The Color Blue – Part 2

Blue is peculiar to the priesthood

[Study Aired November 23, 2025]

Up to this point we have seen blue only in conjunction with the colors purple and scarlet. In this study we will see blue where it is alone as well as sometimes with other colors.

We concluded our last study in chapter 35 of Exodus with the description of the men whom God uses to build His tabernacle. We saw that those who build God’s tabernacle are the same as those who are the tabernacle.  Those whom God uses in the construction of His Tabernacle are “filled… with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”

Exo 35:31  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32  And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Exo 35:33  And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.

These are gifts which God gives to those He uses to build His spiritual Tabernacle. God is not working only with physical materials these days. All of these materials are now spiritual. We will see today that blue is associated with the things of God’s spirit and is therefore peculiar to God’s priesthood.

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

In the shadows of the Old Testament, we were told that those who were selected by God to build His Tabernacle were also gifted in working with ‘blue, purple and scarlet’ and in being capable of weaving these colors into the veil which we are told is Christ’s body:

Exo 35:35  Them hath he [God] filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work

Blue is associated with those who teach others

We saw last week that the men God chose to build His tabernacle were gifted in the ability to teach and to show to others how to do the things that were needed to accomplish the task of building God’s tabernacle:

Exo 35:30  And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
Exo 35:31  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32  And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Exo 35:33  And in the cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
Exo 35:34  And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
Exo 35:35  Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Here is the anti-type which all these qualities of Bezeleel and Aholiab signify:

1Ti 3:1  This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1Ti 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of [Build up and edify] the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

What is the tabernacle?

Those who are building the Lord’s tabernacle today are building with the spiritual words and works of Jesus Christ. Is not Christ the very foundation of God’s temple? Of course, He is:

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.

“We are God’s husbandry” laboring to build for Him a house in which He can dwell. At the same time “ye are God’s building” (1Co 3:9). In the same way Christ, too, is both the foundation of His Father’s Tabernacle, and He is that Tabernacle.

Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, [after] the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Christ is ‘the pattern, which was shown you in the mount.’

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

The word translated ‘pattern’ in this verse, quoted out of Exodus, is the Greek word ‘tupos.’

Here is Strong’s definition of this word:

“G5179
τυπος
tupos
too’- pos++++, a model (for imitation) or instance (for warning): – en- (ex-) ample, fashion, figure, form, manner, pattern, print.”

This is what we are told of Christ:

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:

What do we do as we follow in His steps? We show these things to others:

Rev 19:9  And he [the angel who is instructing John] saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Who has “the testimony of Jesus Christ?” That would be John himself:

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Who does John symbolize? Again:

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

John is symbolic of those who comprise God’s “true tabernacle:”

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the [blue] heavens;
Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Blue is peculiar to “the heavenly things”

Christ has entered into the heavens, and yet the world does not know where He is because the world does not know where or what ‘heaven’ is even though the scriptures make both very clear to those who are given eyes that see and ears that hear:

Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20  Saying, This [is] the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [you and I and “all in Adam”, (1Co 15:22)] with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself [“Christ in you”, (Col 1:27)], now to appear in the presence of God for us:

So, where did Christ go when he was resurrected and ascended to His Father? Where is His Father? Where is Christ? Where is “heaven itself?”

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Apparently it is possible to both “come down from heaven” and to “be in heaven” at the same time.

Luk 21:27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

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

Act 2:34  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Christ is in “the clouds of the heavens.” So, where is He? This is “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints”:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

That is right! Christ is even now in “the true tabernacle… which is… in you, the hope of glory.”

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

So, the tabernacle must be “according to the pattern” we have been given and according to the instructions we have been given. The words we have been given “are spirit and are life.” Spirit and life are not the words that come out of the hearts of false prophets who prophecy from their own hearts and say that they have matured beyond the words spoken by Christ in His Word, the Bible.

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

“The words that I speak” are “that which is written” and anything which contradicts “that which is written” is a lie:

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

Rom 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

As we learned in our last study, the tabernacle of God is composed of ten curtains held together by blue loops and gold taches, both symbolizing the function of the spirit which brings us together as God’s church, which is His body:

Exo 36:11  And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of [another] curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Exo 36:12  Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which [was] in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
Exo 36:13  And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.

1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is [the] Christ. [“One tabernacle”]

So what is “the body?” What is “the tabernacle?” What is “the temple of God?” They are all one and the same thing. They are all where Christ and His Father dwell within each of His elect.  What tells us the significance of the color blue is that when we see it in scripture, it is prominent. Blue comes first. When we see where blue is located and what is done by the things that are blue, then we know what its function is. Blue loops and gold taches hold together the tabernacle of God. Where else do we see the color blue?

The bindings of the gold rings of the ephod are with a lace of blue

Exo 28:28  And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
Exo 28:29  And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
Exo 28:30  And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses

The robe of the ephod is all of blue

Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
Exo 28:33  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
Exo 28:35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy [place] before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

The gold plate of the mitre is to be on a blue lace

Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and grave upon it, [like] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

Where blue is used, no expense is spared

Look at the details and the expense taken in the construction of the ephod. This ephod is part of the “cloths of service” of those who serve in the temple of God.

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

Clothing is works. Filthy clothing is filthy works. “Fine linen, clean and white” is the righteousness of Christ in His elect. The intricacies of the priestly “cloths of service” testify to how true is the fact that every hair of our heads is numbered, “specially of those that believe.”

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy [place], and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod [of] gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut [it into] wires, to work [it] in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, [with] cunning work.
Exo 39:4  They made shoulder pieces for it, to couple [it] together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that [was] upon it, [was] of the same, according to the work thereof; [of] gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, [that they should be] stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; [of] gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span [was] the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, [being] doubled.
Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this [was] the first row.
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: [they were] inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones [were] according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, [of] wreathen work [of] pure gold.
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches [of] gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put [them] on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which [was] on the side of the ephod inward.
Exo 39:20  And they made two [other] golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the [other] coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod [of] woven work, all [of] blue.

Let’s go back to the blue lace holding the rings of the blue-robed ephod.

Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod [of] woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon [Definition: a coat or corslet of linen], with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, [and] twined [linen].
Exo 39:25  And they made bells [of] pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister [in]; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:27  And they made coats [of] fine linen [of] woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
Exo 39:29  And a girdle [of] fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, [of] needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown [of] pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, [like to] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

Everything inside the tabernacle is to be covered with “a cloth of blue”

Num 4:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:2  Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,
Num 4:3  From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:4  This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
Num 4:5  And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:
Num 4:6  And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over [it] a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:7  And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:
Num 4:8  And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:9  And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
Num 4:10  And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put [it] upon a bar.
Num 4:11  And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue , and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
Num 4:12  And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put [them] in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put [them] on a bar:
Num 4:13  And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Num 4:14  And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, [even] the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it.
Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear [it]: but they shall not touch [any] holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Moses and Aaron were both of the family of the Kohathites. So Korah and all of those working closest to Moses and Aaron were to be those of their own family who were closest to them. And yet they were not allowed to even touch the holy things.

This is all concerned with and signifies how close to the truth our brothers in Babylon are and yet how few are given eyes that see and ears that hear and keep the doctrines of Christ:

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein .
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Blue is the color of rulership

Est 8:15  And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

The negative application of blue

The blue of Egypt is not the blue which represents the rulership of the spirit over the flesh. The blue of Egypt is the rulership of the flesh in those who claim to be God’s rulers but are not:

Jer 10:8  But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Jer 10:9  Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

Eze 27:7  Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.

So blue has a negative application and is, as with all things pertaining to God and righteousness, counterfeited by the Adversary.

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

We have seen that the color blue is used many times in conjunction with the colors purple and scarlet, and this combination of colors covers all of the curtains of the tabernacle. When this is the case, blue is almost always mentioned first, followed by purple and scarlet is last. We have seen that blue signifies the things of the spirit and is peculiar to the tabernacle and to the priestly garments. We saw that it is blue which is used to hold the tabernacle together and to make it “one tabernacle.” We have seen that blue is used time and time again to “bind together” God’s tabernacle, the gold plate on the mitre, the breastplate to the ephod, etc. We have seen that blue is peculiar to the vessels of service and the implements of service of the tabernacle, which are all stored on blue cloths while in transit. We saw that those who work with blue are teachers, and finally we have been shown that blue has to do with the priesthood and rulership.

Knowing what is the true tabernacle and the true priesthood tells those with eyes to see and ears to hear, that when we see the color blue, we are talking about the things of the spirit and of heavenly things, of “the heavens themselves.” Blue signfies what is in the hearts and minds of God’s elect.

[Here is the next study in this series.]

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/ezekiel-441-31-the-gate-for-the-prince/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ezekiel-441-31-the-gate-for-the-prince Mon, 20 Jan 2025 05:34:35 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=31863 Study Audio Download

Ezekiel 44:1–31 The Gate for the Prince

[Study Aired January 20, 2025]

INTRODUCTION

Today’s study is about the east gate of the temple designated for the princes. It also shows the Lord’s criticism of the house of Israel for their unfaithfulness and the need for the priests to be more circumspective in the future. The third point raised has to do with the degrading of the Levites because of their idolatry. Finally, the study centers on the establishment of the priesthood in the family of Zadok and the rules governing their election as priests.

The Gate for the Prince

Eze 44:1  Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. 
Eze 44:2  Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 
Eze 44:3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

The outer gate to the sanctuary was shut because we were not worthy to enter the temple because of our sins which had reached the heavens. In other words, our hearts and minds were not ready yet to become the habitation of the Lord because of our sins as the man of sin (our flesh) sits in our temple claiming to be God.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

As indicated in previous study, the east refers to the beginning of the rising of the sun. The Lord taking us back to the east gate is to remind us of the beginning of His work in us as He comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to cause the sun, signifying our Lord Jesus Christ, to rise within us.

In verse 2, we are given the reason the gate was shut such that no man can enter in. It was because our Lord Jesus Christ had entered by the gate. This implies the Lord coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to begin the judgement of our old man or flesh, and until the seven plagues, signifying our complete judgement, are completed, we cannot offer our bodies as the temple for the Lord.

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.

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

In verse 3, we are told that only the prince can sit within the temple to eat bread before the presence of the Lord. The prince here refers to the Lord’s elect. We are the ones that the Lord is opening our hearts and minds to see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord.

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

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

As stated in verse 3, it is through the east gate that we enter the temple and it is through the same gate that we leave the temple. The east gate represents the beginning of the Lord coming with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to make our hearts and minds His habitation. When we refuse to grow in Him, we end up leaving through the same east gate. The east gate therefore represents our falling away also.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Eze 44:4  Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. 

In the previous study, we went into details to explain what the glory of the Lord signifies. This is what we said:

The cloud represents the Lord’s elect and therefore we can say that the glory of the Lord always appears in His elect.

Exo 40:34  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 

Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

The fact that the cloud covered mount Sinai for six days is to show us that the cloud represent the Lord’s elect since the number six is the number of man. What we also need to understand is that anytime there is the glory of the Lord in the cloud, there is the speaking of the Lord. This glory of the Lord is therefore being able to hear the voice of the true shepherd or our Lord Jesus Christ from the midst of the fire. 

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. 

From the midst of the fire signifies that seeing the glory of the Lord also means being judged. At the end of the day, this is what the glory of the Lord does to us, His elect:

1Sa 2:8  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

The glory of the Lord is therefore His works in us His elect, first, and later, in another age, the rest of all humanity.  

Psa 104:31  The glory of the LORD shall endure forever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. 

Isa 4:5  And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 

Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The works of the Lord is preparing His temple, which is our bodies for Him to dwell in.

The glory of the Lord filling the house of the Lord in verse 4 therefore means the Lord doing His work of cleansing of our hearts and minds to dwell in. Bringing Ezekiel to the north gate means that this work of cleansing involves the Lord’s judgement of our flesh or old man as the north signifies judgement.

Jer 1:13  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

Ezekiel falling upon his face when he saw the glory of the Lord means that it is when we see the works of the Lord in our lives that we come to worship Him in truth and in spirit.

Eze 44:5  And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. 

Here in verse 5, the Lord told Ezekiel to pay attention to the rules and regulations of the house of the Lord and everyone that goes in and comes out of the sanctuary. The rules and regulations pertain to the pattern that was shown Moses on Mount Sinai.

Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

The pattern relates to how the Lord builds His temple within us through His judgement and the opening of our eyes and ears to see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom. Paying attention to those who enter in and those who go out is another way of saying that we should try every spirit to see if it is of the Lord.

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

Eze 44:6  And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, 
Eze 44:7  In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. 
Eze 44:8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. 

These verses affirm to us the fact that we should try every spirit to see if it is of the Lord. This is because some have entered in to spy on our liberty in Christ. These are the rebellious who try to come in with their abominations to defile our temple. These abominations are the false doctrines which become the idols of our hearts and pollutes our hearts and minds. As a result, we are not able to take care of the holy things which refer to the truth of the word of the Lord. These men try to find their way into leadership to destroy the Lord’s people. In Paul’s days, these men were called the concision.

Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

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

The Degrading of the Levites

Eze 44:9  Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. 
Eze 44:10  And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. 

In verse 9, we are informed that if we are not circumcised in heart and flesh, we shall not enter into the sanctuary of the Lord. Being uncircumcised in heart and flesh means that we have not gone through the judgement of the Lord and therefore we have not submitted to the Lord or learnt righteousness. In this age, it is only the Lord’s elect who are being judged and therefore those who are not circumcised are not part of the Lord’s elect or the general assembly of the Lord’s firstborn.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

The Levites here in verse 10 are not priests and therefore are not sons of Zadok. They signify our brothers and sisters in Babylon or the physical churches of this world who have gone astray as a result of the idols of their hearts which represent false doctrines. In this particular case, these Levites represent the leadership in the churches of this world who shall be punished for their sins in an age to come.

Eze 44:11  Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. 
Eze 44:12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.   

These Levites are the ministers who have charge of the gates of the house. That is to say that they are the ones who help us when we come out of the world to start our walk with Christ but as Jesus said, they end up making us children of hell.

Mat 23:15  “How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You cross land and sea to recruit a single follower, and when you do, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are. (GW)

In verse 12, we are informed that because these Levites minister based on the idols of their hearts, they have caused the house of the Lord to fall into iniquity and therefore shall be punished for their sins. In time past, we were like these Levites, however, the Lord showed us mercy and delivered us from Babylonian captivity.

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

Eze 44:13  And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. 
Eze 44:14 But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. 

Both the leaders of the churches of this world and they who worship with them shall not come near the Lord to do the office of a priest unto the Lord. When we were in Babylon, we thought we were the royal priesthood. However, it was when we came to the assembly of the Lord’s elect that we realized that we did not have a clue as to what qualifies a person to be a priest. As stated earlier, not coming near to the holy things of the Lord means not being given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord. The most holy place is our hearts and minds which have been cleansed of falsehood by the judgement of the Lord. Not being given to come near the holy place therefore implies not being judged in this age. When we are not being judged, then it means we are bearing our shame and abominations since judgement leads to righteousness.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

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

In verse 14, we are told that these Levites or our brothers and sisters in Babylon are keepers of the charge of the house. We were all under the guidance of these Levites until the appointed time, when Christ comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness.

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  

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

The Establishment of the Priesthood

Eze 44:15  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 
Eze 44:16  They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 
Eze 44:17 And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

The Levites priests of the sons of Zadok represent the Lord’s elect. We are those that keep charge of the Lord’s sanctuary when the children of Israel, who signify Babylon, went astray from the Lord. Keeping charge of the sanctuary means ministering to the Lord by offering Him the fat and the blood. The fat we offer is our peace offering to the Lord by fire. In other words, as we go through the Lord’s judgement, we have peace with God. The blood we offer is our lives dedicated to the Lord as we go through His judgement since the life of the flesh is in the blood.

2Ch 7:7  Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.  

Lev 17:6  And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

The requirement for ministering in the inner court to the Lord as priests is putting on linen garments. This linen garment represents our righteousness. As we know, we learn righteousness through the Lord’s judgement. Therefore, if we are to minister before the Lord, then we need to go through the Lord’s judgement.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

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

We are not to wear wool or anything that causes us to sweat as we minister before the Lord. The presence of sweat reveals to us that we are exerting our strength or effort. We are therefore not to use our strength or willpower as we come to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. We need to experience rest in the Lord, fully assured that it is the Lord who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure – not by our own selves.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat. 
Eze 44:19 And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.  

The linen turbans that we are to cover our heads with is to let us know our role as the bride of Christ to submit to Him. The linen undergarment is part of the linen garment which speaks of our righteousness.

1Co 11:13  Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
1Co 11:14  Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
1Co 11:15  But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

In verse 19, we are told that if we are to come into the outer court to the people, we must put off our linen garment and put on other garments. This is to let us know that, to the people in the outer courts who represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world, we do not signify the royal priesthood as they see us wearing ordinary clothes like them. However, to the  Lord’s elect, we are the priests of the Lord recognized by the linen garment we wear to minister to the Lord. Because they do not see us as the Lord’s priests, but as ordinary people, we cannot sanctify them through the word.

The Rules Governing the Priesthood

Eze 44:20  Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. 
Eze 44:21  Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. 
Eze 44:22  Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

The shaving of our heads means that we do not have a covering before the Lord who is our husband. In other words, shaving our heads means that we are not submitting to our husband, Christ. Thus, being commanded not to shave our heads means that we must submit to Christ. On the other hand, we must not let our hair grow long. This is to let us know that we must do all things in moderation.

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

As stated in verse 21, we must not drink wine as priests when we are ministering before the Lord. To understand this verse, we need to look at the negative application of wine. On a positive note, wine refers to the word of the Lord as shown in the following verses:

Num 18:12  All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.

Deu 33:28  Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

On a negative note, wine symbolizes false doctrines as follows:

Pro 20:1  Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Not drinking wine as priests therefore means that we must avoid false doctrines so that we are not deceived.

In verse 22, we are warned as priests not to marry a widow or a woman that is divorced. The widow or a woman that is divorced here represents our brothers and sisters in Babylon. Our union with them may take us back to Babylonian captivity. On the other hand, we are advised to marry from the Lord’s elect represented here by the maidens of the house of Israel or a widow that had a priest before.

Eze 44:23  And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 
Eze 44:24  And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 

As priests of the Lord, we are required to teach the Lord’s elect the difference between the holy and the profane, or the clean and the unclean. The holy or the clean here signifies the truth of the word of the Lord. The profane or unclean is false doctrines. When we came into the assembly of the Lord’s firstborn, or Jerusalem which is above, through what every joint supplies, we have come to see clearly the difference between the holy and the profane.

In verse 24, priests must perform the role of judges and make decisions based on the word of the Lord when there are disputes.

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

We are also required as priests to be obedient to the words of the Lord and also to keep the sabbath. Keeping the sabbath means that we have come to cease from our own strivings and have come to rest in the Lord.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Eze 44:25  And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.

A priest must not come near a dead body to be defiled by it. The dead body here refers to the false messengers of the gospel in the churches of this world. We must therefore not pay attention to these false messengers in our homes through TV and other social media. Here in verse 25, we are told that we can be defiled through the dead body of a father, mother, son, daughter or an unmarried sister. Our father and mother here are those that we esteem to have helped us with our walk with Christ. Sons and daughters are those we have helped to be established in the faith. Brother and sister are those we fellowship with. This warning is to highlight the fact that we must always search the scriptures, just like the Berean church, to see that what we hear is the truth.

Act 17:11  The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.

Eze 44:26  And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. 
Eze 44:27  And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD. 

When we are defiled through false doctrine and we repent, we are to wait for a complete period of time, symbolized by seven days, as determined by the elders, to continue ministering to the Lord which is the same as ministering to our brothers and sisters.

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.

Offering of a sin offering means confessing our sins to the Lord who will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Eze 44:28  And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. 
Eze 44:29  They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 

The fact that we are given no inheritance here on earth and that our possession is Christ means that what the Lord possesses as He overcame is ours as we see physical inheritance passes away.

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

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Because the Lord overcame, He is sitting on a throne at the right hand of God. We too shall sit with Christ on thrones, which implies that we shall reign over the physical kingdoms of this world and also judge the whole world.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Verse 29 is telling us that our portion in this life is to eat what the Lord has freely given to us – the meat offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering and every dedicated thing in Israel. All of these offerings, including the dedicated thing in Israel, all refer to the truth of His words. It is indeed a privilege to be given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

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

Eze 44:30  And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. 
Eze 44:31 The priests shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast. 

We, His elect, are privileged to taste of the first fruits of all things. In other words, we are the first to be resurrected, the first to be given the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the first to overcome, the first to reign with Christ, the first to be saviors of the world, etc. The priest being given the first of the dough signifies the Lord’s elect being given to be the first to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. This is what will cause us to become a blessing to all humanity as shown in verse 30.

In verse 31, we are admonished not to eat anything that is dead of itself or torn, whether a fowl or beast. This is referring to false doctrines propagated by the evil one (fowls of the air) and by human wisdom and tradition (beast). We, His elect, are not to compromise with any false doctrine as it has the tendency to leaven the whole dough.

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

May the Lord in His mercy, uphold us with His power, to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Amen!!

[Study Aired February 27, 2023]

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. 
Exo 39:4  They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. 
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 
Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. 
Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 39:20  And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exo 39:25  And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:27  And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 
Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 
Exo 39:29  And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 
Exo 39:33  And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 
Exo 39:34  And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering, 
Exo 39:35  The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 
Exo 39:36  The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 
Exo 39:37  The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 
Exo 39:38  And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 
Exo 39:39  The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40  The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exo 39:41  The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office. 
Exo 39:42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. 
Exo 39:43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

This chapter captures the making of priestly garments. In the Bible, garments have both positive and negative connotations. On a positive note, priestly garments represent the righteousness of Christ. 

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The negative aspect of garments reflects the sinful deeds of the flesh during our walk in Babylon and the world.  That is why, in the scriptures, we are admonished to change our garments when we come to Christ as shown in the following:

Mar 10:50  And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Zec 3:5  And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

Gen 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

What we need to know is that without these priestly garments, which reflect our righteousness in Christ, we cannot enter into the presence of the Lord. In the parable of the prodigal son, when he came to himself and asked for forgiveness from his father, he received a new garment or robe.

Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Exo 39:1  And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The color red or scarlet symbolizes the first Adam being of the earth, while the color blue symbolizes the last Adam – Jesus Christ coming to be in our heavens. The colors purple and scarlet remind us of our sojourn in Babylon where our adamic nature became obvious while living under the law as shown in the following verses:

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!

What this means is that to change our old garments of flesh to put on Christ our righteousness, we must first recognize our spiritual poverty (purple and scarlet linen) while in Babylon before we are turned into blue linen, that is, Christ coming to us. All humanity must pass through the same process to put on the righteousness of Christ.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Exo 39:2  And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:3  And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

The ephod was a garment of great importance and was a type of apron. It was an object to be revered in ancient Israelite culture. The ephod of the high priest was very special because it had a chest of twelve jewels on its front, which represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The ephod is worn as a ceremonial dress by the High Priest. We know that the High Priest is our Lord Jesus Christ. From the scriptures, our Lord Jesus Christ’s garment that He wore represents Him. That is why when the woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus’ garment, Jesus said that someone has touched Him. 

Luk 8:43  And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 
Luk 8:44  Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 
Luk 8:45  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 

This means the spiritual significance of putting on the ephod garment is to put on Christ.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The question is, “What does it mean to put on Christ?” The verse above shows us that to put on Christ means not to focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. 

The ephod must be of fine linen and colored gold, blue, purple and scarlet. The color gold signifies the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. That is what will qualify us to put on Christ, the ephod. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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

The fact that the ephod must have blue, purple and scarlet is to make us aware that putting on the righteousness of Christ is a process. We start our walk being earthy or scarlet or of the flesh. Then we proceed to the color purple which is a mixture of blue and red. As shown earlier, the color blue represents Christ coming to us in our earthly or fleshy state to produce the color purple. This represents our life in Babylon where our righteousness is of the letter of the word or the law of Moses. Finally, if we are called and chosen, then Christ will come to us with His judgment to conform us to the righteousness of Christ, represented by blue.

Exo 39:4  They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 
Exo 39:5  And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

In order for the ephod to become complete, two shoulder pieces must be joined to its two edges.  As indicated earlier, the ephod represents Christ our Lord. The two shoulder pieces are the elect and the rest of humanity who are to be joined to Christ at different times to complete the work of Christ. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 
1Co 15:23  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 
1Co 15:24  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

The girdle of the ephod must also be gold, blue, purple and scarlet. It represents the truth of the word of the Lord. What this means is that to be given to know the mysteries of Christ, we must come to understand our spiritual poverty in Babylon (signified by the colors scarlet and purple) before Christ comes to us (represented by blue) to refine us (symbolized by the color gold) to learn righteousness.

Mal 3:1  Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 
Mal 3:2  But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 
Mal 3:3  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

Exo 39:6  And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
Exo 39:7  And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Two onyx stones are to be mounted in gold and fastened on the ephod’s shoulder pieces. These stones are to be engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel with six names on one and six on the other. These stones represent the elect as we are fastened to the Lord’s shoulders. This means that when He comes to us, He carries us on His shoulders. Being carried on the shoulder means that it is the Lord who does the work – we are only resting on His shoulders as He does the walking (leads us).

Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 
Luk 15:5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Exo 39:8  And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
Exo 39:9  It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

The breastplate was one of the sacred priestly garments to be worn by the High Priest. As a breastplate, its primary spiritual significance is that it stands for the righteousness of Christ. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

In Exodus 28:15, however, it is called the breastplate of judgment in connection with the attachment of the Urim and Thummim. The judgment here relates to knowing the mind of Christ concerning issues brought before the Lord. We can therefore see that it is only when we put on the righteousness of Christ we can know the mind of Christ. That is to say that it is when we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, that we are able to know the will of God in our lives.

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

The breastplate was to be made of fine twined linen of gold, blue, purple and scarlet. As indicated earlier, this refers to the process we must go through to put on the righteousness of Christ. What this means is that we must come to understand our spiritual poverty in Babylon (signified by the colors scarlet and purple) before Christ comes to us (represented by blue) to refine us (symbolized by the color gold) to learn righteousness.

The fact that the breastplate must be four squared in shape is to let us know that all humanity must obtain the standard of the righteousness of Christ, though each in his own order. This is also another way of saying that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man can come to God without Christ. 

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

Exo 39:10  And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 
Exo 39:11  And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 
Exo 39:12  And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 39:13  And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
Exo 39:14  And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

The precious stones represent the elect. The fact that the stones are of different types is to suggest that we all play different roles in the body of Christ. 

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 
Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 
Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Aaron was the first High Priest. Aaron represents Christ, who is our High Priest and bears the names of all the elect of every generation in His heart. This is another way of saying that as our High Priest, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses as He intercedes on our behalf. 

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Rom 8:34  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Exo 39:15  And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 
Exo 39:16  And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 
Exo 39:17  And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 39:18  And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 
Exo 39:19  And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 
Exo 39:20  And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 
Exo 39:21  And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.

The priests wore a long robe covering their whole body, then on top of this robe, there was a tunic, a kind of coat (breastplate) to the knees. On top of the tunic there was the ephod. These verses are to show us how the ephod is fastened to the breastplate (coat) through chains and rings made of pure gold. The importance of the chains and the rings is to ensure that the breastplate does not swing out from the ephod. As we have indicated, the whole of the priestly garments represents Christ. Since we are the body of Christ, we also represent the priestly garments. Just as the breastplate and the ephod must be fitly joined together, so is the body of Christ which must be fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies.

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

Fitly joined together implies that there are no divisions in Christ. Any sign of division means that we have failed. We are all of the same mind pursuing one goal in Christ, which is to please God, and this is achieved through what everyone offers in the house of God. 

1Co 1:12  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Exo 39:22  And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
Exo 39:23  And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 
Exo 39:24  And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
Exo 39:25  And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 
Exo 39:26  A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.

As we have indicated, the color blue represents the Lord Jesus in our heavens. The robe of the ephod represents righteousness. These verses therefore imply that our righteousness is of Christ and not by ourselves. 

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

The robe of the ephod must have an opening for the head in the middle of it. This opening should have a woven binding around it so that it does not tear. This woven binding is decorated with pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarns around the hem with bells of gold in-between them.

Spiritually, the opening for the head regarding the robe of the ephod is another way of saying that in order to put on the righteousness of Christ, we should make a way for the Lord. To make a way for the Lord is to repent from our sins. In other words, we must be aware of spiritual poverty if we are to repent from our sins. This is the message that John the Baptist preached throughout his ministry.

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

As stated in verse 23, the opening for the head and the binding of woven work are what prevent the robe of the ephod from tearing. As indicated, the woven work is the embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, inter-spaced with golden bells. Pomegranates symbolize the bearing of the fruit of the spirit when we start to possess our bodies or land.

Deu 8:7  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deu 8:8  A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

The embroidery work of pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet is to remind us that we start our walk in the Lord bearing fruits of the flesh (purple and scarlet) before we bear the fruit of the spirit or Christ.

The golden bells, which are part of the embroidery work, are inter-spaced between the pomegranates. As we indicated in the previous study, the robe is one of the sacred articles of clothing for the High Priest. It was worn under the ephod. The significance of the robe was the bells attached to it. Their sounding as a result of Aaron’s movement, is to alert those outside the Holy place that Aaron is alive and well. The symbol of the golden bells on the embroidery work is therefore to remind us of the holiness of the Lord. It is when we walk in holiness that we are alive in Christ. The bells therefore represent holiness. 

Zec 14:20  In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

Exo 39:27  And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,

Aaron and his sons represent the elect of every generation. All the Lord’s elect are priests before the Lord and are therefore required to serve or minister in the presence of the Lord.

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

Though many priests served in the Tabernacle, there was only one acting High Priest at any given time. The first High Priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. At his death, the office of High Priest was then transferred to his oldest son, down through the generations. As we are aware, we are the firstborn sons and therefore are entitled to wear these priestly garments as transferred to us by the Lord Jesus Christ who is our High Priest.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Exo 39:28  And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 
Exo 39:29  And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exo 39:30  And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 
Exo 39:31  And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Now we come to the mitre which is the turban that covers the head of Aaron, the high priest. The mitre or the turban represents the helmet of salvation. Remember that all parts of the priestly garments are to be made of fine linen as linen which does not cause sweat. This means that putting on the righteousness of Christ is not the work of man. Everything is of Christ.

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

Eze 44:17  And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.
Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

In verse 30, the mitre bears the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” and was to be put on the forehead of Aaron, the high priest. This is to remind us that we were marked by the Lord to walk in holiness before the world began.

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

The fact that the inscription was made of gold is to show us the need to be refined just like gold refined in the fire to attain holiness. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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

In verse 31, the inscription was to be put on a blue lace. The color blue signifies the Lord Jesus in our heavens. It is when the Lord comes to our heavens that we can attain holiness and be designated as “Holiness to the Lord”.

Exo 39:32  Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 
Exo 39:33  And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 
Exo 39:34  And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering, 
Exo 39:35  The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 
Exo 39:36  The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 
Exo 39:37  The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 
Exo 39:38  And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 
Exo 39:39  The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
Exo 39:40  The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
Exo 39:41  The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.

These verses are to demonstrate the work carried out in building a tabernacle for the Lord to dwell. This is New Jerusalem where the Lord dwells with His people. Our temple will be completed in the fullness of time when we see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

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

Exo 39:42  According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
Exo 39:43  And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. 

These verses remind us that we should build according to the pattern, which is Christ. 

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Moses here signifies the elect. As Moses was faithful in executing all that the Lord required, we are required to be faithful in building the temple of the Lord.

Heb 3:4  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 
Heb 3:5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

May the Lord grant us the grace to be faithful to building according to the pattern of Christ. Amen!!

Exo 26:19-37  Instructions About the Construction of the Tabernacle, Part 2

[Study Aired October 31, 2022]

Exo 26:19  And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 
Exo 26:20  And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: 
Exo 26:21  And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 
Exo 26:22  And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 
Exo 26:23  And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 
Exo 26:24  And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 
Exo 26:25  And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 
Exo 26:26  And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 
Exo 26:27  And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. 
Exo 26:28  And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 
Exo 26:29  And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.
Exo 26:30  And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 
Exo 26:31  And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 
Exo 26:32  And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 
Exo 26:33  And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 
Exo 26:34  And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
Exo 26:35  And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
Exo 26:36  And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 
Exo 26:37  And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them. 

This second part of Exodus chapter 26 continues with instructions given to Moses regarding the building of the tabernacle. Today’s study continues with the instructions about the boards to be used for the construction and other items such as bars, the four pillars and the veil. The tabernacle was constructed with boards made of acacia wood. Apart from the fact that acacia wood grows wild in the desert, it is considered incorruptible. It is very dense and resistant both to disease and insects, just like cedar. Each of the boards is required to stand upright, not lying down and must have two tenons. A tenon is an end of a piece of wood that is cut into a special shape to fit into a hole on another piece of wood to make a strong joint. Twenty boards were to be fixed in the southern part of the tabernacle. The Boards of shittim wood represent the elect whom the Lord is using to build His temple. The fact that the boards must stand upright is to remind us of standing in the presence of the Lord.

Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 

We are the two candlesticks and the two olive trees that are standing before the presence of the Lord, just as the boards are standing before the Lord. Each of the boards must have two tenons for support. As indicated, a tenon must be shaped to fit into another wood to make a strong joint. As boards, we are being shaped to fit the standard of Christ. This is being done through the judgment of our old man in this life. The result of the judgment process we are going through is to form a strong joint with Christ for the building of His temple.

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

In Exodus 26:18, twenty boards were to be used for the southern side of the tabernacle. The number twenty, on a positive note, refers to those who are mature enough to wage war. This means that the twenty boards on the southern side signify the fact that those whom the Lord is using to build His temple are those who are mature enough to wage war with the flesh to overcome it.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:24  Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Today’s study focuses mainly on the sockets of the board which give firm stability to the upright boards.

Exo 26:19  And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
Exo 26:20  And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: 
Exo 26:21  And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 
Exo 26:22  And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 

As indicated, each of the boards must be supported by two tenons. A tenon must be shaped to fit into another wood which in this case is the socket to hold the boards firm. Since there were twenty boards for the southern side, there must be forty sockets which were made of silver. The northern side also had twenty boards which were also supported by forty sockets of silver. The forty sockets on each side of the tabernacle – the south and the north sides show us that trials (the significance of the number forty) form an integral part of becoming part of the temple that the Lord is building. 

Psa 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 
Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

On the west side, there were sixteen sockets supporting eight boards. Thus, in total, there were 100 sockets for the boards. Apart from supporting the boards, it is the sockets on which stood the pillars that support the veil.  These sockets therefore represent the foundation of the tabernacle. What this means is that the hundred sockets of silver symbolize the atonement and the redemptive work of Christ on our behalf. The strength of the whole structure depended on this foundation which rested on the silver of atonement. Fellowship with God can only be based on redemption.

1Ki 20:39  And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

Jesus Christ therefore has laid the foundation for our temple to be built. 

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
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.

Silver also signifies the doctrine of Christ as shown in the following verse:

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, 

Joe 3:5  Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: 

As we are aware, Christ is the word of God. This means that the materials we need for the foundation of the Lord’s temple within us is Christ’s work of atonement and redemption, and His words. 

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

Exo 26:23  And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
Exo 26:24  And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 
Exo 26:25  And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

At the two corners at the rear, the setup was different. Two boards were made for each corner, thus a total of four boards. The corner boards, however, were to be coupled together by a ring at the top and at the bottom. The two corner boards, plus six boards, totaling eight boards were to be at the west end. The Bible does not describe in detail how the corner boards were made. The joining of the boards at the corner provided the needed stability to the rear of the tabernacle. It is through our coming together as one that we become witnesses of Christ (the meaning of the number two) and therefore become established in Christ. What brings us together is the spirit of the Lord, which in this case refers to the ring at the top and the bottom used to couple the corner boards together.

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

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

The coupling of the two boards at each corner results in eight boards being at the rear of the tabernacle. As we are aware, the number eight signifies a new beginning. In the process of becoming a habitation of the Lord, we are turned into new creatures before God – the old things are gone!!

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.

Exo 26:26  And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 
Exo 26:27  And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. 
Exo 26:28  And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 
Exo 26:29  And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

Along with the boards and the sockets, the LORD commanded that bars be made. They were needed to reinforce the frame of the tabernacle walls. The Israelites were to make bars of acacia wood. The bars mentioned here, were probably crossbars that supported the sides of the tabernacle. As we have indicated in previous studies, the bars being made of acacia, which were found growing wild in the Sinai desert and the Jordan River valley, means that they were not planted and taken care of by man. In other words, it is not the work of man. If we are to become a habitation for the Lord, then we need to know that from the beginning to our maturity it is all the work of God – not man. Even our sins are all part of the work of God. All we do to become like Christ is to believe in Him.

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

There were to be fifteen bars in all. Ten bars were to be used for the boards on each side; five on the north side and five on the south side. Another five bars were to be used on the back (west) side of the tabernacle. The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end. This might mean that the middle bar was longer than the rest. It apparently passed through a hole drilled in the boards, whereas the other bars passed through rings.  

Overlaying the bars with gold means that to become like Christ, we must be refined just like gold refined in the fire. This is the judgment of our old man which brings us to learn righteousness. That is what will qualify us to be crowned with gold just as our Lord Jesus Christ overcame and is wearing a crown of gold. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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

Exo 26:30  And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 

In the process of becoming a habitation for the Lord to dwell, we are to fashion our lives according to the pattern the Lord Jesus has shown us with His life here on earth. 

1Jn 4:17  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Let’s look at the few examples of how the Lord was made a habitation in which God can dwell. Our Lord Jesus Christ learned obedience by the things He suffered. We are also to learn obedience through the judgment of our old man.

Heb 5:7  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 
Heb 5:8  Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 
Heb 5:10  being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 

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

Jesus Christ was motivated by the reward ahead of Him. Therefore, He despised the shame He was to go through in this life and rather focused on the reward He was to receive.

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.

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

We are also to focus on the reward. If we are not excited about what lies ahead of us in terms of our glorification, then we have lost the driving force which will bring us to our expected end. This is what Paul has to say about this:

Php 3:15  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (ESV)

Our Lord laid down His life for His sheep – the church. We must also lay down our lives for His church. We do this through what every joint supplies. What we need to note is that this supply is possible only through the assembling together of the saints. 

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 

Php 2:19  But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state (the state of the church).
Php 2:20  For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state [the church].
Php 2:21  For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

Jesus pressed on toward the mark of His higher calling by God. Without dying on the cross, Jesus did not consider Himself as having already attained even though He had not sinned while in this life. We are also to follow His example, just as Paul did, if we are to become the dwelling place of God. 

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 
Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Exo 26:31  And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 

The word “vail” in the Hebrew language means “to separate.” The veil was at the gate of the entrance into the tabernacle just before the bronze altar. We are the veil. What this means is that it is through us that all the people of the world, including Babylon, will have access to the Lord. 

Rom 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 
Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The veil acted as a barrier between the Lord and the world. The fact that Cherubims must be woven on the veil was to remind us that just as the Cherubims served as a barrier to Adam and Eve from accessing the tree of life, which is Christ, as the veil, we are playing the same role as the Cherubims in preserving the things of God from the world in this age. 

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

The veil must be of fine linen and colored blue, purple and scarlet. The color red or scarlet, symbolizes the first Adam being of the earth, while the color blue symbolizes the last Adam – Jesus Christ coming to be in our heavens. The colors purple and scarlet reminds us of our sojourn in Babylon where our adamic nature became obvious while living under the law as shown in the following verses:

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!

What this means is that the process of becoming a veil, through whom salvation will come to the world, starts with us recognizing our spiritual poverty (purple and scarlet linen) while in Babylon before we are turned into blue linen, that is, Christ coming to us. All humanity must pass through the same process to become a habitation for the Lord to dwell.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Exo 26:32  And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

The four pillars upon which the veil must be hung represent the whole of the elect in every generation. The fact that the pillars were made of shittim wood and were overlaid with gold means that to become the dwelling place of God is the Lord’s work as He takes us through fiery trials to learn righteousness.

Gal 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Exo 26:33  And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Exo 26:34  And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

There were three veils within the tabernacle. The first one is at the entrance to the tabernacle. The second one is hung at the door to the Holy place and therefore separates the outer courts from the Holy place. The third veil divided the inside of the tabernacle into two rooms: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. It is in the Holy of Holies that we have the ark of testimony which represents the Lord. As we have indicated, the veil (curtain) represents the elect. It is through us that the whole of humanity can come to the presence of the Lord.

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

Exo 26:35  And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
Exo 26:36  And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 
Exo 26:37  And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them. 

At the Holy Place, there was the table with the shewbread and the candlestick placed at the north and south sides respectively. We have already talked about the color of the hanging being blue, purple and scarlet. What is insightful here in these verses is that there must be five pillars of shittim wood, overlaid with gold for the hanging of the veil at the entrance to the tent. As indicated, the pillars represent the elect. The number five signifies that to enter into the presence of the Lord is by faith through grace.  What is insightful about verse 37 is that the five sockets for the pillars were made of brass. All the other sockets were made of silver signifying the redemptive work of Christ. However, it is through the brass sockets that we get access to the tabernacle. These brass sockets represent the elect. It should be noted that when the Lord appeared to Apostle John to unveil Himself to him, His feet were like fine brass. This is to show us that Christ does everything through His saints who are still in bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 

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

May the Lord continue to prepare us to be counted worthy recipients of the glory to be revealed. Amen!!!

Psa 104:1  Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 
Psa 104:2  Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 
Psa 104:3  Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 
Psa 104:4  Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 
Psa 104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

In this Psalm 104 we are looking at in this study, we are encouraged through God’s promises that He can, as the author and finisher of our faith, help us through the much tribulation promised in this life, as we come to learn of His strength which is so great that we can proclaim “I will be glad in the LORD” whether we are on top of the mountain or in the depth of the valley. Our prayer and hope for each other is that we can continue to be blessed to have eyes that see God’s word and hear those promises that are exceedingly great and precious “that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”.

Psa 104:34  My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Psa 104:35  Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! [consuming the sinners out of our earth and letting the wicked be no more Joh 8:36]
Psa 107:32  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Psa 107:33  He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

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

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

We hope to look at what it will take for us to be glad in the LORD, learning by how God ministers to us, with a goal of teaching us to learn to be content and rejoice always for the workmanship of our Father that we are (Eph 2:10). That workmanship is pronounced very clearly throughout the scriptures including this Psalm 104, and revealed to God’s elect that we are blessed recipients having our names written in heaven, where a relationship is being forged through fiery trials (Luk 10:20, Eph 2:6, 1Pe 4:12). We can trust our sovereign Creator in this age and resist sin even unto the shedding of blood through Christ who strengthens us because our names are written in heaven (Heb 12:4, Php 4:13, 2Ti 2:10). And in order for that trust to be formed within the body of Christ, He must destroy Israel of old, the fig tree spoken of in Matthew 21:19 and Micah 4:3-4 and graft us into the new life of Christ Who is the true vine through whom we can bear much fruit (Joh 15:4-5).

The physical language in this Psalm describes how God will bring the spiritual living waters to us, which we must receive if we are going to be matured and settled in the LORD “in newness of life”. He is the one who raises the storm (Psa 107:25) and gives us the struggles which we all must endure throughout this life to see “the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more” of Psalm 104:35, just as the type of baptism that happened during Noah’s day (1Co 10:2-13, Rom 6:3-4). This thought is echoed in Paul’s words which remind us that we serve a very great God whose “grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness”. A critical mindset of being content or glad in the Lord is something God is forming in His children and is the reason why we can finally say that whether we have a little or a lot, we can learn to be content in the LORD and say “I will be glad in the LORD”. It is that gladness, that contentment which God forms, that allows us to accept our lot in life, even as we esteem others better than ourselves (Php 2:3) and come to truly grasp and hold in our hearts these verses in Romans that remind us how God will humble all flesh and show this same mercy He is showing to us today toward all the rest of His creation in time (Rom 11:19-21, Rom 11:32).

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Php 4:10  But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Php 4:12  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me [the body of Christ, each joint that supplies through our hope of glory Eph 4:16, Col 1:27].

Php 4:14  Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (ESV)
1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
1Ti 6:14  That thou keep this commandment without spot^G784, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: [this command being given to us is expressed also in Jam 1:27 and is speaking of the same point, that we remain unspotted from the world, loving not the world or the things that are in the world (1Jn 2:15)].

G784   aspilos   as’-pee-los

From G1 (as a negative particle) and G4695; unblemished (physically or morally): – without spot, unspotted.

unspotted, 1 G784

Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows [types and shadows of the elect] in their affliction[being crushed by Christ (Mat 21:44)], and to keep himself unspotted^G784 from the world.

Luk 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith [He that shewed mercy on him].

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

We will be glad and rejoice in the LORD when we are convinced of the certainty of His love and faithfulness to start and finish what He has begun in the body of Christ (Php 1:6, Heb 12:2, Rom 8:38-39). Getting to the point of being convinced that Christ will never leave or forsake us (Deu 31:6, Heb 13:5) was meant to be a struggle which God would use to bind us and bring each of us to see the necessity for what each joint supplies (Eph 4:16) along the narrow way (Mat 7:14) as we’re led unto the ultimate reward of entering into His joy (Mat 25:21).

This Psalm is filled with hope-filled promises that explain God’s might and power through the physical creation that is a shadow of how “very great” God is and how fearfully and wonderfully made we are as a kind of His first fruits of His creation who are promised to be well watered by our great Husbandman.

Psa 139:14  I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
Psa 139:15  My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.
Psa 139:17  How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! (ASV)

Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jer 1:6  Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Jer 1:7  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Jer 1:8  Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Jer 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

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

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

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

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

We “bless the LORD” and hope with grateful hearts for where we are in life (1Co 7:20, 1Ti 6:6). And that grateful heart is the “O my soul” not looking at what you don’t have or being concerned about the abundance which others have, but grateful for what He has given you, that is the perfect place to “bless the LORD” whether you have a little or a lot: bless him and offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto our Father.

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.

Luk 21:3  And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

“O LORD my God, thou are very great;” and yet God shows us through Christ how we don’t understand in our flesh what true greatness is to God, not until we are clothed “with honour and majesty”. It is Christ’s majesty with which our Father is clothing us, with His mind and new heart that judges righteous judgment and sees the sacrifice of Christ in others as Christ did with the widow at the temple who “cast in more than they all”.

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Isa 61:11  For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.[through the new vine and fig tree Jesus Christ our hope of glory within (Col 1:27)]

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

When we are judged of God, and abased through that judgment, we come to see how blind we truly are in our flesh and how we constantly need Christ to give us the power to bring all our thoughts into subjection unto Him, clothing us with His honour and His majesty. As God’s elect, we are searching out the matter of how to be clothed with His majesty and honour in this life.

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

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; [clothing ourselves with his honour and majesty]

Pro 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
Pro 25:3  The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Pro 25:4  Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
Pro 25:5  Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

Pro 8:18  Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
Pro 8:19  My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
Pro 8:20  I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

Pro 3:16  Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

So what is it that precedes our being robed as Christ is robed, because as He is so are we in this life? What precedes our being robed is the judgment which must come upon our first man Adam who is at first blind to the blindness he possesses and not able to see that it is when we say we are rich and increased with goods that we are in our most impoverished state.

Psa 93:1  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
Psa 93:2  Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

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.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Getting back to our question…so what is it that precedes our being robed as Christ is robed;

Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luk 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

Psa 104:2  Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 
Psa 104:3  Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 
Psa 104:4  Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 

These verses tell us what God does with the clothes that Christ is clothed with, initially described in the first verse as “thou art clothed with honour and majesty“. Knowing God and Jesus Christ is eternal life (Joh 17:3). However, we only know him when we wear his clothes and eat his food, or said another way, when we are clothed with His righteousness and fed with His word and continue in those things which we learn, then we are disciples indeed who are clothed with “honour and majesty”,  “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment”, “who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain”, “Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters”, “who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind”, “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire”. All these descriptive verses from (Psalms 104:2-4 are explaining in various ways the same point being said of Christ and His body in the first verse “thou art clothed with honour and majesty“.

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

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

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.

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.

Benjamin, as a type of the elect, is given “three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment” to remind us that God’s elect are the first to be saved through a grace and faith process of judgment upon our first man Adam which is symbolized by three hundred pieces of silver [process of judgment which leads to repentance] and five changes of raiment [grace that chastens and helps us put off the old self-righteous garments] so that we can be clothed with the fine linen of Christ which is the righteousness of the saint that is granted to us.

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.
Gen 45:23  And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

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

The types and shadows in the old covenant which speak about Christ, also represent the elect and were written for our edification and instruction in righteousness as types and shadows of what God will do through Christ, who is purifying the bride, washing her garments in His blood, sanctifying us with His word (1Co 10:11, 2Ti 3:16, Eph 3:10).  That sanctification process, which Christ is working in the body, both to will and to do (Php 2:13), is being expressed in these terms “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain” to help us remember that it is Christ who is our hope of glory within, giving us the ability to fill up what is behind of His afflictions, receiving increase that is likened unto “garment” and “curtain” and “the beams of his chambers in the waters”, or “the wings of the wind” which is a shadow of the Cherubim who represent the elect of God  (Col 1:27, Col 1:24, 1Co 3:6).

Exo 36:35  And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work. [fearfully and wonderfully made]

God’s increase is described as “Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters [building the temple of God within us]: who maketh the clouds his chariot [the elect are the cloud of witness and God’s chariot]: who walketh upon the wings of the wind [the cherubim or elect of God]” as well as “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire [this verse just confirming all along that God is talking about His children].” These are all works of the Lord unfolding in His people, and were all predestined to happen, being written from the foundation of the world so that “he might fill all things”.

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

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

Psa 104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

The foundations of the earth, as we just read, are the works which God is establishing within the church, will “not be removed for ever” because God has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against this predestined foundation of good works which He is forming.

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

That foundation is Christ, of course, and His body, which is the temple of God that we are. It is a sure foundation because it is Christ who is building it, and He is the author and finisher of it, to the glory of God.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

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:

Next week, Lord willing, we look again more closely at how God is fashioning the bride of Christ and making her ready so that we can say “I will be glad in the LORD”.

Here are the verses we plan to examine:

Psa 104:6  Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
Psa 104:7  At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.Linen
Psa 104:8  They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
Psa 104:9  Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
Psa 104:10  He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
Psa 104:11  They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
Psa 104:12  By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

Isa 3:23-26 Burning Instead of Beauty

Isa 3:23  The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.
Isa 3:24  And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
Isa 3:25  Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
Isa 3:26  And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground

God has seen fit to let us in on all the wonderful works He is doing to the children of men, and we want to be careful to “sacrifice [to Him] the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.”

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

It is God’s “wonderful works [which bring us] to [our] wits’ end” and bring us to repentance before God sees fit to bring us “to our desired haven”.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Here is how God shows us “the richness of His goodness”:

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

The next wonderful work He is doing to us is that He is taking away from the kingdom of the beast within us:

Isa 3:23  The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

We will begin by looking at:

The glasses

The Hebrew word translated ‘the glasses’ is:

H1549
גִּלְיוֹן    גִּלָּיוֹן
gillâyôn    gilyôn
ghil-law-yone’, ghil-yone’
From H1540; a tablet for writing (as bare); by analogy a mirror (as a plate): – glass, roll.
Total KJV occurrences: 2

This word appears only twice, but has a root word which will help us to understand more fully what is being told us by the holy spirit. But first let’s read the only other place in the Old Testament where this word ‘gillayon‘ appears:

H1549
גּליון  /  גּלּיון
gillâyôn/gilyôn
Total KJV Occurrences: 2
glasses, 1
Isa_3:23
roll, 1
Isa_8:1

It is translated as ‘roll’ in Isaiah chapter 8:1 which also mentions ‘the pen of a man’.

Isa 8:1  Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll [H1549: gillayon], and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

So this thing which must be taken from us, this ‘gillayon’, is a ‘roll’ that is written upon by a man’s pen. In other words, it is a scroll which has something written on it. The reason why it must be taken from us it that we actually think we are capable of writing our own book, our own script, and that we are completely capable of determining our own fate.

This is what we all think of our own capabilities:

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:
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Many of us will no doubt say ‘I have never had any such thoughts’, but from God’s perspective we all are guilty of worshipping the dragon and the beast which we are every time we succumb to the pulls of our flesh and commit a sin against Him.

From God’s perspective this is what we all just naturally do:

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

Just believing in the false doctrine of man having ‘free will’ is itself blasphemous against God who is at this very moment ruling in the kingdoms of men (Dan 4:17), whether we realize it or not. God doesn’t need us to believe in Him for Him to have His great power. It is only through Him empowering us to do so that we are given the ability to act the fool and say ‘There is no God’. In doing so we corrupt ourselves attempting to make ourselves our own ‘god’:

Psa 14:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The word ‘glasses’ does not convey the definition of “a tablet for writing”. It is obvious that ‘a tablet for writing’ would be better translated as a “roll” for “writ[ing] with a man’s pen”, as it is better translated in Isaiah 8:1.

The root of this Hebrew word ‘gillayon‘ is:

H1540
גָּלָה
gâlâh
gaw-law’
A primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively to reveal: –  + advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, X plainly, publish, remove, reveal, X shamelessly, shew, X surely, tell, uncover.
Total KJV occurrences: 18

This word appears 188 times. Here is the King James Concordance breakdown of the various KJV translations of this word:

H1540
גּלה
gâlâh
Total KJV Occurrences: 188
carried, 34
2Ki_15:29, 2Ki_16:9, 2Ki_17:6, 2Ki_17:11, 2Ki_17:23, 2Ki_17:28, 2Ki_17:33, 2Ki_24:14-15 (2), 2Ki_25:21, 1Ch_5:6, 1Ch_5:26, 1Ch_6:15, 1Ch_9:1, Ezr_2:1 (2), Est_2:6 (4), Jer_13:19 (2), Jer_29:1 (2), Jer_29:4, Jer_29:7, Jer_29:14, Jer_39:9, Jer_40:1, Jer_40:7, Jer_52:15, Jer_52:27-28 (2), Amo_1:6
captive, 24
2Ki_15:29, 2Ki_16:9, 1Ch_5:6, Jer_1:3, Jer_13:19 (2), Jer_20:4, Jer_22:12, Jer_24:1, Jer_27:20, Jer_29:14, Jer_39:9, Jer_40:1, Jer_40:7, Jer_52:15, Jer_52:27-30 (4), Amo_6:6-7 (3), Amo_7:11, Nah_2:7
uncover, 22
Lev_18:6-19 (17), Lev_20:18-19 (2), Rth_3:4, Isa_47:2 (2)
discovered, 18
Exo_20:26, 1Sa_14:11, 2Sa_22:16, Psa_18:15, Isa_57:8 (2), Jer_13:22, Eze_13:14 (2), Eze_16:36, Eze_16:57, Eze_21:24, Eze_23:10 (2), Eze_23:18 (2), Eze_23:29, Hos_7:1
away, 17
2Ki_17:6, 2Ki_17:11, 2Ki_17:23, 2Ki_17:28, 2Ki_17:33, 2Ki_18:11, 2Ki_24:14-15 (2), 2Ki_25:11, 2Ki_25:21, 1Ch_5:6, 1Ch_5:26, 1Ch_6:15, 1Ch_9:1, 2Ch_36:20, Ezr_2:1, Nah_2:7
revealed, 11
Deu_29:29, 1Sa_3:7, 1Sa_3:21, 2Sa_7:27, Isa_22:14, Isa_23:1, Isa_40:5, Isa_56:1 (2), Jer_11:20, Dan_10:1
discover, 10
Deu_22:30, 1Sa_14:8, Job_41:13, Pro_18:2, Pro_25:9, Lam_4:22, Eze_16:37, Hos_2:10, Mic_1:6, Nah_3:5
uncovered, 10
Gen_9:21, Lev_20:11, Lev_20:17-18 (2), Lev_20:20-21 (2), Rth_3:7, 2Sa_6:20, Isa_47:3, Jer_49:10
captivity, 9
Isa_5:13, Lam_1:3, Eze_39:22-23 (2), Amo_5:5 (2), Amo_5:27, Amo_7:17, Mic_1:16
open, 6
Num_24:4, Num_24:16, Psa_119:18, Pro_27:5, Jer_32:11, Jer_32:14
carry, 5
2Ki_25:11 (2), Jer_20:4, Jer_43:3, Lam_4:22
show, 5
1Sa_20:2, 1Sa_20:12-13 (2), 1Sa_22:17, Isa_49:9
captives, 3
2Ki_24:14, Jer_29:7, Jer_43:3
departed, 3
1Sa_4:21-22 (2), Hos_10:5
opened, 3
Num_22:31, Job_38:17, Jer_20:12
openeth, 3
Job_33:16, Job_36:10, Job_36:15
removed, 3
2Ki_17:26, 1Ch_8:6-7 (2)
revealeth, 3
Pro_11:13, Pro_20:19, Amo_3:7
published, 2
Est_3:14, Est_8:13
remove, 2
Eze_12:3 (2)
reveal, 2
Job_20:27, Jer_33:6
showed, 2
Psa_98:2, Pro_26:26
showeth, 2
1Sa_22:8 (2)
told, 2
1Sa_9:15, 1Ch_17:25
uncovereth, 2
Deu_27:20, 2Sa_6:20
advertise, 1
Rth_4:4
appear, 1
1Sa_2:27
appeared, 1
Gen_35:7
appeareth, 1
Pro_27:25
bewray, 1
Isa_16:3
brought, 1
2Ki_17:27
carrying, 1
Jer_1:3
depart, 1
Job_20:28
disclose, 1
Isa_26:21
discovereth, 1
Job_12:21-22 (2)
exile, 1
2Sa_15:19
gone, 1
Isa_24:11
plainly, 1
1Sa_2:27
shamelessly, 1
2Sa_6:20

When we examine all of these entries we see that ‘galah‘, the root for the word ‘gillayon‘, conveys the thought of carrying away for a good reason like becoming a priest, or being carried away as a captive in shame. It is also translated as an uncovering or revealing. This too, can be a revealing of or uncovering of the Truth, or it can be uncovering one’s nakedness.

2Ki 15:29  In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive [H1540, galah] to Assyria.

As that which must be taken from us this word ‘gillayon‘ takes away from us the ability to persecute the Lord’s people, as King Saul persecuted David, and as Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Lord and His Christ. Those who persecute us truly believe they are exposing us in a way that will shame us before this world. In doing so they are, in reality, taking pride in their own shame.

Est 7:10  So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

The next thing Christ wants us to know that He is taking away from us is:

The fine linen

Once again the Hebrew word for “fine linen” really does not mean ‘fine linen’ at all.

Here is this Hebrew word:

H5466
סָדִין
sâdı̂yn
saw-deen’
From an unused root meaning to envelop; a wrapper, that is, shirt: – fine linen, sheet.
Total KJV occurrences: 4

Here are the four entries for this Hebrew word ‘sadiyn‘.

H5466
סדין
sâdı̂yn
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
linen, 2
Pro_31:24, Isa_3:23
sheets, 2
Jdg_14:12-13 (2)

Twice ‘sadiyn‘ is translated as ‘linen’, one of those two being here in Isa 3:23, and the other being:

Pro 31:24  She maketh fine linen [H5466: sadiyn], and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

The other two times this word appears it simply cannot be translated as ‘linen’:

Jdg 14:12  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets [H5466: sadiyn] and thirty change of garments:
Jdg 14:13  But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets [H5466: sadiyn] and thirty changes of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

It is obvious the Lord is not telling us that He is taking ‘linen’ from us, because this is not the Hebrew word used and translated as ‘linen’ when describing the priests’ clothing. This is an entirely different word. The priests were commanded to wear linen clothes which would not cause them to sweat.

Here is that Hebrew word which is correctly translated as ‘linen’:

Eze 44:18  They shall have linen [H6593: pishteh] bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen [H6593: pishteh] breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

This Hebrew word ‘pishteh‘ appears 16 times in the Old Testament, and it is consistently translated as ‘linen’ and ‘flax’. It is never called ‘sadiyn‘. Therefore ‘sadiyn‘ is better translated as ‘sheets’ instead of ‘fine linen’. ‘Sadiyn‘ is to be understood as a part of our garments which covers our nakedness, inasmuch as the ‘sheets’ are not even mentioned when telling us how Samson went about paying off his debt to his Philistine guests:

Jdg 14:19  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

God is taking away our filthy garments, exposing the shame of our filthy garments and replacing them with garments of “fine linen… pure and white”. Remember what we read about Joshua the high priest in the days of Zechariah:

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

All we are reading about which the Lord is taking from us here in Isaiah 3, whether it is jewels or clothing, both typify our own false doctrines. That is the meaning behind the “tak[ing] away [of] the filthy garments from [us]”.

Notice how the “clothing, the… garments” of the saints are described:

Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

What is the spiritual meaning of being ‘clothed in pure and white linen’?

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

The next thing to be taken from the kingdom of our rebellious, adulterous, sinful old man is:

The hoods,

The Hebrew word for ‘the hoods’ is:

H6797
צָנִיפָה    צָנוֹף    צָנִיףo
tsânı̂yph    tsânôph    tsânı̂yphâh
tsaw-neef’, tsaw-nofe’, tsaw-nee-faw’
From H6801; a head dress (that is, piece of cloth wrapped around): – diadem, hood, mitre.
Total KJV occurrences: 5

This word ‘tsânı̂yph’ appears in the Old Testament 5 times:

H6797
צניפה  /  צנוף  /  צניף
tsânı̂yph  /  tsânôph  /  tsânı̂yphâh
Total KJV Occurrences: 5
diadem, 2
Job_29:13-14 (2), Isa_62:3
mitre, 2
Zec_3:5 (2)
hoods, 1
Isa 3:23

Twice it is translated as ‘diadem’:

Job 29:13  The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem [H6797: tsaniyph].
Job 29:15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

Job’s self-righteousness “was as a robe and a diadem” for which God told Job:

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken [Job 29]; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

What God is telling us is that this is what we do, and that self-righteous ‘diadem’ will be taken away from us and destroyed before a new man with a broken and contrite heart will begin to be birthed out of that destruction.

The next verse where this word is translated as ‘diadem’ is:

Isa 62:3  Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

Now we know what this ‘hood’, this ‘tsânı̂yph‘, is. Now we know what it is which must be taken from our rebellious, adulterous, sinful old man. It is his crown. He must be dethroned and taken and destroyed, and his crown must be given to the new man, Christ in 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.

Rev 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats [Greek: thronos – thrones] : and upon the seats [thrones] I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

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

The two times this word ‘tsaniyph‘ is translated as ‘mitre’ takes us back to Zechariah 3:

Zec 3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
Zec 3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Zec 3:5  And I said, Let them set a fair mitre [H6796: tsaniyph – a crown] upon his head. So they set a fair mitre [H6796: tsaniyph – a crown] upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

Joshua was the high priest in Zechariah’s day, and the high priest typified Christ and His Christ, who will all be both “kings and priests” as we just saw in Revelation 4 and 5. It is we, as the Christ of our Lord, who will be given a crown, a fair mitre, a diadem, only after the ‘hood’, the ‘tsaniyph‘, the crown is taken from our old man within us.

The last thing to be taken from us in this study is:

The veils

“The veils” are the English words translated from the Hebrew word:

H7289
רָדִיד
râdı̂yd
raw-deed’
From H7286 in the sense of spreading; a veil (as expanded): – vail, veil.
Total KJV occurrences: 2

No doubt ‘raw-deed‘ is exactly how our old man feels about his whole experience!

The only other entry for this Hebrew word in the Old Testament is:

H7289
רדיד
râdı̂yd
Total KJV Occurrences: 2
veil, 1
Son_5:7
veils, 1
Isa_3:23

Son 5:6  I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
Son 5:7  The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil [radiyd] from me.

In the scriptures the two women who wear veils are both wives and harlots. When Rebekah first saw Isaac she got off her camel and put on her veil:

Gen 24:64  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
Gen 24:65  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

But many years later, Isaac’s grandson Judah lied to his daughter-in-law, promising her to give her his only son as a husband, and when his daughter-in-law, Tamar, realized that Judah did not intend to give her his son Shelah as a husband, she made herself appear as a harlot by covering herself with a vail:

Gen 38:14  And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
Gen 38:15  When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

So the veils which must be taken from us are the veils of a harlot, and we must be made to become the bride of Christ.

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Everything is being taken from our adulterous old man and given to the faithful, virtuous bride of Christ which is who we are spiritually:

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But Christ’s ‘chaste virgin… bride’ is also called “the new man”:

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.

This is who this new man is, as he is described in the next chapter of Ephesians:

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

The new man is the bride of Christ. As Paul tells us:

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

And the revelation of Jesus Christ tells us the same thing:

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The veils of a harlot will be taken from us, and we will, in God’s own time, become the “bride [of Christ] adorned for her husband”.

Our last three verses are the fruit of having all of these things taken from us while in the rebellious, adulterous, sinful kingdom of our old man:

Isa 3:24  And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

Here is this same event as it is revealed to us in greater detail in the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

This is “burning instead of beauty”:

Rev 18:1  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 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 18:14  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.
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 18:24  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

How similar is all that is said in those verses to our last two verses in today’s study of the things that must be taken from us:

Isa 3:25  Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
Isa 3:26  And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

“Her gates shall lament and mourn” because we are first the daughters of this harlot, and all of this is who we are when the seven vials of the seven angels are poured out upon us.

Remember:

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

It is in the very next chapter we are told that the pouring out of the seven vials is the judgment of Babylon within us spiritually, and the physical destruction of the religions of this world outwardly.

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.

Revelation 16:19 lets us know that Revelation 17 and 18 are the same event which is described in Revelation 16 . “The dream [vision] is one… and for that the dream [is] doubled unto [us] twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

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

Gen 41:32  And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

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

Notice the similarity between Isaiah 3 and Revelation 18:

Isa 3:18  In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

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. 

Isaiah 3:26 and 1Co 3:15 are telling us one and the same thing. These two verses are another example of “the dream is one”:

Isa 3:26  And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground [“yet [she her]self “shall be saved; yet so as by fire”].

1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss [He shall suffer “burning instead of beauty” Isa 3:24]: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

God obviously wants us to know what are “all the things… the Lord will take away [and will be] no more at all”. He has hidden from the masses what are these things which He is taking away from us, but “blessed are your eyes for [you] see, and your ears for [you] hear… [these] mysteries of the kingdom of God”.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

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

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 102

“A work with no sweat”

July 27, 2016

Life can be amazing at times. If we were all able to pay close attention to everything around us 100% of the time, life would be amazing 100% of the time. However, it is only when we are caused by God to pay attention that we do.

In our study today, we are going to finish chapter 28 of Exodus and see the purpose behind the Lord clothing the priests of His tabernacle. When we understand how and why we are clothed, then we will find that we are ready to serve the Lord in the ways He tells us to serve Him and not in our own way of ministering or serving God.

Pomegranate and bells

I often harp upon the importance of realizing that the old testament types and shadows are important for us to learn from because they show us who we are. It is easy to mentally separate ourselves from those “old testament Jews” and various folks because then we can somehow become a little better than them in our minds even when we don’t realize that’s what we are doing. After all they had God, but we have Jesssssss-uuuuuuuus.

The Truth is that we are them. While that is easy to say, it is much harder to SEE with eyes that can SEE.

That’s because that concept is invisible to us. It is true that we “have Jesus” but what does that really mean to its core? Before I answer that, I will read from our verses today to set the foundation for the study.

In the last study we talked some about the ephod of God so we are going to pick up for there.

Exo 28:31  And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
Exo 28:32  And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
Exo 28:33  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
Exo 28:34  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
Exo 28:35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

We have a robe being commanded to be created which is of one piece and slides over the head. On the hem of it we have pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet and gold bells between each of the pomegranates.

These items were required so that Aaron did not die so that should be something that perks our ears a bit.

Why did the Lord choose pomegranates and golden bells? Nothing with the Lord is left to chance so this has to be full of purpose. I believe the sum of the Word will shed some light on this.

Pomegranates

Here is another set of verses where pomegranates are used.

Son 7:9  And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
Son 7:10  I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.
Son 7:11  Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
Son 7:12  Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
Son 7:13  The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

We see from these verses that pomegranates and wine are connected together, so why is this important? Pomegranates and wine are linked to the “loves” being given.

Let us read another example of where pomegranates are found.

Num 20:1  Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
Num 20:2  And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Num 20:3  And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
Num 20:4  And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
Num 20:5  And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; NEITHER is there any water to drink.
Num 20:6  And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

Here in Numbers we see that the people complained to Aaron and Moses that they were brought to the wilderness to die because this is not a place which can sustain them with seed, figs, wine or pomegranates NOR is there water.

The children of Israel were confessing that they were not happy with what God was doing in their lives. As a result, Moses was commanded by the Lord to sanctify the Lord by speaking to the rock to bring forth water.

Num 20:7  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 20:8  Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
Num 20:9  And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
Num 20:10  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
Num 20:11  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
Num 20:12  And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

How is it we are to know that Moses did not BELIEVE the Lord? It was Moses’ ACTIONS that showed his belief. In other words, it was the WORKS accompanied with FAITH that mattered to the Lord.

Bringing this back around to the ephod that the priest is to wear, how are pomegranates and golden bells connected to approaching the Lord?

Here are how pomegranates are defined and used in scripture.

H7416
rimmôn
Total KJV Occurrences: 32
pomegranates, 22
Exo_28:33, Exo_39:24-25 (3), Num_13:23, Num_20:5, Deu_8:8, 1Ki_7:18, 1Ki_7:20, 1Ki_7:42 (2), 2Ki_25:17, 2Ch_3:16, 2Ch_4:13 (2), Son_4:13, Son_7:11-12 (2), Jer_52:22-23 (4)
pomegranate, 10
Exo_28:34 (2), Exo_39:26 (2), 1Sa_14:2, Son_4:3, Son_6:7, Son_8:2, Joe_1:12, Hag_2:19

H7416

rimmôn    rimmôn
rim-mone’, rim-mone’
From H7426; a pomegranate, the tree (from its upright growth) or the fruit (also an artificial ornament): – pomegranate.
Total KJV occurrences: 32

The root of pomegranates will reveal to us what pomegranates represent.
H7426

râmam
raw-mam’
A primitive root; to rise (literally or figuratively): – exalt, get [oneself] up, lift up (self), mount up.
Total KJV occurrences: 5
H7426
râmam
BDB Definition:
1) to be exalted, be lifted up
1a) (Qal) to be exalted
1b) (Niphal) to lift oneself
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 2174

If you read the story in Numbers and don’t see the POWER OF GOD on full display, then you have missed it completely.

Moses was told to SPEAK to the rock the words of the Lord, not hit the rock two times. Moses did his OWN WORKS to sustain the children of Israel. Yes, they were given water, but that work by Moses, taking what God commanded Him to do and doing with it was he wanted, cost Moses the gift of going into the promised land.

Pomegranates are directly connected to the power of God and the power of God is represented by WINE in this type and shadow. Our next study will help show why this is the case and how NEW WINE is connected to this.

Here is another example.

1Sa 14:1  Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
1Sa 14:2  And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;
1Sa 14:3  And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
1Sa 14:4  And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
1Sa 14:5  The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
1Sa 14:6  And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will WORK FOR US: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
1Sa 14:7  And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
1Sa 14:8  Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
1Sa 14:9  If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
1Sa 14:10  But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.
1Sa 14:11  And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
1Sa 14:12  And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
1Sa 14:13  And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
1Sa 14:14  And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
1Sa 14:15  And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
1Sa 14:16  And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
1Sa 14:17  Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
1Sa 14:18  And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
1Sa 14:19  And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
1Sa 14:20  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
1Sa 14:21  Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
1Sa 14:22  Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
1Sa 14:23  So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

So here we see Saul sitting under a pomegranate tree while Jonathan was guided and directed by the Lord to go and kill the philistines. At the end of all of this we are told ….THE LORD saved Israel that day.

When Jonathan tells his armour bearer what his plans are, he says they will know the Lord is with them or not and will work for them based on the response of the Philistines.

All in all, it was the Lord alone that did the works THROUGH a faithful servant named Jonathan.

Before reading this story I just said, “Pomegranates are directly connected to the power of God and the power of God is represented by WINE.”

Bringing the power of God and pomegranates back around to Exodus 28 we know that this power of God is mixed with “golden bells”, so how are these items connected?

Exo 28:35  And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

Why would Aaron die if the sound of bells were not heard as Aaron approached God? Could it be that the covering of the Lord, commanded to be made by Moses via the Israelites, must represent a covering that we must have before we approach the MERCY SEAT of God?

Here is the rest of Exodus 28 which will help to answer this question.

Exo 28:36  And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exo 28:37  And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
Exo 28:38  And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the INIQUITY of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
Exo 28:39  And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
Exo 28:40  And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
Exo 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
Exo 28:43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

We do bear the iniquity of the holy things of God but we do not approach God without His coverings or we are bringing our OWN iniquities before God without His approved approach and coverings.

In New Testament terms, Jesus Christ is our covering and we know this from many scriptures. What are a part of the iniquities we can bring before God the Father in the new testament?
Could it be our works? Didn’t Saul try to call upon the ark of covenant in the story above, signifying his own works, before realizing that the Lord was ALREADY WINNING the battle with the work of the Lord through Jonathan?

Didn’t Moses take it upon himself to take the words of the Lord and do what He wanted to do with it? Out of his own mouth Moses was judged because he calls Israel REBELS.

If you take what I am saying at face value and agree with the premise that OUR WORKS are as filthy rags to the Lord, not the blood of the Lord but our OWN BLOOD/WORKS being represented in those rags, then what is the answer to how we approach God appropriately?

On a practical basis, how do we do this in our lives day to day? Did Jesus give us any examples? It so happens that His first miracle will give us a clue and it just so happens that water and wine are involved.

Joh 2:1  And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Joh 2:2  And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
Joh 2:3  And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Joh 2:4  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Joh 2:5  His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Joh 2:6  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Joh 2:7  Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
Joh 2:8  And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

We all know this famous story. We all know that Jesus turned water into wine. I’ve often wondered why this was Jesus’ first miracle. His first miracle wasn’t raising the dead or healing the blind and deaf. He didn’t tell anyone to rise upon their feet and walk when they were lame. He didn’t feed the hungry with fish and loaves of bread.

What He did was turn water into wine. When we know what water and wine represent this makes a ton of sense, but how did Mary KNOW that Jesus could help? If this was his first miracle, why did she tell Jesus in one statement and sentence, “they have no wine”.

More interesting than that, Jesus knew EXACTLY what Mary meant with her statement because He told her His time has NOT YET COME. Yet, He did perform a miracle!

The power of God was made from WATER. Jesus took what was presented to Him, that which was BEFORE Him and in front of Him, and He applied the POWER OF GOD to it.

In other words, Jesus performed the work of God, NOT OF HIS OWN WORKS for He said, “my time is not yet come”, but through Mary and God the Father working in Mary, Jesus reacted and performed the miracle that was needed to show us all just how important wine from water really is.

When the Lord comes to us, He comes to us when we are going along with a plan in our lives, and then all of a sudden, we hit a 4-way stop. We are on this narrow way, we are on this path to Life, yet it seems at every corner we have a stop sign, and why are we always presented with stop signs?

It is when we CEASE from our own works that God is able to cause us to pay attention. Jesus knew He was the Son of God even at this wedding or He wouldn’t be able to say His time was not yet come.

Jesus knew He was the Son of God when He was 12 years old going about His Father’s business in the temple. Yet, we don’t know what Jesus’ life was like between 12 and 30 before he comes onto the scene and is baptized.

Jesus was baptized and very quickly takes that type of baptism and THEN brings the POWER of God out of it.

I stated earlier and then asked, “Bringing the power of God and pomegranates back around to Exodus 28 we know that this power of God is mixed with “golden bells”, so how are these items connected?”

How does the chief musician answer this question?

Psa 51:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psa 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:3  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psa 51:4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and BE CLEAR WHEN THOU JUDGEST.
Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Here is why and how we live, “his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not”:

Psa 107:4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Psa 107:5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Psa 107:6  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:11  Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
Psa 107:12  Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Psa 107:13  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

When we know and confess our transgresses before the Lord, we are able to approach Him because our linen covering in Christ covers our nakedness. We are able to call out in our distressed and bear the holy things of the tabernacle because we acknowledge that ALL IS OF THE LORD, the trial and the deliverance alike.

When we have a 4-way stop come into our plans, which seems to happen on a daily basis, we are being shown by the Lord that we must STOP, PAUSE and LOOK around us to see what the Lord has put in our surroundings in order for us to continue moving forward.

We MUST acknowledge always the Will of God in our Lives and NOT just self-righteously move forward with our owns plans while IGNORING whatever it is we have learned and know to be how the Lord has told us to handle various situations.

We do so at our own perils otherwise.

When is it we are able to approach the Lord? In our distresses! How are we delivered form those distresses? We try out to the Lord in our troubles not to condemn and blame the Lord for CAUSING it in our LIVES but to recognize this is how we APPROCH HIM with HIS POWER.

Here then is the ROOT of the sound which allows us to approach the MERCY SEAT as kings and priests of the Lord.

H6472
pa‛ămôn
Total KJV Occurrences: 7
bell, 4
Exo_28:34 (2), Exo_39:26 (2)
bells, 3
Exo_28:33, Exo_39:25 (2)

H6472
pa‛ămôn
pah-am-one’
From H6471; a bell (as struck): – bell.
Total KJV occurrences: 7

H6471

pa‛am    pa‛ămâh
pah’-am, pah-am-aw’
From H6470; a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications): – anvil, corner, foot (-step), going, [hundred-] fold, X now, (this) + once, order, rank, step, + thrice, [often-], second, this, two) time (-s), twice, wheel.
Total KJV occurrences: 118

H6470

pâ‛am
paw-am’
A primitive root; to tap, that is, beat regularly; hence (generally) to impel or agitate: – move, trouble.
Total KJV occurrences: 5

H6470
pâ‛am
Total KJV Occurrences: 5
troubled, 4
Gen_41:8, Psa_77:4, Dan_2:1, Dan_2:3
move, 1
Jdg_13:25

Here is the ROOT of “golden bells”:

Gen 41:7  And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
Gen 41:8  And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Psa 77:2  In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
Psa 77:3  I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
Psa 77:4  Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Dan 2:1  And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
Dan 2:2  Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
Dan 2:3  And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

Jdg 13:25  And the Spirit of the LORD began to MOVE him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

Pharaoh was troubled by the Lord but instead when to the WORLD of WISE MEN to solve his troubled spirit. Nebuchadnezzar’s spirit was troubled and he too called on the WORLD of magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and Chaldeans to solve this for him yet there was no relief.

Samson was TROUBLED and MOVED which caused him to seek our Timnath instead of going to God’s people for his bride and look how that turned out.

We must approach God with His commanded and provided covering, Jesus Christ, if we at all expect to be delivered from our troubles. When the Lord puts a stop sign in your path, KNOW that the Lord is NOW working with you and imploring you to LISTEN to His will for YOU.

It is when we are moving along SMOOTH SAILING that the Lord is answering us according to the idol of our own hearts and the work of our own iniquitous hands.

We must wear the linen clothing of the Work of the Lord when we approach Him and heed the Work of His awesome hands. This is truly a work with not sweat that we are blessed to partake of.

Audio Links

“The virtuous body of Christ” – Part 6

April 10, 2016

with Steven Crook

As I stare looking at the empty page set before me which will soon hold the contents of this study, I ceremoniously grasp the seriousness the Lord commands us with when he tells us to “become as little children”.

In order for any of the Word of God to take root in us, we must be empty of the things which might already fill the space which the Lord intends to depart to us His gifts and fruits of the Spirit.

In our study today, we are going to explore a few of these things which are so badly needed in the lives of Christians today and have been all throughout history.

In fact, we MUST “gather these things up” so that we can have life in Jesus Christ.

Though we are the virtuous body of Christ, we must also spiritually be children who are moldable into what the Lord tells us to become.

Become as little children

Notice the question posed to Jesus which prompts His very important answer to His disciples.

Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mat 18:7  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

What follows this story is a litany of questions which were obviously on the minds of the disciples. Why is that? Didn’t the scripture they already had have the answers to these questions?

Many of those questions did have answers for the “old way”, but here is the Messiah giving all apparently NEW ways and ideas on how to view God the Father and what our relationship with Him is. So ask away they did.

The answer to who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven was answered with, “be converted and become as HUMBLE little children”.

Oh what an insult to our carnally minded natural man that is! Throw away all that makes us an adult and be like children?! What do you mean Lord?!

Our verses today will help us KNOW how to pursue this great and mysterious task of being silent women when our Husband Jesus Christ is present and therefore be humble in order to receive what it is He has prepared for us whenever we seek His answers.

Pro 31:13  She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
Pro 31:14  She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

On the surface it appears that verse 13 is speaking about clothing and being willing to work with your hands to shape these items into something that can be used to cover us up. Verse 14 just seems to be put there with no connection to verse 13, but it is very connected. How is that?

A part of “being as humble children” is looking into the things we are told with an acceptance that those things are being told to us honestly by those we trust.
So when we read she seeks wool and flax we might think, “Okay, but why wool and flax?”

Let us look at the Word of God and ask Him why a virtuous woman seeks wool and flax.

Pro 31:13  She seeketh woolH6785, and flaxH6593, and worketh willingly with her hands.

The Hebrew word used as wool is “tsemer” and is used 16 times.

H6785
tsemer
Total KJV Occurrences: 16
wool, 11
Jdg_6:37, 2Ki_3:4, Psa_147:16, Pro_31:13, Isa_1:18, Isa_51:8, Eze_27:18, Eze_34:3, Eze_44:17, Hos_2:5, Hos_2:9
woollen, 5
Lev_13:47-48 (2), Lev_13:52, Lev_13:59, Deu_22:11

This word is a root word and means “to be shaggy”.
H6785
tsemer
tseh’-mer
From an unused root probably meaning to be shaggy; wool: – wool (-len).
Total KJV occurrences: 16

What are some of the attributes of wool? Wool is the natural CLOTHING and covering of sheep. It is white but absorbs color dye very well (as well as blood), flame resistant and will not combust, water resistant and is very durable.

As few times as it is mentioned in the old testament, it is mentioned even less in the new testament.

Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Wool also is a great insulator but it is the air it TRAPS that makes it a good insulator. Air doesn’t allow heat to travel very well compared to other materials.

Those are some of the attributes of wool so what is our comparison/ and contrast of wool to flax?

Pro 31:13  She seeketh woolH6785, and flaxH6593, and worketh willingly with her hands.

Flax comes from crops and is a food and fiber. It can be cultivated and also produces oil.

Interestingly, flax in Hebrew is used the same amount of times as wool.

H6593
pishteh
Total KJV Occurrences: 16
linen, 9
Lev_13:47-48 (2), Lev_13:52, Lev_13:59, Deu_22:11, Jer_13:1, Eze_44:17-18 (3)
flax, 7
Jos_2:6, Jdg_15:14, Pro_31:13, Isa_19:9, Eze_40:3, Hos_2:5, Hos_2:9

It is also only used twice in the New Testament.

G3043
linon
Total KJV Occurrences: 2
flax, 1
Mat_12:20
linen, 1
Rev_15:6

Mat 12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mat 12:19  He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax G3043 shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 12:21  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen G3043, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

However, in order to understand what flax is to us as a virtuous wife of Christ we must understand it’s root in Hebrew, literally and spiritually.

H6593

pishteh
pish-teh’
From the same as H6580 as in the sense of comminuting (common-ew-ting); linen (that is, the thread, as carded): – flax, linen.
Total KJV occurrences: 16

H6580

pash
pash
Probably from an unused root meaning to disintegrate; stupidity (as a result of grossness or of degeneracy): – extremity.
Total KJV occurrences: 1

H6580
pash
Total KJV Occurrences: 1
extremity, 1
Job_35:15

The definition of “comminute” is:

verb (used with object), comminuted, comminuting.
1.
to pulverize; triturate.
adjective
2.
comminuted; divided into small parts.
3.
powdered; pulverized.

What do we do with all this information? There are obviously no coincidences with the Lord. What do wool and flax have to do with willingly working with our hands?

Pro 31:13  She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

If you have followed my awesome hands series or heard the study I did on a “willing offering”, then you would have gotten a little bit more understanding of what scripture refers to when it mentions “willing”, because we know there is no free will outside of God’s will according to scripture.

So, what then is willingly working with our hands according to the sum of the Word? This word is actually a different word used than the Hebrew word used as “willing” in the awesome hands series, and this time in Proverbs is the only time it is actually translated as “willingly”.

Here then is the true usage of the word:

H2656

chêphets
khay’-fets
From H2654; pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind): – acceptable, delight (-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant (-ure), purpose, willingly.
Total KJV occurrences: 39

H2656
chêphets
Total KJV Occurrences: 39
pleasure, 16
Job_21:21, Job_22:3, Psa_111:2, Ecc_5:4, Ecc_12:1, Isa_44:28, Isa_46:10, Isa_48:14, Isa_53:10, Isa_58:3, Isa_58:13 (2), Jer_22:28, Jer_48:38, Hos_8:8, Mal_1:10
desire, 9
2Sa_23:5, 1Ki_9:8-11 (4), 1Ki_10:13, 2Ch_9:12, Job_31:16, Pro_3:15
delight, 3
1Sa_15:22, Psa_16:2-3 (2)
purpose, 3
Ecc_3:1, Ecc_3:17, Ecc_8:6
desired, 2
Psa_107:30, Pro_8:11
acceptable, 1
Ecc_12:10
delightsome, 1
Mal_3:12
desireth, 1
1Sa_18:25
matter, 1
Ecc_5:8
pleasant, 1
Isa_54:12
willingly, 1
Pro_31:12-13 (2)

This verses actually means and should say that this virtuous woman, who seeks out wool and flax, also pleasurably and desiringly works with her hands.

That not all though. This word “pleasure” or “desire” has a root.

H2654
châphêts
Total KJV Occurrences: 74
delight, 17
Gen_34:19, Num_14:8, Deu_21:14, 1Sa_18:22, 2Sa_15:26, 2Sa_24:3, Est_6:6, Psa_40:8, Psa_68:30, Psa_119:35, Pro_18:2, Isa_1:11, Isa_13:17, Isa_58:2 (2), Jer_6:10, Jer_9:24
delighteth, 12
Est_6:6-7 (2), Est_6:9 (2), Est_6:11, Psa_37:23, Psa_112:1, Psa_147:10, Isa_62:4, Isa_66:3, Mic_7:18, Mal_2:17
delighted, 10
1Sa_19:2, 2Sa_22:20, 1Ki_10:9, 2Ch_9:8, Est_2:14, Psa_18:19, Psa_22:8, Psa_109:17, Isa_65:12, Isa_66:4
pleased, 8
Jdg_13:23, 1Ki_9:1, Psa_51:19, Psa_115:3, Psa_135:6, Isa_42:21, Isa_53:10, Jon_1:14
desire, 6
Job_13:3, Job_21:14, Job_33:32, Psa_40:6, Psa_73:25, Jer_42:22
please, 5
Son_2:7, Son_3:5, Son_8:4, Isa_55:11, Isa_56:4
pleasure, 3
Eze_18:23, Eze_18:32, Eze_33:11
desirest, 2
Psa_51:6, Psa_51:16
like, 2
Deu_25:7-8 (2)
will, 2
Rth_3:13, Pro_21:1
desired, 1
Hos_6:6
favourest, 1
Psa_41:11
favoureth, 1
2Sa_20:11
moveth, 1
Job_40:17
pleaseth, 1
Ecc_8:3
well, 1
Isa_42:21
would, 1
1Sa_2:25

Pro 18:2  A foolH3684 hath noH3808 delightH2654 in understanding,H8394 butH3588 H518 that his heartH3820 may discover itself.H1540

Pro 18:2  A fool hath no delightH2654 in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

How then does this all come together? I could read a lot of these verses but I believe the following verses really bring this together nicely.

Pro 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Pro 3:14  For the MERCHANDISE of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Pro 3:15  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire H2656 are not to be compared unto her.

1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, AND the wisdom of God.

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

Merchant ships carry merchandise. What is the virtuous woman like that seeks wisdom and understanding?

Pro 31:14  She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar

All of these words are symbols, types and shadows, of the things which they also represent in the physical world.

The negative application that this woman seeks wool and flax, things of the flesh (wool from sheep) and of the earth (flax that grows from the earth), is that they provide for our physical covering and give us something to do in the flesh (work with our hands).
These things are not negative alone except they provide for US to take credit for whatever work we do.

However, the positive and spiritual reason this virtuous woman seeks wool is for Jesus Christ as our HEAD and COVERING. She spiritually seeks flax because we want to SHAPENED into the VERY IMAGE of our Husband and that takes PULVERISATION of whoever “WE” are as Steven Crook or whoever we are known as in the flesh. We want to be ONE with Him which has been a very common theme and thread throughout all of these studies in this series.

Isn’t this concept told to us in scripture and even proven to us in the aspect of marriage where a woman drops her maiden name to take on the name of her husband?

The “merchandise” of this woman’s ship IS the food she is bringing from “afar”. When we see that this merchandise has a positive and negative application, then we can see the true meaning of seeking wool and flax, working with our hands delightfully and bringing the “true food from heaven” from afar off.

Joh 2:12  After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Joh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Joh 2:18  Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

What we, as the virtuous bride and body of Christ seek is to have our Husband’s wisdom, understanding and knowledge. We want to KNOW God the Father and His Son.

Contrast this “merchandise” of wisdom, understanding and knowledge with that which is TORN down as Jesus described above and replaced with the true temple of God.

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 18:15  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!

In what hour do you suppose, that the great riches which come from the GREAT WHORE Babylon, which include FINE LINEN and SCARLET WOOL, come to and end and brought to nought?

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Luk 10:21  IN THAT HOUR Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Mar 13:11  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Joh 16:21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

The wool and flax we seek is our covering Jesus Christ and His crushing us to powder so that we can be made anew, but we seek this not only for OURSELVES but for the ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD we have been placed to oversee spiritually.

See, this virtuous woman we have been reading about wants these things so the WORK she DOES with her hands can produce a PROFIT for her home and her home is the KINGDOM of God which has MANY children. Then, we can give all glory to God and present back to Jesus Christ the talents He has given us.

We know that we do not know “the hour” of visitation of our Lord AND Husband, but we want to be prepared when He comes.

In our next study, we will continue to see how we are to remain diligent with the work the Lord has given us to look well after his household.

(Key verses: Gen 37:1-4)

The theme of spiritual glorification in scripture, as revealed through the life of Joseph in the Old Testament, helps us to understand elected rulership in God’s kingdom (Rom 5:2; 2Co 3:18; Col 1:27; Eph 1:4-6; Rev 4:4-6). To be seated on the thrones in God’s kingdom is reserved for His elected sons whom He foreknew and predestined to rule on earth in the symbolic thousand years and also to be the judges in the lake of fire (Mat 19:28; 1Jn 3:2; Rev 20:4-15; 1Co 6:2-3):

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified [Greek aorist tense].

Through God’s mercy and wisdom, these sons of God are prepared in this physical age to be used by God to “turn many to righteousness” in the age to come (Oba 1:21; Rom 9:23; Rom 11:30-32):

Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament [heaven]; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever [Hebrew: “ôlâm” = Greek: “aiōn” (ABP+)] and ever.

God preordained His elect to be the first to be conformed to the spiritual image of Jesus Christ through a process of being changed “from glory to glory” (2Co 3:18). Everything God does and brings to us has purpose, and these sons of God know that the current sufferings in the flesh are actually used by God to redeem their mortal “outward man” to manifest His glory in the immortal new man in each of His elect (1Jn 3:2-3):

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of 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.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Jacob is back in Canaan with his family after spending twenty years in Haran with his uncle Laban. Among the twelve sons whom Jacob fathered through his two wives and two concubines, bigger rifts developed all the time which were caused by Jacob himself also. Jacob was very open in his favour toward Rachel and her two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel actually died at the birth of Benjamin, the youngest of his twelve sons. Especially as far as his second youngest son, Joseph, is concerned, Jacob had no problem revealing a special relationship which did not go down well with Joseph’s other ten brothers:

Gen 37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
Gen 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report [evil slanders].
Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours [Hebrew: “pas” = divers colours].

This coat of many colours was the most prominent symbol of Jacob’s favour on Joseph and his special position in the family. This highlights the link between the theme of clothing and the theme of rulership in the scriptures (Jdg 8:26; Est 8:15; Eze 23:6; Dan 5:16; Dan 5:29; Joh 19:2; Rev 17:4).

(We already touched on the theme of our spiritual covering in study #22).

In scripture this special type of clothing with many or diverse colours was significant to that of the ruling class, which was also mentioned in terms of Tamar, the daughter of King David:

2Sa 13:18 And she had a garment of divers colours [Hebrew: “pas” = divers colours] upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled…

This fact is further confirmed in scripture with the symbol of the multi coloured rainbow “round about” the throne of God revealing the glory of God in His cherubims, also symbolized as the four living creatures or twenty-four elders in scripture (Rev 4:3-11). This is also what was revealed in a vision to the prophet Ezekiel while in captivity in Babylon:

Eze 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Eze 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

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

Eze 10:1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

These cherubims symbolize God’s special messengers (in “the likeness of a man” in this age), and these cherubims were also placed at the east of the garden of Eden with a flaming sword to “keep the way” of the Lord (Gen 3:24; Rev 1:1-3). These cherubims associate with God’s heaven and the throne of His glorious Christ (Col 1:27). They are given His spiritual light and clothed in the special garments of Christ (Psa 93:1-2; Psa 104:1-2; Rev 1:13).

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

In spiritual terms, clothing is connected to our way of life, either under the cloak of our own righteousness…

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

…or the righteousness of Christ in His spiritual bride, His church (Gen 3:7; Gen 3:21; Rev 3:18):

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

Joseph’s life is given to us as a symbol of this process of spiritual glorification in those who are God’s heaven and His throne, which is His church from where He will reveal Himself to the rest of humanity and the spiritual world (Exo 25:17-22; Eze 10:1-7; Heb 9:5):

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,

This coat of many colours was never Joseph’s idea or choice, but his father’s idea, as a type of God’s election of those He wants in His spiritual bride in the Christ:

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

Joseph wore his coat of many colours with full conviction, despite the disapproval and hatred which his election caused in the hearts of his brothers:

Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Joseph is our type of how we should never despise our election, also as far as diligence and truthfulness are concerned. We should always “watch” and “keep” our spiritual garments undefiled from earthly deceit, worldly lusts and foolish pride (Mat 24:4-5; 2Th 2:2-3; 1Jn 2:16; 1Jn 4:1-6; Rev 16:13):

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

The way we watch and keep our clothing is seen in the way we live within a crooked and perverse generation of flesh, inside and outside (Php 2:15). When we are faithful in the commandments and ways of God, then we do watch and keep our garments. In this process of wearing God’s covering, the elect of God know that they are destined to be hated and killed by those who oppose the truth. We will, like it was with Joseph, be seen as being arrogant and conceited if we continue and abide in His Word and live in humility within our God-given calling and position in this life (Mat 23:12; Joh 8:31; Jas 4:6-10; 1Pe 5:6). Here again we see how hatred connects spiritually with murdering someone as seen in the hearts and actions of these brothers of Joseph (1Jn 3:15):

Gen 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

God worked through Joseph’s eldest brother, Reuben, to convince his other nine brothers not to physically kill Joseph, although they already spiritually killed him in their hearts:

Gen 37:21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
Gen 37:22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Reuben also reveals here the delusion in the carnal heart which wants us to believe that inward sins of the heart are not on the same level as outward acts of sin. (Rom 5:12-14).  Jesus said it is all the same thing as He used the example of adultery:

Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

There is also this delusion that if we do not commit outward transgressions as others at whom we naturally point fingers, then we are innocent of sin. All in Adam are guilty of all, as we were all born in a “body of sin” (Gen 2:7; Rom 6:6). It is only the elect who receive these inward eyes to accept that they are indeed guilty of all, and confess the “chief” of sinners status in all respects (Jas 2:10):

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Joseph’s brothers were fixated on stripping Joseph from his coat as if that will change anything according to his election:

Gen 37:23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

God’s plans for His faithful elect will not be thwarted by puny creatures’ evil schemes and actions. He will cause His elect to walk according to what is righteous if they have received this strong desire from God to be in that holy and blessed first resurrection:

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

After Joseph was stripped from his outward coat, his brothers cast him in a pit with no water and food.

Gen 37:24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Joseph was totally incapacitated, and it is in this state that we will also be placed to be able to receive the provisions of God. God sent a company of traders and caused Judah, the fourth eldest brother of Joseph, to convince his brothers to sell Joseph to these traders for a profit of twenty pieces of silver (the Ishmaelites are also called Midianites according to Gen 37:36 and Gen 39:1):

Gen 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites [or Ishmaelites] came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
Gen 37:26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Gen 37:27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
Gen 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver [ref. Lev 27:5 and Exo 21:32; Mat 26:15]: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Reuben was not part of this transaction, and when he returned he was shocked to find that Joseph was not in the pit anymore. Here the theme of clothing is developed further when Reuben rented his own clothes after this discovery:

Gen 37:29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
Gen 37:30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

The renting of clothing is frequently mentioned in scripture, and Reuben is the first person in the scriptures to do this. Jacob did the same when the ten sons brought Joseph’s coat to him after they dipped it in blood to give the appearance of the killing of Joseph by a wild animal:

Gen 37:31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
Gen 37:32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.
Gen 37:33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
Gen 37:34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Gen 37:35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Rending of clothes in the scriptures is a sign of severe grief for the loss of a well-loved and precious person or much valued thing (Num 14:6; Jos 7:1-9; Jdg 11:29-35; 1Sa 4:11-12; 2Sa 11:1-11; 2Ki 18:37; 19:1; 2Ki 21:20-28; Isa 36:22; Isa 37:1). Spiritually it relates to how we react when we receive the truth of a matter, and our fleshly response to it as flesh is not capable of handling truth, even in earthly matters (2Ki 22:11; Jer 36:23-24). Jesus also said these words to His “yet carnal” disciples before His death, and also to us before spiritual maturity comes through the spirit of God in us by whom we grow spiritually to eat the strong meat of the truth (1Co 3:1-4; Heb 5:12-14):

Joh 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Our old garment of flesh must be rended apart as a witness of spiritual glorification as that opens up a higher heaven of intimacy with God (Gen 7:11; Isa 45:8; Mat 3:16; Rev 4:1; Rev 19:11). After Elisha tore his own clothes in two pieces, he laid hold of the mantle of his predecessor Elijah to receive the “double portion” of the spirit which worked in Elijah (2Ki 2:9-14). Elisha’s ministry was much more fruitful than that of Elijah as relating to the inheritance of the “double portion” of the rulership of God’s elect when we accept and are comforted through the judgment on our own unbelief and sin (Deu 21:15-17; 1Co 6:2-3; Rev 20:4-15):

Isa 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

The significance of clothing is further developed in the Joseph story when he was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh. Even here in the house of this Egyptian, the Lord prospered Joseph (Gen 39:1-2). Joseph’s garments will come into focus again in Egypt. Firstly, the wife of Potiphar wanted Joseph to sleep with her, but he rejected her continuously (Gen 39:7-9). Our fear of God as witnessed in our obedience to His commandments which provide protection against evil and seductive detractors:

Pro 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
Pro 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Pro 22:3a A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself…

This wife of Potiphar kept bothering Joseph to sleep with her, and one day, while they were alone in the house, she caught him by his garment. In fleeing from her, his garment got ripped off, and he left it with her in the rush of getting away from her:

Gen 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
Gen 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
Gen 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Our righteous walk in keeping God’s commandments in this life will also be used against us – even when we are innocent of false accusations, as the life of Joseph reveals to us. The righteous in God will prevail in the end although they will suffer temporary trials and afflictions (Psa 46:10; Pro 11:9; Pro 30:5-6; Mat 5:11; Rom 12:19):

Gen 39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
Gen 39:14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
Gen 39:15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
Gen 39:16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
Gen 39:17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
Gen 39:18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

The false witnesses against God’s elect will be believed by those who are devoid of truth themselves, as per God’s design:

Gen 39:19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
Gen 39:20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Through this prison experience, Joseph met the Pharaoh’s butler, and through Joseph’s interpretation of the butler’s dream, he was remembered after two years by this butler when no one could interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh. When Joseph was taken from prison, his clothing was also changed again to introduce a new phase in his walk:

Gen 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

Joseph’s reward for interpreting the dreams of the Pharaoh correctly yet again included clothing! Joseph was now dressed in fine royal linen to be made the ruler of all the land of Egypt which had dominion over the known world at that time:

Gen 41:39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Gen 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Gen 41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
Gen 41:43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

This is all pointing to the rulership of the Christ over all kingdoms of this world under the rulership of the Father. Through this rulership all in flesh will eventually be given “changes of raiment” – the life of the spirit of the Father. Joseph’s new role and position also caused his brothers to be given new garments, but Benjamin, his own brother from their mother Rachel, was given five changes of raiment – more than the rest:

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.

Benjamin also is a type of God’s faithful elect through the faith of Jesus Christ as the number five is the spiritual meaning for grace through faith bestowed on the elect in this age (1Ki 6:24; 2Ch 3:12; Eph 2:8-10). Benjamin represents the elect who is being seated at the marriage feast arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, and to receive the double portion from God:

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

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Rev 19:8 And to her [the church] was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Detailed studies and emails relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the iswasandwillbe.com website, including these topics and links:

Colors in Scripture
Numbers in Scripture
Rev 1:13 – Part 2
Hem of His Garment
Foundational Themes in Genesis – Study 22
Rev 4:1-3 His Throne in Heaven
Being Elevated by God is Not Enough
Rev 18:5-8

Video Links

Audio Download

Rev 4:6-7 – The Spiritual Meaning of the Four Things Mentioned Only In Ezekiel Chapter Ten

The Four Beasts – Part 3

Updated February 9, 2024

Introduction

We are studying the revelation of Jesus Christ, and we have started this study with the instruction that we are to “keep the things written therein” (Rev 1:3). We have found thus far that “the things written therein… to the seven churches of Asia” are overall not very complimentary. Only two of the seven churches of Asia are not accused of extremely offensive behavior, but whether those two churches, who are apparently above reproach, or the other five who are urged to repent or face having their candlestick removed, we are seven times told:

Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

So the spirit is addressing the messages of all seven churches to “he that hath an ear.” Since this entire book is addressed to “the seven churches of Asia” (Rev 1:4), and since “he that has and ear” is to “keep the things written therein, for the time is at hand” (Rev 1:3), it becomes obvious that even this “open door in heaven” (Rev 4:1) is also part of “the things written therein” which “those with ears to hear must all keep” and do (Luk 6:46).

The verse that gives us a grasp of what and where this “door opened in heaven” is all about is in Hebrews 9, where we are told:

Heb 9:23  [It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

“The heavenly things themselves” are those for whom Christ died, and these four beasts, which are the subject of our studies here in Revelation 4 and in Ezekiel 1 and 10, are the patterns of the “firtfruits” for whom Christ died as these four beasts and the four and twenty elders tell us:

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.

So what we are really studying, as we look at what the scriptures have to say about these heavenly beasts, is the patterns of the things in the heavens which concern the christ of Christ. We are learning more and more about our own calling and our own reward and our own place and function in “the heavenly things themselves.”

We are now in the book of Ezekiel, where the heavens are opened to Ezekiel, just as it was to John here in Revelation 4:

Eze 1:1  Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I [was] among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

The book of Ezekiel is an opening up to “the things of the heavens themselves” just as the book of Revelation does. Without Ezekiel we would not understand Revelation:

Eph 2:18  For through him [Christ, the Word] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

This is Ephesians, and Paul is telling us that we are God’s habitation in the heavens. Here it is in this same chapter:

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:

We are what is signified by these four beasts in the middle of and round about the throne of God, “seated with Christ in the heavens.” It is in Ezekiel 1, 3 and 10, where we read of these same four beasts which we encounter again in Revelation 4 and 5 and then several more times intermittently throughout the book of Revelation. As we have demonstrated, each book and chapter of scripture adds to the previous books and chapters of scripture. What that means is that Ezekiel and the information given before Ezekiel, are absolutely essential to understanding what the scriptures reveal about these four beasts we are now studying as the “patterns of the things of the heavens themselves.” According to Hebrews 9, these are the patterns of us as “the heavenly things themselves.” It was for these four beasts and “the things of the heavens themselves.” These four beasts and “the things of the heavens themselves” are the “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, that Christ came to this earth, died daily to His flesh, and then died on the cross to be resurrected “the third day”:

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.

It was into “the heavenly things themselves” that Christ ascended when “a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

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

This ‘cloud’ signifies the “cloud of witnesses” of:

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

If these things really are the patterns of the things of the heavens themselves, then that is just as true here in Ezekiel as it is in Revelation. Ezekiel is a type of the true “Son of Man”, and all of these things of the heavens are within him in type. Ezekiel was simply not given to understand that these four living creatures are who they tell us they are. Ezekiel did not know that he was actually a type of you and me, the recipients of the understanding of his visions.

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

“They without us should not be made perfect” but we without them will be made perfect in the first resurrection. “The first resurrection” is “the resurrection of life” of all who have ‘died in Christ’. No one before Christ died in Christ, as Peter makes so clear:

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

Last week we saw that there were five things mentioned in chapter 1 of Ezekiel which are not mentioned at all in chapter 10. This week we will look at the spiritual significance of the things mentioned in chapter 10 which are not mentioned in chapter 1.

Four Things Mentioned Only in Chapter 10

What do we learn in chapter 10 that was not revealed in chapter 1? There are a few things here in chapter 10 that have not heretofore been revealed about the pattern of the things in the heavens:

First:

The first thing we see in chapter 10, which is not mentioned in chapter one is “a man clothed with linen.”

Eze 10:2  And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

To whom does “the man clothed with linen” refer? He is referenced in the previous chapter:

Eze 9:1  He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar [Inkhorn – made up of two words, one meaning ‘cup’ or ‘bowl’ and the other H7185 qâshâh – to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh].
Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Eze 9:5  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6  Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Eze 9:7  And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
Eze 9:8  And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
Eze 9:9  Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
Eze 9:10  And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
Eze 9:11  And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

Who is this “man clothed with linen” who goes between the wheels and under the cherubims, and fills his hand with coals of fire? Is this someone else besides the four beasts? What helps us to understand who this man clothed with linen is, is the fact that “the man clothed with linen” is “one man among them”. Therefore, just like the seven churches, the four beasts and the four and the four and twenty elders, these “six men” are all one and the same. They are one and all the Lord’s “slaughter weapon”, also known as His “battleaxe.”

Jer 51:20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;
Jer 51:21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;
Jer 51:22 With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;
Jer 51:23 I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

These men are ‘six’ because they signify the Lord’s work of destroying our old man, and destroying the fruit of our old man which is death. Our “slaughter weapon, our battle axe and weapons of war” are not carnal but are spiritual to the tearing down of strong holds”. Our weapon of war is the fiery word of God in our mouths. It is with this slaughter weapon and battle axe that every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ:

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)
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;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Paul repeats this message in:

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places [G2032: ‘epouranios’ the heavens. The word ‘places’ is added by the translators].
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The four and twenty elders about the throne are there simply to tell us that we are not just “in the middle of and round about the throne,” but we are also in the area of the heavens around the throne. This “man clothed in linen” tells us even more of our various functions, as “the things of the heavens themselves” are also called that blessed and holy man who “has part in that blessed and holy first resurrection.” What this “man clothed in linen” tells us, by first judging the Lord’s people “beginning at the court of the Lord’s house” in  chapter 9 and then getting “fire from between the wheels and the cherubims” and scattering it over the city in chapter 10, is that we are first judged in just that manner. We are first judged while we are still in the flesh, and then we are used of the Lord to “judge angels in the lake of fire. So then we become judges of both this present evil physical world and then we will judge all who are cast into “the lake of fire which is the second death. To be given this honor we must be the first to be judged as Peter indeed informs us is taking place at this very moment:

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

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

What is the difference between the ‘slain of the city’ by “six men from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north” of chapter 9, and the ‘coals from the altar in heaven, being scattered over the city’ in chapter 10?

The answer is that the judgment of chapter 9 involves on these six men, and it “begins at [the] sanctuary” of the Lord’s house. Those who sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in Jerusalem are spared only because they have already been judged. This judgment in chapter 9 signifies the judgment which “begins at the house of God” mentioned by Peter:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

The judgment of chapter 10 is facilitated by the same “man clothed with linen”, only now, in chapter 10 the cherubims are also involved in this fiery judgment. The judgment of chapter 10 does not “begin at the sanctuary”. This judgment is just “over the city”:

Eze 10:2 And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

This judgment of chapter 10 answers Peter’s rhetorical question, “What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God… where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?”

Those spared in chapter 9 are those who have already been judged when this judgment takes place. The judgment of chapter 10 is the judging of angels and the purging of false doctrines and false spirits from those who are cast into the lake of fire. Remember chapter 1 tells us that this vision of an “open heaven,” just like the vision of these “six men” of chapter 9 both come “out of the north:”

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

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

One thing is certain, both have to do with judgment from the north. The difference is obviously the earlier judgment is the judgment of the elect first, and the later judgment is of those who “obey not the gospel of God [in] this present time, and who will “appear” at the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death (Rev 20:11-15)

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

We must fight the giants in the land, or in our earth. We must overcome the works of the flesh, and be the first to have our heavens “purified” (Heb 9:23), before we judge angels and false doctrines of Babylon in the lake of fire. In other words, the temple of the Lord’s house must be judged and purified before the court can be judged “when the thousand years are expired”:

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

We are “the heaven” out of which the fiery words of God will come which will “devour them”:

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

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Our battles begins in the flesh, but then they go beyond that. We will not be entrusted with “fire from between the cherubims and entrusted to carry on a heavenly battle until we have first judged the weaknesses of our flesh.

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 [in the lake of fire]? how much more things that pertain to this life?

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves [in this present time (Rom 8:18)], we should not be judged [later in the lake of fire/second death].
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world [in the lake of fire].

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

It should go without saying that the battles of this world overlap with the battles in the heavens, so that physical adultery and fornication cannot be separated from spiritual adultery and spiritual fornication: even though the latter is the “greater sin”:

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6  Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

This is each of us, and it carries over into the things of the heavens themselves.

Eze 10:7  And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies. (EMTV)

What does “between the cherubims” mean? It is from “between the cherubims” that the fiery word of God proceeds.

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

God’s words are given to us from His “two witnesses.” They are later revealed to be “four living creatures” (Eze 1 and 10 and Rev 4 and 5). It is the words of their mouths which are the fire from between the cherubims of Ezekiel 10. The fire that proceeds out of their mouth is “the [same] fire that was between the cherubims.” It is “of all things which I will give you in commandment unto the children of Israel.”

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

“My words in your mouth fire” is the fire that proceeds out of the mouth of God’s two olive trees… two witnesses. They are, obviously, all those who are faithful witnesses to those fiery words which come “from between the two cherubims.”

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

“My words in your mouth fire” is the fire that proceeds out of the mouth of God’s two olive trees… His “two witnesses”. They are, obviously, all those who are faithful witnesses to those fiery words which come “from between the two cherubims.”

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Are these “two witnesses… two olive trees” really typical of the fiery words of God spoken to His people “from between the two cherubims?” What do the scriptures say?

Zec 4:1  And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2  And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3  And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side] of the bowl, and the other upon the left side] thereof.
Zec 4:4  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5  Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

What is “My spirit?” We keep coming back to the same fiery words of God, given us by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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

Second:

We learn in chapter 10 what is meant by “the sound of the wings of the cherubims” and what is meant by “lifting up their wings.”  What we learn is that this is the very same thing as the fire from between the cherubims.

Eze 10:5  And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

“The voice of the Almighty God when He speaks” is the words and doctrines of the Almighty God when He speaks. His words include His judgments which Jeremiah tells us are as fire in our mouths (Jer 5:14). It was not given to Jeremiah to know that “this people wood” must first be seen within each of us, before “God will [through us] judge those things that are without.”

1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Third:

We learn only that the wheels are said to be full of eyes in chapter 1, while chapter 10 tells us that both the wheels, and the cherubims themselves, are “full of eyes” before and behind and all over.

Eze 1:18  As for their rings [of the four wheels], they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

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

Eyes see and understand. God’s elect are given eye to see that “all things are yours”.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

God’s elect are given to see that “all things… before, present, and things to come are ours.”

Mat 23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

“All things are ours.”

Fourth:

The word ‘cherubims’ does not appear either in chapter 1 or 3 where “the living creatures are also mentioned. We could not associate these living creatures with the cherubims if this were not revealed to us in chapter 10, where these “four living creatures” are first called cherubims.

Who are these four living creatures, who are also called cherubims? What is their function? What is their relationship to their Lord and Creator? Chapter 3 of Ezekiel helps very much to answer these questions and let us know who and what these “four living creatures… these cherubims” are.

Eze 3:10  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
Eze 3:11  And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Eze 3:12  Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, [saying], Blessed [be] the glory of the LORD from his place.
Eze 3:13  I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.
Eze 3:14  So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

This whole scene of the lifting up of the cherubims and the moving of the spirit and the speaking of Ezekiel is repeated in chapter 11:

Eze 11:22  Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Eze 11:23  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
Eze 11:24  Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
Eze 11:25  Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

Eze 10:20  This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

Ezekiel, as a type of God’s elect, like Christ himself, was ‘lifted up and taken away’ by the spirit that is these four living creatures. It is all speaking of the spirit of Christ within us, which spirit is His words.

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

God’s throne is in His elect, and that is how and through whom He does His work.

1Ch 28:18  And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

2Sa 22:7  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
2Sa 22:8  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
2Sa 22:9  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
2Sa 22:10  He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness [was] under his feet.
2Sa 22:11  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

Summary

We have covered the four characteristics of the patterns of the things of the heavens which are mentioned only in chapter ten.

First, was the man clothed in linen, and we saw that he, like the cherubims which keep the way of the tree of life, the two cherubims of Exodus, the four wheels of Ezekiel 1 and 10, the four living creatures of Ezekiel 1 and 3, the four cherubims of Ezekiel 10, the four beasts of Revelation 4 and 5, and the four and twenty elders of Revelation 4 and 5; this man clothed in linen and all of these various patterns of the things of the heavens are one and all but different and various stages of the different and various functions of God’s elect, who are “the things of the heavens themselves.”

Second, we saw the wings of the cherubims and the sound of the wings of the cherubims, “is as the voice of the Almighty God when He speaketh.” We saw that all these symbols bring us back to the fiery words of God, which are also symbolized by coals of fire from between the cherubims.

Third, we learned in chapter 10 that the eyes are not only in the wheels, but they are also before and behind and all over the cherubims themselves. We saw that these eyes are “eyes to see” and to understand the things of the spirit, and we saw that the spirit teaches that all things, past, present and future are ours.

Fourth, and finally, we saw in chapter 10 that the four living creatures are the cherubims. It is here that all doubt is removed about who these four living creatures are. They are the cherubims that shadow the throne of God.

Eze 10:20  This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

They, too, are patterns of the things of the heavens themselves. They are God’s house, His chariot, His wings, His voice, and it is through them that He does all that He does because they are the christ of His Christ, sitting with Him in His throne.

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

These four beasts in the middle of and round about the throne of God are those for whom Christ died to become “a kind of firstfruits” and as such are given the greatest honor which can be bestowed upon mankind.

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

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.

Next week, Lord willing we will find out what is the spiritual significance of the fourteen characteristics of the patterns of the things of the heavens themselves which Ezekiel chapters one and ten have in common.