ of our “new man” is a process which continues within us until we draw our last physical breath. Only then will we “bear the heavenly” body in the fullness of our “new man”:

1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body [A “spiritual body” can pass through a locked door and appear as a natural body. A “natural body” cannot do that, Luk 24:39].
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
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 [our old man]: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly [our new man].
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption [There is no such thing as “a spiritual physical body” as so many teach].

“The old man [and] the new man; the first man [and] the second man”; these are the two men with whom all scripture is concerned.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

‘Putting off the old man and putting on the new man’ are both in the aorist tense and are taking place daily within our new man. ‘Corrupt according to deceitful lusts’ and being ‘renewed in the spirit of your mind’ are both in the present tense as the dying process of our old man is being worked out.

That is the meaning of:

Isa 65:8  Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

“Destroy it not for a blessing is in it” refers only to our ‘new man’. However, there can be no ‘new man’ until the old man dies:

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
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.
1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Our ‘old man’ is also called “the son of the bondwoman”, and this is what we know of his fate:

Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

We were “in time past… children of the prince of the power of the air… children of disobedience” but no more (Eph 2:2-3).

God has caused mankind to be associated with the number ‘six’ by creating mankind on “the sixth day” right there along with all the other beasts of the earth:

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 1:31  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.

The spiritual significance of the number six is ‘that which is not completed’, especially as it refers to what is within mankind:

The Number Six

The spiritual significance of the number three is the process of judgment:

Numbers in Scripture – Three, the Process of Spiritual Completion Through Judgment

Number Three in Scripture

It is not a coincidence that mankind was created on the sixth day along with all the other beasts. It is not a coincidence because His creation of mankind in His image, with “dominion over… every living thing that moveth upon the earth”, is not yet complete. Mankind himself is a beast, and it is we ourselves over whom we, of ourselves, have no dominion:

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.
Ecc 3:19  For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc 3:20  All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Those words speak of our old man. He has “no preeminence above a beast” because he himself is a  beast who, like every other beast is “of the dust, and [sh]all turn to dust again”, and if there is not a resurrection from the dead of “all in Adam”:

1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Notice that it says “they… which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished”. It does not say, ‘they which are up in heaven with Christ.’ Neither are we ever told that those who “are fallen asleep” not knowing Christ are yet alive suffering excruciating pain in literal flames of fire. Quite to the contrary, this is what we are told of all who are “fallen asleep”:

Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

I used to hate the Jehovah’s witnesses who first showed me that verse of scripture. I hated them, and I hated that verse of scripture simply because it did not fit in with the doctrine of the church I was in at that time.

In Genesis we are told that man is to have dominion over the fish, the fowl, and over all living things on the earth.

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.

In Ecclesiastes 3 we are told that man has no preeminence over a beast. This apparent contradiction evaporates when we discover that the words “Let us make man in our image” are better translated as:

Gen 1:26 And saying is the Elohim, “Make will We humanity in Our image, and according to Our likeness, and sway shall they over the fish of the sea, and over the flyer of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all land life, and over every moving animal moving on the land.
Gen 1:27 And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them. (CLV)

Every verb in those two verses is in the Hebrew Qal stem which is the equivalent of the Greek aorist tense. What that means is that God did not “make man in His image”. The fact is that He shaped man in dust and iniquity and conceived Adam in sin as we clearly informed:

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

However, did we not just read:

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.

This next verse to Gen 1:31 is needed to get “the sum of [His] word” concerning what was created in those six days:

Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

“All that in them is” would include the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the crooked deceitful serpent and thorns and briars. Indeed, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a “very good… tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. The “crooked serpent” was a “very good… crooked, lying, murderous” serpent. Adam and Eve themselves were “very good… flesh and blood… corruption”:

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.

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

The serpent did not become a liar after Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They ate of that tree because the serpent beguiled and lied to them. That is what a “very good” serpent does. He is “very good” at what he was created to do. He did not become a “crooked serpent” after he lied to Eve. The Lord’s own hand formed that “crooked serpent”:

Job 26:13  By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

What does all of this tell us about that which is “very good”? The law of Moses is said to be “good”, and yet we are told it, “Is not for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient.”

1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11  According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Any application of the “lawful use of the law” of Moses must be applied in our lives “according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God”, and in answer to the question… What does all of this tell us about that which is “very good”? this is what “the glorious gospel of the blessed God” tells us about that which is “very good”:

2Co 3:10  For even that which was made glorious [the law of Moses] had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

Let’s look at that verse along with the verses surrounding it so we can get its full impact:

2Co 3:7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, [“The law (of Moses) is good” – 1Ti 1:12] was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2Co 3:8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit [“The law of Christ”, Gal 6:2 and Mat 5-7] be rather glorious?
2Co 3:9  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
2Co 3:10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
2Co 3:11  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Based upon what we have just read, it is not adding to or taking from the Word of God to say, ‘That which was “very good” was not good at all by reason of that which excels.’ In other words, ‘The good is actually the enemy of excellence’ to the point that “the milk of the Word”, keeping the law of Moses, is the enemy of going on to perfection.

To make this point I will quote from the end of Hebrews 5 and the beginning of Hebrews 6 without the verses or the chapter breaks:

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. [Both the judgment which is now on the house of God and the great white throne judgment, the salvation of all]
And this will we do, if God permit.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

The phrase “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ…” connects what was said about being spiritual babes to the “milk of the Word” doctrines which are all listed here, and the phrase “For it is impossible… to renew them again to repentance…” connects what has just been stated about those spiritual babes with the warning that “it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.” What we are being told is that those who insist on remaining only on the milk of the Word and see no difference between the called and the chosen, are actually “crucifying Christ afresh and putting Him to an open shame” and are simply unwilling to “go on unto perfection”. It is only those who are given to “go on unto perfection” who will be given “a crown of life [and] a coat of many colors”. The masses and multitudes who come to Christ are not given to receive these gifts because they instinctively realize that if they separate themselves from those who want only ‘the milk of the Word’ they will be rejected and ostracized and persecuted by the masses and multitudes who are not given to endure that “fiery trial” of rejection and persecution (1Pe 4:12). Being given by our Father a coat of many colors and a crown of life will separate us from our brothers and will cause us to be “hated of [our] brothers”. Many are so afraid of being made to differ from their brothers that they are willing to place themselves on the same level as the many called. God’s “very elect” are given to bear the rejection of their own brothers because they are “loved… more than all [their] brothers”.

Gen 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

The Lord has demonstrated this Truth to all of us when He dragged us out of Babylon, and then He has demonstrated it over and over again when He causes even those who were our equal, those who were our guides and our intimate acquaintances, to accuse us of placing ourselves above others. We must realize that our Lord was not only hated by the very multitudes He had fed and nourished, but He was even hated and betrayed by those who had broken bread with Him and with whom He had over the years taken sweet counsel, and with whom for years He had gone up the house of God. Do we think we are different from our Lord? We are not; rather we are Him, and we, too, will know what it is for those with whom we have “taken sweet counsel” to suddenly forsake us, turn against us and magnify themselves against us.

These verses are addressed to you and to me:

Psa 41:9  Even a man desiring my welfare, I trusted in him, eating of my bread; this one has lifted up his heel against me.

Psa 55:12  For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

Psa 55:13  But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
Psa 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

Mat 10:24  The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
Mat 10:25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

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

All these Words of Christ will never pass away. They will be experienced by the true saints of every generation:

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

When Christ says, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled,” ‘these things’ include “the end [of the age”] (vs 14), as well as “the abomination that makes desolate spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (vs 15). This demonstrates the ‘is, was, and will be’ nature of the Word of God. It will always have an application to those living at the time it was penned, as well as every subsequent generation… “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Any and all exceptions to this rule are clearly qualified and made obvious in scripture. Being of the “blessed and holy… few” who are given to have a part in the first resurrection, while “the rest of the dead” who are not given that privilege “live not again till the thousand years are finished” is one example of a qualified exception in scripture (Rev 20:5-6). Another such exception is that those who are in the first resurrection are clearly told “the second death… shall not hurt [them] and has no power over [them] (Rev 2:10-11 and 20:6).

There is no way to apply these words to those who are in the lake of fire because “the lake of fire… is the second death”, and the devil himself is being purified in that ‘fire’:

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

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

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

But when the apostle Peter writes:

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts [our old man], made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of [spiritual] adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
2Pe 2:15  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Those who are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God (Mat 13:10-15) will always remember these words of the apostle Paul, and will give every word here in 2 Peter a primarily personal application, while at the same time acknowledging that the scriptures also have a secondary past application as well as an apocalyptic end time application:

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [Greek, ‘aion’, age] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ [‘quickened’ Greek: aorist tense, ‘being given life’], (by grace ye are saved;)

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

Those who are granted to remember that “we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” will never forget to apply these words of the apostle Peter first and foremost personally, and not place them somewhere out there on someone else.

Knowing the meaning of, “My words shall never pass away” we will always apply these words of Peter to our own old man whom we all know very well we have served for so very long.

If we read scripture from any other perspective it becomes nothing more than a history book, with absolutely no personal application. But if we see every story in scripture as a struggle between the kingdom of our old man and the kingdom of our new man, and if we understand that these two nations are always at war within our own heavens constantly struggling one against the other, then we will appreciate and  understand these words:

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

There are “two nations” within every man. One is the first to be given the hegemony over our heavens. Those “two nations” share a common ancestor, and yet they have nothing else but the fact they are both being judged in common. Their ‘common ancestor’ is “the first man Adam”, and just as his actions involuntarily negatively affected all men, so also “the last Adam’s” actions will also positively, involuntarily affect all men of all time. In other words, God did not “make men in His image”, rather the Truth of the scriptures is that He is in the process of making man in His image in two phases. Those two phases of His creation are “the first man Adam”, and “the last Adam”:

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made [Greek: aorist tense] a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Our study today concerns itself with the contrasts which exist between these two men who have nothing in common but the judgments of their Creator:

Our last study ended with the Lord revealing to us the marred condition of our old man:

Isa 65:11  But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
Isa 65:12  Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.

Being “numbered to the sword” is being numbered to destruction, which is indeed the fate of our old man.

Our study today contrasts the cursed fruit of the ways of our rebellious old man with the blessings of the fruit of having Christ and His mind living within us:

Isa 65:13  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

It is our old man who, while spiritually starving to death and spiritually dying of thirst and being shamefully naked, actually thinks he is “rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing”:

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
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.
Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Remember “the time is at hand” that we are to “read… hear… and keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”.

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

As the converted Nebuchadnezzar, a type of our new man, confessed after seven years of humiliation of his typical ‘old man’ at the hands of the Lord:

Dan 4:37  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride [our old man] he is able to abase.

Such is how the Lord has chosen to work with His creatures. It is only through much humiliation and tribulation that any of us will enter the kingdom of God. It is only through being brought to see our miserable, starved, thirsty and shamefully naked condition that the Lord drags us to Himself, as He tells us repeatedly throughout the scriptures:

Job 27:14  If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

Lev 26:26  And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women [false doctrines in false churches] shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

Just as Isaiah is doing in this 65th chapter, throughout scripture the Lord contrasts the fate of our old man with the fate of our new man:

Psa 37:18  The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
Psa 37:19  They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Isaiah continues with this contrast between the rewards for the humility and obedience of our new man in “this present time” to the shameful, poverty-stricken fruits of the pride and rebellion of our old man against his own Creator and Maker:

Isa 65:14  Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

“My servants shall rejoice… My servants shall sing for joy of heart” does not mean we will do so because we will know nothing but physical blessings and physical Pollyanna joy in “this present time”. Do not allow yourself to be taken in with the insidious false doctrine of a “substitutionary atonement”. That particular lie is believed by literally millions of Christians. That false doctrine teaches that Christ came to this earth to die for you, which is, of course, true. Nevertheless, just as he did in the Garden of Eden, the serpent states a truth and then twists that same truth into a lie which simply cannot be detected by those who live on nothing but smooth, sweet milk of the Word. Christ did not come and die for us so we could avoid persecution and avoid the hatred of all men. These are His own words:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Does that sound like Christ thought His death on the cross would somehow miraculously deliver us from sore trials in “this present time”? Just a few verses later, in this same chapter, Christ tells us in very clear language that He did not die for us so we would not have to die. Rather, He died for us so He could come to us through His Father’s spirit and give us the strength to die with Him for “His body’s sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24-27).

This is what Christ has to say about the function of His death for us and what we can expect if we are granted to believe in Him and His doctrines:

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

There it is in very clear language. Christ expects us to die with Him. He did not die for us so we could avoid death. The exact opposite is the Truth.

This is how the apostle Paul expresses how these words of our Lord affected his life:

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

These “earthen vessels” (2Co 4:7) are the curse of the corruption which cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1Co 15:50), which is the subject of our next two verses:

Isa 65:15  And ye [you and I, our old man] shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen [our new man with a “new name”, Rev 2:17 and 3:12]: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:
Isa 65:16  That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

We will show what is our “new name” shortly.

“Swearing by the God of Truth” has been changed by our Lord to simply stating the Truth, which ‘Truth’ is that we will be the first to be saved, and in time “through [our] mercy… all in Adam shall be made alive in Christ”:

Mat 5:33  Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
Mat 5:34  But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Mat 5:35  Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

All the blessings of the kingdom are ours at this very moment in down-payment earnest form. “The redemption of the purchased possession” is the fullness of our promised reward, and all of that is yet before us if we are granted to endure “much tribulation” to the end:

Isa 65:17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isa 65:18  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

This “new heavens and new earth” are being created within us at this very moment through “much tribulation”, and “Jerusalem” is the “new name” mentioned in verse 15:

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

Rev 3:12  He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. (ASV)

If indeed we are Christ, as He declares (Mat 25:40 and Act 22:8), and if indeed “His inheritance is in the saints” as we are informed in:

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

Our new name is His new name and that name is “New Jerusalem”, a name befitting our “new man”. It is Christ and His Christ who “come down from God out of  heaven”, first to rule within us at “this present time” (Rom 8:18), and then to rule over the kingdoms of this world for “a thousand years”.

This is what life is like in the New Jerusalem of Isaiah 65. Isaiah 65 is the inspiration for these words:

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 [Aaron Lohman, Tony Cullen, Steve, and all of us] saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

“The manifested sons of God” are “the New Jerusalem” which Christ is presently creating within us. In “this present time” we can and should be rejoicing in the glory that is to be revealed in us:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

As “the manifested sons of God” the best is yet to come, minus all the suffering of this present time, and according to our Lord “[He] will rejoice in [us]… and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in [us], nor the voice of crying” when He receives His inheritance in us. Christ rejoices in His inheritance which is in us, and we are to rejoice in our inheritance in Him:

Isa 65:19  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

To which Christ adds these words:

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

“[His] people [are] His inheritance”:

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

Christ’s inheritance is in us, and ours is in Him:

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure [“Christ within us”, Col 1:27… “the earnest of our inheritance” Eph 1:14] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

However, not all “[His] people” of this age will be “faithful [and] endure to the end” in His service in “this present time”. We will all fill out every one of the days which are written in our “books” (Psa 139:16 ASV, Rev 20:12). Those “books” record in advance every little thing we do while in these earthly vessels of clay (Jer 18:4; 1Co 15:47-49), and that which is done in and of our flesh is the spiritual significance of the number ten, and all of its multiples. Here is the URL to The Spiritual Significance of The Number Ten: The Number Ten

Isa 65:20  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

The Hebrew word for ‘child’ is ‘na’ar’ (H5288), and it means a mature young man capable of battle and of heavy labor. Here are the first two times this word appears in the Old Testament:

Gen 14:23  That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou [the king of Sodom] shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Gen 14:24  Save only that which the young men [Hebrew: na’ar, the young men who fought with Abraham to rescue Lot from the kings of the east] have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Gen 18:7  And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man [H5288: na’ar]; and he hasted to dress it.

A ‘na’ar’, a ‘young man’ who dies a hundred years old’ and is not an “accursed… sinner”, in New Testament Greek, is an ”elect”, ‘uihos’, a “son of God”:

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons [G5207: ‘uihos’] of God.

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons [G5207, ‘uihos’] of God.

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons [G5207, ‘uihos’], God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son [G5207, uihos] into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

The fact that Isaiah 65:19 tells us that Christ “rejoices in Jerusalem… [His] people “, and the fact that verse 22, which we will cover in our next study, calls “[His] people” in this context “His elect”, demonstrates that “the child being an hundred years old shall die [to his old man],” refers to “His elect”, our “new man… in this present time”, being birthed through the death of our old man. “The sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed”, because he is not dying to his old man in this present time and is therefore condemned to Gehenna, the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death. The fact that this particular ‘sinner’ also lives to be 100 years old and is called “My people”, and yet he is “accursed” and  is being contrasted with “the child [young man] dying at 100 years old, qualifies this particular “accursed… sinner” of Isaiah 65:20 as typifying those who were once known of Christ, as Judas was, and yet are cast into the lake of fire to be purified being “condemned with the world”:

Here is how Christ describes this particular ‘sinner’ who is feasting with His people in ‘Jerusalem’:

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests [at the marriage of the king’s Son, vs 2] he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

This is how those who are given a proper wedding garment are given to avoid the fate of that man:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge [G1252: diakrino, verb, separate, make a distinction, to prefer] ourselves, we should not be judged [G2919: krino, verb].
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged [G2919: ‘krino’ – verb, judged in this present time] we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned [G2632: katakrino, down judged, judged against] with the world.

Being “condemned with the world” refers to the judgment against the ungodly and sinners of this present age who will “appear” at the “white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death” because they are not being judged along with “the house of God… in this present time”:

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation [G2920 Greek: ‘krisis’, judgment] of hell? [G1067 Greek: ‘ghenna’, the great white throne judgment, ‘krisis’, the lake of fire/ second death].

Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment [Greek: ‘krisis’, G2920] also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [at the beginning of the thousand year reign]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [Exact same Greek word translated ‘judgment’ in verse 27, ‘krisis’ G2920… the “white throne… judgment”, Rev 20:11-15].

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment [G2917: ‘krima’, noun, neuter, same root as the Greek noun, ‘krisis’ G2920: feminine, noun], must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? [They will be “condemned with the world to the “resurrection of damnation [Greek: ‘krisis’, Joh 5:27-29]
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.

That is our study for today, and here are the verses for our next study where we will learn that all “[the Lord’s] elect”, who are in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection” are even now in down-payment form, given to build and plant the things of the spiritual ‘kingdom within’ ourselves, and to even now eat the fruits of the spirit, and to have dominion over every beast in our lives, even in “this present time” as the elect of the Lord:

Isa 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Isa 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Isa 65:23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isa 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

]]> Gospels in Harmony – Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisee and Publican Within https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/gospels-in-harmony-luke-189-14-the-pharisee-and-publican-within/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gospels-in-harmony-luke-189-14-the-pharisee-and-publican-within Tue, 15 Sep 2020 19:19:25 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=21498 Gospels in Harmony – Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisee and Publican Within
[Study Aired September 15,2020

Luk 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Christ speaks another parable. We all know and understand why our Lord speaks in parables. He speaks so they cannot understand and so we can understand.

Mat 13:10-15 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 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. 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. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Once again, he mentions the “two men”. Who are the “two men”?
They are the men within each of us if Christ is in you. The Pharisee and the publican are within our heavens.

As with the other parables we reviewed earlier in this series one of the men must be taken and the other left. In this parable which will be taken, and which will be left? The Pharisee is not as “other men” he is better than them. He fasts and he gives. What more would God want from us? We are told to fast and we are told to give so it must be the Pharisee within us that will remain. We are all familiar with the following verses, but it answers the question of which man will be taken and which will be left.

Isa 58:3-5  Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 

The above verses are what the Pharisee within us in our parable is doing. The below verses are what the publican within us does and therefore will be justified.

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

When we properly come to the Lord as the publican, we will gain all the following within our heavens.

Isa 58:8-14 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

In Zechariah, with some additions the same thought is repeated. The first section of verses is the Pharisee’s way of life. Also, notice when this takes place spiritually and the meanings of the names involved.

Zec 7:1-7 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, [he that informs himself] that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah [Jehovah remembers] in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; [confidence] When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer [prince of fire] and Regemmelech, [to stone the king] and their men, to pray before the LORD, And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? 

Zec 7:8-14 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, [Jehova remembers] saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they [the Pharisee within] refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they [the Pharisee within] made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. 

Only the publican within us can hear these warnings of our Lord. Paul tells us the same thing here in Romans 9.

Rom 9:30-33 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

The fasting and giving that the Pharisee brags about is not true fasting and giving. The Pharisee is doing all this with his own righteousness and following the law of the flesh and cannot serve God properly. We know what the Lord thinks of our righteousness’s.

Isa 64:6-7 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

That is the Lord speaking about the Pharisee within us. Our Pharisee within will go through the process of judgment: the baptisms of water, fire, and the holy spirit. Ultimately the publican will be born within us, and we will become humble and be able to truly fast and give as the Lord has commanded. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians what the publican within us will be able to accomplish once the Pharisee is overcome.

2Co 10:1-18 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they [those with the mind of a Pharisee] measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

We, with the publican within, are given the ability to strive after the righteousness of the Lord. We are given to act as the “publican standing afar off” and be justified among all men.

Luk 18:13-14 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

When we are given eyes to see and ears to hear the meanings of the parables Christ speaks to us, we will understand the reason for the process of judgement we are enduring until the end of this age. Though we feel at times this age will never end the Lord says differently.

Rev 3:10-13 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Rev 22:6-21 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

In conclusion, here are the thoughts of the publican within us if Christ be in us.

Psa 40:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them [the Pharisee within] be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

]]> Studies In Psalms – Psa 103:17-22 “Bless The Lord” Part 4 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/studies-in-psalms-psa-10317-22-bless-the-lord-part-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=studies-in-psalms-psa-10317-22-bless-the-lord-part-4 Fri, 02 Mar 2018 21:00:27 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=15783 Psa 103:17-22 “Bless The Lord” – Part 4

Psa 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
Psa 103:18 To such as uhn eep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Psa 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Psa 103:21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Psa 103:22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

This last part of our four-part study entitled “Bless The Lord” begins with a verse that is really at the heart and core of why we “Bless The Lord”. We bless Him because we have come to know His mercy in advance of the many called and the rest of the world. We bless him because we understand that it is from everlastingH5769 to everlastingH5769 that God is showing that mercy toward us, as we go from glory to glory, through this process of being humbled in our flesh. We give thanks and bless His name because, when our eyes are opened, it becomes clear that His mercy was being expressed from the foundation of the world and throughout the ages, from age to age, through a hidden plan (Eph 3:9) that now in these last times would be revealed unto the elect church the bride of Christ (1Pe 1:20).

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

Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [This has an inward application as well as we judge and examine ourselves and come to see that we can do better through Christ (2Co 13:5).]

Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: […because you stand by faith which is a gift of God (Eph 2:8).]

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory [from everlastingH5769 to everlastingH5769], even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens [in our hearts, in our minds – Ecc 3:18]: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. (CLV)

Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. (KJV)

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.

God has shown mercy toward us and put his fear in our hearts by giving us a new heart that has been softened (Eze 36:26-27) so that we heed the admonitions (Rev 1:3), and repent profoundly when we are shown we are wrong (2Co 7:11, Mat 5:4 there is an inward and outward mourning Eze 9:4), and so we ought to bless the Lord, and give thanks that he does not let go of us (Joh 18:9), and that he continues to destroy our old man through this process of repentance to which we’re called even as He builds up the new man of righteousness being formed through Christ (2Co 5:17-19). God has chosen us to show to the world the great extent to which He will extend His mercy to all of His creation in due time (1Co 1:26-27, Joh 15:16-17).

2Co 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

This inheritance in the earth is speaking of gaining dominion over the man of sin within as we “mourn” for the death of the old man, not as others (1Th 4:13), but go from glory to glory in these earthen vessels by way of the great treasure within those earthen vessels, our hope of glory Jesus Christ, Who is leading us unto victory little by little (2Co 4:7, Col 1:27, Deu 7:22).

Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? [Do we do the same? We do until we don’t – 1Co 3:17-20]
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

God works the hardness of our hearts, and is sovereign over the process of the light and darkness within us, the good and the evil, that He may be glorified even as it says of Pharoah who was raised for this reason (Rom 9:16-21) that Christ might be glorified through the judgment that would come upon Pharoah which is a type and shadow of the judgment of the man of perdition on the thrown of our own hearts, who is being destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming (1Pe 4:17, 2Th 2:8). The destruction of the man of sin is the only thing that will bring us to no longer be of the generation who have confidence in our flesh (Php 3:3) or the wisdom of the world we read of in (1Co 3:17-19).

Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life (Luk 21:19, Tit 3:8, Isa 30:15):

So the narrow way is to rest in the Lord, to be quiet, but also to be careful to maintain good works that will help us believe in the works that Christ is doing in his body (Heb 4:11, Joh 10:36-38).

Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Isa 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. [because of the contentious spirit spoken of in Rom 2:8].

Isa 30:15 [NIV] This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentanceH7729 [H7725] and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Rom 2:4).

When we are blessed to abide in Christ, we will find ourselves being purified by the light of this relationship, and when the Lord shows us what needs to be changed in our hearts we are not to despise this process (Rom 2:4) that is bringing us around to return and rest in the Lord (Luk 15:21-22 parallel verses Luk 17:10). The story of the prodigal son is an ‘is, was and will be’ event for our old man who must die daily and continue to find our refuge and rest in the Lord (Psa 46:1-2).

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [within – Joh 17:17]

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;

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Joh 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

As we go through this last part of our four-part study, let’s consider that God’s people are called to “do his pleasure” and to “do his commandments”, and are given to understand that it is in “all the places of his dominion” that we will find a people “that fear him” and who are being prepared through a cleansing process to one day go forth and save the world, because where His spirit is there is liberty (Lev 14:7, Rev 19:7, 2Co 3:17).

Psa 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

‘Don’t be wise in your own eyes’ is the first thought which comes to mind when I read this verse, and yet we would not have to go from glory to glory if there were not a need to see that part in us which is yet carnal and in need of maturing. In other words, it is God’s grace which chastens us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this age if He is working with us (Tit 2:12).

Pro 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Pro 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Pro 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: [how do we honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase? – Gal 6:10]
Pro 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

We now know what the “firstfruits of all thine increase” is speaking about for God’s elect (Mat 9:37, Joh 4:35) as these following verses demonstrate:

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.

Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. [These verses in Peter can be expressed (3Jn 1:2) as well.]

Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation [hiding from one another Isa 58:7]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

If we are blessed to follow this pattern of esteeming each other better “in honour preferring one another”, we will in fact be laying up our own inheritance which is in the Lord, and “his righteousness unto children’sH1121 childrenH1121“.

Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? [Today, right now – Eph 2:6]
1Th 2:20 For ye are our glory and joy.

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Deu 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sonsH1121, and thy sons’H1121 sonsH1121;

Job 42:16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sonsH1121, and his sons’H1121 sonsH1121, even four generations.

Psa 103:18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

God’s covenant is the new covenant commandment to love one another, and that love is expressed by being doers of the word and not just hearing the word (Jas 1:22).

The Body of Christ, “The Christ”, is a spiritual family uniquely chosen of the Lord and knitted and bonded in love.

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.

Jesus Christ is our brother and our sister, our mother and our father. He is all of these things if we know the real Jesus Christ and that He has come in His flesh which is His Body.

Mat 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

As God’s people we are not to seek our own gain but are to be sold out for our brothers. Our Lord tells us there is no greater love than this.

Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

God’s children must “remember his commandments to do them“ in order to be justified in the Lord. We are not justified by the works of the law but rather by the life of Christ within us, that grows in love and in our ability through Christ to bear one anothers burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ which law is the new covenant law of love that Pete was talking about (Gal 6:2, Joh 13:34).

Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath preparedH3559 [H8689] his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens [a ‘done deal’], and is preparing us [‘causative’ action] so that we can rule over the nations without, after we have been given dominion over those nations within.

Rev 5:10 And hast made us [“hath prepared his throne in the heavens”] unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Rev 1:6 And hath made us [“hath prepared his throne in the heavens“] kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Christ was sent into this world “and his kingdom ruleth over all“, and we will learn how to rule in this age by His grace and faith that is working in our own heavens, in the kingdom of God that is within us. God is “over all” of this process of ruling and reigning in our heavens.

Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

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

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?

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

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

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:

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

Psa 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Psa 103:21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Psa 103:22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

These last three verses of our study are very much focused on the title “Bless The Lord” where we learn that we bless each other and the Lord in each of us (Col 1:27) when we “do his commandments”. Whenever we do it unto the least of these my brethren we are doing this unto Christ (Mat 25:40).

We are reassured of Christ that we must receive those who are drawn to Christ in us (Mar 9:37, Joh 6:44), and not cause offence (Mar 9:42), as well as become like children (Mat 18:3) who come under our Lord’s loving hand and guidance learning to bind mercy and truth continually around our necks (Pro 3:3) as we mature into beloved children of our Lord whose good pleasure it is to give us the kingdom of God today (Mat 3:17, 1Jn 4:17). That kingdom is within today and received in earnest, knowing that one day the resurrection will occur and we will be delivered from these bodies of death (Luk 17:21, Eph 1:14, Rom 8:19, Php 1:20).

When we “do his pleasure” as “his host” or “ministers of his”, we are laying down our life for one another and overcoming together for one another, so that we can witness to the world discipleship through those actions of love (Joh 13:35) and glorify God with those works that He considers his good pleasure to work and fulfill within each of us (Luk 12:32, Php 2:13).

We bless the Lord for “all his works”, and because we know we serve an all powerful, all knowing Father who is “in all places of his dominion”. There is no place that is not His dominion, and there is no place that mankind can hide from his dominion as these follow scriptures reveal.

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

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
Psa 139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night;
Psa 139:12 Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Psa 139:13 For thou didst form my inward parts: Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb.
Psa 139:14 I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
Psa 139:15 My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
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.
Psa 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! (ASV)

As “his angels”H4397, we admonish and encourage and strengthen each other to “do his commandments”H1697. We are messengers of His WordH1697, and although there is persecution and rejection by the world who cannot read, hear and keep that Word, we Bless the Lord by heeding Christ in each other.

2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengersH4397 of God, and despised his wordsH1697,and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Psa 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angelsH4397, that excel in strength, that do his commandmentsH1697, hearkening unto the voice of his wordH1697.

Isa 44:26 That confirmeth the wordH1697 of his servantH4397, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

Zec 1:13 And the LORD answered the angelH4397 that talked with me with good wordsH1697 and comfortable wordsH1697.

To end this study, let’s just look at the first few verses to remind us again of why we “Bless The Lord” and how greatly blessed we are to have all our iniquities forgiven, and all of our diseases healed;

Psa 103:1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

]]> Prophecy of Isaiah – Isa 17:8-14 “This Is The Portion of Them That Spoil Us…” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-178-14-this-is-the-portion-of-them-that-spoil-us/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-178-14-this-is-the-portion-of-them-that-spoil-us Sat, 18 Nov 2017 23:48:24 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=15008
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The Prophecy of Isaiah - Part 68 Discussion

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Isa 17:8-14 This Is The Portion o​f Them That Spoil Us, And The Lot of Them That Rob Us

Isa 17:8  And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.
Isa 17:9  In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.
Isa 17:10  Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:
Isa 17:11  In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
Isa 17:12  Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Isa 17:13  The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
Isa 17:14  And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

Our Creator is in the process of completing His creation. His final creation is not​, was not​, and was never intended to be a physical creation. This physical realm is just a necessary evil step in the completing of His spiritual creation. The process required to accomplish and produce a new spiritual man requires that "every man" first be a corrupt and wicked "man of sin". Only after this "man of sin" is revealed for who he is will "the new man" begin to be given life within these "corruptible... earthen vessels" into which we must all first be placed by our Creator as He continues His work of "conform[ing]... every man... into the image of His Son": ​

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many breth

Php 3:21 Who will transfigure the body of our humilation, to conform it to the body of His glory, in accord with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself." (CLV)

Our old man was never "in the image" of his Creator as these verses make so clear:

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

The word 'created' is in the aorist tense, and should read 'creates him' or 'is creating him'.

This is the beginning of what we first are,​ and this is the beginning of what He is doing:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

The churches of this world teach that Adam was created in a perfected state from which he fell when he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, after the serpent persuaded Eve "You will not surely die". But that is not at all what scriptures teach. The fact is that the scriptures actually teach that the creation is an ongoing process, and that the physical realm of the events which occurred in the Garden of Eden are but the first steps in making mankind in the image of "the One creating him".

Col 3:10  and having put on the new, having been renewed in full knowledge according to the image of the One creating him, (LITV)

The Concordant Version captures the sense of the Hebrew which tells us what Christ was doing with His creation in the Garden of Eden. The fact is that nowhere are we ever told that God made man in His image, rather this is how the Hebrew actually reads:

Gen 1:27 And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them.

Adam is being created in the image of God, but that creation and that image is "the image of God", which Adam never possessed as the "marred... vessel of clay" he was in the Garden of Eden. These are Christ's own words concerning this "vessel of clay" stage of His creation:

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.

Here we are clearly told that as the vessels of clay, which we all are, we are "marred in the hand of the Potter".

There it is for any and all who are hungry for the Truth of the scriptures. "God... is... creating man in His image". Nowhere are we told He has already done so. God did not create Adam in a perfected form from which Adam fell. Rather God created Adam in a "marred" condition from which God is in the process of delivering Adam, much like a hen lays an egg from which she will,​ through the 'magic' of controlled heat, deliver a chick which will grow up to be just like her - 'in her image'. "The first man Adam" was not at all created in the image of God because God is not a "vessel of clay".

1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 So also it has been written, "The" first "man", Adam, "became a living soul;" the last Adam a life-giving Spirit. (Gen 2:7)
1Co 15:46 But not the spiritual first, but the natural; afterward the spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man was out of earth, earthy. The second Man was the Lord out of Heaven. (Gen 2:7)
1Co 15:48 Such as is the earthy man, such also are the earthy ones. And such as is the heavenly Man, such also are the heavenly ones.
1Co 15:49 And as we bore the image of the earthy man, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (LITV)

God is not "earthy", rather He is heavenly. God is not physical or "natural" and cannot be seen with physical "natural" eyes. He is instead spirit and as such can only be seen with spiritual eyes.  That is why we are plainly told that He is "invisible" to the natural man:

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

What God is doing with mankind is "understood by the things that are made", but He Himself is "invisible", and what the scriptures actually teach is that there is only one person in all of the universe who is, at this time, "the only begotten Son of God". He alone truly has been "made in the image of God", then He "emptied Himself" of His invisible heavenly glory to come into this human "valley of... death", for the explicit purpose of setting an example for all those who after Him are in that process of being "made in the image of God", made of invisible spirit:

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Yes, it is true that "now are we the sons of God", and it is even now true that He "has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son". But these blessings​ are ours at this time only in down payment, "earnest" form:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

"The redemption of the purchased possession" is given us only at the resurrection from among the dead, so we are told:

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

"The holy spirit of promise" is what gives us the hope of being in that "blessed and holy... first resurrection":

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

When were we called to be in either resurrection? At what point was Christ and His Father aware of those who "first trusted in Christ" (Eph 1:12)

In complete accord with the fact that God's creation is an ongoing process, which, from "before the world began",​ included a "marred... vessel of clay" which was never to begin with intended to "inherit the kingdom of God", we are plainly told:

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;

We are even told that this "experience of evil",​ which is a marred clay vessel of sinful flesh and blood,​ was given to "the sons of humanity" by God Himself for this specific purpose:

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

So Adam ate of the tree because it was determined "before the world began" that Christ would come into this realm of death,​ known as dying flesh and blood, for the purpose of judging mankind and teaching mankind His righteousness:

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 is what "thy judgments" produce in "the inhabitants of the world", whether it is the judgment which is now on the house of God or the judgment of the "great white throne" with its accompanying "lake of fire". All judgments are the Lord's chastening for the stated purpose of teaching "the inhabitants of the world... righteousness":

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Understanding all of this we will begin our study,​ and I am including the last verse from last week'​s study:

Isa 17:7  At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 17:8  And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.

Any time we read the phrase "that day" the first thing that should come to our mind is the day of the Lord's wrath and His judgment upon the kingdom of our old man within us first, as it will eventually be upon the outward kingdoms of this world when they will "become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ":

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

Rev 11:18 demonstrates that the day of God's wrath upon the kingdom of our old man is also "the time of the dead, that they should be judged". It is a very dark and dreadful day for the kingdom of our old man:

Isa 17:9  In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.
Isa 17:10  Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:

In the day of God's wrath and His judgment upon the inward kingdom of our rebellious and stubborn old man,​ all of the "cities" of our old man are "as a forsaken bough" except for what the Old Testament calls 'a remnant'. In verse 9 "an uppermost branch, which they left because of "the children of Israel", refers to "the very small remnant", spoken of throughout this prophecy of Isaiah, and it is just another Biblical phrase for God's​ chosen few. It is another name for 'the new man, God's elect few'.

Here are but a few examples of this "uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel":

Isa 1:9  Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Isa 10:20  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 
Isa 10:21  The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

"Plant[ing] pleasant plants" only to discover we have "set it with strange slips" is just another way of revealing to us that our "righteousnesses" are as "filthy rags" before God.

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

When our self-​righteous, rebellious old man claims the name of Christ while stubbornly refusing to "do the things [He] says" (Luk 6:46), this is what God tells us He thinks of our own self​-​righteous efforts to serve him as we see fit instead of being obedient to Him and serving Him in the way He commands us to serve Him:

Pro 21:4  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

All of our righteousnesses, everything we attempt to do to please God is rejected by Him if we stubbornly refuse to listen to and be obedient to what He tells us to do in His service.

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This is what Christ told Israel before they had even gotten to the promised land:

Deu 12:28  Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.
Deu 12:29  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deu 12:30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Deu 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Our attention had better be toward what "is good and right in the sight of the Lord [our] God", and not what we want to do to please Him. We are nowhere given the liberty to serve God in the way we see fit. Rather we are commanded, both in the Old and in the New Testament, to do "what thing soever [Christ] command(s) [us]... to... observe... and to do". We are commanded, "thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it":

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

This is what our efforts to serve God as we see fit produce:

Isa 17:11  In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

We can plow and "plant pleasant plants", we can work hard and "make the seed to flourish", but even "the plowing of the wicked is sin", and when we come to the harvest we will discover that our "pleasant plants" are nothing more than "strange slips". We planted what we thought were good grapes,​ and we find out they are worthless wild grapes. Verses 9-11 are simply a repetition of what the Lord has already told us in:

Isa 5:1  Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
Isa 5:2  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
Isa 5:3  And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
Isa 5:4  What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
Isa 5:5  And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
Isa 5:6  And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
Isa 5:7  For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

You and I are "the vineyard of the Lord of hosts". It is we who have oppressed Christ and have produced the cries of oppression when He was looking for righteousness and judgment.

If we are granted to see ourselves for what we are in this age, then we will not be judged in the age to come:

1Co 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

"If we would judge ourselves we should not be judged... with the world." Being judged with the world is the subject of our last three verses:

Isa 17:12  Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and [woe] to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Isa 17:13  The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
Isa 17:14  And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

Let's break down the symbolism in these verses. Why is "the multitude of many people" likened unto "the noise of the seas"? Why is "the rushing of nations" likened unto "the rushing of mighty waters"? The answer to these questions is that throughout scripture the nations and the multitudes of humanity, with all of the Babylonian religions and false doctrines which deny and rebel against Christ and His sovereignty in the affairs of the nations of this earth, are always referred to as "the sea" or as "many waters" as demonstrated in these verses in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

This "beast" is the Biblical symbol for all of mankind in rebellion against their own Creator.

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has a mind calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is the number of mankind, and its number is six hundred sixty-six. (CLV)

These words are inspired by the same spirit which had told us this hundreds of years earlier:

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.

Satan is called Leviathan in the book of Job,​ and we are told "he makes the sea like a pot of ointment... one would think the deep to be hoary", because we are also told in Psalms that Satan was made for the specific purpose of playing in the sea:

Job 41:31  He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
Job 41:32  He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
Job 41:33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
Job 41:34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride

Psa 104:25  So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Psa 104:26  There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

The angel who shows us the revelation of Jesus Christ tells us in no uncertain terms what the meaning of the sea and of "many waters" is:

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

So "the noise of the seas" and the "mighty waters" of Isaiah 17:12 represent all the nations of the earth within ourselves​ and outside of ourselves. Verses 13-14 tell us of their relationship to Christ and His Christ and what the result is ​of that relationship:

Isa 17:13  The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
Isa 17:14  And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

The nations will rush upon Christ and His elect "like the rushing of many waters; but God shall rebuke them". These words have had an application to God's elect in every generation since Christ. These words happened to the people who lived at the time they were penned by Isaiah, but neither those people, nor​ Isaiah knew their spiritual meaning.

The New Testament scriptures make this fact known to us on two separate occasions. First the apostle Paul tells us:

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.

That verse alone could be construed to mean that 'these things happened to them, and they are written for our admonition also', but the Lord wants us to know that is not how we are intended by our Lord to understand that verse. Peter makes clear that the lessons of the Old Testament were not  for the benefit of those who lived at that time, but they are meant only to minister to those who are in Christ:

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

We each know how these words of Isaiah 17:13-14 have transpired inwardly within our own lives.

​These words had an outward application for the time in which Isaiah penned them, but ​they also have had an inward application within the lives of each of God's elect since the time of Christ, and they will have both an outward application to the time immediately preceding the millennium, and again at the time of the final rebellion against Christ and His Christ "when the thousand years are expired" and the nations will one last time attempt to push God off His throne to their eonian chagrin and their destruction.

This is what is proclaimed at the beginning of the millennium:

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

So here once again the book of Revelation confirms the prophecy of Isaiah. The Lord has shown no mercy to the kingdom of our old man within each of us. That brute beast was made to be taken and destroyed, and his destruction within us is our very salvation:

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 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

None of us know​ exactly how He will accomplish the destruction of those who "destroy the earth", but we know that it will happen,​ and the sovereign God will give the kingdoms of this world to "our Lord and His Christ", and He "will destroy them which destroy the earth".

Isa 17:14  And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

"Us" is not ancient Israel, "us" is "the Israel of God" (Gal 6:15-16).

"​Us"​ is the overcomer of Rev 2:26-27. "Us" is:

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

This is where the apostle learned that the Lord will yet "shake not the earth only, but also heaven":

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

"This latter house" is you and me and all in whom Christ dwells. [It is] the general assembly and church of the firstborn".

That is our study for today. Up to this point we have seen ourselves in our own flesh as Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, and the Philistines and Assyrians.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will begin to be shown who we are as those nations of the world who are nowhere near Israel. In our next study we will begin to see ourselves and our old man as the Ethiopians, who, according to the scriptures and secular historians, had conquered Egypt and were a very great power on earth in the days of the prophecy of Isaiah:

2Ch 14:9  And there came out against them [Asa, King of Judah] Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.

This event was quite some time before Isaiah's day, but it serves to demonstrate that Ethiopia was a great nation at that time, and like Egypt, Ethiopia was not related to Israel except through Noah, who was the father of all nations.

The point being made is that our old man, being "the vessel... made of clay (Jer 18:4), of the dust of the earth" (Gen 2:7), is related both to "the earth... and the sea":

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

These nations which are within us are nowhere near Israel, and they have no ethnic connection to Israel, yet they, too, are subject to the judgment of God upon our old man, and they will be our subject in the next few chapters of Isaiah.

Next week, Lord willing, we will begin with Ethiopia:

Isa 18:1  Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
Isa 18:2  That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
Isa 18:3  All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.
Isa 18:4  For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
Isa 18:5  For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.
Isa 18:6  They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.
Isa 18:7  In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.

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