Rev 11:7-14, Part 1 – The Beast Overcomes And Kills The 2 Witnesses

[Study Aired Nov 3, 2024]

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

Introduction

The “beast… ascends out of the bottomless pit”, which is “the abussos”, G12, in the Greek. We have demonstrated that the bottomless pit signifies the abyss or the sea of flesh from which we are all drawn.

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

This ‘abussos’ is the flesh and its desires which are within all men, including the flesh of the two witnesses. If that really is true, how then is it possible that the two witnesses can “ascend up out of the bottomless pit”, the ‘abussos’ and “rise up out of the sea… [G2281, ‘thalassa’], finish their testimony” and still be killed by “the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit”? ‘Abussos’, and ‘thalassa’ are two Greek words for the same thing, the sea. We covered this subject of the bottomless pit in our study of Rev 9 and will not repeat that study here, except to reread that verse and to remind ourselves that the bottomless pit is in us all by nature, and the smoke from that pit darkens the sun and the air in every generation of mankind, including each of us in our own order.

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

As we consider these verses here in Rev 11, we once again just naturally slip into the frame of mind of the natural man who can only see one event following another, chronologically, instead of seeing the words of God from a heavenly perspective as spiritual words, which are unchanging and always applicable in every generation of mankind.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

What “I change not” means is that the words of God apply to every generation, so that “the beast [is] ascending out of the bottomless pit” in every generation of mankind. The bottomless pit within us is being destroyed by the brightness of the knowledge of Christ and His Words and doctrines coming into our hearts and minds. But as that ‘bottomless pit’ is destroyed within the two witnesses in every generation since Christ, it is also simultaneously being strengthened and perpetuated in the next generation of those who are even now rejecting that very same witness to the testimony of the words of Jesus Christ, as those words continue to proceed out of the mouth of the two witnesses of every generation. As an example of this, Christ was asked if Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah. Here is His answer:

Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

What it all amounts to is the simple fact that we all live the life of the first Adam, with all that is within him, and then in God’s own “predestinated” time and mercy, we will also live the life of the Second Adam, the life of Christ, with all that is in Him. What is so little understood is the fact that this is all accomplished within us and is expressed in prophecy in types and shadows, in signs and symbols and in parables. What is so little understood is that God’s elect are not exempt from one single word of God. “All things are ours…, it is near…, even at the door…, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled” is true in every man of God, in every generation of mankind (1Co 3:21-22; Mat 24:34-35), “each in his own order”:

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

All men will die to their old man, but we will all experience that ‘death’… in [our] own order”.

Those who “die daily (1Co 15:31), offer [their] bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), [and are] crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20), in “this present time” (Rom 8:18), die first and will not “be hurt of the second death” (Rev 2:11), and ‘the second death will have no power over them’ (Rev 20:6) because they have already fulfilled that experience “in this present time”. Those who have died to their old man and all of his desires in this present time do so because they are given to be judged in this present time:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves [in this present time], we should not be judged [at the great white throne judgment].
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged [now in this present time], we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world [to the great white throne judgment of all the rest of mankind].

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? [They will be judged at the great white throne/ lake of fire/ second death, judgment.]

That is why Christ tells us:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [in the first resurrection at the beginning of the thousand year reign of “our Lord and His Christ”, Rev 11:15 and Rev 20:5-6]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920, ‘krisis’, judgment, the great white throne judgment of Rev 20:11].

These New Testament statements are based upon this revelation found throughout the Old Testament:

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.
Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

The apostles of Christ remained faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ to the end of their “course [Greek, aion – age] of this world”. But before they were made to be faithful, they too, “were by nature children of wrath, who denied him with an oath, and persecuted His disciples.”

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course [Greek, aion, age] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
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.

Mat 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

“In time past you [and I] walked according to the age of this world”:

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But Christ did not die just for those who were alive in His days. He died for all men of all time, and He prayed specifically for all those who would hear the words of those who believed on Him through the testimony of His disciples:

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

So Christ’s disciples endure from generation to generation, and in this manner the two witnesses endure from generation to generation.

But this “My Words shall not pass away” principle is also true for “the children of disobedience” who “are of their father the devil”, which is just another name for the beast that “ascends out of the bottomless pit”. In every generation he too, will ascend out of the bottomless pit and will be killing God’s two witnesses who are tormenting them that are upon the earth.

We must remember that those two witnesses are symbols of all who witness for Christ in every age of mankind. We need to remember that the great city wherein our Lord was crucified, is later in this book called “Babylon the great”, where the blood of all of the saints, meaning the blood of Christ, is found.

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Rev 18:24  And in her [“Babylon the great, the mother of harlots”] was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

“The blood of the prophets and saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” certainly includes Christ, and all those who are in Him. We are both those murderers first, and later we become those who are murdered and are killed by the harlot of chapters 17 and 18. So then “Babylon the great” is the type of God’s harlot church, and the symbols which explain all of this prophecy are all taken from the Old Testament scriptures concerning God’s own people as they turn themselves away from their own Lord.

Isa 1:1  The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

In the same chapter, only 8 verses later, we read:

Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Still speaking of “the vision… concerning Judah and Jerusalem”, in this same chapter we read this.

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

These are words proceeding from the mouth of God which we must live by (Mat 4:4, Luk 4:4). Our flesh, in turn, by the grace of God, will then be ‘killed daily’, and will die daily (1Co 15:50), by the fire of the mouth of the two witnesses. That fire is, of course, the spirit, which is “the words which Christ speaks to us” (Jer 5:14 and Joh 6:63). Here is the result of that fire:

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

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

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

As we saw in our last study, the death of the ‘two witnesses’ was ‘read of, heard of, and kept’ by those who first read the sayings of the words of this prophecy in the day John put these words to paper and pen:

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

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.

This entire 11th chapter is just a part of “those things which are written therein” which we must be read, hear and keep. All who are given the grace to do so will “keep the words of this prophecy for the time is at hand” to do so (Rev 1:3). This entire prophecy does nothing less than expand upon the words of the Lord’s prophecy of Mat 24, which makes the same point.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: )

Only if God grants us “eyes that see, and ears which [can] hear” that we are that beast within “the holy place”, and we are that “man of sin” who sets himself up as God within that “temple of God”, will we ever know what is meant by the words “whoso reads let him understand… for the time is at hand”.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: )

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

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come [the day of Christ’s coming to His temple within us], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

None of the apostles changed their doctrine from church to church. What Paul taught these Thessalonians “when he was yet with them” was that “you are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in you”, which is what he had also taught the Corinthians (1Co 3:16-17). This inward ‘temple of God’ is the same ‘temple’ Paul had in mind when he said this to these Thessalonian Christians:

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? [That “ye are the temple of God”]

Therefore these Thessalonians knew exactly what Paul meant by these words:

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth [our crucifixion by this world with Christ, and our resurrection with Christ] that he [the man of sin] might be revealed in his time.

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. [When ‘the iniquity of our old man is full’ then Christ comes to destroy him]

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [Greek, withholds the coming of Christ] will let [will withhold the coming of Christ, as revealed in the next two verses], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

“They that believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” is first our own ‘old man’. 2Th 2:6 is fulfilled in Rev 11, when the two witnesses are killed by “the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit when their testimony is finished”. You and I have been that beast which is doing the killing of those witnesses, and you and I in turn become those two witnesses who will be killed by that beast.

In this case, our ‘death’ is not the “dying daily” death of our old man. In this story our death “in the street of the great city” is “the savor of death” which we are to “the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit”. This is where you and I are at this very moment in the eyes and the nostrils of those in the great city of Babylon:

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be to God, Who always gives us a triumph in Christ, and is manifesting the odor of His knowledge through us in every place,
2Co 2:15 for we are a fragrance of Christ to God, in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing:
2Co 2:16 to these [those “in the street of that great city”], indeed, [we are] an odor of death for death, yet to those [in Christ we are] an odor of life for life. And for this who is competent?
2Co 2:17 For we are not as the majority, who are peddling the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God in Christ, are we speaking. (CLV)

It is “all [who are] in Adam [who suffer the curse of] strong delusion [and who] believe a lie”. “All in Adam includes you and I who have “in times past” been sent that “strong delusion and [have] believed the lies” of Babylon, and have spiritually killed God’s witnesses and left their dead bodies unburied “in the street of the great city… where also our Lord was crucified”.

Rev 11:9  And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Rev 11:10  And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

As we saw last week, we are “the earth”, and we are “those who dwell on the earth” and who rejoice and send gifts to one another to celebrate our liberty from having to hear the words of these men of God. But the rejoicing of our flesh over the man of the spirit is soon turned to sorrow when we witness our resurrection with Christ “in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound”.

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Eph 2:6)
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Here is why we rejoice at the death of God’s elect. Here is how we are sent the “strong delusion” which causes us all to rejoice at the death of the true witnesses of Christ. This is how God sends His wrath upon us while we are “abiding in His wrath”. This is the reason why we never realize that we are deceived until we “look behind” ourselves to see this great revelation:

Psa 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

So when we read [with understanding] about all the plagues of God’s wrath which are cast upon the earth in the seals, trumpets and vials, we now know how that is being done. “He casts upon us the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble by sending evil angels among them”.

But those evil angels do not appear to be evil angels:

2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

The symbols of these verses

So here are the symbols of verses 7-14:

1) The two witnesses finishing their testimony,
2) The beast ascending out of the bottomless pit making war against and
3) Killing Christ’s two witnesses,
4) Their dead bodies lying unburied,
5) In the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,
6) Where also our Lord was crucified,
7) The people, kindreds, tongues and nations,
8) See their dead bodies,
9) Three days and an half, and do not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10) Rather they rejoice over the death of Christ’s two witnesses, and send gifts one to another, celebrating the fact that these witnesses of Christ, who had been tormenting them, were at this time as good as dead, having no effect in the streets of the great city wherein also our Lord was crucified.
11) But after three and one half days, God’s witnesses are raised from their state of death,
12) Causing great fear to fall on those who see them.
13) At this point the two witnesses hear a voice from heaven telling them to “Come up here”, and so they
14) “Ascend up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies see that they have done so.
15) It is at this point that there is a great earthquake, and the entire event begins to be repeated again, as
16) A tenth part of the city falls and
17) Seven thousand men are killed in that earthquake, and the remnant are frightened, and give glory to the God of heaven.

Having established that these are words which are for those who are given to “understand what we read” (Mat 24:15), and having established that those who read and hear are to keep these words (Rev 1:3), we will now simply list each symbol and the scriptures which define how that symbol is to be understood and kept.

1) The two witnesses finishing their testimony, like all of these symbols and indeed all of God’s Word, is something which is always “near, even at the doors, and does not pass away”.

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

So it is we who first, by believing the doctrines of “many false prophets”…

2) … ascend out of the bottomless pit, within us, to make spiritual warfare with the truths which proceed from the mouths of God’s witnesses.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

By simply withstanding the testimony of the two witnesses, which we all do while believing and teaching the doctrines of Babylon, we are thereby guilty of:

3) … killing God’s two witnesses. We need not kill any one literally, and the two witnesses are not literally two in number, neither do they need to be literally killed to “keep the things which are written therein”. Here is all that must take place literally for these verses to be spiritually lived out and spiritually kept by us all:

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

4) If we hate the doctrine of the Lord’s witnesses then we have murdered them and their dead bodies lie unburied, because at this time in our lives, the word of God, which commands us to love our enemies (Mat 5:44), and bury our dead (Deu 21:23), and to bless and curse not (Rom 12:14), means nothing at all to us in our self-righteous, rebellious condition. God’s commandments are all ignored in favor of gloating over our physical dominance over the witnesses of God’s Word , while we are in great Babylon. The phrases “their dead bodies shall lie in the street of that great city” and “shall not suffer their bodies to be put in graves”, are both a type and a shadow of rebellion against the commandments of God which requires these things of us. Burying our dead is spiritually the sign and symbol of forgiving our enemies. We use the English phrase to this very day, “Let’s bury the hatchet”, and we simply cannot, at first, do so.

Deu 21:22  And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.

5) “In the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt” is the city of God within us which has spiritually rebelled against His rulership and His commandments and has become a harlot (Isa 1:21). Both ‘Sodom and Egypt’ typify each of us as we are smarting under the rulership of our first love.

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. [Haters of The Truth, 1Jn 3:15, and those who bring us that Truth]

Lot, who was Abraham’s nephew and the son of Abraham’s own brother, typifies our own flesh before we become Abraham. Lot typifies us as we “pitch our tent toward Sodom” and eventually end up sitting in the gate of Sodom, judging Sodom, being grieved with the sins of Sodom, and attempting to save and improve a doomed city, which in the end we, having become Abraham, are forced to “come out of” and stand afar off and watch the smoke of spiritual Sodom arise from the fields of the plains. That is the spiritual significance of calling the city where our Lord was crucified, Sodom.

Gen 13:12  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Gen 19:28  And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Isa 1:8  And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
Isa 1:9  Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city. [“Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt”, Rev 11:8]

As Israel, God’s first born Son, we cry out to be delivered from Egypt, but just as Lot had come out of the land of the Chaldeans just to “pitch his tent towards Sodom,” so too, as God’s Israel, we must come out of Egypt, just to end up rebelling against God “ten times” and wanting to return to Egypt.

Num 14:3  And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
Num 14:4  And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2  As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

We are the ones described by these phrases: “Let us return to Egypt… and [you] have not listened to my voice… and burned incense to graven images”. That is the spiritual significance of God revealing to us that we are first “spiritually called Sodom and Egypt”. Here once again is what Isaiah said of Jerusalem in his day:

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Notice that it does say… “the faithful city”, just as Christ says “They have received… the words you gave me” just before the apostles forsake Him and leave Him to suffer His fate on the cross:

Joh 17:8  For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee,

The point of all scripture is that all men are first unfaithful, before the Lord causes them to be faithful.

We will pause at this point and continue our study of these verses concerning the Lord’s faithful witnesses in our next scheduled meeting.

Numbers 35:1-34 Cities for Levites and Cities for Refuge

[Study Aired January 8, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study of Numbers chapter 35 looks at the Lord’s command for the people of Israel to give the Levites, out of their inheritance, cities to dwell in and also to designate some of the cities as cities of refuge. This was dependent on the people of Israel overcoming the various tribes living in the land of Canaan.

In order to understand the spiritual interpretation of this chapter, we need to look at what cities and cities of refuge represent. Cities represent places where we live and raise our families. In the Bible, we know that we all live in Christ. 

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

The Bible therefore uses a city to represent the church of Christ. A good city symbolizes the assembly of the elect, and a bad city represents Babylon or the physical churches of this world who have strayed from the Lord’s ways. Here are examples of a good city and a bad city as used in the Bible:

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 
Isa 1:22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 
Isa 1:23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 
Isa 1:24  Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Isa 1:25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
Isa 1:26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Isa 1:27  Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

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

The cities of refuge represent our Lord Jesus Christ as it is in Him that we are kept safe from the evil one who seeks to destroy us. 

Psa 46:7  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psa 9:9  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 
Psa 9:10  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Towns for the Levites

Num 35:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 
Num 35:2  Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
Num 35:3  And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

The suburbs in verses 2 and 3 means pasturelands. These verses are to show us the Lord’s provision for His people. The Levites in this case represent the chosen people of God’s house. While we were still in Babylon or the churches of this world, signified by Moses and the people of Israel in the plains of Moab, as the spirit of the Lord was stirring us to leave, the Lord had already provided for us a place to dwell where there are abundant pastures for us to grow in Him. The word “Israel” means He will rule as God. In other words, it is the Lord who does everything through the people of Israel. Therefore, the children of Israel represent our Lord Jesus Christ who, through His victory on the cross, gave to His elect cities to dwell and pasturelands to feed on His words when He gave birth to the church.

Psa 100:1  A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 
Psa 100:2  Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 
Psa 100:3  Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

We are not brought into the church of the firstborn to hunger and thirst after the word of the Lord. The Lord has also provided us with pasturelands in the assembly of His elect (cities to dwell), where just like sheep, we feed on the word of the Lord with what every joint supplies. That is where we grow in spiritual stature such that we are no longer tossed to and fro or carried about with every wind of doctrine. 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

In verse 3, we can see the Lord’s provision of pasturelands for all kinds of beasts. As we are aware, we are beasts before the Lord, thus confirming the Lord’s provision for us to be fed with His words.

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

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

Eze 34:14  I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 
Eze 34:15  I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 34:16  I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. 
Eze 34:17  And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

Num 35:4  And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
Num 35:5  And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. 

The pasturelands that the Lord has provided in the midst of His children have dimensions of two thousand cubits in every direction. This implies that the provision of the Lord for us to be fed by what every joint supplies is to bring us to grow to become witnesses of Christ, as the number two signifies a witness.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

When the Lord was departing from His disciples physically, He gave them the promise to wait for the Holy Spirit which would come and make them witnesses of Christ.

Act 1:4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Act 1:5  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

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

Cities of Refuge

Num 35:6  And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities. 
Num 35:7  So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs. 
Num 35:8  And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

About six of the cities which were to be given to the Levites were to be designated as cities for refuge. This was for the purpose of protecting those who flee to these cities because they had mistakenly murdered someone. As indicated in the word of the Lord, we see that our refuge is in Christ. The number six refers to man. On a negative note, therefore, these six cities of refuge represent the church of Christ dominated by man’s wisdom instead of Christ. These six cities of refuge therefore represent Babylon. After we left the world or Egypt, we came to Babylon where we had taken refuge in Christ as we had a murder charge on our heads as we unknowingly assisted in the death of Christ and His elect. These verses below show how we were all guilty of murder when we came to Babylon.

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

In verse 6, the number of cities to be given to the Levites was 48. The number forty-eight signifies the whole of the elect of every generation who are given a new beginning in Christ. In verse 8, the Lord establishes a principle that those who have many shall give many and those who have few shall give few. This principle is in line with the parable of the talents where the person with five talents was able to get or produce five more talents. The same goes for the one with two talents. However, the one with a talent was not able to give back a talent.

Mat 25:14  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 
Mat 25:15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 
Mat 25:16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 
Mat 25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 
Mat 25:18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

This principle also implies that the little truth that is given to our brothers and sisters in Babylon shall be taken away and given to the Lord’s elect.

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.

Num 35:9  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 35:10  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 
Num 35:11  Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.
Num 35:12  And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
Num 35:13  And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
Num 35:14  Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
Num 35:15  These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

As indicated, these cities of refuge represent our Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have taken refuge. These cities of refuge were safe places for those who had unintentionally committed murder and were being pursued by an avenger to put them to death. As we said earlier, we are the murderers. How did we become unintentional murderers of the Lord’s elect?  When we hate them because of what they say we are murderers. In the new covenant, hating our brother or sister is regarded as murder. We are therefore murderers who need to take refuge in Christ (cities of refuge) to escape from the devil (the avenger) who seeks to put us to death spiritually. 

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 

Act 4:27  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 
Act 4:28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

As our Lord Jesus said, in this world we shall have tribulations, which makes it imperative to have a refuge apart from our sin of being murderers of our Lord Jesus Christ and His prophets. The things we go through in this life are very stressful, and unless we take refuge in Christ, we shall be meat for the devil. For example, David went through heart-breaking and stressful circumstances in his life but was sustained because he took refuge in Christ. His example is for our admonition that we must run to take hold of Christ, who is our city of refuge (positive application)!!

1Sa 30:4  Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
1Sa 30:5  And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
1Sa 30:6  And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Num 35:16  And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 
Num 35:17  And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 
Num 35:18  Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 
Num 35:19  The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 
Num 35:20  But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 
Num 35:21  Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. 

As we are aware, the Law of the Spirit of life which sets us free from the Law of Sin and Death (the Law of Moses) is of higher standards in every aspect. We do not need to physically commit physical adultery or fornication before we become guilty of adultery. Just looking lustfully at a woman makes one guilty of fornication or adultery under the Law of the Spirit of Life.  In a similar vein, just being angry with a brother or sister can make one liable of murder as shown in these verses below.

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. 

With this in mind, verses 16–21 above, which show us the list of cases where the murder charge was appropriate, as all the culprits here deserve death sentences, are all indications of the guilty verdict of our old man or the flesh which must of necessity die.  The slayer or the revenger of blood in these verses represents the devil who aids in the death of our old man. The devil therefore plays a role in our salvation. That is why Apostle Jude said that those who do not know Christ well tend to blaspheme everything that they do not understand about its spiritual significance including insulting the devil.

Jud 1:8  Yet in like manner these people also (those who do not Christ), relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
Jud 1:9  But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Jud 1:10  But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. (ESV)

The Lord has shown us in His word the role the devil has as follows:

Isa 54:16  Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager (the devil) to destroy (our old man); 
Isa 54:17  no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

As stated, the Law of the Spirit of Life has far higher standards than the Law of Sin and Death, that is, the Law of Moses.  You may wonder then; how would we be saved then with such high standards which we cannot attain? We must realize that it is the Lord’s work to start with us and to complete what He started. Of ourselves, we can do nothing.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Secondly, we must realize that salvation is a process. While we live here on earth in this tent of flesh, we cannot be perfected. We may make mistakes but as we grow in the things of God, such mistakes become more rare. It is after death that we are perfected, just as the Lord Jesus was perfected when He rose from death. 

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

One will say that since we cannot be perfected, then we can continue to make mistakes. As shown in the last study concerning the boundaries of the kingdom of God within us, the kingdom of God is confined within the boundaries of the flesh. This implies that if we do not take care, we can easily drift toward being dominated by the flesh and as a result, lose all that we have achieved spiritually.  This is the Lord’s warning for our admonition:

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Num 35:22  But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him anything without laying of wait, 
Num 35:23  Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 
Num 35:24  Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: 

These verses show us that it is the intent of the heart which matters and not the action which results. In these verses, although the person has committed murder, the fact that it was not intentional means that the person does not face a death sentence immediately and that there must be a congregation to judge on the matter. These provisions show us that even within the Law of Moses, there were provisions that point to the intent of the heart which directs us to the Law of the Spirit of Life. Jesus’ coming was to bring in this Law of the Spirit of Life.

Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle (with its law of Moses) was yet standing: 
Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 
Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Num 35:25  And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

To understand this verse, we need to see the city of refuge in a negative sense. It is stated that the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood and restore him to the city of his refuge. This shows us the role that the church (Babylon) plays in our walk with the Lord. Through the churches of this world, we are delivered from the devil (the revenger of blood) when we flee from the world to be given hope in the Lord as our refuge. During our time in Babylon, we end up crucifying the Lord again and putting Him to open shame, that is, putting Christ our High Priest to death. However, it is when we see Christ within us being put to death signified by the death of the High Priest, that we get out of our city of refuge (Babylon) and become free to worship the Lord. 

Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Num 35:26  But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 
Num 35:27  And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: 
Num 35:28  Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. 
Num 35:29  So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

On a positive note, coming into the city of refuge represents coming to hide in Christ our King as our stronghold or tower. It is in Him that we lay hold of the hope that is set before us.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 
Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

In verses 26-27, we are warned that if we leave our city of refuge or Christ, we become mincemeat for the devil. This means that we shall end up becoming spiritually dead. It is when Christ within us is put to death through the doctrines that we imbibe in Babylon that we have to leave to become spiritually free to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

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

Num 35:30  Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 

In verse 30, we are being taught the principle of having two or more witnesses before a thing is established. One witness is not sufficient testimony to establish the matter. What this implies is that no Bible verse has its own interpretation. We need other witnesses in the Bible to establish what the Spirit is saying to us.

2Pe 1:20  knowing this first, that every prophecy of Scripture did not come into being of its own interpretation; 

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 

Num 35:31  Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. 
Num 35:32  And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 
Num 35:33  So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 
Num 35:34  Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. 

The King James version of verse 31 which we just read did not bring out clearly what the verse means. In other versions of the Bible, we are told the following:

Num 35:31  Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 
Num 35:32  And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. (ESV)

Our old man or our flesh who belongs to the devil, the murderer, must surely be put to death. There is no ransom for the flesh. It was made of dust, and to dust it must return.  In verse 32, there is no ransom for those who have fled to a city of refuge. If we come to Christ as our refuge, and we continue to sin, there is no ransom since Christ has already been sacrificed. 

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 
Heb 6:5  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 
Heb 6:6  and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

In verse 33 and 34, we are told not to pollute the land that we dwell in by committing murder since blood pollutes the land. The land refers to our bodies. We are therefore not to fill our hearts with hatred for our brothers and sisters as hatred is regarded as murder according to the Law of the Spirit of Life. We are to love our brothers and sisters, even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for us. In relation to Christ, love to us means obedience. In our relationship with one another as brothers and sisters, love means that we serve one another. 

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Gal 5:13  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

May the Lord help us as we take refuge in Him to lay hold of the hope set before us. Amen!!

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 70

“The judgments” – Part A

November 26th, 2014

Often times when we are given direction in life we as humans tend to wonder “why?”? Why do this or that in this or that way? Why is this or that this way and why should I listen to those that have gone before me?

In truth, this is as natural for all of us as the sun rising and setting.

In the previous two studies we covered what are known as the ten commandments, but those are just the start of what is known as the law of Moses.

Now we are going to cover what are the laws and the judgments the Lord has given to the Israelites in addition to the commandments given to them initially.

As with all of scripture, we can glean lessons from these judgments given to the physical Jews because all of the law of Moses hangs on the great commandment given to us by Jesus. Of course, our “job” is to dig into the spiritual application of these laws/judgments in our lives today.

“Those of your own ‘house’ ”

Exo 21:1  Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

I don’t intend to cover every single verse and example because some of them overlap in their application. What I will hopefully be used to convey is that the Lord has very specific actions that are to be taken when any given event happens to us in our daily lives.

If we look at the previous admonitions given in the OT, then we can glean what it is we will need to consider when applying those admonitions to various situations in our lives.

For example:

Exo 21:2  If thou buy an Hebrew servant(H5650), six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Ultimately, this verse is about reconciliation but that is not apparent on the surface of what we are reading here.

The reason it is about reconciliation is that there is a time when someone who is a slave or servant will be set free. That ultimately points to how the Lord is working all things after the counsel of His own will to bring in all of mankind to Himself so that He can be all in all.

In addition to that, this is a “Hebrew” servant. If someone is of our kinfolk or of our own people, then they are to get special considerations i.e. they are of our “household”.

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

I think you’ll agree that the household of faith includes all of God’s children who have the Faith of Christ but does not specifically have to be someone you have previously known personally.

There are specific guidelines that further allow us to know that there are judgments for all situations so that we cannot simply think that God does not know what we are up against or what He has or is putting us through.

For example:

Exo 21:3  If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

Exo 21:4  If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

In verses 3 and 4 we can see that a master wants nothing to do with what was already the servants/slaves before the man became a slave. This typifies that the Lord wants nothing belonging to our flesh.

However, the next verse tells us that anything that is GIVEN to a slave man is expected back from the master in addition to an “profit” or “gain” that came about from the thing given to the slave .. i.e. the “fruit” or children who were a result of the gift given to the slave.

After all, these people were simply money at the end of the day. They were away to profit and gain and were easily traded for other things.

This all typifies what the Lord has called us to when we calls us to Him. We become a slave to Jesus when we take on His work and His name. We are ambassadors for Him.

Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Eph 3:1  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

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

Phm 1:1  Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

Phm 1:9  Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Notice however, that what Paul speaks about in the above verses is exactly what we are when, having been made a slave by our Master, we end up loving Him and all that He alone has given us.

Exo 21:5  And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

Exo 21:6  Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

The significance of such an act as having a hole placed in your ear was an act that made you a slave for the rest of your life. It also signified your undying servitude to listening diligently to all your master commanded and OBEYING without question.

This, on the part of the slave who could be set free, was the ultimate sacrifice of love for one’s master and family.

Here is an example from the CEV translation of what it meant to have your ears spiritually bore through with a ROD:

Psa 40:6  Sacrifices and offerings are not what please you; gifts and payment for sin are not what you demand. But you made me willing to listen and obey.

Psa 40:7  And so, I said, “I am here to do what is written about me in the book, where it says,

Psa 40:8  ‘I enjoy pleasing you. Your Law is in my heart.’ ”

Psa 40:9  When your people worshiped, you know I told them, “Our LORD always helps!”

Psa 40:10  When all your people met, I did not keep silent. I said, “Our LORD is kind. He is faithful and caring, and he saves us.”

So, this covers the male slave/servant and the requirements under the law concerning slavery. What then are the requirements of a female slave/servant as given in judgment of the law?

Exo 21:7  And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant(H519), she shall not go out as the menservants(H5650) do.

Exo 21:8  If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

Exo 21:9  And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

Exo 21:10  If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

Exo 21:11  And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

On the seventh year the men were able to go free but this was not true of a woman. She must stay the maidservant and/or wife of the master for as long as it pleased him and he followed the law concerning her.

However, because she could “become humbled” due to the master, she still had to be treated as a wife even if the master/husband was displeased with her in anyway.

The woman in this regard had more rights than a man because he could be sold off to others whereas when a man “knew” a woman he owed her the duty of marriage and this applied even if he took on multiple wives.

If the master did not treat her as a wife and give her food, clothes, and the life of a wife she was able to leave freely and not have to pay for her freedom.

However, I am sure we can all guess as to who it was that would determine that a maidservant was being treated properly or not according to the law.

Nonetheless, we are covering what was supposed to be the judgments used to determine how to handle these situations and not what might have actually been the reality.

“Murder”

Murder with the intent of murdering was not to be pardoned in the judgments passed out as mentioned in the 6th commandment and when Noah was given to Noah in Genesis 9.

Gen 9:6  Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

However, if the death of someone happened because God has caused it to happen, then there were places of asylum that the Lord would create and given Israel so that you could flee there until your case could be heard by the judges. There were 6 of those in total that were given to Israel with 3 of them being on either side of the Jordan.

Exo 21:12  He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Exo 21:13  And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

Exo 21:14  But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

The CEV translates verse 13 in this way:

Exo 21:13  But if you did not intend to kill someone, and I, the LORD, let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside.

“All of the sudden” we see a few judgments placed in the middle of us being told how to deal with murder, but I believe a strong reason for this can be said that these were viewed by the Lord to be just as serious as murder. In fact, they received the same penalty of death.

Exo 21:15 (CEV)  Death is the punishment for attacking your father or mother.

Exo 21:16  Death is the punishment for kidnapping. If you sell the person you kidnapped, or if you are caught with that person, the penalty is death.

Exo 21:17  Death is the punishment for cursing your father or mother.

Fighting with someone simply because you become angry did not indicate that you meant to kill someone even if that ends up as the result. So, there were different judgments based on the result of the fight.

Exo 21:18  And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

Exo 21:19  If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

With all of the above judgments, we can see that the intent of the heart and mind on a matter is what the Lord judges in these matters.

If you deliberately want to kill someone, you are going to pay the penalty equally under the law. However, if an argument leads to a physical altercation that generally indicates that there was no pre-meditation involved.

The judgments being laid out in this chapter to the children of Israel need to be considered in the light of which they were given.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

When considering what and who we are we need not forget where we have been brought to and from.

When considering the law of Moses versus the Law of Liberty we need to make sure to NEVER forget what the Lord has done for us. Reflecting on being “lawless and disobedient” and still being loved by the Lord is truly having the Lord bring light from darkness because we are NOW being transformed into Sons of God….. who are the light of the world.

These mosaic laws were the foundational judgments being given before the tabernacle and priesthood was established, so this is something that the people knew was not being directly edited by mere men and would be used to judge everything that came after they were established laws.

Additionally, we need to remember that this was happening as the trumpets were being blow and the mountain quaked and the people feared.

Remember, the Lord had set boundaries on the mount and told them if they stepped “out of bounds” they would die, yet when these judgments were being given, they themselves retreated from the mount and told Moses to speak to the Lord on their behalf.

Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Exo 20:20  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

Exo 20:21  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

For us, we can look at each of these judgments and see that the Lord wants us to recognize Him working it all after His own counsel.

To bring this point home, we are going to see in the next study that the Lord controls even the beasts, in particular oxen are mentioned in the last half of this chapter, but we know that when beasts are mentioned it is speaking directly about us in some fashion or form.

Just as Moses drew near to the darkness, we too can realize that “light comes forth from darkness” and it is “in the darkness” where we will find Jesus coming springing forth from. That is how we should see these judgments coming forth to us in order to separate that light from darkness.

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

Gen 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Gen 1:4  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Hi Mike,

If abortion a sin then why…

Gen 38:24 Tamar’s pregnancy was discovered three months after conception, presumably because it was visible at that time. This was positive proof that she had been sexually active. Because she was a widow, without a husband, she was assumed to be a prostitute. Her father- in- law Judah ordered that she be burned alive for her crime. If Tamar’s twin fetuses had been considered to be human beings, one would have expected her execution would have been delayed until after their birth. There was no condemnation on Judah for deciding to take this action.

Amo 1:13 I will not revoke the punishment because they have ripped up women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their borders.

This refers to atrocities allegedly committed by Ammonite soldiers. Disemboweling pregnant women in that era would be almost certain to kill both the women and their fetuses. The reference to enlarging their border may mean that the Ammonites wanted to prevent children from being born who later might grow up to fight the Ammonites. The horrible nature of the crime appears to be directed at the killing of defenseless women; the deaths of the fetuses is not discussed.

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

In this passage, the angels refer to the fetus which Mary will carry as a “thing,” not a male person. The gender in the original Greek is neuter. Jesus is only referred to by the title “Son of God” after he is born, presumably after he becomes a person. This is consistent with the traditional Jewish belief that a fetus becomes a full human after it has half- emerged from the mother’s birth canal.
The Greek can mean child as well.

A____

Hi A____,

Thank you for your question about medical abortions.
Before I deal with your question concerning abortion, I want to make it clear that by standing on the Word of God, I am in no way condemning women and mothers who have had abortions while being told that the child they were aborting was not a living being. Every abortion ever performed was the taking of a life, but giving back that life is no problem at all for God, and He will do just that in His own time.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

My intent in all of my answers to all who write to me is to simply remain faithful to God’s Word. It is not intended to judge or to condemn anyone. So when I use the word ‘you’ below I am not referring to you but to the words which you have sent to me to answer. Please keep that in mind as we begin answering the questions which are raised here.
You reference the story of Judah and Tamar, and you use Judah’s judgment to burn Tamar alive with her unborn child, who was an ancestor of Christ, as proof that the unborn are not children at all.
You ask:

If abortion a sin then why…

Gen 38:24 Tamar’s pregnancy was discovered three months after conception, presumably because it was visible at that time. This was positive proof that she had been sexually active. Because she was a widow, without a husband, she was assumed to be a prostitute. Her father- in- law Judah ordered that she be burned alive for her crime. If Tamar’s twin fetuses had been considered to be human beings, one would have expected her execution would have been delayed until after their birth. There was no condemnation on Judah for deciding to take this action.

There is no specific condemnation of Judah for selling his brother Joseph into slavery in the previous chapter of Genesis.
Here is Judah’s own assessment of himself in this whole story:

Gen 38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
Gen 38:25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
Gen 38:26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

So using lying, conniving, and self- righteous Judah’s totally unbiblical decision to burn Tamar alive at the stake for her supposed harlotry, in which he himself had played the part of the whoremonger, is hardly any indication of what is the mind of God concerning the subject of medical abortions, which actually are not specifically mentioned in scripture.
But the value of a fetus IS specifically dealt with in scripture, and it is not considered a mere ‘thing’, as you emphasize in quoting the words that refer to our Lord in His mother’s womb.
Here is proof that God considers a fetus to be a ‘thing’ of great value:

Exo 21:22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

He will surely be punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him”. That is quite a statement. I doubt any husband ever demanded a mere penny for the loss of his child.
You make reference to Luk 1:35. “That holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the son of God”. That ‘thing’ could never become the son of God without first being a living fetus which is breathing the oxygen of life through His mother’s lungs. If that fetus and the oxygen in its blood is not to be considered as being alive, then neither is the life- giving oxygen of the blood of the mother.
Emphasizing the word ‘thing’ while totally ignoring that this ‘thing’ is “the Son of God” is nothing less than a demonstration of a bias which is determined to justify the murder of defenseless children who are no more “viable” outside the womb than they are inside the womb.
Ignoring the children in the wombs of the mothers who were “ripped up” by the Ammonites, and placing emphasis only on the mothers is nothing short of total blindness to what is being said. God is specifically condemning the ripping up of women “with child”. It is God Himself who has already made the decision that these women are “with child“.

Amo 1:13 I will not revoke the punishment because they have ripped up women with child in Gilead, that they might enlarge their borders.

The holy spirit could have inspired the writer to simply refer to women being murdered. That would have been a terrible sin on the part of the Ammonites in itself, but they compounded their sin by ‘ripping up women with child“. If those warring Ammonites will not be held guiltless by God, how much less will a doctor to does the same thing for filthy lucre be judged by God for his murders of helpless and innocent children? Yes, as I will show below, God calls the unborn “children”, as well as “the thing… the Son of God”.
Every pregnant mother, and the husband of that pregnant mother, have to contend with that unborn child moving, rolling over, and kicking while it is in its mother’s womb. Having five children of my own, I know whereof I speak. So an unborn child is very much alive and is living on the oxygen of its mother’s lungs. That unborn child is considered by God to be just as alive as its mother. Here are a couple of fetuses in particular on which our Lord placed very great value. He is no respecter of persons and places the same value on all other fetuses:

Gen 25:21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Gen 25:22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

These two fetuses are referred to by our Creator as “the children… within her”. They are definitely not referred to as “never having been” or as ‘those things”.
I just this moment went to my e- sword to check the Greek meaning of the word translated ‘thing’ in Luk 1:35, and lo and behold, that word is not even there. That word ‘thing’ is added to the Greek word ‘hagios’ which means ‘holy’. So the ‘holy’ in Mary’s Womb shall be called “the son of God”. That is what Adam himself is called.
Here is that verse with all the Strong’s numbers by each word:

Luk 1:35 AndG2532 theG3588 angelG32 answeredG611 and saidG2036 unto her, G846 The HolyG40 GhostG4151 shall comeG1904 uponG1909 thee, G4571 andG2532 the powerG1411 of the HighestG5310 shall overshadowG1982 thee: G4671 thereforeG1352 alsoG2532 that holy thingG40 which shall be bornG1080 ofG1537 theeG4675 shall be calledG2564 the SonG5207 of God. G2316

Here is the Strong’s entry for G40:
G40
αγιος
hagios
hag’- ee- os
From αγος hagos (an awful thing) compare G53, [ H2282]; sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated): – (most) holy (one, thing), saint.

This is the Greek word translated ‘holy’ every time we read the words ‘holy spirit’. So it is nothing less than deliberate deceit to make this statement:

In this passage, the angels refer to the fetus which Mary will carry as a “thing,” not a male person. The gender in the original Greek is neuter.”

… as if the word under discussion was the word ‘thing’, when in fact there is no such word. “That holy thingG40” It is all translated from the one Greek word ‘hagios’, which is assigned Strong’s number G40.
Now Adam himself is also called “the son of God” in Luke’s genealogy:

Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Since all men are “in Adam” and since “Adam… was the son of God” we can safely conclude that we are all Christ’s brothers “in Adam” and that as such we are all “sons of God” and that in the final analysis, all life is holy to God, and that “as you have done it unto one of the least of these… ye have done it unto me”.

Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

So what was in Mary was simply ‘hagios’ or ‘holy’, as is all life. The fact that Christ did not have a physical father, does not make “the first man Adam” any less a “son of God”.
There is much more that can be said on this subject, and a brother named John McDowell has done a rather thorough job of dealing with this issue in the second of the URLs listed below.
I pray that this e- mail helps to give you a Biblical understanding of Luk 1:35, and the fact that the word ‘thing’ is really ‘holy’, that the Ammonites of Amo 1:13 will not be held guiltless because the ripped up women with child, and that Gen 38:24 is a commentary on Judah’s corruption rather than a commentary on the worthlessness of a fetus.
I pray that our Lord will grant you to think as He thinks on this and on all matters.

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

Your brother in Christ,
Mike
1. Are Medical Abortions Murder?
Friendly Page Are Medical Abortions Murder? Posted May 17, 2009 Updated March 3, 2010 Mike, In one of your posts you say this. “Personally performing an abortion is to personally murder a baby human being and brother, but to fill out a prescription is nowhere near personally deciding upon the death of another human being, even if the person you are serving
www. iswasandwillbe. com/ Abortion. php
2. Is Abortion Ever Permissible?
Here are a few good links: Are Medical Abortions Murder? Why Died I Not From the Womb? How Does God Make Us Do Evil? Can a Christian Be a Pharmacist? Verses on unborn children — are they living beings or not? The Word of God makes it very clear in more than one place that a child in the mother’s womb is known by God from the moment of conception — or
www. iswasandwillbe. com/ Is_ abortion_ permissible. php
3. Job 3:11-18 Why did I not die?
as infant which never saw light” has been taken by itself to justify the millions of medical abortions as children which really “had not been”. All who have done this can only be … then why is this man being punished for an accidental abortion? It is true that medical abortions are never even considered in scripture, but the fact that the unborn are said to
www. iswasandwillbe. com/ StudyNotes/ Book_ of_ Job/Job_3_11__18_ Why_ not_ die. ph…

Hi Mike,

I pray all is well with you and your family. I have another question. I know we are now under grace rather than the law, and I agree that we are not to kill anyone spiritually or physically. My question is while under the law, the Jews received the 10 commandments, one of which was thou shalt not kill, yet there are numerous occasions in the old testament where God had them kill their enemies and their own when they transgressed the law. How is this not a contradiction? As always, thank you for your time.

Your brother,
S____

Hi S____,
It is good to hear from you, and thank you for your question.

The answer to your question is that the word ‘kill’ should read ‘murder,’ instead of ‘kill.’ Israelites were commanded not to murder one another. There was never a commandment given in the law of Moses against killing a fellow human who was not an Israelite. Israel was, in fact, commanded to “destroy everything that breaths” in the cities of their enemies.
I had a Jewish friend who told me that the Law of Moses taught that Jews were to love their enemies, just as Christ taught. As it turns out the way the Jews think and believe is very similar to the way God told the Jews to think and live under the law of Moses.
I asked my Jewish friend if the concept of ‘love your enemies’ was only referring to your Jewish enemies, and he said, yes, that is true. Jews believe that Jews should love their Jewish enemies, but only their Jewish enemies, and they have no such thoughts or ordinances concerning their Gentile enemies.
That is the same message I have heard from the mouths of many Christian ministers who name the name of Christ. I heard a minister say that Christians are commanded to love their enemies regardless of what kind of an offense had been committed. I was taken with this message teaching love of one’s enemies to the point that I told all the children to remain quiet until this minister was finished. I kept expecting him to say ‘Except…’ but the exception just seemed to never come. He went out of his way to make it clear that it mattered not what was the offense, we were to love and forgive. I could hardly believe my ears. But my suspicions were correct, and in the last minute of the broadcast he made himself clear. “Now am I saying that you ought not protect your family against an intruder? Absolutely not!” he said. “You should step on that man like a cockroach, if he comes into your home and threatens your wife and children,” he proclaimed. “Am I saying that you ought not join the military and protect your country against intruders?” he asked. “Absolutely not! You are expected by God to fight against any who would invade you country and attempt to change you into a Moslem or a communist, or any other threat against your country.”
That is Satan’s mode of operation. Agree with God’s words. Affirm its truths and at the same time deny what Christ actually taught. That is what is always the most successful way of keeping the multitudes deceived. That is what is always done by the ministers of Babylon. They always agree with Christ and His doctrine. Is God love? Yes, they will always say. But with the same breath they will affirm that if you do not go to church and tithe, you will burn in hell forever. Is God sovereign? Of course He is, they will readily affirm, and with the same breath they will tell you that your free will can thwart God’s sovereignty.
That is why we will never understand what is the purpose for the calling of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and why God “loved Jacob and hated Esau, while they were in their mothers womb having done neither good nor evil.”

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.

Until we understand that everything done in the Old Testament was a carnal fleshly type of “good things to come.” Nothing in the Old Testament was the real thing. It was never intended to be the finished product. It was all a type and a shadow of the finished product.

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [ and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

God was working with a carnal nation with carnal commandments which were never designed to have any affect whatever upon the hearts and minds of those to whom these commandment were given. God actually told Israel to “destroy any thing that breathed,” of the cities of their enemies:

*Heb 7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
Heb 7:17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb 7:18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. [* Added 4/22/2012]
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Is that true? Was Israel to hate their enemies? Yes, they were, and it was by God’s command:

Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [ for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

So my Jewish friend was right. The law of Moses distinguishes between “a freeman” meaning an Israelite who has not been enslaved by debt, and a Gentile, who was either to be killed or to submit to becoming a slave in Israel:

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, [ that] all the people [ that is] found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
Deu 20:13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
Deu 20:14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, [ even] all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

Those are very carnal commandments for a very carnal nation:

Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
Heb 7:13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
Heb 7:14 For [ it is] evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
Heb 7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Christ’s New Covenant was indeed a “change also of the law.” It asks more than the flesh is capable of giving, and it necessitates Christ living His life of dying daily within us.
Joh 8 and 1Co 3 reveal that all “babes in Christ are yet carnal.” It requires coming out of the doctrines of Babylon to have a true change of heart and have a change of spirit which will be able to do what the flesh cannot do.
I feel sure you already know all this, but I hope I have answered your question concerning why God told Israel “Thou shalt do no murder,” as opposed to “Thou shalt not kill,” any human being.

Your brother in Christ.
Mike