Matthew 5:1–26 The Sermon on the Mount

[Study Aired March 24, 2025]

Introduction

Today’s study focuses on the sermon that Jesus gave to His disciples after going to meet them on a mountain. The initial part of the sermon focuses on our reward. We need to know what the Lord has in store for us as we come to Him. The reward is what motivates us to pursue the path that Jesus treaded while here on earth. 

Heb 12:2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Later He shows us that He came to fulfill the law. As we go through the study, we shall come to understand what Jesus means by coming to fulfill the law. 

The Beatitudes

Mat 5:1  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 
Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 
Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

The multitudes represent those who are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. That is why the Lord left the multitude to meet the disciples on a mountain, which signifies the house of the Lord or the assembly of the Lord’s elect. It is in the mist of our assembly that we hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us about our inheritance. 

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

The kingdom of heaven or God refers to God’s rule and authority over His people’s lives and their world. In an age to come, it will embrace the whole of the people of the earth. In the Bible, “poor in spirit” refers to those who recognize their complete dependence on God, acknowledging their spiritual bankruptcy and seeking His mercy and grace, rather than relying on self-righteousness or material possessions. It is those who are seeking for the Lord’s grace and mercy who are recipients of the kingdom in heaven which is now manifested within the Lord’s elect. In the fullness of time, the kingdom shall be externally obvious for everyone to see, as the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. 

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

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

Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

The mourners here refer to the Lord’s elect who are learning obedience by the things they are suffering in this life. They are those who mourn in Zion as they are spiritually clothed with sackcloth in this age.  

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ in His life here on earth suffered, and His victory has made Him a symbol of them who mourn in Zion as we groan in this age, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. 

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 
2Co 5:3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

It is we who groan that shall be comforted by the Lord in the fullness of time.

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. 

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

The question is, “Who are the meek?” The word “meek” means non-resistant. That means able to endure. It is those who embrace whatever is thrown at them in this life as part of the Lord’s wonderful plan of salvation, who are the meek and are therefore destined to reign with Christ over the kingdoms of this world in an age to come. 

Isa 30:15  For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, 
Isa 30:16 and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore, you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. (ESV)

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.

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

To understand this statement, let’s look at the word “righteousness” from the word of the Lord. Righteousness is not attained but imputed. With the exception of our Lord Jesus Christ, no human being has been able to live righteously. 

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Abraham was the first man to be imputed the righteousness of God. If righteousness is therefore given, then, all we can do is to desire it. That means hungering and thirsting for it. It is those who in this life desire to be clothed with the Lord’s righteousness who will be recipients of it.   

Rom 4:1  What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 
Rom 4:2  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 
Rom 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 
Rom 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 

Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

The merciful are those who actively show kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, particularly towards those in need or who have wronged them. We, the Lord’s elect, are required to show mercy to others as a result of the mercy that the Lord has shown to us. 

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. 

Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

The pure in heart represent individuals who are sincere, honest, and free from deceit, with a single-minded devotion to God. We may be honest and sincere, but if our mind is polluted with the false doctrines of the great harlot, Babylon, it is impossible to see God as He is, in this life.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself (gets rid of false doctrines in His heavens), even as he is pure. 

Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

Those who bring the wonderful message of God’s peace to the world are peacemakers. We, the Lord’s elect, are the ones whose feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We are therefore the true sons of God.

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

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 
1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are those who are being judged in this age by the Lord. It is in the hearts and minds of these people that the Lord is establishing His kingdom in this age. In an age to come, this kingdom shall be outward for all to see. 

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. 

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

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

The Lord’s four sore judgments involve the sword, the famine, the noisome beast and the pestilence. 

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

Men reviling us and persecuting us involves the use of the word sword in a negative context. It refers to words that are spoken which destroy us. It refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary. These negative words spoken is one of the tools that the Lord uses to cause people to speak bitter words to us, His elect. 

2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.   

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

These persecutions we go through are part of the judgment of our old man or flesh resulting in us learning righteousness, which will qualify us to receive the joy that is set before us, even as Jesus did, and is sitting at the right hand of God. 

Salt and Light

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

Here the elect are described as being the salt of the earth. There is a story in 2 Kings chapter 2 which makes it easier to understand our role as salt of the earth.

2Ki 2:19  Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 
2Ki 2:20  He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 
2Ki 2:21  Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 
2Ki 2:22 So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke. (ESV)

This story shows us that the waters of this world make the land unfruitful. As we are aware, our bodies represent the land that is unfruitful because of the water we take in. This water is the wisdom and traditions of this world which pollute our hearts and minds, making us unfruitful. Elisha throwing salt into the water to heal it such that it does not result in death or miscarriage symbolizes that, as the salt of the earth, our role as the Lord’s elect is to bring forth the truth of the word of the Lord to those who request our assistance as they realize the unfruitfulness of the water they imbibe. That is when we indeed become the salt of the earth. However, when we are given to false doctrines, it means we have lost our savour as the salt of the earth and we are good for nothing.    

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  

Again, as the Lord’s elect, we are the light of the world. This implies that our role as the Lord’s elect involves bringing light or the truth of the word of the Lord to the people of this world. As indicated in verse 15, our role currently is giving light to those who are in the house of faith. In the fullness of time, our light will shine before men as we bring all humanity to Christ. That is when they will glorify our Father which is in heaven. 

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.  

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 
Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 
Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

To fulfill the law and the prophets means to fill up what is incomplete in the law. It does not mean that Jesus Christ came to keep the law in the letter. As we are aware, Jesus broke the law of Moses by healing a man and telling him to “take up [his] bed and walk… on the sabbath day.” Thus, Jesus’ coming is to show us what is incomplete regarding the law of Moses and how He comes to fill up what is lacking in the law and the prophets.  

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

In verse 18, the Lord tells us that we all live/have lived at a certain point in our lives by every word of the Law. In the final analysis, the Law exposed our inability to obey. This is to let us know that our inability to obey the Law must be exposed before we are given to know the Law of the Spirit of Life which sets us free from the Law of Sin and Death. 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 
Rom 8:3  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 
Rom 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

In verse 20, the Lord is saying that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. The righteousness which comes from obeying the Law of the Spirit of Life is far higher than the Law of Sin and Death. 

Rom 8:10  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 

Anger

Mat 5:21  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 
Mat 5:22  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 
Mat 5:23  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 
Mat 5:24  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 
Mat 5:25  Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 
Mat 5:26  Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 

In these verses, we see Jesus as the reformer of the Law. Jesus challenges the traditional understanding of the law of Moses as He gives guidance to how we can overcome the flesh. Particularly, the Lord is showing us that anger, which leads to all kinds of unrighteousness, must be addressed in our lives. It is through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh that our anger are subdued by the Lord. 

1Pe 4:1  Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 
1Pe 4:2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 

In verses 23 to 26, the Lord shows us that our reconciliation with a brother is more pleasing in the sight of the Lord than our gifts and offerings to Him.   

Mat 18:15  “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 
Mat 18:16  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 
Mat 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 

It is in the togetherness of the brethren that the Lord’s anointing dwells as He commands His blessings upon us. 

Psa 133:1  A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 
Psa 133:2  It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 
Psa 133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. 

Amen!!

Rev 7:9-17 I Beheld, and, lo, a Great Multitude Which no man Could Number

[Study Aired June 21, 2024]

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Introduction

It is worth noting that the words ‘After this’ (according to all of the literal translations) should read “After these things” meaning that there is an orderly progression in the way we “keep the things which are written therein.” I noticed in my word search that this phrase appears eight times throughout the book of Revelation, and it is obvious that we all must be “carnal… babes in Christ” before we can grow to the point of enduring seven trumpet judgments followed by the seven last plagues of the seventh trump.

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.

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

The reverse application of Romans 12:3 is that we are never to “return to our vomit” or fail to “leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ.”

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

So ‘if God permits’ we will now ask, ‘Who is this “great multitude which no man could number? How do they differ from the 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel?” The Four beasts and the four and twenty elders, who tell us they are God’s elect, are also said to be ‘of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues.’

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.

These four beasts and four and twenty elders of Revelation 5 are “kings and priests… and reign with Christ on the earth?” Is it possible that this “great multitude which no man can number” is simply another type and symbol of God’s few, chosen and faithful elect? After all, are we not told that this great multitude “came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb?” How can we know for certain this group which “came up out of great tribulation and have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb” are not the same as the 144,000?

The answer is that we have already gone into great depth to demonstrate that all who come to God “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” must first become the true spiritual circumcision, the true spiritual Jews and true spiritual Israelites. This is, was and will be true for all the ages of mankind. The Word of God “shall not pass away.”

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

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Being an Israelite is now no longer a physical matter. It is now a spiritual matter only, and a physical Jew “is not a Jew”, and a physical Israelite is now only “that which is called the circumcision.” What has the coming of Christ accomplished for all of mankind, both physical Jews and physical Gentiles who are “now in Christ Jesus?” Here is what Christ has accomplished. It cost Him His life, but He was willing to make that sacrifice.

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both [Jews and Gentiles] one [Jew, one Israelite], and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him 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;

Both Jews and Gentiles are now one if they are in Christ, and there is nothing that separates us. It is of utmost importance that we realize all who come to God are now spiritual Jews, spiritual Israelites and must be spiritually circumcised in heart. What this proves is that, as we noted last week…

…The camp of Israel here represents the whole of mankind.

It is out “of all the tribes of Israel” that the very select group of 12,000 from every tribe is chosen and sealed. Yet anyone who ever comes to God at any time must do so through Christ, and the coming of Christ has necessitated that all who now come to God must first become spiritual Israelites. Here are the two verses from above which make this case.

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Physical Gentiles were “in time past” not a part of Israel, but now, in Christ, a physical Israelite is now no longer part of the true Israel unless he is in Christ’s “one body”.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

We have demonstrated that all the promises in Christ are yes and amen for all who are in Christ, because all who are in Christ are now “counted for… Abraham’s seed” regardless of physical pedigree.

2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

It is “by us” that all the promises “in Him are yes and Amen.” The reason that all the promises are surity “by us” is because it is “through our mercy” that all unbelievers, who are not yet “in Christ” and who therefore are not yet “counted for… Abraham’s seed… in Christ,” are yet to receive mercy and are all yet to become Abraham’s seed, through Christ, “by us.”

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 [all unbelievers] 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.

All will come to be in Christ because there is no other way to God.

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.

Christ is the only way to get to the Father, and if we are in Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Now we come to a part of God’s Word which is deeply hidden from even those of orthodox Christianity who consider themselves to be the spiritual seed of Abraham, and it was even hidden from those to whom Paul ministered, who considered themselves to be the spiritual seed of Abraham. What is so very hard for most all Christians to see or believe is that…

There are two very distinct seeds of Abraham.

Here is part of the promise made to Abraham. It gives us a clue as to who are “those who come up through great tribulation and wash their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Gen 13:14  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
Gen 13:15  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Gen 13:16  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

As mentioned at the opening of this study, certain things have to happen before more revelation can be given. “After Lot was separated from Abraham” the above promise is given to Abraham. Later more revelation is given, and this promise is repeated to “the seed of Abraham” of whom very few are aware.

Gen 16:9  And the angel of the LORD said unto her [Hagar], Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Gen 16:10  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Hagar returns to her mistress, Sarai, and has a son whom Abraham names Ishmael. Ishmael is born when Abraham is 86 years old. Then about thirteen years later, Sarah has Isaac, and a few years after that, when Isaac is weaned, God tells this to Abraham concerning his son by the bondwoman:

Gen 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Gen 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.
Gen 21:11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
Gen 21:12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Gen 21:13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

The message here concerning Ishmael is the same message we see in the epistles of Paul and John. Those who go out from God’s elect are, and always have been, much more popular, and therefore a much greater populace, than are those who are faithful to the word of God.

Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

2Co 11:12  But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
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.

Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

1Jn 2:19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

“They went out from us, but they were not of us… Satan’s ministers, false apostles… of your own selves.” This, too, is that part of Abraham’s seed, which “persecuted him that was born after the Spirit,” and this is that great multitude which no man can number of the tribes of Israel, which are the seed of Abraham by the bondwoman, and the rejected twin brother, seed of Abraham of Romans 9.

Rom 9:11  (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

“The election” are the 144,000 who will rule on this earth and will judge angels in the lake of fire. So, while the camp of Israel typifies all of mankind when speaking of learning how to worship God in the wilderness, the “son of the bondwoman” also typifies “the seed of Abraham” who is cast out but is yet acknowledged to be Abraham’s seed and is promised “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. This “seed of Abraham is this great multitude who, at a later resurrection, “come up out of great tribulation and wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

So “Abraham’s seed,” even those who think of themselves as being “in Christ,” are, in reality, also of two kinds. The first is the seed of Abraham which is of the bondwoman, which “shall not be numbered for multitude.” This “son of the bondwoman… seed of Abraham,” is not and cannot at this time be “counted for the seed” even though they are the “seed of Abraham.”

Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:38  I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

There is also another “seed of Abraham” which is “counted for the seed.” In 1 Corinthians 15:22, Paul informs us that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ, will all be made alive.” In Galatians 4 he goes to great lengths to distinguish between Abraham’s seed as “the son of the bondwoman” and Abraham’s seed as the “son of the freewoman.” Both being “in Abraham” are thereby to be considered as Christians, and Paul is telling the Galatians that both are in the church at Galatia.

Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 4:20  I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

Paul has already told us in Romans 2 and in Ephesians 2 that all who come to God must first become the spiritual seed of Abraham. Paul is very clear here in Galatians 4 that the son of the bondwoman seed of Abraham “answers to Jerusalem that now is and is in bondage with her children, [and] the son of the bondwoman will not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

“We are not of the bondwoman, but of the free?” Who is “we?” It certainly is not those who are the seed of Abraham whose seed “cannot be numbered for multitude.”

Gen 16:10  And the angel of the LORD said unto her [Hagar], I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

“We who as Isaac was, are the children of promise” are the “few chosen” out of all the tribes of Israel who can be and who are numbered. Christ spoke of these two groups when He said this:

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many [cannot be numbered] are called, but few [12,000 of each of the tribes of Israel] are chosen.

The man without a wedding garment appears in the parable to be the minority, but the last verse of the parable reveals him to be of the “many” and of the “great multitude which no man could number.”

Mat 22:14 For many [those who “cannot be numbered for multitude”] are called, but few [12,000 of each of the tribes of Israel] are chosen.

So, as incredible as it may seem to the natural man, there is a “seed of Abraham” which believes in Christ, which is both “of your father the devil” and is also “the son of the bondwoman.”

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

Let’s read it all again, and understand who it is whose seed is said to be “as the sand of the sea, and as the stars of heaven.” Here again is this mystery as it is first revealed to us in Genesis. We read this above, but let’s read it again.

Gen 21:13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

We all, just like Abraham, hate to let go of our own flesh.

Gen 17:18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Gen 17:20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Gen 17:21  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The kingdoms of our flesh always mature before the kingdom of God within us. Therefore Ishmael and Esau, both Abraham’s seed “which could not be numbered for multitude”, had “twelve princes and twelve dukes” which were “fruitful and multiplied exceedingly” and had built cities and established kingdoms long before Israel even went down into Egypt as “seventy souls.”

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

[Study Aired May 20, 2021]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, [Adonijah’s (H138) name means “my lord is Jehovah”] shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven [Php 2:12-13].
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works [Isa 4:1]?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

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

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

“It was of the LORD to harden their hearts”

[Study Aired April 12, 2020]

There is nothing like human nature and not learning from history to then go on and repeat it. Our study today continues in chapter 11 of Joshua and the northern Canaanites want to have a go at Israel and Gibeon.

Jos 11:1  And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
Jos 11:2  And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
Jos 11:3  And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
Jos 11:4  And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
Jos 11:5  And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

I am not sure if you noticed it or not, but “even as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude”, is biblical code for “a lot of people” .

These kings had to be out of their minds to gather themselves against the children of Israel after having “heard those things” and still going to fight against Israel and their God.

The truth is, they were indeed “out of their minds” because the Lord had given them a hardened heart that actually worked against their best interests of staying alive, and so it is to this day.

Today, the world celebrates the holiday of Easter while inserting some Christian concepts into this day of worship, yet it is not the “fault” of the world that they do what they do.

The Lord has hardened the hearts of Christians to follow the pagan traditions of those folks that have come before them while claiming to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I have no doubt there are sincere Christians who also focus mainly on the Christian traditions of this time of year, but still adhere to easter eggs and easter bunnies.

Before I go any further, know that I am not attempting to bash babes in Christ. That would be like trying to spank a baby for soiling themselves. It would make no sense, and I would be the one committing an evil in doing so.

All of these kings and priests had no choice in going to battle against Israel, just as the people today are being sacrificed for our lives.

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.

Heb 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
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.

Our hearts of been established with grace and not with anything that we have done, therefore, we can take no credit in it. However, just because we have been shown grace doesn’t mean that we should remain ignorant to what it all means for us and for them.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
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.
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

The “all things” that are for, to and through Him tells us the real story of why we all do whatever it is we are being caused to do, and that includes the story of Joshua and Israel going to battle with the northern Canaanites.

Just like the Christians today are enemies for our sakes concerning the gospel, the Canaanites were enemies for the sake of Israel, so that the land could be given to the people of God.

Think of all the building of buildings and cultivating of land that occurred before Israel came there just so that Israel could go in to possess a land flowing with milk and honey.

There is a direct correlation between these two events of Easter celebration today (or any holiday for that matter) and the northern Canaanites going to battle with Israel. Everyone is being driven by God to do their part in His plan of ultimate reconciliation.

Jos 11:6  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
Jos 11:7  So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
Jos 11:8  And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
Jos 11:9  And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

Given that I just said and showed that there are babes in Christ who are worshipping another Jesus, but that it is God who caused it, should we not consider them our enemies because God is working with them, too?

Of course not. They are the enemies of the cross without even knowing it, just like the northern Canaanites were enemies to Joshua and Israel even while it is the Lord that hardened their hearts to go to battle.

The truth is there is going to be death in this war the Lord has us in, and the death will either be them or us.

The Truth to understand is that the “them” is the old man in them and the “us” is the new man in us, the true bride of Christ. There are “many virgins” with some being wise and some being foolish.

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

I know I just read from a very famous parable. Yet, sometimes it is hard to see the Truth even when it is staring us in the face. All of the virgins slept and slumbered while the bridegroom tarried.

It was only the virgins that were awakened and had oil that were able to go on to the marriage. All the virgins were awakened from their sleep and slumber, but the difference is in who had oil to burn when the moment came.

See, the fire needs something to burn as fuel, and the physician comes only to those that need Him. Those that don’t need to prepare because they are “good to go” and are healthy won’t need to see the doctor when He is in town.

This parable teaches us that we are not to sacrifice ourselves for the foolishness of others if it means we, too, won’t be able to meet the bridegroom.

In logical practice, this means we do not join in the same excess of riot even while we know that others would think us strange for not doing so.

1Pe 4:4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Or as is said in the “God’s Word” translation:

1Pe 4:3 You spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. You were promiscuous, had sinful desires, got drunk, went to wild parties, and took part in the forbidden worship of false gods.
1Pe 4:4 Unbelievers insult you now because they are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of wild living.
1Pe 4:5 They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
1Pe 4:6 After all, the Good News was told to people like that, although they are now dead. It was told to them so that they could be judged like humans in their earthly lives and live like God in their spiritual lives.
1Pe 4:7 The end of everything is near. Therefore, practice self-control, and keep your minds clear so that you can pray.
1Pe 4:8 Above all, love each other warmly, because love covers many sins.

The oil that the five virgins had allowed them to “go out and meet” the bridegroom. This number five is a sign of grace. However, this number five is also a negative symbol of the lack of grace given to the other five virgins.

In other words, five of the virgins were sacrificed so that five virgins could become wives in marriage. Ultimately, this marriage is what is going to save everyone involved, including the virgins the Lord says He doesn’t know. Therefore, it is so important to do what the Lord says to do and not only whatever it is we think we can do to worship Him.

Mat 25:11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

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

The only way for us to know the Lord is to do what He instructs us to do. One of the things He tells us to do is slaughter everything that breathes. They are a sacrifice to the Lord.

Jos 11:10  And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
Jos 11:11  And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
Jos 11:12  And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.
Jos 11:13  But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
Jos 11:14  And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.
Jos 11:15  As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

For us today, the Lord doesn’t want us to compromise on things like Easter. As an example, for many of us, Easter traditions are hard to give up because we generally have pleasant memories of times we have spent with family during this celebration.

However, we know that the celebration is very much linked to worshiping pagan gods and throwing some Christian traditions in the mix.

I look at it from the practical standpoint of how it is we have gotten to this point as Christians. As an example, a long time ago Christians were threatened by the pagans that lived around them and had lived around them for a long, long time. When Christianity comes on the scene, there would have been much death and chaos as a result of pagans and Christians competing for the same resources and also for the minds and hearts of the people.

Adding in some pagan traditions with the Christian religion would have seemed like a good idea so that pagans could “get saved” because it would be very, very hard for pagans to give up their false gods.

If you doubt this, then look around you today because that is the same exact spirit we face with our Christian brothers and sisters today. Without the mind of God, you CANNOT please Him. You cannot do what He says to do. Why?

You can’t do what He says to do because He HAS HARDENED YOUR HEART, and God is NOT DIVIDED AGAINST HIMSELF! He is unified in His will.

Mar 3:24  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
Mar 3:25  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mar 3:26  And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

You might say to yourself that this is Jesus talking about Satan. He is talking about the kingdom of God, too! They were saying that what Jesus was doing was the work of Satan, but Jesus is telling them that the kingdom of God is NOT divided.

Therefore, our part in having the oil and power of God is to let the fire BURN brightly from it, “and he burnt Hazor with fire”.

Jos 11:16  So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;
Jos 11:17  Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
Jos 11:18  Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
Jos 11:19  There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
Jos 11:20  For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

“There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel”, tells us how the Lord sees the battle we have we the enemies of the gospel of the good news.

There simply will be no peace with someone that does not have the mind of Christ. They will never accept that you do not believe as they do.

There are always times when there is a perceived peace, but that is because there are seasons to all things, but there is never peace between the old and the new man.

Giants never make peace with grasshoppers.

Jos 11:21  And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
Jos 11:22  There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
Jos 11:23  So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

The giants in our lands are in the mountains, that is to say in type and shadow they are nearer to the heavens than those that we battle on the ground. Giants in the land can be eradicated if it be the Lord’s will, but there are always lots of battles with the inhabitants of the lands before we start to face the giants. Why is this?

Even David had to fight a lion and a bear, and do other things to “prove himself” before he was given faith and grace to go on to slaying Goliath.

With your family and loved ones, be patient when it comes to holidays, and today, Easter. Do not give in and do what they want by participating, because that would be the children ruling the house (babes in Christ), but also realize they are where they spiritually are for the benefit of the entire kingdom of God.

Video Links

Rev 21: 4-8 The Lake of Fire, and The Great Multitude Which No Man Can Number

Introduction

The “great multitude which no man can number” will be shown to be just another way of saying “the sea gave up the dead that were in it”. Once we make this connection, we will have no trouble understanding how it can be clearly stated that “there shall be no more death”.

So here in our study today we are told:

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

“There shall be no more death”. The only way to destroy death is to stop the birth of new babies and raise all people who have ever lived to life, through the judgment of the great white throne.

Rev 20:9 And they [“the nations in the four quarters of the earth”] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

As long as one person is either dead or is still in a fleshly “body of death” (Rom 7:24) death is not destroyed. But if all of mankind is destroyed by “fire from heaven” and all men who have ever lived are raised up in spiritual bodies, then death is indeed destroyed.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

So then this “white throne judgment”, accompanied by this “lake of fire which is the second death”, is the chastening judgment of all men of all time.

Now here is a Biblical Truth which the world most often overlooks. It is the Biblical Truth that judgment is simply the chastening which brings about the salvation of all who are judged.

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

“If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged” only because we have been judged already. But judgment, whether it is “judging ourselves” now or the judging of others later, is not condemnation to eternal torment. “When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord”, and since the whole world will be judged, we can rest assured that in the end that judgment will always produce the righteousness of God in “the whole world” and in “all men”.

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.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The “sea” is the Biblical symbol for the marred flesh out of which comes all of mankind. Since all men are destined to be saved by the judgment of the cross, it follows that when the cross has finished its work in all of mankind, then truly “there will be no more sea”, either within us or without.

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

All unbelieving sinners who are not now part of the “few… first fruit… chosen” will, by the agency of this “few… firstfruit… chosen”, be given mercy. How can the following verses of God’s word be made to agree with the false doctrine of “double predestination” and eternal torment?

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.

It will be by the agency of this very same group of God’s elect, who are known here in this revelation of Jesus Christ as “the lake of fire”, that all men who are not in the “blessed and holy first resurrection will be purified from all the false doctrines within them. It is this very same symbolic ‘fire’ which will devour the fuel of false doctrines known as “wood, hay and stubble” which will be burned up and destroyed by the words of Truth coming from the mouth of God’s elect. It is by that very same ‘fire’ that all the false doctrines of “wood, hay and stubble” will be burned out of all men of all time. The “fire” of “the lake of fire” is the fire of God’s Word which is in the mouth of His elect. It is God’s elect who are the fire through which those who “suffer loss will be saved, yet so as by fire”.

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.

There! That is the “fire of scripture”. It is “My [Christ’s] words in your mouth” which burn and torment us all as we, with our lying heresies, withstand those fiery words.

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.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The word here is not the Greek word ‘pas‘. This word here is ‘hekastos‘ which means “each” or “every” and leaves no room for exclusions. Now we can understand the meaning of the symbolism of ‘fire’ in scripture. The scriptures, which tell us of the hope of salvation beyond this life, are easily made to accord with those scriptures which speak of the destruction of all sinners and their ultimate salvation “through death”, through destruction of “every man’s work” and through being “saved, yet so as by fire”.

1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

There is hope of life beyond this life and through the symbolic flames of the lake of fire. It is in this lake of fire, that death will be destroyed and “every man… will be saved so as by fire”.

Who is it who will dwell in these “everlasting [Hebrew: olawm – age lasting] flames” and this “devouring fire”? This is, was and always will be the Truth of the Word of God concerning “who will dwell with everlasting burnings”.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

“Who will dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Surely Isaiah, who never shrank from telling Israel what would be the result of her sins, is going to tell us to do our best to avoid this “devouring fire”. But what is it that Isaiah tells us to do? Here is the answer of the spirit to this most important rhetorical question posed by this prophet.

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

“He that walks righteously” is the person who is granted to “dwell with the devouring fire”. So what is the purpose of this “devouring fire”? What do these “everlasting burnings” accomplish? Let’s read it again.

1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire [the lake of fire].

This is the truly good news we are told of throughout God’s word. Yes indeed, judgment is severe and sure. There really are fiery trials for all who will follow in the footsteps of their Lord. There really is a symbolic “lake of fire” which awaits all who will not submit to Christ in this age. But all judgment, either present or future, is for the purpose of chastening. It is never for the futile, counterproductive purpose of eternal torment:

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [“Firstfruits”, not exclusively] of those that believe.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The diabolical lie of eternal torment is the exact opposite of the teaching of scripture, that the elect are a special “kind of first fruits.” God’s elect who are redeemed in this age are not the only fruit of the sacrifice of Christ. This dreadful heretical lie teaches that ‘all’, when speaking of all men being saved, means only “all kinds of men”, and that Christ’s sacrifice is definitely not “for the sins of the whole world”. This great heresy teaches that God’s will that “not… any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” is nothing more than a vain wistful wish on God’s part, and that wistful wish is being thwarted by another heresy known as man’s free will. That is right. The same people who teach “double predestination”, meaning that the elect are predestined to be saved, and the rest of mankind are predestined to burn in hell for all eternity, also teach that you and I have a free will. The scriptures teach the exact opposite:

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

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

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

But God has no wishes which He does not accomplish. What God wishes for and wants is exactly what God gets.

2Ch 20:6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

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

This again is God’s pleasure:

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Notice how this verse accords with what is said about mankind after the “great innumerable multitude… comes up out of the great tribulation” know as the lake of fire.

Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

It is obvious that the 144,000, who are called “the firstfruits to God and the Lamb”, are those who come up in the first resurrection to rule and reign with Christ during the thousand years. It should be equally obvious that the “great multitude” which no man could number is the Biblical symbol of all those who “come up against the camp of the saints” and are cast into the lake of fire along with “all the dead in the sea, death and hell.”

So it is true that “His mercy endures for ever”.

Psa 118:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Because His mercy really does endure forever, we are told:

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

“He that sat on the throne” is our Lord. We know this because the next word is “said”. It is always our Lord who is speaking for His Father.

Are all things made new only at the “redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph 1:14), or is there not also a very present application of this verse? The answer to that question, as is always the case, is that there is a very present application to “all things being made new”, and it is this application which we must always keep preeminent in our studies and in our very lives. Here is how our Lord wants us to view this fifth verse at this very moment:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The ongoing nature of these words is expressed in the very next two verses:

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

To just what extent is this true? Let’s look at the previous verse:

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.

What have we just learned? If I am not to know you after the flesh, pray tell, how am I to know you? We are never left to guess about these matters. In words that are clearly understood, we are told how we are now to know each other in Christ.

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him [the angel showing John these things]. 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.

To make sure we do not miss this great revelation and to confirm that it will shortly come to pass, this great Truth is repeated in chapter 22:

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.

So we are now to see each other as angels of God who are sent to show these things to our brothers in Christ. We are to see this primarily as a present reality, as well as being true in John’s day and as being true in the future.

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

That angel is the symbol of all those who comprise the whole church. It is “by the church” that “all men” will eventually see “what is the fellowship of this mystery”, and it is by the church that all men will be made to “know the manifold wisdom of God”.

Let’s go back one chapter to see just how clearly the holy spirit wants this to be made.

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

“The ages to come” is referring to my age and your age. It is “by the church” that these words have been written, and it is by these written words that we are brought to this understanding.

So God is in the process of “reconciling the [whole] world unto Himself, and He is not imputing their trespasses unto them.”

The whole world sees our Savior as a babe in the manger; as a twelve year old child asking and answering the questions of the doctors and lawyers of the law in the temple; as a traveling evangelist, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead; as that man who fed the hungry multitudes, and finally they see Him as our dying Savior on the cross. But we are no longer to see him that way. The Lord we know is no longer in a body of flesh in any of those capacities. He is now seated at the right hand of His Father with all power in heaven and in earth.

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

It is a rare person who even understands that verse. If “all power” is now in Christ’s hands, why is there still evil in this world? Could it be that Christ is actually actively involved in the process of sending strong delusion via the dragon, the beast and the false prophet? Have we not all been deceived by this trio within us?

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

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

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Who was it who had us deceived?

Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

But does any of this refer to God’s saints? Yes, it does. The fact is that all of this is written, at this time, only for God’s saints. God’s words are not even designed, at this time, for those who are not intended to understand them until a later time.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him [the beast within us] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

It is only by “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, that along with our Savior, we are prepared by God and are proven and qualified to become the merciful, loving and caring kings and priests we are intended to be.

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.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

It is in this very reassuring spirit that our Lord continues to comfort us with these words:

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Are these words of comfort meant for just the few chosen, or will not all men “each in his own order”, be given “the water of life freely”? What do the scriptures teach?

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

The wages of sin is death, and death is slated to be destroyed by “the gift of God”.

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

Do the wages of sin come only upon some men? How absurd! The wages of sin come upon all “in Adam”. So we are told:

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

It is “in Adam that all die”, and just as all die in Adam, “even so in Christ, shall all be made alive”. It is through this “lake which burns with fire and brimstone” that all men will be saved.

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Here is what Strong’s Concordance reveals about this word ‘brimstone’.

G2303
θειον
theion
thi’- on
Probably neuter of G2304 (in its original sense of flashing); sulphur: – brimstone.

When we look up this G2304, the Greek root of this word ‘theion‘, this is what we find.

G2304
θειος
theios
thi’- os
From G2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): – divine, godhead.

So “brimstone” or ‘theion‘ is “godlike” and “divine”; and what is God?

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

How long does his mercy last?

Psa 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Is His mercy just for believers?

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.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now we can begin to understand why this second judgment is called a “great white throne judgment”. It is a ‘godlike’ merciful judgment”. It is not called ‘a great black throne’. It is a great white throne’. Christ died for the ungodly, not just for believers, and He did so while we were yet in our sins.

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

This mercy of ours is coming to the very unbelievers “through whose unbelief” we are given this mercy”. It will be given to them through the very same “one event”, Psa 107 “goodness of God” experience through which “one event” you and I have been “shown mercy”.

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.

This is not contrasting Jews with Gentiles. The contrast is between “the righteous and the wicked… the good and the sinner”, and we are plainly told “All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked”. But we are “yet sinners” before we become aware of any of this. It is as “the fearful and the unbelievers” that Christ died for us. It is in that state that the apostle Paul poses this question?

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?

The answer to this question is a resounding, yes! At first we all despise “the goodness of God which brings us to repentance”. We despise it so much that we are brought “to our wits’ end” by that very “goodness”. Here is that “goodness of God” which Paul speaks of in Rom 2:4.

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

It is with this hope set before us that through all the trials we endure on a daily basis, we can still say with the apostle:

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will begin to see how we are to “keep” and “live by” these words which have “proceeded out of the mouth of God”.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

Video Links

Rev 7:9-17 I Beheld, and, lo, a Great Multitude

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Introduction

It is worth noting that the words ‘After this’ (according to all of the literal translations) should read “After these things” meaning that there is an orderly progression in the way we “keep the things which are written therein.” I noticed in my word search that this phrase appears eight times throughout the book of Revelation, and it is obvious that we all must be “carnal… babes in Christ, before we can grow to the point of enduring seven trumpet judgments followed by the seven last plagues of the seventh trump.

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

The reverse application of Romans 12:3 is that we are never to “return to our vomit” or fail to “leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ”.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

So if God permits we will now ask, ‘Who is this “great multitude which no man could number?”‘ How do they differ from the “144,000 of all the tribes of Israel?” The Four beasts and the four and twenty elders, who tell us they are God’s elect, are also said to be ‘of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues.’

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.

These four beasts and four and twenty elders of Revelation 5 are “kings and priests… and reign with Christ on the earth?” Is it possible that this “great multitude which no man can number” is simply another type and symbol of God’s few, chosen and faithful elect? After all, are we not told that this great multitude “came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb?” How can we know for certain this group which “came up out of great tribulation and have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb” are not the same as the 144,000?

The answer is that we have already gone into great depth to demonstrate that all who come to God “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” must first become the true spiritual circumcision, the true spiritual Jews and true spiritual Israelites. This is, was and will be true for all the ages of mankind. The Word of God “shall not pass away.”

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

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Being an Israelite is now no longer a physical matter. It is now a spiritual matter only, and a physical Jew “is not a Jew, and a physical Israelite is now only “that which is called the circumcision.” What has the coming of Christ accomplished for all of mankind, both physical Jews and physical Gentiles who are “now in Christ Jesus?” Here is what Christ has accomplished. It cost Him His life, but He was willing to make that sacrifice.

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him 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;

Both Jews and Gentiles are now one, and there is nothing that separates us. It is of utmost importance that we realize all who come to God are now spiritual Jews, spiritual Israelites and must be spiritually circumcised in heart. What this proves is that, as we noted last week…

…The camp of Israel here represents the whole of mankind.

It is out “of all the tribes of Israel” that the very select group of 12,000 from every tribe is chosen and sealed. Yet anyone who ever comes to God at any time must do so through Christ, and the coming of Christ has necessitated that all who now come to God must first become spiritual Israelites. Here are the two verses from above which make this case.

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Physical Gentiles were “in time past” not a part of Israel, but now, in Christ, a physical Israelite is now no longer part of the true Israel unless he is in Christ’s “one body”.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

We have demonstrated that all the promises in Christ are yes and amen for all who are in Christ, because all who are in Christ are now “counted for… Abraham’s seed” regardless of physical pedigree.

2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

It is “by us” that all the promises “in Him are yes and Amen.” The reason that all the promises are sure “by us” is because it is “through our mercy” that all unbelievers, who are not yet “in Christ” and who therefore are not yet “counted for… Abraham’s seed… in Christ,” are yet to receive mercy and are all yet to become Abraham’s seed, through Christ, “by us.”

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 [all unbelievers] 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.

All will come to be in Christ because there is no other way to God.

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.

Christ is the only way to get to the Father, and if we are in Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Now we come to a part of God’s Word which is deeply hidden from even those of orthodox Christianity who consider themselves to be the spiritual seed of Abraham, and it was even hidden from those to whom Paul ministered, who considered themselves to be the spiritual seed of Abraham. What is so very hard for most all Christians to see or believe is that…

There are two very distinct seeds of Abraham.

Here is part of the promise made to Abraham. It gives us a clue as to who are “those who come up through great tribulation and wash their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Gen 13:14  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
Gen 13:15  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Gen 13:16  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

As mentioned at the opening of this study, certain things have to happen before more revelation can be given. “After Lot was separated from Abraham” the above promise is given to Abraham. Later more revelation is given and this promise is repeated to “the seed of Abraham” of whom very few are aware.

Gen 16:9  And the angel of the LORD said unto her [Hagar], Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Gen 16:10  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Hagar returns to her mistress, Sarai, and has a son whom Abraham names Ishmael. Ishmael is born when Abraham is 86 years old. Then about thirteen years later, Sarah has Isaac, and a few years after that, when Isaac is weaned, God tells this to Abraham concerning his son by the bondwoman:

Gen 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Gen 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.
Gen 21:11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
Gen 21:12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Gen 21:13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

The message here concerning Ishmael is the same message we see in the epistles of Paul and John. Those who go out from God’s elect are, and always have been, much more popular, and therefore a much greater populace, than are those who are faithful to the word of God.

Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
2Co 11:12  But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
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.
Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

1Jn 2:19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

“They went out from us, but they were not of us… Satan’s ministers, false apostles… of your own selves.” This, too, is that part of Abraham’s seed, which “persecuted him that was born after the Spirit,” and this is that great multitude which no man can number of the tribes of Israel, which are the seed of Abraham by the bondwoman, and the rejected twin brother, seed of Abraham of Romans 9.

Rom 9:11  (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

“The election” are the 144,000 who will rule on this earth and will judge angels in the lake of fire. So while the camp of Israel typifies all of mankind when speaking of learning how to worship God in the wilderness, the “son of the bondwoman” also typifies “the seed of Abraham” who is cast out but is yet acknowledged to be Abraham’s seed and is promised “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. This “seed of Abraham is this great multitude who, at a later resurrection, “come up out of great tribulation and wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

So “Abraham’s seed,” even those who think of themselves as being “in Christ,” are in reality, also of two kinds. The first is the seed of Abraham which is of the bondwoman, which “shall not be numbered for multitude.” This “son of the bondwoman… seed of Abraham,” is not and cannot at this time be “counted for the seed” even though they are the “seed of Abraham.”

Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Joh 8:38  I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Joh 8:39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

There is also another “seed of Abraham” which is “counted for the seed.” In 1Corinthians 15:22, Paul informs us that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ, will all be made alive.” In Galatians 4 he goes to great lengths to distinguish between Abraham’s seed as “the son of the bondwoman” and Abraham’s seed as the “son of the freewoman.” Both being “in Abraham” are thereby to be considered as Christians, and Paul is telling the Galatians that both are in the church at Galatia.

Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 4:20  I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

Paul has already told us in Romans 2 and in Ephesians 2 that all who come to God must first become the spiritual seed of Abraham. Paul is very clear here in Galatians 4 that the son of the bondwoman seed of Abraham “answers to Jerusalem that now is and is in bondage with her children, [and] the son of the bondwoman will not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

“We are not of the bondwoman, but of the free?” Who is “we?” It certainly is not those who are the seed of Abraham whose seed “cannot be numbered for multitude.”

Gen 16:10  And the angel of the LORD said unto her [Hagar], I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

“We who as Isaac was, are the children of promise” are the “few chosen” out of all the tribes of Israel who can be and who are numbered. Christ spoke of these two groups when He said this:

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many [cannot be numbered] are called, but few [12,000 of all the tribes of Israel] are chosen.

The man without a wedding garment appears in the parable to be the minority, but the last verse of the parable reveals him to be of the “many” and of the “great multitude which no man could number.”

So as incredible as it may seem to the natural man, there is a “seed of Abraham” which believes in Christ, which is both “of your father the devil” and is also “the son of the bondwoman.”

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

Let’s read it all again, and understand who it is whose seed is said to be “as the sand of the sea, and as the stars of heaven.” Here again is this mystery, as it is first revealed to us in Genesis. We read this above, but let’s read it again.

Gen 21:13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

We all, just like Abraham, hate to let go of our own flesh.

Gen 17:18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Gen 17:20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Gen 17:21  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

The kingdoms of our flesh always mature before the kingdom of God within us. Therefore Ishmael and Esau, both Abraham’s seed “which could not be numbered for multitude” had “twelve princes and twelve dukes “which were “fruitful and multiplied exceedingly” and had built cities and established kingdoms long before Israel ever even went down into Egypt as “seventy souls.”

The struggle between the two sons of Abraham are within us.

In the same manner, God’s apostle, in talking to God’s own church in Galatia, tells them that all of this is in their own midst and that he “stands in doubt of them” concerning this very scripture in Genesis.

Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 4:20  I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so [it is] now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

What does this have to do with us? It has everything to do with us. It is within us that all of this occurs. We are all first the children of the bondwoman, living in bondage to the “weak and beggarly elements” of this world. We all first “do service to them which by nature are no Gods.” We all then come to know God, and then we “turn again to the weak and beggarly elements” which make us much more acceptable to the “great multitude which no man can number, of all the tribes of Israel,” before we are chosen to be those who can be and are counted and sealed of God.

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

“Jerusalem that now is and is in bondage with her children” is the spiritual symbol of God’s church today, as it lends its support to any and everything which opposes the example Christ left us that we should walk in His steps.”

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

It is the “great multitude which no man could number” which makes up the “many Jews who believed in Him” and yet hated Him and the “example He left us.” It is those who make up the “great multitude which no man can number” who say they believe in Christ, and yet they want to kill Him rather than follow the example He left us. What in the world was it these Galatians were doing that led Paul to make his assessment that they were “turning again to the weak and beggarly elements? What were they doing that was doing service to them which by nature are no gods? Is this of any significance to us? Does this have anything to do with the example Christ left us? Here is what led Paul to this sad assessment of the church at Galatia. What does the very next verse in Galatians say?

Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Christ did not even keep the sabbath or the holy days of the church of His day. Should we follow His example, or should we just fit in with the great multitude which no man could number?

The symbolism of 144,000 out of all the tribes of Israel is the symbol of all who have been given to “follow the steps and example Christ has left us.” This is an incredibly small number in comparison to the many billions of “all the tribes of Israel.” It is an incredibly small number taken from the billions of all the world, who will, in the end, all be the “seed of Abraham” who are “as the sand of the sea… as the dust of the earth, and as the stars of heaven which cannot be numbered for multitude.”

Where does the Bible ever say that Abraham’s seed was to inherit all the world? Here is where that is revealed.

Rom 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Promise, spirit and faith, are all one and the same in referring to the seed of Abraham which receives the promises of inheritance and rulership over both “this world and angels.” “The promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but [the promise that spiritual Abraham and the spiritual seed of Abraham would be the heir of the world was] through the righteousness of faith.”

Where is Abraham ever given such a promise? It is found and repeated all through the story of Abraham and his seed. Here it is again:

Gen 13:16  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Gen 16:9  And the angel of the LORD said unto her [Hagar], Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Gen 16:10  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

“The dust of the earth” is all over “the world.” Paul makes this clear in telling us that Abraham and his seed “should be heir of the world.” It is now obvious that this “great multitude which no man can number” here in Revelation 7, is nothing less than “the seed of the son of the bondwoman” of Genesis 16:10. This is “the seed of Abraham” which, according to Paul, is right in God’s church and is so numerous “that it shall not be numbered for multitude.” The great multitude which no man can number is the “many called” and the 144,000 out of all the tribes of Israel are the symbol of the “few who are chosen.”

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

Mat 22:14, Mat 13:10-15, set against 1Co 15:22, 1Ti 4:10, and 1Jn 2:2 and many other New Testament verses assure us that there is a passage of time between the sealing of the 144,000 out of all the tribes of Israel and “the great multitude which no man could number.”

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

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

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Revelation 6 is the opening of the first six seals, and the sixth seal reveals that there is a great judgment which will be poured out upon all mankind:

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

Verse 15 describes this great host which no man could number. It is “every man.”

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself
shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

“Every man… shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” This is the message of Revelation six and seven. Chapter six reveals these two groups of chapter 7 in the fifth and sixth seals. We have just seen the great multitude which no man could number in Revelation 6:12-17. The 144,000 are those in the fifth seal who are even now seated with Christ in the heavens (Eph 2:6), and at the same time are crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20), and who die daily with Christ (1Co 15:31), while yet in these bodies of dust and clay.

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

It is only those who “keep” these words, and are spiritually “slain for the word of God” who are “under the altar” which altar is the cross of Christ, waiting for the full complement of our brothers who have yet to “enter into His rest and cease from their own works.” It is only they, the few and the easily numbered, who will rule and reign with Christ in His kingdom. That must first be accomplished within “the kingdom of God [which is] within us” before it will be given to any of us to rule and reign over the kingdoms of this world without, during the thousand years of Satan’s imprisonment and throughout the ages of the lake of fire.

Note the similarities between what we read of those who are redeemed through the agency of the lake of fire, in Revelation 21, and “the great multitude which no man can number” in Revelation 7.

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

This is what we read of the great multitude which no man can number in Revelation 7.

Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The similarities are striking because they are one and the same. These are all the rest of mankind who were not in that blessed and holy first resurrection.

The purpose for the placement of Revelation chapter 7

It is instructive to note that this chapter, which assures us of the salvation of all men, is placed right after the dire predictions of the sixth seal in chapter six.

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

It is a very comforting conclusion which is advanced to us between the day of God’s wrath in the sixth seal and the seven trumpet judgments which carry out that wrath, beginning in chapter 8.

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

After we are warned of the day of God’s wrath, and before we get to the comforting words of Revelation 21 quoted above, we are assured at this critical juncture of the final salvation of a great multitude which no man can number, and we have seen that this same phrase is used of “the dust of the earth, the sand of the sea and the stars of heaven.” Clearly we are being told in the revelation of the two groups of this seventh chapter that it is through the unbelief of the latter that the former is chosen and sealed to God, and it is through the mercy of the former that the latter will be given mercy. We are also being told that it is all the working of the angels, winds, and spirits of God (Rev 7:1). It is all in complete accord with what Paul has revealed to us in Rom 11.

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.
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Summary

We have seen once again, that the camp of Israel, outside the court of the temple, represents the whole world, which world Abraham was promised when he was promised that His seed would be as the dust of the earth.

We have seen that there are two distinct “seeds of Abraham” – one which is said to be “the son of the bondwoman” and the other “the son of the freewoman”. We saw that the seed of the son of the bondwoman always grows much faster and matures long before the seed of the son of the freewoman.

We saw that all of this is to be realized and kept within us before we will be granted  rulership over the outward kingdoms of this world.

What we have learned is that the great multitude which no man can number is those who believe in Christ, but who simply are not granted the ability in this life to accept and follow the example Christ has left us to follow in His footsteps.

Finally we saw that the placement of this chapter gives us the assurance that the wonderful outcome of the salvation of a great multitude which no man can number, is not in any way in doubt, and that all the seven trumpet judgments and the seven vials of the seventh trump and really nothing more than the necessary steps toward that blessed and wonderful conclusion of the salvation of a multitude which is as the dust of the earth, the sand of the sea, and the stars of heaven.

Next week, Lord willing we will begin our study into the seven trumpet judgments.