“The first man is of the earth, earthy:
the second man is the Lord from heaven” Part 3

(Pro 20:21-26)

[Study Aired October 23, 2025]

Pro 20:21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
Pro 20:22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
Pro 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.
Pro 20:24 Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
Pro 20:25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
Pro 20:26  A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

Keeping with our theme of “The first man is of the earth, earthy: [and] the second man is the Lord from heaven”, we’ll look at the next  6 verses of Proverbs chapter 20 with the thought of how we naturally, as the first man Adam, seek out an earthly inheritance at first for our flesh.

[Esau’s 12 princes represent the foundation of man’s fleshly endeavors (Gen 17:20), and the seventy souls that come out of the loins of Jacob represent all the elect (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11) who are established in the earth much later than Esau (Exo 1:5). God tells us the first to be established will be last and the last will be first (Mat 20:16)].

If God is working in our hearts and minds, our perspective changes by God’s grace and the faith of Christ regarding what is truly needful and necessary to be pursuing in this life (Php 3:8-11, Mat 6:33).

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness (Gen 17:20), which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Exo 1:5)
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

We have need of patience to possess our souls as we wait on the Lord to lead and guide us in spiritual battle (Luk 21:19, Psa 27:14), where He faithfully provides for our continual sojourn of dying daily (Col 1:27, Php 1:6, Joh 18:9).

Psa 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: [He will daily clothe us for battle if it is His will that we ask, seek, and knock for the things that we need Mat 6:33, Eph 6:10-18]

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

Every believer has received a precious inheritance from the Lord — not of silver or gold (1Pe 1:18-21), but of spiritual riches, divine promises, and a calling to live as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17-18, Heb 11:25-27, Php 3:13-14).

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

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

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:(Php 3:8-15) for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

God’s word shows us how we are to protect that inheritance and not let any man take our crown, especially the man we see in the mirror every day (Rev 3:11). That crown represents the spiritual gold that God’s word is, that is now no longer wrapped around the idol of our hearts, but rather is placed on our head which is where our thoughts are miraculously brought into subjection unto God so that we can glorify him in these earthen vessels that possess such a great treasure (2Co 4:7).

Our resisting against the devil regarding the thorns and briars that represent false doctrines, is the life-long goal of God’s people (Mat 24:13), and it is the trial of our faith that is precious unto God as they will burn up the lies of the devil [thorns and briars] represented by the platted crown on Christ’s head. As those lies are destroyed the purified gold needed [word of God] to fashion a crown of life for His children is accomplished through the fiery trials of this life (Heb 12:2-4, Mat 27:29, 1Pe 1:7, 1Pe 4:12).

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. [thorns and briars]

Mat 27:29  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

In this study, we’ll look at what must be done to not neglect, or trade away [Esau’s birthright] our inheritance, and pray the God of all grace will be merciful to us to not let us squander this high calling by carelessness, pride or compromise (1Pe 5:10).

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

Pro 20:21  An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Esau’s inheritance was forfeited for a bowl of red pottage that symbolizes our pursuit of fleshly endeavors, with immature perceptions of God’s word that are not meat but an altar of pottage, “An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning”, where we are looking to hastily take the immediate reward that in the end will not be blessed, as opposed to living a lifetime of sacrifices that will culminate in the seven last plagues being poured out upon the kingdom of our old man, so that we can enter into the temple of God and inherit eternal life (Rom 12:1-2, Rev 15:8).

This judgement which is upon the body of Christ (1Pe 4:17) strengthens us in the Lord so that we do not fear the consequence of what others may say of our position of being on the cross, as we carry that weight by the life of Christ within us, through whom we can present ourselves a living sacrifice to God and endure all things at the altar which is the cross, where we eat the life of Christ as opposed to pottage (Mat 10:38-39 ,  Heb 11:25-26, Heb 13:10, Joh 6:53).

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.

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

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

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Pro 20:22  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

Part of protecting our inheritance is accomplished by trusting the Lord to defend and vindicate us, rather than acting in the flesh (Rom 12:19).

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head (Mat 5:44, Luk 6:27, Luk 6:35).
Rom 12:21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

“Wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee” (2Th 3:3-5), is something God’s elect can accomplish through Christ alone (Psa 27:14, Psa 37:34, Pro 20:22), and while we wait we are told to pray for our enemies and those who falsely accuse us (Mat 5:10-12) and the LORD will strengthen our hearts with His word (Psa 104:15). We are to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14), and when we forgive others’ sins, God will forgive ours and we will continue to be blessed to perceive His presence and guidance in our lives via the holy spirit (Rom 8:14, Mat 6:12-13).

2Th 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
2Th 3:4  And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
2Th 3:5  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Psa 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: (Psa 104:15) wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psa 37:34  Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Pro 20:22  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

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.

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

Pro 20:23  Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

The literal meaning of this proverb heralds back to ancient marketplaces where economic deceit was used to take advantage of the unsuspecting public. The lesson for God’s elect is that dishonesty and deceit with the word of God corrupt the spiritual life, whereas not thinking above what is written (1Co 4:6) preserves the purity of our inheritance, where double standards will destroy it. In (Amo 8:4-7) we read:

Amo 8:4  Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
Amo 8:5  Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? [this symbolizing the corrupting of the word of God to make merchandise of the brethren (2Co 2:17)]

2Co 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Amo 8:6  That we may buy the poor for silver [10 second sinner’s prayer], and the needy for a pair of shoes; [another gospel shod on the feet of Babylon (Eph 6:15, 2Co 11:4)] yea, and sell the refuseH4651 of the wheat? [a falling off that is chaff (Isa 3:1)]

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

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

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

Amo 8:7  The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works [Mat 12:36].

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

Pro 20:24  Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

Joseph typifies God’s elect who are the first to trust in the Eternal God and who will explain one day to all the world that “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?”. No one verse seems to more perfectly explain this point then (Gen 50:19-20). The way that seems right to man, our understanding of the path to salvation in other words, leads to death for our first man Adam whose self-righteous spirit can only be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our lives, which is the only way the elect could have ever inherited an inheritance or double portion in this life (Pro 14:12, Php 3:9, 2Th 2:8).

Gen 50:19  And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Gen 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph, in type and shadow, was saying don’t fear me, “Fear not: for am I in the place of God?” but rather, “fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mat 10:28). “The way” God will destroy “both soul and body in hell” is explained in the very next verse that reads, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father”.

There are two doves in (Lev 14:6-7), one that represents Christ who dies for us, and the other that represents the elect who are kept alive and loosed into the open field, a story that parallels with the two sparrows spoken of in (Mat 10:29). These two birds, in both instances, symbolize the means that God has devised to redeem all of His creation (2Sa 14:14).

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mat 10:29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

Lev 14:6  As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

Lev 14:7  And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Pro 20:25  It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.

This verse is explained by the actions of Esau that represents our first man Adam who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ coming into our heavens to give us the strength to stop making these wrong decisions, being hypocritical in our flesh, which we will be until we’re not, by God’s grace (Rom 7:24-25, Rom 8:37).

Gen 25:28  And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Gen 25:29  And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
Gen 25:30  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
Gen 25:31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Gen 25:32  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Gen 25:33  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Pro 20:26  A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.

Christ is the “wise king” that we fall on at first, and if we are blessed to continue in the truth, we will be crushed under the stone to powder (Mat 21:44), which is what “bringeth the wheel over them” typifies.

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Spiritually, we guard our inheritance by allowing God’s wisdom to expose and remove sin from our lives, which can only be accomplish through [dia G1223] the resurrected life of Christ within us (Col 1:27, Joh 8:36).

Rolling away the physical stone that covers the sepulchre of Christ represents no longer knowing Christ after the flesh (2Co 5:16). Now we know the spiritual wheel, Jesus Christ and Christ in his Christ (Eze 1:16), who cannot be held by the grave (Mat 28:2-4, Act 2:24, 1Jn 4:17) and is now building the church through judgement in our heavens that crushes us to powder, like a millstone that can easily crush a grain of wheat.

Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel [Christ and His Christ].

Mat 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Mat 28:3  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: [“lightning” = judgement (1Co 6:3), and “raiment white as snow” = righteousness of the saints (Rev 19:8)]
Mat 28:4  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

The stone that covered the tomb of Christ was a physical representation of Christ, who brings life through the destruction of the man of perdition within us who will be crushed and destroyed by the coming of his brightness into our heavens. If we are granted to die daily and be buried with him in baptism (the tomb), we will be raised with him in the end (Rom 6:3-5).

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (both in the earnest of this resurrection (Eph 2:6) and one day in the fulness of this event in the first resurrection (1Co 15:52))

The angel that moved that stone represents the elect who are used of God to pour out the seven last vials that crush us under the stone, which represents the words of God that Christ administers to the body of Christ in this age through the church (Eph 3:10).

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

The great earthquake in this verse (Mat 28:2) represents God’s judgement and “The angel of the Lord descended from heaven”, reminds us that our strength comes from God above through Christ, who gives us the power to roll the stone back. The angel “came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it” symbolizing what Christ told Peter, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [angel], and upon this rock [Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. “ (Mat 16:18).

Mat 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Our “wise king”, Jesus Christ, does indeed “scattereth the wicked” within each of us, “and bringeth the wheel over” each one of us in this age, if we are His.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the last four verses of this twentieth chapter of Proverbs.

1Kg 1:1-9  “The LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress”

[Study Aired May 20, 2021]

1Ki 1:1  Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 
1Ki 1:2  Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 
1Ki 1:3  So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 
1Ki 1:4  And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. 
1Ki 1:5  Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 
1Ki 1:6  And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. 
1Ki 1:7  And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
1Ki 1:8  But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 
1Ki 1:9  And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants: 

The title in this first chapter of Kings is taken from the words of King David in 1Kings 1:29, which preceded the declaration from him that Solomon would reign after him, and it reminds us that in order for us to reign over our flesh, enduring to the end (Mat 24:13), we must serve “the God of all comfort” who will redeem our “soul out of all distress” (2Co 1:3).

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

King David was shown great mercy from God being delivered from “all distress” as he typifies the elect (Rom 11:31-32), whereas we will see no such mercy being extended to Adonijah, who represents our fleshly carnal mind that must be recognized for what it is and then destroyed.

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

This opening story in the book of Kings sets the stage for how God will comfort us through this life of much tribulation (Act 14:22) so we can enter “by the door into the sheepfold” and not come in “some other way” (Joh 10:1-2).

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.

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

1Ki 1:1  Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.
1Ki 1:2  Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
1Ki 1:3  So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
1Ki 1:4  And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

The symbolism of not getting any heat in our bodies is written here for Christ’s body as an admonition to remember that two are better than one (Ecc 4:9-12) and that there is safety in the multitude of counsellors (Pro 11:14). We come together often to receive and give encouragement to one another which is what King David needed (Heb 10:25).

Ecc 4:9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Ecc 4:10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Ecc 4:11  Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
Ecc 4:12  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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

A young virgin then is “sought for my lord the king” who represents the bride of Christ who is likened unto a spiritual virgin (Rev 14:4) who has the power to be a joint that supplies true spiritual heat (Eph 4:16).

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

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

Garments represent the grace and faith that God gives those with whom he is working with in this age (Gen 45:22). This story of “Abishag“^H49 is about the love that we have toward each other as we learn to bear each other’s burdens in flesh that is unable to inherit the kingdom of God.

Gen 45:22  To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Her name means “my father is a wanderer”, and in the positive this means that her father is Christ who was a sojourner, a wanderer (Mat 8:20-22) who would be used to clothe us with His righteousness (Joh 18:36, 2Co 5:21). Being “stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat” tells us just that; that our own works will not produce spiritual heat, but when God shows mercy to us by giving us the power to lay down our lives for each other (Joh 15:12-13), then we receive this comfort the Lord gives to redeem “my soul out of all distress”.

Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Mat 8:21  And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Joh 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

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.

“Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin” is another way of saying “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luk 14:23). The qualities which God will mature in those who are dragged or compelled to come to Christ (Joh 6:44) are described for us as such: “Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand^H5975 before the king, and let her cherish^H5532 him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat“. We receive spiritual heat from one another when we remain chaste in this world (Jas 1:27), and “stand^H5975 before the king” (Joh 8:31). Lying in “thy bosom” is also typical of the elects’ love for Christ and each other and is symbolic of how we take each other under our wing if we are His (Joh 13:23, Mat 23:37, Exo 25:20).

“And let her stand”^H5975 ‛âmad  aw-mad’  A primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literally and figuratively, intransitively and transitively): – abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be [over], place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.

Joh 13:23  Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Exo 25:20  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

“So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag^H49 a Shunammite^H7767, and brought her to the king” reminds us that God has sought the few out of the world (Mat 22:14). Those few represent “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” which is who “Abishag a Shunammite” typifies.

On the negative side, this first name also reminds us that we are ever searching and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth because of the deception in our hearts caused by the devil. This also is “Abishag^H49 my father is a wanderer” (2Co 4:4) who goes to and fro throughout all the earth as our first father who causes us to wander (Job 1:7) until we are delivered from him and given a “double resting place, “Shunammite“^H7767 or double portion, which is what we inherit in Christ as first fruits who rest in the Lord (Mat 10:6, Heb 4:11-13).

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

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

Job 1:7  And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Mat 10:6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

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.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

The damsel’s comeliness is a shadow of the beauty of Christ within those who are being made to be vessels of honour (2Ti 2:21-25, Isa 52:7). Those who have God’s spirit in them have this treasure in earthen vessels (2Co 4:7), and as such are this damsel, or the church, or body of Christ (Col 1:24), that is “very fair“. We are passing from death to life because of God’s spirit and can now cherish “the king” and “minister to him” without having to know him after the flesh (2Co 5:16): “but the king knew her not“.

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
2Ti 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2Ti 2:23  But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Isa 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

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:

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

1Ki 1:5  Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

Right after we learn of “Abishag a Shunammite“, God contrasts this damsel, who represents the body of Christ, with “Adonijah” who is a type of our carnal old man that constantly wants to exalt itself rather than dying daily as we keep under ourselves and bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (1Co 15:31, 1Co 9:27, 2Co 10:5).

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

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

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

Preparing “him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him” is akin to doing your alms as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets (Mat 6:2).

Mat 6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Chariots and horsemen represent our fleshly ruach, or strength, that blows those trumpets of Matthew 6:2. There is a form of power or godliness there (2Ti 3:5), but it passes; and the reward for all such vanity is received by those (and us in our time) who have the same mindset for this vain glory (1Jn 4:5). The “fifty men to run before him” represent a false witness of grace that is again founded in the strength of men in whom God has no pleasure (Psa 20:7, Psa 147:10).

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

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. [“They have their reward.”]

Psa 20:7  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses “chariots and horsemen“:  but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psa 147:10  He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
Psa 147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him [Luk 12:5], in those that hope in his mercy.

Adonijah’s (H138) name means “my lord is Jehovah”, and that name turns out to be a witness against him in the end, seeing his lord proves to be his own belly, or earthly desires (Php 3:19). We also would be easily sifted like wheat (Luk 22:31) except for the grace and faith of Christ that causes us to overcome our self-righteous flesh that would naturally be among the many that say ‘lord, lord’, but don’t do the things that God asks (Mat 7:21-22). What good is our sacrifice of praise if it is not accompanied with obedience. This is what Samuel was inspired to ask Saul who represents our flesh (Heb 13:15, 1Sa 15:22-23).

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, [Adonijah’s (H138) name means “my lord is Jehovah”] shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven [Php 2:12-13].
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 [Isa 4:1]?

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,  and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

1Ki 1:6  And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

Abdonijah represents us when we are of our father the devil (Joh 8:44) and our being influenced by whom we know biblically represents our carnal old man that must be put off (Eph 4:22-24, Eph 5:31).

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.

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.

Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife [Col 1:24], and they two shall be one flesh. [“The new man…created in righteousness and true holiness” God’s elect who are blessed to cleave to Christ in each other, which is how we cleave unto Christ our head (1Co 11:1)]

The devil gives power to the beast (where we start [Rev 13:4] and where we pray we will finish [Rev 14:4]), and Adonijah’s father’s (David) absence of influence toward his son is expressed this way: “his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, why hast thou done so?“, which is also said this way: “Now all his life his father had never gone against him or said to him, why have you done so?” (BBE). So, because of that lack of leadership from his father, his son was left to his own devices, which is what empowered him — or gave power to his beast — (Pro 29:15). There was no rod of rebuke for Adonijah who we learn was a good looking man, and as this story unfolds, we will see how he tries to charm his way into getting what he wanted in life, not fearing the king (Pro 31:30, Gal 3:28).

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

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Pro 29:15  The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Pro 31:30  Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value; but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised.

Gal 3:28  There is no Jew or Greek, servant or free, male or female: because you are all one in Jesus Christ.

“Absalom“^H53: Absalom’s name means “my father is peace”, and he was physically born before Adonijah, a witness to this verse in Jeremiah 6:14 which speaks of peace when there really can be no peace when there is no correction and leadership from their Father, who we know to be receiving us (God’s remnant) through a chastening and scourging process that was not present in the life of Adonijah (Heb 12:6).

Jer 6:14  And they have made little of the wounds of my people, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [ This chastening was not present in the life of Addonijah by his father.]

1Ki 1:7  And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
1Ki 1:8  But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

These next verses demonstrate the bad fruit that was produced in Adonijah’s life whose manipulative and charming spirit was going throughout life saying “lord, lord” while seeking advantage in the flesh with no regard to what God’s commands required. Now he is a full grown beast and ready to take on this conquest of exulting himself above the heavens (2Th 2:4, Isa 14:13) and whom he confers with in order to accomplish this task is a testimony of how the deceitful and desperately wicked heart in man operates without God’s correction in it.

2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Just like Rehoboam who sought the counsel of the younger men for advantage (1Ki 12:6-8), so Adonijah sought out those whom he knew would follow him and help him: “he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.“. Those whom he did not seek out were: “Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, [these] were not with Adonijah.“

So Adonijah picked out a few he knew would follow him but steered away from the safety that would have been found in the multitude of counsellors, the “counsel of the old men”, represented by Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men, which belonged to David (to Christ, in other words).

1Ki 12:6  And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
1Ki 12:7  And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
1Ki 12:8  But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

1Ki 1:9  And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:

Adonijah’s conferring with those of his choosing (1Ki 1:7) was also an action accompanied by this good guy (I speak as a fool) who was going to slay “sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants“.

These events parallel very well with the story of king Saul. This is the same story but in a different age where God took the kingdom away from Saul who had that same spirit of Adonijah, that is like all flesh which is always seeking the upper seat and looking to be ‘fast friends’ with anyone that would support him in his perverse endeavour (1Sa 15:3-19, Luk 23:12).

1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

1Sa 15:9  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
1Sa 15:10  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
1Sa 15:11  It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1Sa 15:12  And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. “and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants” [1Ki 1:9]
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
1Sa 15:15  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people [Gen 3:12] spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
1Sa 15:16  Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
1Sa 15:17  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? [Mat 23:12]
1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
1Sa 15:19  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil [Pro 23:5], and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites [Joh 8:44, Psa 140:11].
1Sa 15:21  But the people [Gen 3:13] took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Next week, Lord willing, we’ll see once again just how the Lord works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11), and in doing so puts down the rebellion in the land that represents for us the demise of the man of perdition within our own heavens, whose destruction will result in our being found with His righteousness and not our own (Php 3:9), as the true King, Jesus Christ, is being established (Psa 140:11-13) to reign and rule in our hearts and minds (Joh 3:30) in our age today.

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

Psa 140:11  Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
Psa 140:12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.[“cause of the afflicted” (Act 14:22, 2Co 12:9-10, Jas 2:5)]
Psa 140:13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Audio Links

“Are You A King?”

[Trinidad Conference April 2015]

Joh 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Introduction

Today’s study will continue the theme of last week’s study which was inspired by having my attention brought to the boldness that was in Christ. That boldness was founded on His Rock-solid confidence that He was indeed the Son of God, whom God had sent into this world as a witness against this world.

This talk is also inspired by detractors who have told us: “Jesus never claimed to be a king or the son of God. Even when He was asked, He did not claim to be a king or the Messiah.” More recently other detractors have condemned us for claiming that we are God’s elect.

When you and I simply agree with Christ Himself that we are “Jesus of Nazareth”, that is the equivalent today of Christ claiming that He was and is “the Son of God”. This detractor’s statement was “[neither] Christ nor His disciples ever claimed to be God’s elect, and neither should we.” Here is the reaction this very same spirit has towards you and me when it comes up against those words of the Son of God:

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.

The scriptures tell us that there were, and there still are, two primary sources of this spirit of doubt about who Christ was and who He is to this very day. Here are those two primary sources of doubt. They are exposed for us all to see and to know who they were and who they still are:

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

This trial took place immediately after Christ had been confirmed to be the Son of God by the holy spirit itself:

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And this is the second source who would have you and me to have serious doubts about who Jesus of Nazareth actually is:

Mat 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

Mat 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Mat 27:41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
Mat 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Mat 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

That is the two sources of doubt about who Christ is to this very day. It is the Devil himself and his children, the religious authorities of the religions of this world, who say “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.”

So what is the truth? Did Jesus ever claim He was a king? Did his disciples ever claim to be God’s elect? Are you a king? Are you God’s elect? Your answer to those questions today will be your judge in the day of judgment:

Luk 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luk 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Luk 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

What Christ Actually Said

Here is what Christ actually said about who He was:

Joh 8:54 Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing: it is my Father that glorifieth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God;
Joh 8:55 and ye have not known him: but I know him; and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be like unto you, a liar: but I know him, and keep his word.
Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.
Joh 8:57 The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.
Joh 8:59 They took up stones therefore to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

“It is my Father that glorifies me of whom you say that He is your God.” Christ could not be any clearer than that in proclaiming Himself to be the Son of God. One wonders how it is possible to overlook such clear, plain statements of scripture, until the holy spirit reminds us of this still present Truth:

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

“I Am” was the God who spoke to Moses at the burning bush:

Exo 3:14 And God [Christ] said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

This claim was not lost on those Jews to whom Christ was speaking and to whom He speaks through His elect “sons of God” to this very day. That is why:

Joh 8:59 They took up stones therefore to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.

Here is what Christ told the man He had healed of blindness from his mother’s womb:

Joh 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, he said, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
Joh 9:36 He answered and said, And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?
Joh 9:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and he it is that speaketh with thee.
Joh 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

To say that Christ did not claim to be a king or the messiah is almost inconsequential in light of these verses where Christ is claiming to be “the Son of God”, and the “I Am” of the Old Testament.

It is ever so easy to make a statement which has absolutely no basis in the scriptures and which actually contradicts what the scriptures teach. Such hasty statements come from failing to consider the sum of God’s Word and from failing to seek a multitude of counselors before making such bold and fallacious statements. We have all been guilty of teaching false doctrines, and I am chief in having made that offense against the words of my own Lord, simply because I had not yet learned these valuable Biblical principles”

Psa 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.

2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture at all is becoming its own explanation. (CLV)

It behooves us all to get every verse touching any subject firmly in mind before proclaiming our understanding to be Biblical doctrine.

We are told how we are to go about establishing doctrine:

Isa 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Can we as individuals use the sum of the scriptures themselves to establish doctrine? Asked in another way, can one person alone be depended upon to tell us what is the sum of God’s word on any particular subject or doctrine? The Biblical answer to that question is an unequivocal No! No one person is ever to be considered to be inerrant in matters of Biblical doctrine. Every word is to “be established… in the mouth of two or three witnesses”, just as scriptures themselves are to be established “line upon line and precept upon precept”, never using a single verse as “it own interpretation”. (2Pe 1:20 [CLV])

All doctrinal questions are answered only with “a multitude of counselors”.

Pro 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Pro 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Pro 24:6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

There is a reason why God has written His words in such a “line upon line” manner. Writing his instructions to us in that manner insures that we are required to search diligently and find two or more scriptural witnesses for any Biblical doctrine.

But we do not just naturally seek out the sum of God’s Word, and we certainly do not just naturally humble ourselves and seek a multitude of counselors. Instead this is what happens when, as the Lord has ordained, we first rebel against His commandments to seek the sum of His Word and the counsel of other:

Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

So let’s go to the sum of God words. “line upon line, and precept upon precept to discover whether and by whom…

…Christ Was Proclaimed The Son of God:

…By Angels Before His birth

Biblically who Christ is as a historical figure has never been in question in most Christian professing organizations because of the circumstances surrounding His conception and His birth. Who He was and who He is was announced before He was even conceived:

Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

…By John The Baptist

John the baptist was immensely popular before Christ came on the scene. The fact is, as John himself explained, John was sent by God to prepare the nation of Israel to hear from their own Messiah and Savior:

Joh 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Joh 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

…By His own disciples

Christ had to make it abundantly clear to His own disciples who He was, and His disciples still know who He is:

Mat 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Peter was speaking for the other disciples when He made this confession:

Mat 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

“The son of God [and] the King of Israel” were, and are, one and the same to Christ’s disciples as Nathaniel makes clear:

Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Martha was one of Christ’s disciples, and she had no doubt who Christ was:

Joh 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

…By the Roman centurion and those with him

The Roman centurion who conducted and was the overseer of the crucifixion of Christ, did not doubt who Christ was:

Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

…The holy spirit makes clear who Christ is

At the beginning of Christ’s ministry we are told:

Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

At Christ’s baptism by John:

Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And again at the mount of transfiguration:

Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

…The spirit realm

The demonic spirit realm, which would have you and I to doubt who we are in Christ, has never had any doubt about who Christ was or who He is to this very day:

Mat 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Mat 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Mar 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

Christ’s doctrine is that He and His Father are one, and He says that we, in Him, are also one:

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

James reiterates this fact:

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

So the scriptures make it very clear who Christ was. Our detractors would probably concede that the scriptures proclaim Christ to be the Son of God. The contention with the “flesh and bones” of Christ today (Eph 5:30), is that ‘Christ Himself never claimed to be a king or to be the Son of God, so we surely ought not to be making any such claims’. So let’s just take the time to put line upon line and precept upon precept and see who…

…Christ actually proclaimed Himself to be:

…To the man who was healed of being blind from his mother’s womb:

Here are Christ’s own words to that man about who He was, and who He still is:

Joh 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
Joh 9:36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Joh 9:37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
Joh 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

Do not let a lying spirit of doubt tell you that “Christ never claimed to be the Son of God”, because that is obviously a blatant lie.

…Before the multitudes

At the beginning of Christ’s ministry He charged all those He healed and all the devils He cast out of people not to tell others who He was. But toward the end of His ministry, Christ Himself confirmed that He was the Son of God as He taught the multitudes and as He spoke to His disciples. In doing this Christ not only proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God, He went so far as to separate Himself from the multitudes of “those Jews who believed on Him” and from the religious leaders of His day, who He informed directly to their faces that He was the Son of God, and they were “of [their] father the Devil”:

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son [of God] abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son [of God] therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Joh 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
Joh 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
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.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Notice how Christ acknowledges the physical descent of the Jews, while at the very same time denying their spiritual position as the children of Abraham: “I know you are Abraham’s [physical] seed… if you were Abraham’s [spiritual] children, you would do the works of Abraham”.

As a side point, those who would teach us that we should never claim to be the elect sons of God will tell you that you are Christ’s “disciples indeed” as long as you simply ‘agree on the essentials of Christ’s words, show tolerance in the non essentials of Christ’s Words, and just show love in all things’. But that is actually the exact opposite of: ” If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed”. That is, in fact, the very opposite of the Biblical doctrine which states, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. What, pray tell, can be “non essentials of the doctrine of Christ” if, as the scriptures declare, we are to “live… by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”?

Here we have Christ proclaiming, “I proceeded forth and came from God… I speak that which I have seen with my Father.” Can Christ be any clearer in claiming to be the Son of God before the multitudes and before the religious leaders of His day?

…Before the chief priests and elders

Here is what Christ said of Himself before the chief priest and the elders of Israel, the religious leaders of His day:

Mat 26:59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
Mat 26:60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
Mat 26:61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
Mat 26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
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.
Mat 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
Mat 26:66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Mat 26:67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

The Jewish leaders knew and understood that the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of Man and the Son of God were all one and the same person. Jesus knew the Jewish leaders were aware that He claimed to be the Son of God, and He agreed with them when they asked if He was indeed the Son of God. It was His affirming answer, “You have said”, which provoked them to declare, “He is guilty of death”, and the scriptures make that perfectly clear:

Mat 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

John chapter 5 clearly proclaims Christ’s position with His Father to the Jewish authorities:

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.
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 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Did Christ claim to be Israel’s Messiah?

Here is Strong’s definition of the word Messiah:
H4899
משׁיח
mâshı̂yach
maw-shee’-akh

From H4886; anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically the Messiah: – anointed, Messiah.

The word ‘Messiah’ is not in the King James Version of the New Testament, but the Greek word ‘Christos’ (‘Christ’) is, and ‘Christos’ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew ‘mashiyach’. Here is Strong’s definition of the Greek word ‘Christos’:
G5547
Χριστός
Christos
khris-tos’
From G5548; anointed, that is, the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus: – Christ.

Is it true that Christ did not claim to be the messiah? Consider these verses:

Mat 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Mat 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

“The Christ” is the Messiah, and Jesus had proclaimed publicly that He was the Messiah before He ever called His first disciple:

Luk 4:16 And [immediately after His baptism by John and His temptation in the wilderness] he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears.

These words Christ read in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth are taken from Isa 61:1-2. Everyone considered those words to be speaking exclusively of the Messiah of Israel. No one in that synagogue failed to understand that Christ had just proclaimed Himself to be Israel’s Messiah. That is why they asked this question:

Luk 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Christ:

Mar 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

Martha proclaimed Christ to be the Messiah:

Joh 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

This is what Christ told Peter when Peter proclaimed Christ to be Israel’s messiah:

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Christ told Peter that His Father had shown Peter that Jesus was the ‘Christ’ the ‘Messiah’, the anointed of God.

It is spiritual blindness that tells us that Christ did not claim to be the Messiah, the Savior of Israel.

Christ Was Proclaimed To Be A King

…By the angels

Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Mat 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Mat 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

…By the wise men

Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The wise men certainly considered Christ to be “the king of the Jews”:

…By Christ Himself

Did He claim to be a king? This question is answered in the verse from which I have taken the title of this study:

Joh 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

“I am a king, to this end was I born…” Yes, Christ claimed to be a king, and anyone who says otherwise simply does not know the Christ of the scriptures.

Matthew, who gives us Christ’s physical lineage from King David, records for us how Christ proclaimed Himself to be a king in so many of His parables:

Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

Christ calls Himself a king in all of these verses:

Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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

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 scriptures, and even the people, proclaimed Christ to be a king at the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, just before the fickle multitudes who believed on Him decided they wanted Him crucified:

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

It is only the spiritually blind who would ever tell you that Christ never claimed to be a king while He was here on this earth.

…By the holy spirit

As we have previously noted, the holy spirit confirmed to Christ who He was at the beginning of His ministry:

Mar 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
Mar 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

What does all of this have to do with us? Are we the sons of God? Are we Kings and priests?

So let’s “try this spirit” (1Jo 4:1) which confronts us and is always telling us we are being presumptuous, blasphemous and arrogant if we claim to be sons of God, His very elect, and kings and priests who will “judge the world”. Do we fear what men think of us or do we believe what the scriptures teach us about who we are in Christ? You and I are facing the very same trial Christ faced when He claimed to be the Son of God, while telling all those who claimed to be Abraham’s children that they were only Abraham’s children outwardly, and that outward pedigree means nothing more than dung to Christ and His Father. You and I must say the same things Christ had to say to those who believe . Things like:

Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

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

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.

If indeed you and I are “born of the spirit” then we have “proceeded and [are] come forth from God, neither came [of ourselves] but [have been] sent” by Christ to say and do the same things He did and said:

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

Here is what it means to be sent as Christ’s Father sent Him:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

We are all called to follow in Christ’s steps. To fail to do so is to deny Him, and to be denied by Him.

Luk 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Is this a future state of being or are we not presently kings and priest? Kings rule over a kingdom, and priests teach others how to properly approach and worship God. This is not just a future state of being. We are all commanded to be ruling our own “kingdom of God… within [as] the sons of God” here and now in down payment form! Here is what the scriptures teach on this question:

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

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

When are “we… the sons of God”?

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

Clearly, the scriptures teach that God’s elect are at this very moment to count themselves spiritually as “the sons of God… kings and priests” expecting that “the world knows us not, because it knew Him not”.

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

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

It was interesting to discover that “shall be broken in shivers” is actually in the present tense in the Greek. If we are presently breaking to shivers the nations within us, we will be given power over those nations, and when that is done it will be manifested that it was all a work that God will have worked by His own sovereign will through bringing us into Himself and into His life from among the “dead [who] bury their dead”. It is all accomplished “by the resurrection from the dead… unto obedience of [His] faith” within His Christ who He Himself now calls “Jesus of Nazareth” (Act 22:8).

Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power [This includes the Christ of Christ, the “living sacrifice”], according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Rom 1:5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake;

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

These are not speaking only of the Christ who walked this earth two thousand years ago. These are words which apply to you and to me “through the faith of the operation of God” within those in whom that faith resides and in whom He and His Father have taken up residence.

As we have already demonstrated, we are “the house of God” and as “the house of God” we are, according to 1Pe 4:17, being judged at this very moment. Our concluding verse, which is also in chapter 4:17 of first John, summarizes everything we have learned here today:

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.

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

Hi Mike,

Concerning the matter of “as He is, so are we”, would I be correct in assuming that there is a synonymity between the King and his brethren?

Yours sincerely,
W____

Hi again W____,
You ask:

… would I be correct in assuming that there is asynonymity between the King and his brethren?

The answer to your question is, oh yes! More than you probably realize!

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.

Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The words are right there in red letters, but their depth of Truth is hard to absorb. And even when we claim their veracity, it takes time to come to see that these words mean that Christ’s sufferings are not yet filled up, and that it is incumbent upon us to suffer with Christ, as His Christ, for His body’s sake which is us, 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:

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

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;

2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

“Is there a synonymity between the King [Christ] and His brothers?” Here is the straightforward answer to that question:

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.

Ours is not a calling to be just a foot soldier, though we certainly are foot soldiers. We are not called to be officers, though we certainly will be officers. The training for an officer is twice as grueling as that of a soldier in regular boot camp. Our calling in Christ is to be “kings and priests”, and as such “as He is so are we”.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

“He that overcometh” what? The answer is “the world”, which Christ is very straightforward in telling us will hate us if we truly follow Him and “walk in His steps”.

These are not ‘might be’ words, they are guaranteed promises given to all who think they want to be overcomers to partake of that “blessed and holy” first resurrection and to become kings and priests to rule with Christ in the ages to come. Here is the training which make us “as He is”:

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.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? But that is just the beginning of our training. This is all guaranteed promises:

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.

“He that endureth to the end shall be saved” in this age. There are many who begin officer’s training, but most do not last to the end. That should explain the deeper meaning of this verse:

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

Christ is a leader of leaders. He knows how to bring the best out of His creatures. No great leader leads by promising only goodies to his trainees for such an exalted position as being “rulers of this world”. Our Lord has set us an example that we should walk in His steps.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

There it is! That is our calling. For those who are granted to receive it, it is a wonderful, challenging and blessed calling. But to the many to whom a call to “suffer for His name’s sake” simply does not compute, they simply “cannot receive” it.

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

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I did not mean for this to be this long, but I hope you can now see just how similar is the “synonymity between the King and his brethren.”
Your brother who is striving for that “mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.

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

Mike

Video Links

Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Introduction

These verses of today’s study list, in symbol are all the things of this world which are to be found in Babylon The Great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of this world within us. “The fruits that your soul desires are departed from you and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from you, and you will find them no more at all” is a statement which reveals the change that takes place when we come to this point in our lives.

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

“The kings of the earth” who are most affected by the destruction of this great harlot, are those rulers within us who are losing everything their soul has always desired. All the celebrations of the flesh are now gone, and are considered as less than worthless. It is these “kings of the earth” who celebrate the things of the earth, who have the most to lose because they have the most invested in this harlot system. These “Kings of the earth” are the very heads of our beast which are called “seven mountains which are seven kings” in chapter 17:

Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

“The mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her” and “the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits and there are seven kings” all tells us that this woman and this beast with seven heads which “are seven kings” are inseparable. The beasts we are is always associated with this harlot. The loss of “the fruits your soul desires” is the great loss felt by these seven kings which are within this beast, when this great harlot is finally unveiled to us for what she really is. The loss of “the fruits your soul desires” are an integral part of this harlot system, and she is being destroyed within us, along with all she has to offer this beast which we are by nature.
But this does not happen when our beast is first dealt a “deadly wound” That “wound” is healed within us, and we are again a very healthy beast which we again worship. It does not happen at “the beginning of sorrows” when we suffer multiple “earthquakes in different places” within our lives.

Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Our beast is restored to power within us in a really miraculous way which leads us to worship him, and in doing so to worship the dragon, who empowers our wild beast. Christ puts it in this way: “Many will come in Christ’s name and deceive many; You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Neither Mat 24:1-8 nor Rev 13:3-4 refer to the seven last plagues of our study today.
Contrast those words at the beginning of Mat 24 with this statement in Rev 16.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

This is the seventh of the “seven last plagues”. This is not “the beginning of sorrows, [ or the] healing of a deadly wound”.

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

“The seven last plagues” which will “fill up the wrath of God” upon Babylon within us prepare us to be worthy to “enter into the temple”.

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

Christ is our temple, and we cannot enter into Him or His rest until we have fulfilled these seven plagues of the seven angels. When the seven plagues are fulfilled within our life, then we hear these words, “It is done”. But before “it is done… great Babylon must come in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath”.
Giving Babylon within us “the cup of the wine of the fierceness of God’s wrath” is the great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great“. This earthquake is accompanied by ” a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent”.
What does this “hail out of heaven… the weight of a talent” accomplish? Here is what spiritual hail will do in the life of the believer.

Exo 9:19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

What does a spiritual earthquake accomplish?

Isa 29:4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
Isa 29:5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
Isa 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
Act 16:26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

Babylon is our prison. Now let us see what this great earthquake such as was not since men were on the earth accomplishes within us, and let’s see why a plague of hailstones the weight of a talent is needed to accomplish within us what has not to this time been accomplished. Let’s see now how this event brings us to “lose the desire of our souls”.

Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

We have seen that “the kings of the earth” are our carnal desires which are all based upon the lies of Babylon, which have ruled our lives. They are seven “heads, mountains, and kings” simply because they complete the hold which Babylon has upon us. As is revealed in Genesis, “the dream is one”, and these three symbols all symbolize just one beast. So in reality Babylon’s judgment is the judgment of these “kings of the earth” whose loss is so severe that they are pictured as distancing themselves from Babylon within us, “standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying “That great city… in one hour is thy judgment come”. The truth is that Babylon’s judgment is the judgment of these seven kings.
“One hour” indicates that these things all happen quickly, and are not done over an entire age. These seven last plagues all fill up God’s wrath within us. Therefore they are our judgment, and while it seems like an eternity, it really lasts but for “a small moment”.

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

“In a little wrath”. These plagues are “the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God”, which is “for a small moment” before “He will with everlasting kindness have mercy upon us”.

Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Let’s read again what has taken place within us when the seven angels have poured out their plagues within us and we have fulfilled the seven plagues of the seven angels. Here is what then takes place within us:

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

Now we know why Christ did not reveal to us the day of His birth in a body of flesh and blood, and we are told that we are to “know no man after the flesh”. These are, without question, just a part of “the fruit our souls desire.” All the celebrations of the flesh are now known no longer within us. “The kings of the earth” are now completely robbed of a market for these their merchandise, and now “no man buys their merchandise any more”.
As a “new man” our desires and priorities have all been changed. We are now no longer focused on the things of this earth. We will, in our own time, come to appreciate these words.

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

If we do not know Christ Himself after the flesh, then we certainly are not going to be celebrating the birth of His flesh which was resurrected and “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” so as to keep it from corrupting.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Spirit is a realm which is outside of time with all of its limitations. It is a realm which is abhorred by the realm of the flesh to which we are to be crucified with its affections and lusts.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

There is no need to repeat everything listed in these three verses. Verse 14 sums it all up. These are the symbols of “the fruits our soul lusts after”. These are the symbols of all the spiritual abominations with which Babylon the great appeals to our souls. “All things which were dainty and goodly”. All the songs and celebrations of all that Babylon has to offer. Notice how all the base metals of brass and iron and such common things as wood and marble are mixed in with God’s own gold, silver and precious stones, the very things with which we are admonished to build with upon the foundation of Christ. But wood and brass and iron and marble are not to be mixed in with “gold, silver and precious stones” when we are building on the foundation of the Christ we no longer know after the flesh.

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ [ but not after the flesh].
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

God’s fire burns up all the wood, hay and stubble, but gold, silver and precious stones are only purified and are created by this heat and this fire. The gold, silver and precious stones all symbolize the things which are to be found in the temple of God. Babylon has mixed these things in with all her dainty things and together they are “odors and ointments” which our flesh, in and of itself, simply cannot refuse. These are all expressed “not in words which man’s wisdom teaches.

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

These symbols of these verses of this revelation of Jesus Christ are “the hidden wisdom, “which God has ordained before the world unto our glory”. These words of “hidden wisdom” are the exact opposite of “the fruits your soul desires”. These words of “hidden wisdom” are “the power of God”. What is this “hidden wisdom”?

Job 28:20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Job 28:21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
Job 28:22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
Job 28:23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
Job 28:24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
Job 28:25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
Job 28:26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
Job 28:27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

The mind that has wisdom knows who are these seven kings, seven mountains and seven heads of this beast on which the great harlot sits and rules. The mind that has wisdom know that the fowls of the air are the spirit realm which stands in opposition to the wisdom of God, and knows all men only after the flesh with all of its celebrations of the flesh realm. The mind that has wisdom knows that the waters on which the whore sits are measured by God, and can do nothing more or less than He decrees. The mind that has wisdom, “trembles at the word of the Lord”, knows that the fear of the Lord is wisdom. This is the goodness of God. This is the gospel of the kingdom of God, and this is the revelation of Jesus Christ within His Christ.

Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will see that the destruction of Babylon is the destruction of the merchants who are the purveyors of the lies of Babylon, and who are made rich by her lies and deceits, which no longer hold us in their snare. Next week we will see who it is who have ships in the sea, and who are made rich by reason of her costliness”.

Rev 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What [ city is] like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Mike,
I have a question about some verses that I believe you can help me out on.
Heb 5:1-6

Heb 5: 1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
Heb 5:3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Heb 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
Heb 5:6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Here is my question. Who is Melchisedec, is Jesus Following in his order? Is Melchizedek the same high priest status as Jesus?
Thanks Mike for answering my questions. Your site has helped me understand more than I ever have before.

Blessings,
P____

Hi P____,

Thank you for your very encouraging words. I am most encouraged to know that you are learning from what you are reading or hearing on iswasandwillbe. com.
You ask:

Who is Melchisedec, is Jesus following in his order? Is Melchizedek the same high priest status as Jesus?

No, Melchisedec was not a high priest as Christ is, nevertheless Christ’s priesthood was “after the order of Melchisedec”, and there were several things about the priesthood of Melchisedec which are instructive of the priesthood of Christ. The first thing we need to see is who this man is. So let’s look at what is written:

Gen 14:14  And when Abram heard that his brother [ Abraham’s nephew, Lot] was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
Gen 14:15  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
Gen 14:16  And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
Gen 14:17  And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
Gen 14:18  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Gen 14:19  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Gen 14:21  And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
Gen 14:22  And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
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 shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Gen 14:24  Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

It was Melchizedec, king of Salem, who blessed Abram, and it was to Melchizedec that Abraham tithed of the spoils of this war. Paul makes note of this in the book of Hebrews:

Heb 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

So Melchizedec, as “priest of the most high God”, is said to be “better” than Abraham. Paul goes on to point out:

Heb 7:4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

So Abraham tithed the spoils of Sodom and the kings he had slaughtered to Melchizedec the king of Salem.
But where was “Salem”, and who is this Melchizedec? ‘Salem’ means ‘peace’, and the name ‘Jerusalem’ means ‘city of peace’. So it is not that much of a stretch to see that Melchizedec was the king of Jerusalem in the time of Abram before Israel became a nation and before Abram had yet become Abraham.
In fact it is interesting to note that over 500 years later, when Joshua conquers Jerusalem, we find that the ‘Zedecs’ are still ruling in the city of Salem, now known as Jerusalem.

Jos 10:1 Now it came to pass, when Adoni zedek king of Jeru salem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

Here is Strong’s entry for the name Melchizedek:
H4442
malki y- tsedeq
mal- kee- tseh’- dek
From H4428 and H6664; king of right; Malki- Tsedek, an early king in Palestine: – Melchizedek.

The ‘mal- kee’ part of this name, Strong’s number 4482, simply means ‘king’, and the tseh’- dek’, Strong’s number 6664 simply means ‘right’ or ‘righteousness’. So the ‘king of righteousness’ is also, by title, the ‘king of Salem’ or the king of the city of peace, Jerusalem.

Heb 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

But as Strong’s notes, Melchizedec was simply “an early king in Palestine” who also happened to be “the priest of the most high God”. But so was Moses’ father- in- law, a priest of God.

Exo 18:1  When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, [ and] that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
Exo 18:12  And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.

But Jethro, Moses’ father- in- law, had never met Abram and certainly had not received tithes from Abram, so Moses’ father- in- law, the priest of Midian, could not be used as the type of Christ as Melchizedek is used. Both were “priests of the most high God”, but it was Melchisedec who was the king of Salem and who received tithes of Abraham. Paul likens Christ’s priesthood to Melchizedek’s priesthood for these two reasons. 1) Melchisedec received tithes of, and blessed Abraham, “the less was blessed of the better”, and 2) Melchisedec’s genealogy is not preserved for us, as was required of all the priests who are of Aaron’s priesthood. That is the meaning of these verses:

Heb 7:3  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

We are not being told that Melchisedec is still alive today. What we are being told is that the fact that none of this information is available concerning Melchisedec is a type of the fact that Christ existed before His physical birth, death and resurrection to a spiritual body to become our high priest “after the order of Melchisedec.”
We know nothing about this man except that he was the priest of the most high God, who ruled over the city of peace. We do not know when his days began or when he died. We are not given the names of his father or his mother, and so “the king of Salem (peace) is used as an Old Testament type of Christ, just as Abraham himself is called “the Father of the faithful” which is also really a reference to Christ, who is really our spiritual Father and the true Father of our faith:

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I hope this is all of some edification to help you see who Melchisedec is. I hope you can now see that, like Abraham and Kings David and Solomon, Melchisedec is simply an Old Testament type and shadow of our Lord as our high priest, even though He was not of Aaron).

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Hello Mike,

I have a follow up question if you have time: The orthodox teaching that Isa 14 refers to Satan is in error, because we are told in verse 4 that it is actually referring to the king of Babylon. The orthodox teaching that Eze 28 refers to Satan is equally in error, because we are told in that chapter that it is addressed to the king of Tyre. Both of these men die and go to their graves. They say in their hearts that they will be like God, but they will be brought down to their graves.

Eze 28:2 is addressed to “the prince of Tyre”.   That first section of the chapter seems to conclude with verse 10.

The next section of the chapter starts with verse 11. And that portion is addressed to “the king of Tyre”.

How do you know that the king of Tyre refers to the same person as the prince of Tyre?

Also verse 15 says of the king of Tyre – “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.”

Do you believe that a human being was created perfect from the day he was created? Or do you believe that this “man” was born sinful as the rest of Adam’s descendents seem to have been born? For example, David saying – “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psa 51:5)

Thank you Mike, and God be with you!!

J____

Hi J____,

It is good to hear from you. You ask two questions; the first is:

How do you know that the king of Tyre refers to the same person as the prince of Tyre?

The Hebrew word for ‘prince’ is

H5057
na gi yd  na gid
naw- gheed’, naw- gheed’

From H5046; a commander (as occupying the front), civil, military or religious; generally (abstract plural), honorable themes: – captain, chief, excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, (chief) ruler.

The Hebrew for ‘king’ is:

H4428
melek
meh’- lek

From H4427; a king: – king , royal.

The way I know they are the same person is that they are both ruling over the same place – Tyre. All Kings are princes before they become kings.

Your next question is:

“Also verse 15 says of the king of Tyre – “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.”

Do you believe that a human being was created perfect from the day he was created? Or do you believe that this “man” was born sinful as the rest of Adam’s descendants seem to have been born?”

“Perfect in your ways” is a long way from saying ‘perfect in my ways.’

The king of Tyre was certainly not perfect in God’s ways. Here is how the king of Tyre was ‘perfect:’

Eze 15:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 15:2 Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, [ or than] a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Eze 15:3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will [ men] take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
Eze 15:4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for [ any] work?
Eze 15:5 Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

Do you see that word ‘whole?’ “When it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it and it is burned?” That word ‘whole’ is the exact same Hebrew word that is translated ‘perfect’ in Ezekiel 28:15. The Hebrew word is:

H8549
ta mi ym
taw- meem’

From H8552; entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth: – without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (- ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (- ly), whole.

All of the lambs which were sacrificed were also ‘perfect’ lambs. But it is not possible that the blood of a lamb can take away the sins of the world. Neither is it possible that the king of Tyre is not also “marred in the hand of the Potter.”

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.

The King of Tyre was definitely not any less “shapen in iniquity” or “conceived in sin” than was King David. when he was “whole,” when he was taw- meem’, when he was ‘perfect,’ [ the King of Tyre] was unfit for the kingdom of God.

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;

When it was whole [ Hebrew- taw- meem’], it [ the King of Tyre] was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

The king of Tyre is dead and gone in the outward sense. What we need to know is that he is alive and well in every one of us today if we are not dying daily to the pulls of our flesh. That is why these chapters are here in God’s word. It is each of us who tends to exalt himself to heaven. This is “written for our admonition…”

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.

It is written and it happened to them for us.

I hope you can see that the ‘perfection’ of the king of Tyre is no more glorious than the perfection of a lamb or the wood of a vine. It is perfect for what it is designed to be, a “marred vessel” in need of a savior.

Mike

Updated Audio Download August 23, 2023

Download

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.

Introduction

As always we will begin our study with the reminder that we are to “Read, hear, and keep the things that are written therein, for the time is at hand.”

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.

“Hath made us kings and priests”

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.

So we come to verse six which states that Christ “hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” That phrase “He hath made us kings and priests” appears again just a couple of chapters later in this verse:

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

Who is making this statement here in Revelation 5:10? While we will get to that again when we get to chapter five, we need to go ahead and look at who it is who making this claim. Here are the heavenly symbols of God’s elect who will “reign on earth [as] kings and priests.”

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.
Rev 5:4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
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.
Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

To whom then is the “us” in this verse referring?

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.

According to verses 8-9 of chapter 5, Revelation 1:6 is a reference to the four and twenty elders and to the four beasts which are in the midst of and round about the throne of God!

Where have we seen these creatures before? We first see them as the cherubim who guard the tree of life in the garden of Eden. They next appear with two wings, over the ark of the covenant and on the veil of the temple. The next place we see these same creatures is in the book of Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10. There they have four wings and four faces each. Finally we find them again in the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation. Here we see them with six wings, and each beast has the same faces but those faces are on separate beasts, and now they are crying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty…” We have much more to say about these creatures and their association with the seraphims of Isaiah 6, but we will reserve that discussion for our studies in chapters 4 and 5.

Suffice it to say for now that these four creatures, as well as the four and twenty elders around God’s throne, are symbolic of God’s “blessed and holy” elect who will really are “seated with Christ in the heavens, and who now rule with Christ within and will rule with Christ on the earth. Let’s put this sixth verse of chapter 1 with the sixth verse of chapter 20 and see what we can learn:

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 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.

That is the significance of “making us kings and priests.” As we grow in our understanding of the things of the spirit, we will see how it is that a lion can also be called a lamb, and how Christ’s elect can also be called both four creatures and four and twenty elders. Once we come to see that those two symbols typify Christ’s Christ, then we will begin to understand just how much Christ identifies with His Christ.

Now let’s consider what is revealed in the middle part of this verse: “… Unto God and his Father” Let’s look at this verse in the super literal Concordant Version:

Rev 1:6 and makes us a kingdom and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and might for the eons of the eons! Amen!”

That is right, Christ has a “God and a Father.” Nowhere in scripture is that order ever reversed, but it is repeated, just to make that clear:

2Co 11:31  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

So much for the doctrine that Christ and the Father are one and the same. The only way they are one and the same is as we are one with Christ.

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

All things are of God, but all things are by Christ, just as all men are of Adam but all men are by Eve.

1Co 11:8  For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
1Co 11:9  Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
1Co 11:10  For this cause ought the woman to have power on [her] head because of the angels.
1Co 11:11  Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
1Co 11:12  For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

That is how we are to understand Christ’s relationship to His Father. Just as Adam came out of Christ, so Christ came out of His Father, and we are one with Christ just “as He is one with His Father.”

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:

So while the holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual, and we understand that a physical lamb typifies the spiritual sacrifice of Christ, we still are brought to see that spiritual truth “by the things that are made.” That is the very function of the physical realm. How else can an invisible God communicate with His physical creation?

Now let’s look at the end of this verse.

“… to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The eons of the eons

Let’s look at this part of this verse in the Concordant Version to see what is behind the words “for ever and ever.” We know that God is not so redundant as to say “for eternity and for eternity.” Here is what the Greek really says:

Rev 1:6 and makes us a kingdom and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and might for the eons of the eons! Amen!

We find this phrase “eons of the eons” a double plural, 21 times in the New Testament. Here are a few of those entries from the Concordant Version:

Rom 16:27 to the only, and wise God, through Christ Jesus, be glory for the eons of the eons. Amen!”

1Ti 1:17 Now to the King of the eons, the incorruptible, invisible, only, and wise God, be honor and glory for the eons of the eons! Amen!”

Rev 22:5 And night shall be no more, and they have no need of lamplight and sunlight, for the Lord God shall be illuminating them. And they shall be reigning for the eons of the eons.”

This phrase “for the eons of the eons” is always connected with God’s being glorified, simply because it is a reference to that time when Satan is in the process of being destroyed and our rebellions are all being destroyed and burned up at the same time. It refers both to that time when God’s elect rule the kingdoms of this world and to eonian judgment in the lake of fire. Those are the eons of the eons. “They shall be reigning for the eons of the eons.”

Eon of the eons

Only twice in the Concordant Version do we find the phrase “the eon of the eons.”

Dan 7:18 Yet the saints of the supremacies shall receive the kingdom and they will safeguard the kingdom unto the eon, even unto the eon of the eons.”

Eph 3:21 to Him be the glory in the ecclesia and in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the eon of the eons! Amen!

The holy of holies is the holiest of the holy places. That eon when our old man is destroyed is the best eon of the eons. All the eons are for us, and in Christ we experience all these eons. These scriptures bear this out:

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

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

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

The eon of the eons is that age which brings all enemies under Christ, and brings us to the consummation of the eons.

1Co 15:21  For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
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.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

That eon, in which all things within us are subdued to Christ, is our “eon of the eons.” It is both within us and in those “things to come.”

The impending eon

“All are yours… things present or things to come” would certainly include the “impending eon.” The scriptures tell us that there is a “present wicked eon” and an “impending eon.” We find this phrase “impending eon” three times in the Concordant Version:

Mat 12:32 And whosoever may be saying a word against the Son of Mankind, it will be pardoned him, yet whoever may be saying aught against the holy spirit, it shall not be pardoned him, neither in this eon nor in that which is impending.

Eph 1:21 [The Christ] up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending:

Heb 6:5 and tasting the ideal declaration of God, besides the powerful deeds of the impending eon,

It is only “in Christ” that we are seated with Christ in the heavens and experience “the powerful deeds of the impending eon.”

This eon

Whenever we see the phrase “this eon” it is understood to be “this present wicked eon.” For example:

1Co 2:6 Yet wisdom are we speaking among the mature, yet a wisdom not of this eon, neither of the chief men of this eon, who are being discarded,

2Co 4:4 in whom the god of this eon blinds the apprehensions of the unbelieving so that the illumination of the evangel of the glory of Christ, Who is the Image of the invisible God, does not irradiate them.”

Gal 1:4 Who gives Himself for our sins, so that He might extricate us out of the present wicked eon, according to the will of our God and Father,

Tit 2:12 training us that, disowning irreverence and worldly desires, we should be living sanely and justly and devoutly in the current eon,

The phrase ‘this eon’ invariably refers to the time we all spend as children of disobedience:

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

As mentioned above, it is only in Christ that we can, while yet in “this wicked eon”, taste “the powerful deeds of the impending eon”, and declare that “sin no longer has dominion over us.”

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.

We have seen that, in Christ we are made kings and priests for the purpose of being God’s channel for the salvation of all men of all time. We have been given to know that we are kings and priests to Christ’s ‘God and Father, to whom we give all the glory’ and all the dominion for all the time we rule, both this world and all the time we rule and judge angels:

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?

That is for the ‘eons of the eons.’ In Christ, whose “words never pass away,” and who “is, was, and who will be,” we as Christ’s Christ, are given dominion over in in this age (Rom 6:14). This is how we are even now tasting the impending eon.

Eph 1:21 [The Christ] up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending:

Heb 6:5 and tasting the ideal declaration of God, besides the powerful deeds of the impending eon,

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.