Rev 21:1-3 A Bride Adorned for Her Husband

[Study Aired July 6, 2025]

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.

Introduction

Our goal in this study, as it has been throughout, is to understand how a new heaven and a new earth are being formed within each of us, and how the first heaven and the first earth are passed away, and there is no more sea, in the sense that “the things written herein must shortly came to pass” with all those who “read, heard, and kept the things written here” two thousand years ago as well as those who read, hear, and keep the things written in this prophecy to this very day. We want to make clear that these words “are spirit… which will never pass away”, and therefore have been being kept by believers in every generation since Christ.

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

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

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.

Here are some of those words which have been being kept by those who have been reading and hearing them for the past two thousand years.

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.

Is it possible that there is even now a new heaven and a new earth? As always these things we are to keep are to be seen as primarily spiritual and within “until the redemption of the purchased possession”.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Does the fact that our inheritance is just in “earnest… until the redemption of the purchased possession” mean that we simply do not really have it at this present time? That is what our flesh tells us, but what does the spirit tell us about how we are to perceive our heavens and our earth at this present time?

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

For  those to whom it is given to read, hear and keep these “things which are written [herein]”, this is how there is now a new heaven and a new earth”.

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

Does “all things” include heaven? Should we really see ourselves as being in heaven?

Eph 2:6 and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, (LITV)

So when we who “keep the things written therein” read of a “new heaven and a new earth”, we are not to think only of a future event, but we ought also to think in terms of what Christ has accomplished within us.

Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isa 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isa 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

This is what God is doing within us if we are this “Jerusalem” which He is creating. This is the end product of what God is doing now within His chosen few.

Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

What is the name given to those whose “seed will remain”?

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

These are words which we are to keep here and now (Rev 1:3). This “New Jerusalem” is to be understood as a present reality “in earnest” for God’s elect (Eph 1:14).

How does our Lord go about making “all things new” for all men who are “in Christ?” Here is how that is accomplished in every man in his own appointed and predestined time:

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

“The day [which] shall… reveal by fire.. of what sort [our] works [are]” is the day of the Lord’s judgment, and this is when that day begins within His elect:

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?

1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Which men have defiled the temple of God? Is it only sinners who do that? Yes, that is right; it is only sinners who defile the temple of God and who must, one and all, be destroyed. Who then must be destroyed?

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

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

If “all have sinned” and if “the wages of sin is death”, how then is anyone saved? Here is how that is accomplished.

Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

There it is. “There is no difference” between “all… and all them that believe”. So much for the heresy of Calvin that “all” here means only “all kinds of men”. Not so. If that were the case, the phrase “for there is no difference” would have no contrast at all. How would that then read? ‘… by faith of Jesus Christ unto all kinds of people, and upon all kinds of people, who believe, for there is no difference’??? The words “kinds of people” are not in the Greek and are not the point being made. What the point being made is is that “The righteousness of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ, and it is coming unto all, as well as to all believers, because there is no difference” between the process of salvation which is coming to all sinners, as well as “all who believe”. All will be judged, either now in this life, or else they will be judged in the lake of fire, called “the second death.” “There is no difference, because there is one event which destroys the old man in present believers, and then it is the very same event which will one day destroy the old man in all the rest of mankind, who will be “cast into the lake of fire.” It is all the same experience. It is simply experienced at a different time.

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.

So we are told that the overcomers of this life will be the first to enter into this symbolic city called “new Jerusalem”, and to serve as the channel, or agency, by which all unbelievers will be shown mercy and be brought to faith, to repentance and eventually brought into that city and into the family of God.

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.

God’s “elect… overcomers” have “in earnest” and “in the spirit” already been granted to “come unto” and to be the children of this “holy city, new Jerusalem”.

Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

The reason this “holy city, new Jerusalem” is called our mother while Christ is called our “everlasting Father”, is that this New Jerusalem is Christ’s bride. This New Jerusalem is the Biblical symbol of “the church which is His body” but which is also His bride, His elect.

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

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

If we are God’s elect, then we are espoused to Him as “a chaste virgin” who is also called His bride.

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.

It is this very same “new Jerusalem” which is symbolically said to be “written upon” those who are Christ’s bride, His elect.

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

In the final analysis whether we are a bride, a city or an overcomer, ‘the dream is one’ (Gen 41 :25-26) and all three symbols signify the greatest honor ever to be bestowed upon any person. One’s wedding is a very important day. ‘The dream is one’, and these symbols all signify the one Christ of Christ. Christ and His Father are dwelling within His first fruit elect for the purpose of using them to bring all the rest of mankind to themselves.

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

This is what Christ’s Father sent Him to accomplish:

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but [He sent His Son into the world] that the world through him might be saved.

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.

This is first fruit of the 144,000 firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. God “tabernacles with them” first. Afterward it is also true of “a great multitude which no man can number”, who go through the same tribulations and wash their robes white in the same blood of the Lamb. These are two separate groups of mankind who are being saved. One is symbolically numbered as being 144,000. The other is “a great multitude, which no man could number”.

Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

What we are not told in Rev 7:9 is that there is a symbolic thousand years between these 144,000 who are enthroned at the beginning of the thousand year reign of “our Lord and His Christ” and the appearance of this “great multitude which no man could number… when the thousand years are expired”.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The very next verse after informing us that the nations in the four quarters of the earth have been destroyed is that the goats stand before Christ, and they are being judged according to their works before the Great White Throne. The goats had no part in the “blessed and holy… first resurrection:

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

We are given more revelation concerning these 144,000 in Rev 14.

Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

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

Now notice what these 144,000 are called:

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

These 144,000 are ‘virgins’ and ‘firstfruits.’ They are not called the only fruits, they are distinguished as “firstfruits unto God and the lamb.” Who else is identified by these same symbols of a virgin and being firstfruits?

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

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

Again, the dream is one, and the firstfruits and the virgin are just a couple of more symbols signifying those who will be the first to have Christ and His Father living within them, and who will rule and reign with Christ on this earth for a thousand years.

God will “judge the world”, and “all men will be saved”, and God will one day dwell within all of mankind who have ever lived.

Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

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

Here we have it again. It is called “the assembly of the firstborn”. It is not called ‘the assembly of the only born.’ So there is obviously a group in whom God dwells first. They are His numbered “firstfruits”, in whom He dwells before He dwells with the “great multitude which no man can number.”

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.

“They that are Christ’s at His coming” are also called “a kind of firstfruits… unto God and the Lamb.” That is why Israel is given three seasons of harvest. The first of the firstfruits is called the barley harvest at the passover and the days of unleavened bread. This is where the wave sheaf of barley was waved before God as the offering of the first of the first fruits. The second harvest season is called both Pentecost and “the feast of firstfruits.” This harvest is in the summer. It is the harvest of the wheat. There is yet another harvest of the souls of mankind “in the end of the year.”

Exo 23:14  Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15  Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16  And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17  Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

These are three festivals that signify the “each in his own order” harvests to which the apostle Paul refers in 1 Corinthian 15:

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:[1] Christ the firstfruits; afterward [2] they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  [3] Then cometh the end [of the year harvest, the great white throne], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Christ is the first of the firstfruits. He is the wave sheaf which is offered to His Father during the days of unleavened bread. Fifty days later, the two loaves are to be offered “with leaven”, and they are also called “firstfruits unto the Lord.”

Lev 23:15  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

“They shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord” seems to the casual reader to contradict:

Lev 2:11  No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

The next verse clarifies this apparent contradiction:

Lev 2:12  As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.

“Not be… for a sweet savour” is the point. The firstfruits unto the Lord are the trespass offering as His body. It is Christ, but not His head.

This “New Jerusalem” is both “the body of Christ” and “chaste virgin… bride”:

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

The “New Jerusalem” is another name for the 144,000 firstfruits unto God and the Lamb:

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

The “New Jerusalem” is another signification of the four beasts and the four and twenty elders who were also redeemed from among men:

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Again and again the Lord is telling us just how special we are to Him, and He is showing us how integral we are to His plan and His purpose. He identifies with us to the extent that just as the whole creation was created for Him He is working all things together for our good:

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

We are that “bride [who He has] adorned for her Husband, and in whom He dwells:

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.

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Ezekiel 11:1-25  The Promise of a New Heart and Spirit

[Study Aired April 1, 2024]

Introduction

What we are going to learn today is about the Lord’s judgment of the Elect in this age and the resulting transformation of the elect as we are promised a new heart and spirit. In this chapter, the Lord showed Ezekiel why He was going to judge the people of Israel for what they had done. As we have learned, the Lord is always seeking an occasion to come and judge our old man so that we can learn righteousness. This is portrayed clearly in the story of Samson as follows:

Jdg 14:1  Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2  Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.”
Jdg 14:3  But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”
Jdg 14:4  His father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

The chapter also makes it clear that without the Lord giving us a new heart and spirit, we cannot please the Lord. By comparing scripture with scripture, we shall see what the Lord means by giving us a new heart and spirit.

The Wicked Counsellors of the City

Eze 11:1  The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

The Spirit of the Lord lifting Ezekiel up to be shown what was happening signifies that what Ezekiel was going to see can only be understood when he is in the spirit. Being in the spirit means his eyes being opened and his ears given to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

What happened to Ezekiel in terms of the spirit lifting him up is the same as what happened to the Apostle John when he was given to see the woman who is a harlot and represents Babylon in the Book of Revelation. What this means is that without being in the spirit, there is no way that one can understand the spiritual decadence of the church system of this world. 

Rev 17:3  And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns

In verse 1, the spirit which lifted Ezekiel up brought him to the east gate of the house of God. In a negative context, the east in this case refers to our lives when we are not given to pursue the Lord’s agenda in this life, as shown in the following verses: 

Gen 13:11  So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

Gen 25:6  But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

Thus, the twenty-five men that Ezekiel found in the entrance of the eastern gate of the house of the Lord refers to those who have tasted the goodness of the Lord but are not pursuing the Lord’s agenda in this life. They refer to our lives as the Lord’s elect in Babylon. We started with the Lord but were sidetracked by what we heard and believed in Babylon. This is affirmed by the number 25 of those found at the east gate. The number twenty-five in a negative note, refers to those who started the Lord’s work but did not go the long haul. 

2Ki 14:2  He (Joash) was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 
2Ki 14:3  And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done. 
2Ki 14:4  But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.

2Ki 15:33  He (Jotham) was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 
2Ki 15:34  And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
2Ki 15:35  Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD.

Having Jaazaniah and Pelatiah, the princes of the people, among the twenty-five is also significant. Jaazaniah means ‘Jehovah hears’ and that of Pelatiah signifies ‘Jehovah has freed.’ These names show us that the people found in the east side of the house of God have a relationship with Christ in name, but they do their own thing.

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

The mention of these men and their status as leaders of the people of Israel suggests that it is an established fact that the whole of the leadership of our brethren in Babylon have gone astray and are not pursuing the Lord’s agenda.

Jud 1:10  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Jud 1:11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Jud 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Jud 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Eze 11:2  And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city;
Eze 11:3  who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’

As indicated in the previous studies, the city of Jerusalem here is Babylon.  In verses 2 and 3, we are given to know the sins of these twenty-five men. They devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in the city. Devising iniquity and giving wicked counsel means bringing in false doctrines which causes us to walk in iniquity. Verse 3 shows us the essence of the preaching in Babylon, which is that the time is not near to build houses. What this preaching means is that we should not focus on what is permanent but that which is temporal. In other words, the preaching in Babylon causes us to focus on things which are seen. 

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

A cauldron is a large metal pot used for cooking in an open fire. Saying that the city is the cauldron and the people are the meat is the same as saying that man is born to suffer. What this kind of preaching does is that it causes us to be hardened by our suffering such that no matter what we go through, we do not pay attention to what the Lord is trying to say.

Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken anymore? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Eze 11:4  Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
Eze 11:5  And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
Eze 11:6  Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain. 
Eze 11:7  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it. 
Eze 11:8  Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD. 

These verses show us the result of the wicked counsel or the false doctrines that we imbibe in Babylon. As we can see in verses 6 and 7, the whole city is filled with the slain. In other words, the whole of Babylon or the church system of this world is filled with spiritually dead people. The sad part of this is that they do not recognize that they are spiritually dead!!  That was what happened to us in our time in Babylon. We were spiritually dead, but we thought that we were spiritually alive in Christ. In verse 7, the Lord is referring to the saying that the city is the caldron to mean that it is in the church (represented here by the city) that we (the flesh) are boiled and therefore killed. In other words, the church system has become a pot for boiling or killing the people.

Luk 13:33  Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 
Luk 13:35  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

As the Lord’s elect, in spite of our spiritual depravity while we were in Babylon, the Lord had promised in verse 7 that He would bring us out of the midst of Babylon.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Verse 8 tells us that even though we fear the sword, the Lord will bring the sword upon us. The sword is a symbol of the Lord’s judgment, and when we were in Babylon, we were afraid of the Lord’s judgment and did not want to even hear that we shall be judged. However, as the Lord came to us, we were given to know that the Lord’s judgment of our old man in this life is the best thing that can happen to us. The Lord’s assurance that He will bring the sword upon us therefore brings to the fore our position as children of the Lord.

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

Eze 11:9  And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
Eze 11:10  Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 
Eze 11:11  This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

In verse 9, the process of the Lord delivering us out of the midst of Babylon involves the Lord’s judgment of our old man where He uses the sword in verse 10 as His instrument of our judgment. The negative aspect of the sword refers to words that are spoken which destroy us. The sword refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary. One of the key factors which causes our exit from Babylon is our realization of the lying words or false doctrines prevalent in Babylon.

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

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

These negative words spoken are one of the tools the Lord uses to cause people to speak bitter words to us, His elect. 

Eze 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Jdg 7:22 And the three hundred [men with Gideon] blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host [of the Midianites]: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

Being judged in the border of Israel signifies that our judgment begins as we start our journey to exit Babylon. In verse 11, we are told that the saying that the city of Jerusalem is a caldron and that we are the flesh in the midst thereof shall not be applicable to us as the Lord facilitates our exit from Babylon. As we have indicated earlier, saying that the city is the caldron and the people are the flesh is the same as saying that man is born to suffer, and therefore, we become accustomed to suffering such that no matter what we go through, we do not pay attention to what the Lord is trying to say.

Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken anymore? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

The Lord saying that we shall not be part of the saying that the city of Jerusalem is a caldron and that we are the flesh signifies that the Lord’s judgment of our old man will cause us to learn righteousness.

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

Eze 11:12  And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.
Eze 11:13  And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

Verse 12 shows us why the Lord is judging us. It is because we have done evil as we did not walk in the Lord’s statutes as we lived just like the heathen around us when we were in Babylon. The Lord therefore is justified as He comes with His judgment to put to death our old man or the man of sin in our lives. In verse 13, we are told that when Ezekiel prophesied concerning the judgment of our old man as a result of the sins of the people, Pelatiah, one of the leading members of the twenty-five men that Ezekiel saw, died. The dying of Pelatiah signifies the end result of the fire of the word of the Lord spoken by Ezekiel. This fire of the word of the Lord is the tribulation or persecution which comes as a result of the word of the Lord we have received. That is what destroys our old man.

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

In verse 13, Ezekiel complained to the Lord about the killing of the remnant of Israel. This is because the process of the death of our old man is not an enjoyable experience. When we are being judged, it is as if our lives are coming to an end as we come to our wits’ end. Ezekiel came to his wits’ end when he saw the death of Pelatiah and thought that the end had come for the Lord’s remnant.

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

The Lord’s Promise of a New Heart and Spirit

Eze 11:14  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 11:15  Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
Eze 11:16  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
Eze 11:17  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

The Israelites who remained in Jerusalem after the Babylonian invasion considered themselves as the chosen ones as they proclaimed that the Lord had given them the land for possession. These Israelites thought that those who were exiled were outcasts and that these exiles were far from the Lord. In verse 16 and 17, the Lord is saying that although He had scattered the exiles among the countries, He was with them, and that they were the ones to inherit the land of Israel. This is the mindset of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world (Babylon). They think that they are the chosen ones and that they will inherit the earth. On the other hand, they see our leaving the city of Jerusalem or Babylon as being the Lord’s outcasts. However, the Lord is assuring us in verse 17 that He will gather and assemble us out of the countries where we are scattered and that we are the ones to inherit the earth.

Rom 4:13  For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law (which is practiced in Babylon) but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:14  For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
Rom 4:15  For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 
Rom 4:16  That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,  (ESV)

Eze 11:18  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 
Eze 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

The Lord is gathering us together as the church of the firstborn or the New Jerusalem as He takes away all the detestable things and abominations in our lives. The taking away of the detestable things and all the abominations in verse 18 symbolize the destroying of the old man with his fleshly deeds in our lives. This old man within us is the beast within us or our flesh. The Lord’s promise of giving us one heart means we shall all be of one mind, speaking the same thing and having the same judgment. 

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

In verse 19, we are also told that the Lord will give us a new spirit within us as He takes away the stony heart out of our flesh and gives us a heart of flesh. This giving of a new spirit and a new heart represent the birth and growth of the new man within us which is created in righteousness and true holiness. The stony heart in verse 19 refers to our old man who must be put to death to give way to the new man within us. As the old man is dying within us, the new man is gaining ascendancy.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

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

It is when we are under the control of the new man that we are able to walk in the Lord’s statutes and keep His ordinances. That is when we shall indeed be the Lord’s people and He becomes our God.

Eze 11:21  But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD. 

Here we are being warned that if we continue to be under the control of the flesh, we shall surely face the second death. 

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. 

Eze 11:22  Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Eze 11:23  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

As we have indicated in our previous studies, the cherubims represent the Lord’s elect as they sit in the heavenly places in Christ. The wheels signify our lives here on earth as we have this treasure in earthen vessels. The glory of the God of Israel refers to hearing the words of the Lord in the midst of our fiery trials. The glory of the God of Israel being over the cherubims means that it is only the elect (cherubims) who are given the privilege in this age to hear the words of the Lord in the midst of our fiery trials. This is confirmed in verse 23 where the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain on the east side of the city.

The city here is Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children. It represents Babylon where they are not given to see the glory of the Lord. That is why the glory of the Lord departed from the city. The mountain where the glory of the Lord stood symbolizes the house of the Lord or the gathering of the Lord’s elect. It is on the mountain of the house of the Lord that we are given to see the Lord’s glory.

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

Mic 4:1  But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

Eze 11:24  Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
Eze 11:25  Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

As we have indicated, those in captivity represent the Lord’s elect. It is in our midst that we speak to each other of all the things that the Lord has shown us for the edification of the body.

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.

May His name be praised forever more. Amen!!

Jdg 11:1-22 Jephthah … Was the Son of an Harlot

[Study Aired June 7, 2021]

Jdg 11:1  Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. 
Jdg 11:2  And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. 
Jdg 11:3  Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him. 
Jdg 11:4  And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 
Jdg 11:5  And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: 
Jdg 11:6  And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. 
Jdg 11:7  And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 
Jdg 11:8  And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 
Jdg 11:9  And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? 
Jdg 11:10  And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. 
Jdg 11:11  Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh. 
Jdg 11:12  And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? 
Jdg 11:13  And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. 
Jdg 11:14  And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: 
Jdg 11:15  And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: 
Jdg 11:16  But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 
Jdg 11:17  Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. 
Jdg 11:18  Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. 
Jdg 11:19  And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. 
Jdg 11:20  But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 
Jdg 11:21  And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 
Jdg 11:22  And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. 

Chapter 10 of Judges is about the judgment of God in our lives as we go astray and worship another Jesus as reflected in the Israelites worshiping seven different gods – Baalim, Ashtaroth, gods of Syria, Zidon, Moab, Ammon and Philistines. The number seven signifies completeness, so what this means is that these gods represent everything which engages our worship instead of our Lord Jesus.

God comes to judge us using His four sore judgments, which in this case is the use of the sword. God therefore gave the Israelites over to be oppressed by the Philistines and the Ammonites.

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

Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

Eze 38:21  And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

The combination of the Philistines and the Ammonites oppressing Israel means that God gives our flesh (Ammonites) over to worship another Jesus. We therefore changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped the creature more than the creator when we were in the churches of this world (Babylon).

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

In our oppression, we come to our wits’ end, and we cry to the Lord for help, and He comes to our aid to start the process of deliverance.

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

Our review of the first part of Judges Chapter 11 today deals with the deliverance by the Lord through a man named Jephthah.

Jdg 11:1  Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. 
Jdg 11:2  And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

The name Jephthah means “He will Open” according to Strong. The question is what will our Lord open?  Our Lord Jesus is giving us the key to the house of David or the key to the kingdom of heaven, which is the opening of our hearts and minds to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Jephthah, therefore, represents the elect.

Isa 22:22  And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

What is also striking here is that Jephthah was the son of a harlot, and as a result, his brothers thrust him out from their father’s house with the reason that he was not part of his father’s inheritance. We need to note that even though we are the elect, we were not qualified to reign with Christ when we started our journey because we were sons and daughters of a harlot or the strange woman, which is the existing church system of the world.

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.

Paul explains our situation as follows:

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Jdg 11:3  Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him. 

The fleeing of Jephthah is our exit from the Babylonian system.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

When we leave Babylon, we end up with the New Jerusalem that God has prepared for us which in this context is called by the Lord as “vain men”. Our name is because of the following:

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

These vain men are the same as David’s men who were with him when he fled from King Saul, who also represents Babylon.

1Sa 22:2  And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

The elect are therefore a bunch of people characterized by the following:

Being in distress because of God’s judgement in our lives.
Being the worst sinners whom God is saving, and therefore we are in great debt to God.
Being discontented with our sinful situation.

As indicated, we the “vain men”, are the New Jerusalem, the Assembly of God’s first born.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Jdg 11:4  And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 

As we said earlier, the Ammonites represent our flesh and when Christ comes to deliver us in our sinful situation, He comes with judgment. We come to realize that even though we want to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God, we are not able to do so as we see our old man controlling us. The war between the Ammonites and Israelites therefore typifies our war with the flesh. Jesus told us about this war as follows:

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

I am come to set a man at variance against his father, etc. means that Christ’s coming to us is initiated by a war within us against our flesh (father, mother, etc.).

Jdg 11:5  And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob: 
Jdg 11:6  And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
Jdg 11:7  And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 
Jdg 11:8  And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 

We cannot be called overcomers if we do not wage and win this war with the flesh. It is only when we overcome or reign over the beast within that we can reign over the earth with Christ outwardly.

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

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

Our inner victory will make us rulers of the earth for a “thousand years”. After that we shall help all humanity since Adam to also win this war within during the lake of fire age.  The Israelites beckoning Jephthah to come and be their captain so that they may fight the Ammonites is the same as saying that the elect will lead all humanity to win this war against the old man or the flesh.

Jdg 11:9  And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? 
Jdg 11:10  And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words. 
Jdg 11:11  Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh. 

These verses are to assure us again that if we overcome in this life, we are destined to reign over the earth. This reign will be initiated when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ just at the beginning of the millennial reign. This outwardly event will be heralded by the first resurrection. This resurrection is for those who did not worship the beast and his image which means those who are able to overcome the beast or the old man or the flesh within.

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

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Jdg 11:12  And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? 
Jdg 11:13  And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. 

These verses are to let us know that this war against the flesh is for a lifetime.  The reason is that at every point in our walk with Christ, our flesh, if given the opportunity, will take back the areas in our lives that God has won for us. The flesh regards the new man within as a usurper and will therefore do everything possible to take back that which it has lost. The Ammonites posed a real threat to the Israelites throughout their history. They were able to take over some of the lands Israel had possessed after defeating some of the enemies in the Promised Land. For example, during the time of Jeremiah, the Ammonites were able to take back the land in Gad.

Jer 49:1 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
Jer 49:2  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.

In our initial walk with Christ, the areas in which we had victories were quickly taken back by our old man as we went back to our vomit in Babylon when we paid heed to our leaders instead of Christ.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Jdg 11:14  And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: 
Jdg 11:15  And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: 

What we are being told here is that the flesh or the old man, signified by Ammon and Moab, is meant to be taken and destroyed. The new man is not a usurper but is made to possess the land or inherit the earth which is our bodies.

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Jdg 11:16  But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 
Jdg 11:17  Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. 
Jdg 11:18  Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab. 

These verses are to remind us that when we start our journey with the Lord we are not to engage the Ammonites, the Edomites and the Moabites in battle to possess their land immediately. This was the directive our Lord Jesus gave to the Israelites when they left Egypt as follows:

Deu 2:17  That the LORD spake unto me, saying,
Deu 2:18  Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:
Deu 2:19  And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.
Deu 2:20  (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;

The Ammonites, the Edomites and the Moabites were all fleshly related to the Israelites. So what we are learning is that when we start our walk with Christ, He does not bring us immediately to war against all our fleshly desires. As indicated in Deuteronomy 2:20, the reason for this is that these Ammonites, Edomites and Moabites are giants in our land.  In other words, they pose a much higher level of opposition, and so our Lord takes time to train our hands to war (handling the sword or God’s words) before we can handle these opposition.

Psa 18:34  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Psa 18:35  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Psa 18:36  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

Later in the scriptures, our Lord told the Israelites to confront these enemies when they had possessed a significant portion of the land.

Jer 48:42  And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.
Jer 48:43  Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

Jer 49:1  Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
Jer 49:2  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.

Jer 49:14  I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
Jer 49:15  For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.
Jer 49:16  Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
Jer 49:17  Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

Jdg 11:19  And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. 
Jdg 11:20  But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 
Jdg 11:21  And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 

King Sihon’s refusal to let the Israelites pass through their land resulted in a war in which the Israelites utterly defeated the Amorites. This battle was during the wilderness experience of the Israelites. This is to show us that even during our time in Babylon, God gave us victory over some of our fleshly desires, and as a result, we took possession of parts of our bodies or land. However, our Lord always leaves much tougher opposition for us to encounter later as He did to the Israelites.

Jdg 2:21  I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
Jdg 2:22  That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
Jdg 2:23  Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Jdg 3:1  Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
Jdg 3:2  Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

Jdg 11:22  And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. 

This verse is to let us know that our victory must be thorough before we can become overcomers. In other words, we must leave nothing that breathe or offend as we continue our journey with Christ.

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:
Deu 20:17  But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18  That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

Paul puts it this way:

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

Isa 32:1-8 By Liberal Things Shall He Stand

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Isa 32:1-8 By Liberal Things Shall He Stand

Isa 32:1  Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Isa 32:2  And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Isa 32:3  And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
Isa 32:4  The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
Isa 32:5  The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
Isa 32:6  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Isa 32:7  The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
Isa 32:8  But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Isaiah 30 and 31 make it very clear that we are all, by nature, rebellious against the mind and the laws of God. Even after we come out of the world we want to return to Egypt and rely on the world for our strength:

Isa 30:2  That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
Isa 30:3  Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

Isa 31:1  Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

In this chapter we are given the cure for our rebellious nature:

Isa 32:1  Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

Inwardly the "King [who] reigns in righteousness" is Christ within us, destroying the old man of sin within us and ruling over the kingdom of God which is increasing as the kingdom of our old man is decreasing within us in down-payment form at this time:

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

Joh 3:30  He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease.

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

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

It is not just anyone who "rules in judgment". The only people who "rule in judgment" are those who are blessed to be those "who first trusted in Christ" and who will be in the "blessed and holy first resurrection". They alone "rule in judgment". That judgment begins now within, judging themselves while in bodies of "mortal flesh", as opposed to being judged after being "raised a spiritual body" and being "condemned with the world" to the second death:

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

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

It is God's elect who "have this treasure in earthen vessels... in our mortal flesh". There is neither "earthen vessels" nor "mortal flesh" in the second death. Those who are granted to rule with Christ for a thousand years are "raised a spiritual body" having already been judged while they were in bodies of "mortal flesh". Those who are ruling with Christ during the thousand year reign have already overcome the wicked one while yet in earthen vessels of mortal flesh. If that were not the case they would not have been in the first resurrection. None of these things can be said of those who are raised a spiritual body which comes forth to judgment. None of these blessing bestowed upon those who are given to be in the "bless and holy... first resurrection" are bestowed upon them because of anything they did of themselves. It is all done "after the counsel of His own will". (Eph 1:11)

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [judgment].

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

Not just anyone is predestinated to "be the firstborn among many brothers". Those over whom the second death has power are not nor ever will be "the firstborn among many brothers... also glorified" above their firstborn brothers. It is not possible to be both the firstborn among many, and also be the many who are not firstborn. Nothing is more basic to the promises of scriptures than the doctrine of a predestinated firstborn, who is rejected and hated of His brothers, all "according to [the Lord's] own purpose" to use the firstborn as the saviors of the many brothers. "Firstborn" is a spiritual word which means the Lord's few elect who will indeed be the first to be "born of the spirit" into "the redemption of the purchased possession", the resurrection of life, the "inheritance" of a kingdom reserved for the firstborn of God.

Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Now let's read the words before and after that verse and discover what it means to have a kingdom appointed to us:

Luk 22:28  Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30  That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Those who continue with Christ in His trials are those who obey His words and who do the things He tells us to do in this life. Christ's trials were in a body of "mortal flesh.. made of a woman, made under the law... of the seed of Abraham." The scriptures make that very important distinction. It is presented to us as if it were a much greater struggle than "the nature of angels":

Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

It is those few who are given to overcome in this age while struggling against both "mortal flesh [and] the wicked one" who are "appointed a kingdom". Those who "come forth to judgment" are not "appointed a kingdom [to] judge the twelve tribes of Israel". Those who come forth to judgment do so in "the nature of angels" as "a spiritual body".

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Being judged while in "a natural body" is much to be preferred to being judged in "a spiritual body" at "the resurrection of judgment" (Joh 5:28-29). The positive application of "the twelve tribes of Israel" is the judgment which begins at the house of God in this age.

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

The negative application of the twelve tribes of Israel is as "the camp of Israel" which is forbidden to touch the holy things within the temple of God or to eat at the altar of the kings and priests who are made to reign with Christ over the twelve tribes. It is Israel who is first in opposing their Savior, thereby symbolizing the whole rebellious world yet to be judged in the second death.

Isa 32:1  Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

Here is another way of describing these "princes":

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

All things are being worked after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). Nevertheless, scripturally it is "those who first trusted in Christ" who are predestinated to be "also glorified... unto the praise of His glory":

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

The love and compassion shown by Joseph to his brothers, who had despised and rejected him, is described in our next verse:

Isa 32:2  And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

This is a perfect description for how Christ has dealt with each of us. In our own time we have all hated and despised the mind of Christ. We have all denied we ever knew Him, and when our shame is revealed to us, we are definitely in need of a "hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, water in a dry place, [and] as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."

Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

The night of Christ's apprehension by the Jews and the following morning were without a doubt the most miserable times of Peter's life, but it was at the same time the best day of Peter's life because it was the beginning of Peter being able to see himself and the whole world through the eyes and through the understanding of Christ:

Isa 32:3  And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

This is how Christ repeats the message of this verse:

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

"The eyes of them that see" do so only because "it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven", and the only reason all the others do not see is that "to them it is not given".

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

We just naturally think that our own self-righteous deeds somehow make God indebted to us to bless us. Self-righteousness is the most insidious of sins, as demonstrated in Job 29 and in these New Testament verses:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

When we, like Job and like Peter, are brought face to face with our own self-righteous, rebellious old man within us, then judgment has begun at the house of God, and then we can say:

Isa 32:4  The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
Isa 32:5  The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

We justify our sins and count ourselves as doing the Lord a service even as we destroy His people within and without in committing our sins:

Joh 8:40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

Joh 16:2  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

We are really just serving our own flesh, Egypt, the world which is still within us. Our most natural desire to trust in Egypt will, in time, bring us to regret that we did so as it did Peter. But 'trusting in Egypt' is not so easy to discern spiritually for a babe in Christ as we are clearly told:

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Any parent knows that an immature child cannot discern milk from strong meat. Everything that comes along is put straight into a baby's mouth. It takes "them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" to discern what is good spiritual food for the Lord's flock. None of us is an authority in spiritual matters unto himself. That is the very meaning of "the body is one body but many members':

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

This 14th verse of Hebrews 5 indicates that our past understanding of "if they do not  hear the church" has been in grave error. We now understand by the principle of "the sum of thy word", by putting Matthew 18:15-17 together with Hebrews 5:12-14, 1Corinthians 3:1-4 and Paul's words to the Corinthians, which we will read below, that carnal babes are not commissioned to "discern both good and evil" in complicated doctrinal matters. It was the elders who made such decisions. That is true in Matthew 18:15-18. That is what was done in Acts 15, and that is true here in Hebrews 5.

This was the spiritual state of the church in Corinth:

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The immature church in Corinth could not bring themselves to do so much as put out of their midst a blatant fornicator. Had that matter have been taken to the church without the admonition of the elders such as Paul, that fornicator would have been voted most popular, and the Corinthians would have continued to stay puffed up over their supposed 'loving' tolerance of his fornication in their midst. Let's read what kind of fruit was produced by letting the church decide how we ought to deal with either physical or spiritual fornication:

1Co 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

We will be ashamed of trusting in ourselves, which is trusting in Egypt and leaning to our own understanding. That is the exact opposite of trusting in the Lord and being obedient to His Words. An example is our current trial. If we reject "a multitude of counselors", as many have done, we are simply 'returning to Egypt', and it has brought us to shame. It is the word of the Lord which instructs us that our safety is in a multitude of counselors. The apostles agreed to the counselors in Jerusalem and lived for many years by that counsel. It is by the Lord's design Samson's parents gave their son a Philistine wife, and it was by the Lord's design that the apostles all lived under the law of Moses, making blood sacrifices and taking vows and keeping holy days, for many long years after the death and resurrection of Christ and after the giving of the holy spirit. This was all done as seemed good to the holy spirit for that time:

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

It was the holy spirit who determined that the Jewish part of the body of Christ could not yet at that time receive the words of Peter right there in Acts 15:

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

In a letter to the Gentile part of the body of Christ at that time, the Gentiles were informed that only the Jews needed to keep the law of Moses. But it was also the holy spirit which opened the eyes of the apostles themselves, as a multitude of counselors, to later acknowledge the truth of Peter's words when many years later the holy spirit inspired Paul to affirm Peter's words in Acts 15 in his epistle to the Ephesians:

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Both in Acts 15 and in Ephesians 2, along with "the sum of [God's] Word, it was by the multitude of counselors the Lord's purposes were established. It was and it is by that same multitude of counselors that the apostles waged spiritual warfare, and it is only by the multitude of counselors that we have any spiritual safety today.

But if and when we reject the Lord's words, we will be brought to shame, and these are the Lord's words which will keep us from being brought to shame. Three times we are told all the benefits of seeking to know the Lord's mind through "a multitude of counselors":

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

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

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

These are first and foremost words of instruction to the kingdom of God within us. They are instructing us on how we are to establish purposes, make war and keep the Lord's flock safe from the snares of the wicked one. Peter and Paul were of the same mind, and in time, the words of Peter became the words of other apostles.

Here is just how aligned with the mind of Paul was the apostle Peter:

2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Peter did not align himself with Phygellus, Hermogenes, Alexander and Hymaneaus and Philetus. Both Peter and John heard the voice of Christ in the words of Paul, even though they were a 180 degree change in doctrine.

If we are given to accept the new doctrine of Christ, then we are given to see how the holy spirit has always waited to give greater revelation, which at times contradicted earlier revelation. It is only with this knowledge that we can acknowledge the reformation of our Lord who told Moses "save alive nothing that breathes" and then reformed those words into "love thine enemies". These words were both spoken by the same Lord:

The law of Moses:

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:

Christ's new doctrine in "the times of reformation":

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
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;

Heb 9:7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
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 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.

The congregation, the camp of Israel, was not permitted to handle the holy things of the temple. The camp of Korah wanted to do so to the extent they turned on Moses and Aaron, and would have taken over the leadership of the Lord's people had the Lord not stepped in when He did and made the earth to swallow up those who opposed His ways and those who had opposed the God-given leadership of Israel. That is exactly what has happened in our midst of late. The Lord Himself is working to keep His people from returning to Egypt by giving up their crown of life and denying that the second death has no power over them. It was the Lord who stepped in and brought those heresies out into the open to be swallowed up by the earth.

Here is just how much the Lord, until this very day, distinguishes between those who can enter into the holy place and those to whom that honor is not given:

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

Heresies brought into our midst are simply "they [who] have no right to eat" with us at our altar.

The obvious contradictions in the two Testaments served to help the Jews turn the multitudes against Christ, in spite of all of Christ's miracles and healings. To this day the multitudes hear the gospel, but very few indeed are given to accept a message from a God who tells one generation to hate its enemies and then tells the next generation to love its enemies. In the same manner, the holy spirit led the apostles to keep the law of Moses for many years after the death and resurrection of Christ and then the same spirit had them to reform their doctrine to say the exact opposite and tell the Jewish Christians that they no longer needed to offer blood offerings, pay tithes, keep holidays or consider themselves as in any way being different from the Gentile believers.

It was all foretold by the Lord Himself:

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

The principle of these words apply to all  of us as we "grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord" day by day. The wicked one will have us to believe that we are being carried about by every wind of doctrine when we turn away from the law of Moses, the law of the Gentiles and turn to the law of the Christ and the law of the spirit. Our friends and families will forsake us when we give up the doctrines of the trinity, the immortality of the soul, and its attendant doctrine of eternal torment and all the other doctrines of Babylon. That same evil spirit will also try to convince us that when we make needed corrections in our doctrine, we are being led astray of the adversary. But Christ's sheep know His voice, and a stranger they will not follow.

Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Even when we come out of Babylon we are still facing even more insidious false doctrines, emanating from within our very midst, which are called in the scriptures "heresies", and we are told that they are actually needful for the purpose of manifesting who is and who is not "approved among you":

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

This brings us to our next verse here in Isaiah:

Isa 32:6  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

Heresies appeal to many, as the heresy of Korah and the 250 elders appealed to "the whole congregation, as Korah "uttered error against the Lord" in accusing Moses and Aaron of "taking too much upon themselves":

Num 16:1  Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
Num 16:2  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Num 16:3  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

How very familiar are the words, "Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?" Is that not exactly what has taken place in our very midst? The faithful among the Lord's people are always accused of the same thing, and it is always justified in the same way... "the congregation is holy, every one of them... why then do you lift up yourselves above the congregation?" This is the exact same spirit which had raised its ugly head in Israel just a few months earlier when Miriam and Aaron had done the very same thing to the Lord in rejecting the leadership the Lord had ordained:

Num 12:1  And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Num 12:2  And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
Num 12:3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

"The man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth", and yet the accusation against him is the same. Moses is falsely accused of exalting himself above others simply because the Lord did not place the others above Moses.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram took 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation who were men of renown, and they took it upon themselves to falsely accuse the leader the Lord had given them of exalting himself above the people, claiming that everyone was just as qualified as Moses was to lead the Lord's people. It is obvious that none of these men were perceived by the  people as being churlish or evil or guilty of devising wicked devices which would destroy the poor with lying words. Nevertheless, this is exactly what took place when Korah and company falsely accused the leaders whom the Lord had placed over His flock:

Isa 32:7  The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

The true shepherds of the Lord's flock are not taken away "with lying words". The net effect of Korah's message was that all the congregation were on the same spiritual level. Does that not have a very familiar ring to it? Is that not the exact same message being foisted off on the Lord's flock by those who want to take our crown and give it to those over whom the second death is given power? Is that not the exact same spirit which teaches us that "the rest of the dead" are sins which still dominate the lives of the Lord's elect who are given to reign with Him during the millennium? Korah and company were promising all of Israel liberty from the leadership of Moses and Aaron who were in reality mere instruments in the Lord's hands to be a very liberal and generous blessing to all Israel.

So it is to this very day:

Isa 32:8  But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

The Lord's true shepherds want nothing more than to be a blessing to His flock. We constantly remind you:

2Co 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

We are quick to admonish us all to be aware that the devil is at large and wants nothing more than to rob the Lord's elect of the crown of life they have been given. Notice our crown of life is twice mentioned as something to be highly prized, and not to be considered as something which is being given to just everyone:

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Just as the Lord distinguished between Moses and Aaron and Korah and company, His promises also distinguish between those who are favored as His people today. Look at what is promised to those whom He gives to overcome the wicked one in  this age. Notice carefully what the devil attempts to do to the Lord's flock, and notice also the promises given to those who overcome the wicked one in this age:

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Rev 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

In both of these churches, the purveyors of heresy are called "the synagogue of Satan", and we are told they want to take our crown from us. Like Korah saying 'the congregation is holy every one of them', that is exactly the same effect the false doctrine that those in the second death will experience the first resurrection has upon us today. It takes our crown of life and gives it to "every one of them" in the whole congregation of those over whom the second death is given power.

That is exactly what we are told the synagogue of Satan will attempt to do. It is the synagogue of Satan which wants to take our crown of life, and give it to everyone in the second death. I will conclude by pointing out that another thing the synagogue of Satan is doing is denying that we will not be hurt of the second death.

The voice of the True shepherd is a liberal, gracious voice with promises to the overcomers which make the sufferings of this present age pale in comparison to the glory to be revealed in the Lord's faithful elect overcomers of this age:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

This promise will never be made to those who are hurt of the second death. They will be given life, but they will never know "the glory which shall be revealed in us" if we are those few by whom the Lord "in the ages to come [will] show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward US through Christ Jesus".

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.

These are just some of the very "liberal" words which are for those who are suffering in "this present time". It is not for those over whom the second death is given power. Truly the Lord intends to show all men of all time just how special to Him are His elect overcomers of this age.

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will continue our study of this 32nd chapter of Isaiah with these verses of warning against the churches which are at ease:

Isa 32:9  Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.
Isa 32:10  Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
Isa 32:11  Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
Isa 32:12  They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
Isa 32:13  Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:
Isa 32:14  Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
Isa 32:15  Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
Isa 32:16  Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
Isa 32:17  And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Isa 32:18  And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
Isa 32:19  When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.
Isa 32:20  Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

Isa 31:1-9 The Lord's Fire and His Furnace are in Jerusalem - Discussion

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Isa 31:1-9  The Lord's Fire and His Furnace are in Jerusalem

Isa 31:1  Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
Isa 31:2  Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
Isa 31:3  Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
Isa 31:4  For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Isa 31:5  As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Isa 31:6  Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
Isa 31:7  For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
Isa 31:8  Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
Isa 31:9  And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

In this study, the Lord's people in Zion and in Jerusalem are being presented as His judges who are judging this world. Being judged in this life, in this age, is absolutely the best thing that can happen to any man. This is the fruit of being judged within in this present age:

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

If we are being judged now, in this age, we will be given the "better resurrection". We are "risen with Christ" at this time but we have our resurrection at this time only in down-payment, "earnest" form. It is our "fiery trials", which we also endure in these bodies of sinful flesh, which judge us in this age and make us to know "the fellowship of His suffering" in a body of sinful flesh.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the ["His"] resurrection of the dead.

Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

There really is a resurrection which is "better" than being "brought forth to the resurrection of judgment" (Joh 5:29). When we are given "the redemption of the purchased possession", "the resurrection to life", we will not come forth to "the resurrection of judgment', but we will instead "know the power of His resurrection ... to life eternal. We can now "know the fellowship of His sufferings", because we, too, are being tempted of the devil while at the same time fighting against our own flesh. When we are given "the redemption of the purchased possession, that will be "the resurrection to life". There are only two resurrections, and all men of all time are in one or the other of those two resurrections. There is no "mixing of the un-mixable" to quote our brother in Kenya:

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; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [Judgment].

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Being planted "in the likeness of His death" insures that we will be brought forth "in the likeness of His resurrection... the resurrection to life". Both of these events in the life of our Lord, His sufferings and His resurrection, took place with a tempter still at large having to be overcome, and His temptations were given Him in a body of corruptible flesh. There is neither flesh nor a tempter in "the resurrection to judgment". It is in this state that we can "know the power of His resurrection... the fellowship of His sufferings [and] be made conformable to His death" by partaking of His daily death to His corruptible flesh and dying daily to our flesh with Him. Only under those circumstances, the same circumstances He knew, will we know "the power of His resurrection". No one who is cast into the lake of fire can know the fellowship of His sufferings, nor be made conformable to His death, simply because Christ died to His old man while in His flesh. Everyone cast into the lake of fire are spirits with no flesh and with no devil to overcome. Those in the lake of fire will be there along with the devil himself who is being purified by that same lake. Everyone whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life come forth to the resurrection of life at the beginning of the millennium. If we are blessed to come forth to the resurrection of life, we are not now, nor will we ever, be coming forth "to the resurrection of judgment" simply because it is not possible to be in both resurrections.

Those who are blessed to be in first resurrection, the resurrection to life, will all have lived by the words, 'fire, wrath, and judgment'. Our fire, wrath and judgment are administered by the Lord Himself while we are in bodies of flesh, striving to "overcome the wicked one". The adversary would have you to believe that because we as the Lord's "special people" and endure all of the same things "in earnest", that therefore there is no difference between our resurrection and the resurrection to judgment. "The only difference is the timing of our judgment." That is what you are being asked to believe. This false doctrine makes the promises to the Lord's "special... elect... overcomers... of none effect".

Rom 4:14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

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

All who are cast into the lake of fire/second death, are "of the law", and have been given no faith in the promises made to the Lord's "special people".

Deu 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

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

A 'uihos' is a mature son, as opposed to a 'nepios' which is an infant. Both are to be understood in their spiritual sense (Joh 6:63). There are no spiritually mature sons being cast into the lake of fire. Even John the Baptist, of whom Christ spoke so highly, will be cast into the lake of fire to be spiritually matured:

Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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

When John, and all the righteous men preceding John, "come forth to the resurrection of judgment" they will be cast into the lake of fire. Those who knew their Lord's will and did things worthy of stripes will receive many stripes. Those who did not know their Lord's will, (John the baptist and the "many prophets and righteous men"] and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.

If we are granted to apply the Lord's words to ourselves in this age, then the Lord Himself is chastening and scourging us and is burning out all the wood, hay and stubble that is still within us. When we are made to do this, it is still called 'judging [ourselves]':

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

Those who are hurt of the second death are those who are not the first to "fall into the ground and die". Those who are hurt of the second death did not overcome the wicked one in this life, and therefore they are "condemned with the world" to "be hurt of the second death":

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

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

Those who "overcome the evil one" in this life and in this age are those who are in the first resurrection. They are the first to defeat "him that has the power of death, that is the devil... the wicked one." It is "overcoming the wicked one" in this life and in this age which qualifies those who are in the first resurrection to be in that blessed and holy resurrection (Rev 20:6).

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Through Christ we, too, "destroy him that [has] the power of death" by overcoming him while we are in this age in these bodies of sinful flesh:

1Jn 2:13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1Jn 2:14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

When we are given to "overcome the wicked one" we have "passed from death unto life":

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

The Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and the Son has committed all judgment to His Christ - to us:

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

Look at where all these words about judgment and condemnation here in John 5 are found. They are found just before verses 28 and 29 informing us that there are but two resurrections, "the resurrection to life and... the resurrection to judgment":

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

At this very moment, we been given the ability to "hear the voice of the Son of God", and we have already been given life in down-payment form. We have been given life in earnest only. We have not yet been given "the redemption of the purchased possession":

Eph 1:11  In whom [Christ] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Now let's go back and continue reading John 5:

Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

It is required of those "who first trusted in Christ" to be the first as that "corn of wheat" to "fall into the ground and die" while still dwelling in a body of sinful flesh and blood. But if we are the first to "die, and after this [to be the first to be] judged"(Heb 9:27) then there will be no "second death... [no] resurrection to judgment" for us, because we "judged [our]selves" in this life, for the specific purpose of not being hurt of "the second death [which is] the resurrection to judgment... to shame and eonian contempt".

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world [to "the second death, the resurrection of judgment"].

There are just two resurrections, and there is no mixing of the two. In John 5, Christ is simply repeating what He had said hundreds of years earlier:

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life [first resurrection], and some to shame and everlasting contempt [second resurrection].
Dan 12:3  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness [in the second death/lake of fire] as the stars for ever and ever.

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 [first resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [Greek: judgment, the second death].

The Lord's fire and His furnace are in Jerusalem. But that 'Jerusalem' is "Jerusalem above". It is those out of whom He Himself burns all of the wood, hay, and stubble in this life, while we are still in bodies of "flesh and bones", still striving to "overcome the wicked one".

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

As "His flesh [and] His bones", nothing is more natural than self defense. Christ Himself even petitioned His Father, "Is there another way?" We, too, must be brought to see that we of ourselves cannot overcome our fleshly passion to preserve these bodies of flesh and bones. When our physical lives are endangered, this is what we all do:

Isa 31:1  Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

Ask yourself whether the Lord is giving anyone who teaches that we must be completely separated from bodies of flesh and bone before we can be overcomers, if that person is being given the faith to "look... unto the holy one of Israel" for the strength to be an overcomer. Ask yourself if that doctrine encourages you that you are able to "do all things through Christ" while still in these clay vessels. Such a doctrine is nothing less than smooth words which facilitate the desires of our flesh to preserve its life at all cost:

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: ["We cannot overcome in flesh" some claim erroneously.]
Isa 30:11  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the [prophecies of] Holy One of Israel to cease from before us ["He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death"].

But no false witness and no smooth words have ever yet changed the Truth. Truth is always Truth even when the whole world believes otherwise. Rejecting the Truth does not stop the Lord from judging those falsehoods, and His special people will be the judges of those who say there in nothing special about being in the resurrection to life.

Isa 31:2  Yet he also [the Lord]  is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
Isa 31:3  Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

As His elect, we are the first to know the fury of the Lord's wrath as it is poured out upon the doctrines of Babylon within us. He does not call back His words against the doctrines of Babylon within us. "This is the patience and faith of the saints", and being the first to receive the redemption of the purchased possession is what qualifies us to be very special judges of all men of all time:

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus ["In this age"].

These words are all common to both the "one hundred and forty four thousand... firstfruits unto God and the Lamb" and to the "great multitude which no man can number". The 144,000 firstfruits to God and the Lamb are mentioned twice in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ within us. They are first mentioned in chapter 7 right after the first six seals are opened.

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

The seven trumpets and the seven plagues tell us of the wrath of God upon the kingdom of our old man. There will be an outward dispensational end-time fulfilling of these words, but our focus should not to be only on the future. Our focus is to be certain that we stay prepared for that day by keeping the Lord's house clean within. Thus that day will not come to us as a thief in the night:

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

How are we able to say that we "are not in darkness... are not of the night, nor of darkness? Here is how that is made possible, and we had nothing to do with it:

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.
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.

There it is! We were all "by nature the children of wrath, even as others" first, before it could be said, "God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." It is the very same thing with the seven seals, seven trumpets and seven vials of the wrath of God upon the kingdom of our old man within us. We are first and preeminent in all things, "as He is... in this world" (1Jo 4:17).

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Rev 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Rev 7:3  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Rev 7:4  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

The earth cannot be hurt by the judgments of the trumpets and vials of the wrath of God, "till the servants of our God... have [been] sealed... in their foreheads." That seal is the experience of this revelation within them first. But, as our Lord's own position with His Father demonstrates, being first has great advantages.

After the seven plagues of the seven angels have been poured out upon the very elect, and have performed their fiery cleansing purpose, then the Lord's elect will be used by God to judge the kingdom of this world, and then after the destruction of the nations in the four quarters of the earth, we, as the Lord's "very elect", will judge angels and the devil himself in the second death, the lake of fire. The first always precedes the second, "for many are called but few are chosen."

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

"Being the firstfruits" is not to be taken lightly nor in any way diminished of the blessings and benefits that come with that preeminence. If we are given to follow Christ wherever He goes, like our Lord, we will be judged in this life, and we will overcome the wicked one in this life, and we will overcome the world in this life.

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

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

With Christ within us we, too, "overcome the world... and the wicked one".

1Jn 2:13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1Jn 2:14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

There is no 'wicked one' to be overcome in the lake of fire. The 'wicked one' is in the second death being purified with the rest of the world. Being "condemned with the world" is the very thing we are admonished to avoid at all cost, including our right eye and right hand:

If we are given to follow Christ wherever He goes we, like our Lord, will "fall into the ground and die" in this life, and in that way we will never come forth to the resurrection of judgment. Instead we will, with Him, come forth to the resurrection of life as rulers with our Lord over the kingdom of this world , and then with Him we will judge the world and angels in the second death/lake of fire.

After being shown this very small group of 144,000 people chosen out of all mankind of all time, symbolizing all of the faithful elect from Christ's resurrection to the "blessed and holy first resurrection", John is then shown another much larger group "which no man can number":

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

The elders all have crowns of life and are seated on thrones with Christ at His Father's right hand.

Rev 4:4  And round about the throne [G2362: thronos] were four and twenty seats [G2362: thronos]: and upon the seats [G2362: thronos] I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

This "great multitude which no man can number" does not have thrones and crowns as this elder has, who questions John about this great multitude. The "great multitude, which no man can number" is not telling those on their thrones, "You are no different than we are. You, too, must be hurt of the second death, and conversely we also must "in the ages to come ... shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us". They do not say such a thing simply because there are no "ages to come" after the lake of fire/second death.  There is only "God shall be all in all", and the ages will be no more.

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

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.

In all of the oncoming ages, all the way up to the "all in all", the Lord will be showing to all of mankind "the exceeding riches of His grace toward us", not toward those in the second death. It is they to whom He is showing how much He loves us "for many are called but few are chosen".  It is through "the church which is His body [that] the fulness of Him that fills all in all" is accomplished and is effectuated.

Those who are saved through the second death, are many. Those who are their "saviors" are few:

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion [the faithful elect who will judge this world] to judge the mount of Esau ["the kingdom of the world", Rev 11:15]; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

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

It is Mount Zion who judges and becomes saviors to the world. The world does not save "Mount Zion". As the Lord fights for mount Zion, so will we be used of the Lord to be saviors of the world:

Isa 31:4  For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Isa 31:5  As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

Birds fly in the heavens. This typifies the spirit by which the Lord will defend His "very elect". But the deception is called "strong delusion" for the very reason that it is not an easily detected delusion. It is so subtle that the Lord uses these words to warn us against being deluded and deceived by "the wicked one":

Mat 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Mat 24:23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mat 24:25  Behold, I have told you before.

What keeps us from being deceived by the wicked one?

Isa 31:6  Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
Isa 31:7  For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

It is the Lord's own people, His own household, who have turned from Him and "have deeply revolted". Idols of silver and gold always typify false doctrines which use the Lord's own words, His own silver and gold, to cover their idols and thereby make the delusion very strong. The delusion is so strong that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect.

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

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mat 24:25  Behold, I have told you before.

The words "If it were possible" tell us it is not possible to deceive the Lord's "very elect". It is the Lord Himself who will fight for us: "...So shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. (Isa 31:4-5):

Isa 31:4  For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Isa 31:5  As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

"The Assyrian", as we learned earlier in these studies in Isaiah, are the same people as the Babylonians and typify the religions and doctrines of this world.

Isa 31:8  Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

The religions and false doctrines within us are destroyed, not by a mighty man, and not by an insignificant man. The doctrines of Babylon are destroyed by the Lord and His true doctrines, which are His fiery words of His Truth. The same will happen dispensationally. When the time comes for "the kingdom of this world to become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ" the Lord will simply make clear the resurrection of His saints and put "great fear" into the hearts of all men, and at the same time He will make them to accept us as their saviors just as Egypt was made to fear and then accept Joseph as their savior.

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.

Isa 31:9  And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

"He" of this verse is "the Assyrian" who will "fall with the sword" of the Word of God. Assyria is Babylon, the religions and doctrines of this world which are afraid of the Truth of the Word of God. Inwardly and outwardly the Lord does our fighting for us, and our job is to "stand and see the salvation of our Lord", whose fiery words are in His Zion and in His Jerusalem and in His Israel.

Exo 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

In other words, we are His ensign, His fire, and His furnace in His "Jerusalem above" at this time of down-payment only rewards. But through that down-payment, the inheritance of the purchased possession is ours in due time, and we will not be deceived by the Lord's strong delusion, if indeed we are His fire and His furnace and His Jerusalem.

Next week, Lord willing, we will be covering these verses:

The Vile Person Shall No More Be Called Liberal

Isa 32:1  Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Isa 32:2  And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Isa 32:3  And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.
Isa 32:4  The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
Isa 32:5  The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
Isa 32:6  For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Isa 32:7  The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.
Isa 32:8  But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Dear brother,

The fact that I have been looking closely into my failures due to trials, I have found myself wondering if I am truly born of the spirit. I can tell you that I don’t think I would be part of the first resurrection if I died today. I don’t believe I have overcome in faith. Is there a way to know? Even Paul was hoping to attain it.

Thank you,

F____

Hi F____,

Thank you for your question.

You asked:

…I have found myself wondering if I am truly born of the spirit. I can tell you that I don’t think I would be part of the first resurrection if I died today. I don’t believe I have overcome in faith. Is there a way to know? Even Paul was hoping to attain it.

Like the apostle Paul, we must never take our salvation for granted and fall for the false “once in grace, always in grace” doctrine. If there were any truth to that doctrine, then Paul would never have said the words you reference:

Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

So Paul was ever vigilant to keep his flesh under subjection and to never to give any occasion for the adversary, and he admonishes us to do the same:

1Ti 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

But none of this is meant to lead us to think that he or we are to doubt our position with Christ. Just look at the context of him telling us that he does not count himself as “already perfect”:

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Php 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Php 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

The old English of the King James Version does not serve us well in this instance, so let’s look at these verses in the ASV:

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you:
Php 3:16 only, whereunto we have attained, by that same rule let us walk.
Php 3:17 Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk even as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18 For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself. (ASV)

“Our citizenship is in heaven”. Paul had no doubt concerning his standing with Christ, and he lived out these words of King David:

Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

I hope this shows you that, as in all things, the way of our Lord is a narrow way which does not permit us to be overly confident in ourselves, and yet we can say with confidence with this very same apostle in this very same book in the very next chapter:

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

You may not yet be able to say you are the Lord’s redeemed, but the day is coming when you will know who you are in Christ, and He is in you and that you are His.

It is all a matter of being obedient to His commandments as our Lord made so very clear:

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

“The flood and the stream” are the doubts which are the direct result of “doing not the things which I say”, as the apostle John makes so very clear in supporting the words of our Lord:

1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

It is only through obedience to His commandments that you will know that I love you, and it is only if you are obedient to His commandments that I will know whether you really love me:

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

Can anyone in good faith gainsay those words? Come to know the voice of the True Shepherd through those who already know His voice, and you will be on your way to knowing that you love the children of God and that “He abides in [you]”.

Your brother who is praying for just that in you, as I pray you see the same in me.

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

Mike

Audio Links

The Overview of the Plan of God – Part 11

“And I Will Turn Thee Back, and Put Hooks Into Thy Jaws”

Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.
Eze 38:3  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 38:4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

Introduction

Here is how we concluded our last study o the overview of the plan of God:

“It is those in whom Christ dwells while yet in this age, who are “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, and who therefore alone possess “the double portion… right of the firstborn”.

Deu 21:17  But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

I hope this has demonstrated from the scriptures that the judging of this world is not the right of any but the firstborn, firstfruits unto God and the Lamb (Rev 14:4)

We will stop at this point for today, and, Lord willing, in our next study, we will demonstrate with the Old Testament types what is the rebellious spiritual condition of those who inhabit this earth during the millennium and the “little season” which follows the millennium.”

Continuing with our overview of the plan of God, I want to remind you that we have demonstrated that the destruction of Gog and Magog of Revelation 20 verses 7-9 is the destruction of all the nations of this world. Contrary to what is widely taught in the churches of this world, the destruction of ‘Gog and Magog’ is not the destruction of a minority of mankind. Rather it is the destruction of all of “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”. What that means is that after the “little season” of rebellion that follows the millennium, God will  destroy all flesh, and thereby He will “destroy… death”:

1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

How is it possible for “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” to attempt to revolt against “the camp of the saints” after being converted by, and ruled by God’s elect for over a thousand years? If indeed it were the purpose of God to convert the nations during the thousand year reign of God’s elect over the nations of this world, then Christ and His elect failed miserably. But if, on the other hand the very purpose of the thousand-year reign was to gradually build up resentment against the rule of God’s elect, for the very purpose of turning them over to Satan, so Satan could convince mankind to revolt against the elect of God, thereby giving God the “occasion” He is seeking to destroy all flesh, then verses 7-9 of Revelation 20 reveal to us that Christ and His elect were very successful at what they were given to do.

What these three verses tell us is that at the end of the millennium there will not be even one converted person. The millennium will have the same end product of the leading of Israel out of Egypt, and the forty years of rebelling against Christ’s leadership as “the cloud” that led them during that entire time. Not one soul was converted, and they all had to die in the wilderness. In type it was only the “new man”, the young, who entered into the promised land. The millennium will produce the same thing Christ’s calling and leading his disciples for three and one half years produced. Not one soul was converted, but it did give Christ the occasion He was seeking against the old man within His disciples. That old man was dethroned on the day of Pentecost, where Christ did, at His own predestined time, convert the hearts and minds of His disciples, through His Father’s omnipresent spirit, coming to dwell within those who were predestined to be judged in this age. What Revelation 20:7-9 reveals is that there will be no converted people during the time of the millennium simply because bringing men to salvation is the very opposite of the purpose for the millennium and the last great day.

Here is the Old Testament type of this little season that follows the last great day. It was a terrifying day for Joseph’s brothers, and out of this terrifying experience came the peace they had been seeking all along. That peace could not come until the ‘old man’, typified by the death of Jacob, renamed Israel, had died:

Gen 50:15  And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
Gen 50:16  And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Gen 50:17  So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
Gen 50:18  And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

Joseph’s brothers were being ruled by him from the time they came down into Egypt to live in the land of Goshen, but they were not at one with him. Rather they spent the next 17 years fearing for their lives. That torment did not end until their “old man”, typified by their father Israel, died, and only then were they delivered from that life of torment and fear for their lives. Contrary to the false doctrines we have all been taught, God’s elect are no more interested in converting the people who live through the time of the millennium, then Christ was attempting to convert Israel while He led them about in the wilderness for forty years after bringing them out of Egypt. Instead of converting that generation God Himself caused them all to die in the wilderness:

Num 26:65  For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Instead of bringing the holy spirit to all men during the thousand-year reign of God’s elect, the very purpose for these last two steps in God’s work with “the first man Adam” is to give mankind a thousand years to progressively build up great resentment to being ruled by a rod of iron, and then to turn Satan loose upon such a willingly rebellious populace. It is all done for the very purpose of providing God with the “occasion” He is seeking to destroy all flesh, and through that destruction of all flesh He will destroy death. God always gives Himself a good reason, what the scriptures call an “occasion”, to do what He has predestined to be done. This principle is found throughout the scriptures. “The sins of the Amorites [being] fulfilled” is one example, but it is best stated in the story of Samson where we read:

Jdg 14:1  And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Jdg 14:2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

“The Philistines” typify our flesh, which has dominion over us all until Christ comes into our hearts. The time of the millennium was never intended to be a time of repentance and conversion. Rather the millennium is designed to be a time when Satan is imprisoned and is not permitted to deceive the nations. The elect of God rule the entire earth during this time with the very same “rod of iron” with which God ruled Israel for forty years in the wilderness. This no-nonsense time of being ruled with a rod of iron is immediately followed by the “little season”, a short period which is predestined to be a time when the nations are given over to Satan to the point that they will rebel against the elect of God, and will “compass the camp of the saints”, convinced by the adversary that they can destroy their immortal rulers. It is at that very moment that “the iniquity of [mankind will be] full” and “fire [will come] down from God out of heaven” and will devour them, bringing all flesh, and therefore all death, to its merciful end.

Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

This cataclysmic event is immediately followed by the second resurrection which is also called the “great white throne… judgment”

There are only two resurrections mentioned in all scripture, and all men of all time are in one of those two resurrections. The first resurrection is that of the “firstborn” (Heb 12:23), and the second resurrection is for all others. [I want to thank our brother, Larry Groenewald, for pointing out in our discussions of his (Genesis Study #75 – 12/11/14) that the double portion goes only to the firstborn, and that the spiritual application of that double portion is to both rule this earth in this physical realm with Christ during the millennium, and then to judge angels in the lake of fire, in the spiritual realm, following the destruction of all flesh.] The apostle Paul was referring to the right of the double portion which is given only to the firstborn when he told the Corinthians this:

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

Deu 21:17  But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

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

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

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Now there are indeed many degrees of glory within both of these resurrections (1Co 15:35-44), but rulership with Christ over this physical world and the judging of angels in the spiritual realm are promised only to those who are part of that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”. That is the double portion of the Lord’s firstborn, firstfruits, and it is theirs only:

Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.

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

The “second death” is the lake of fire, so no one who is cast into the lake of fire is in the purview of the promise given here in Revelation 20:6 and in Revelation 2:11.

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Those who are “hurt of the second death” will not be given to rule the nations during the millennium. Only those who are overcomers before the millennium, symbolized by the 144,000, will be given the honor of being in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection” to rule the nations with Christ:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

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

“It is appointed unto [all] men once to die”, followed by judgment.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The fact that we are told “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” proves that the death being spoken of in Hebrews 9:27 is death to sin, and the process of “dying daily” is now taking place only within those who “first trusted in Christ” and who now, in this age, have Christ living within them.

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?

That is a legitimate question, and it deserves a Biblical answer, and we have given that Biblical answer by showing that the lake of fire and the work accomplished therein is the answer to that question.

What Hebrews 9:27 and 1 Peter 4:17 tell us is that the death with which the scriptures concern themselves is with our “dying daily” to the sins of our old man. Those who die first to sin are the first to be judged as “the house of God”. “The second death” has to do with those who are not the first to die daily to the sins of their old man in this life. The second death is given that name because it is speaking of those who are the second group to die to sin, and the second judgment, the “great white throne… judgment”, will follow that “second death”. ‘The second death’ has nothing to do with anyone dying twice. “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27). It has only to do with the order in which one dies to the sins of his old man. The first resurrection is the resurrection of those in this age who are the ‘first to trust in Christ, and ‘die daily… as a living sacrifice… crucified with Christ, nevertheless [a]live’. (Eph 1:12, 1Co 15:31, Rom 12:1, Gal 2:20)

What is the spiritual purpose for the millennium?

Now it certainly is not reading into the scriptures to say that being given “power over the nations” is speaking outwardly of the period of the millennium, when the firstfruits, also called the firstborn, are given “to rule the nations with a rod of iron”. Yes, “power over the nations” has an inward and present application, which must always be primary to us. But in this Biblical overview of the plan of God, we are focused on the dispensational application of the power given to “Him that overcometh”. Those who overcome the wicked one in this age will rule over the nations of this world, and we are also focusing upon what we are told of the spiritual condition of those who are populating this earth during the millennium. Are we anywhere told that the spirit will be dragging them to God? Where are we ever told that “All those who are born during the Millennium… will still have to freely repent and believe the Gospel, personally choosing Christ as Savior and Lord“? The answer is that we are not told anything of the kind.

The fact is that even the sacrifices which are commanded to be offered during the feast of tabernacles point to the diminishing appreciation of the rule of God’s elect during the thousand years of their rule with a rod of iron. Notice what are the offerings that are commanded to be offered during the feast of tabernacles:

Num 29:12  And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
Num 29:13  And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:
Num 29:14  And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams,
Num 29:15  And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs:
Num 29:16  And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Num 29:17  And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
Num 29:18  And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Num 29:19  And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.
Num 29:20  And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;
Num 29:21  And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Num 29:22  And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Num 29:23  And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
Num 29:24  Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Num 29:25  And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Num 29:26  And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:
Num 29:27  And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Num 29:28  And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Num 29:29  And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
Num 29:30  And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Num 29:31  And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Num 29:32  And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:
Num 29:33  And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:
Num 29:34  And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

In the Old Testament, physical wealth symbolizes spiritual wealth as this description of Abraham reveals:

Gen 13:1  And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
Gen 13:2  And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Not just everyone in Israel was wealthy enough or capable of offering a bullock to God. Those who could do so were usually the leaders of the people. What the diminishing numbers of the offering of the bullocks tells us is that the leaders of the people who are alive during the symbolic one thousand years of the rule of the nations of this world by the elect saints of God, are becoming progressively less appreciative of that rule with a rod of iron. This time of being ruled by God’s elect will be carried out in a no-nonsense manner, just as God used Moses and Aaron to rule over Israel for forty years. That forty years symbolized the time of trials which Israel endured as they demonstrated how little they appreciated the rule of God over that nation with a rod of iron.

Here are just two examples of how God dealt with the rebellions of Israel during this forty years of being ruled with a rod of iron under God, through Moses and Aaron, as types of God’s elect rulers of this world:

Exo 32:4  And he [Aaron] received them [golden ear rings] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Exo 32:5  And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
Exo 32:6  And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
Exo 32:7  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
Exo 32:8  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt [typifying the ways of man versus the ways of God].
Exo 32:9  And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: [typifying all people “in the four quarters of the earth”]
Exo 32:10  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. [This is what God will do after the “little season” of rebellion which follows the millennium]

Those were trying times for Israel, and they grew progressively more rebellious as this time of trial continued. Our next example makes clear that it was the whole “camp of Israel”, symbolizing “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” who rose up against Moses and Aaron, who were the symbols of “the camp of the saints” at the end of the millennium.

Num 16:1  Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
Num 16:2  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Num 16:3  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
Num 16:4  And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
Num 16:5  And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

“All the congregation” is repeated lest we think there was even one exception:

Num 16:19  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
Num 16:20  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 16:21  Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
Num 16:22  And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
Num 16:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:24  Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Num 16:25  And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
Num 16:26  And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
Num 16:27  So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
Num 16:28  And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Num 16:29  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
Num 16:30  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Num 16:31  And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Num 16:32  And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Num 16:34  And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Num 16:35  And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Then it is repeated for the third time that “all the congregation of the children of Israel” were in rebellion against the leaders of God. And this is after the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and company:

Num 16:41  But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
Num 16:42  And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
Num 16:43  And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 16:44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:45  Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 16:46  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Num 16:47  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
Num 16:48  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Num 16:49  Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
Num 16:50  And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

These two examples serve to tell us the meaning of:

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

In the Old Testament these promises are made to Christ, but in the New Testament we discover that they are also extended to the overcomers who are the Christ of Christ:

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

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

That time of being ruled with “a rod of iron” becomes less and less appreciated, as the diminishing number of bullocks offered during the seven days of the feast of tabernacles indicates. The physical leaders of those days, just like the “two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown”, became weary of the rulers who God had placed over them in the person of Moses and Aaron.

It is also instructive to take note that the number of bullocks offered over those seven days are 70 in total, indicating the completion of what God is doing in the flesh of mankind at that time.

We will stop at this point for this week, but it should now be crystal clear that “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” is not a symbol for a minority of mankind, but it is rather symbolic of “all the congregation” of “the nations in the four quarters of the earth”, and that the millennium is not intended to be a time of great revival, but is rather a time in which the rebellion of mankind against the rulership of God will come to its zenith and will thereby furnish God with the “occasion” which He will be seeking at that time to destroy all flesh so as to “destroy… death” (1Co 15:26). Mankind has no choice in the matter of the destruction of all flesh because God tells us:

Eze 38:2  Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Eze 38:3  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 38:4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

This is what inspired John to write this and to add the explanation of the symbolism of Gog and Magog:

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

There is yet one more step to be taken in the overview of the plan of God for all mankind, and there is yet one more commandment of God which Israel was to observe which reveals the all-in-all goal which God has as the outcome of His dealings with the flesh of all of mankind.

In our next study we will show that many of the prophecies which the churches of Babylon apply to the millennium have been misapplied to that period of time, and are in reality to be applied to the kingdom of God which is even now within God’s elect, and to the time that follows the millennium. This is the time when God will be all in all.

1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

In our next study we will show that many of the prophecies which we have misapplied to the millennium are in reality to be applied to God’s elect and to the time that follows their time of rulership over the nations of this earth, the goal of God’s plan, the “all in all”.

[Click here to go to the next chapter.]

Hello Mike, I was reading some of your e- mail responses and you were telling somebody that, “Only then does He give us strength we did not have before though we sought it for many years and continued to blaspheme His name among the heathen, while we claim His name.” This really hit home.  I am that person right now in my life.  This past summer, Christ began to draw me to Him in a far different path than I had ever experienced.  For the first time in my life, I was living by the doctrine of Christ and no other doctrine.  I had dominion over sin that I had struggled with for so long.  Every day I had the power of Christ working in me, and I didn’t live a single moment – rather, I was dying moment by moment.  And the ironic thing is – these were very stressful months of my life – and yet Christ gave me the ability to comfort others rather than whine about my own problems.  It was a completely different life – a night and day change happened overnight and I thanked God every moment with singing. Then something shifted – I sank into the deepest valley of my life – of which I am still in.  Rather than having dominion over sin, I feel I am worshiping sin.  I have lost my love for the Truth.  I have lost all happiness or contentedness.  Death is a constant thought – I feel like I am going insane – deep depression that completely takes away all rationalism.  My loneliness is kept hidden from my family, and I have no friends.  I have become so ashamed of who I am I can’t function in social settings.  In my mind, I feel as if I am fully convinced that I am completely sin.  In my mind, I have witnessed the beast within me, and yet I feel powerless to this beast.  Because I am so convinced that I can do nothing, I do nothing.  And here is my problem – my concern. I have cried out to God in anger many times that he would keep me from spiritual rest for nearly six months now.  I have cried out for understanding as to what God is doing.  I desire change, and there is never change.  I have gotten to the point where I see myself capable of far worse things.  I have these thoughts and fears that I am turning into the kind of person we call our worst sinners in society.  Do you understand?  If this is God’s process of showing me how completely sinful I am, then that purpose is being achieved.  So much, that I know I will never see myself the same again and that the only road left is Christ. I hope.  I don’t suppose I have any question.  It was just important for me to share this.  You talk many times on your website about the process of realizing our complete sinful nature.  And I just wanted to “submit” this as a testament to that process.  I had no idea the depths of sin. Come to think of it, I can’t tell you how much it means to be able to write all of this to somebody.  I come to your site and read your words, and they provide a wellspring in my heart – a moment of refreshment and Truth.  The few times I have corresponded with you, I felt like I was speaking with a brother – one of the few people in this world that I could identify with.  I feel like I am hearing your voice from afar, though.   N____

Good morning N____,

I want you to know that I am and I will continue to be praying for you.

I think that you and I both know that what you are enduring at this time is not just a struggle with your flesh, it is rather nothing less than spiritual warfare. Here is what is right now taking place within you:

Rev 12:1  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven [ in the mind and heart of N__]; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [ to] his throne.

The fact that “his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven” tells us that this is a process you are enduring. The number three in God’s word signifies a process. We are not completed in a moment. Even after we are finally brought out of the wilderness and given strength to fight the giants in our land, we still must “endure to the end.” Even in the “land of promise” we find that it is yet in down- payment and not in the fullness of the inheritance. The struggles against “powers and principalities” actually intensify after we come out of the wilderness. The Lord is still showing us where we are. He knows where we are, but we must yet come to see ourselves as He sees us. “Dying daily” continues right up to the day we die. This is a process, and it takes time just to come to the point that sin does not have dominion over us. I know what you are going through. I too, thought that I had dominion over sin long before that was so.

But rest assured that day does come, and only then have we entered into His rest. Only then have we come to see deeply that nothing we do is of ourselves:

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members [ as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [ as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things [ is] death.
Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin , and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

“Free from sin” is the power and dominion over sin. It is the power to say no to Potiphar and to the captain of the prison, who only yesterday were your masters. But this too, is a process.

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

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

But now I want you to notice the comparison of this great red dragon with the beast which is in us all:

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.

Both have seven heads and ten horns. What this tells us is that we are completely (7) given to the desires of the flesh (10 – see the series of studies on Numbers In Scripture). Every one of our seven heads is given power to resist the law of Christ by our ten horns. But look at who, at this time, empowers our flesh:

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [ the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat [ Greek – throne], and great authority.

So the truth of this verse is confirmed in us:

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].

This struggle is within us all. This “spiritual wickedness” is in the heavens of you and me. It was all ordained from “before the foundation of the world.”

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

“The Christ” of Christ are all “in Him.” As such they partake of all of His sufferings:

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [ as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [ received] by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Col 1:24 Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly,

Both Peter and Paul had, in their own way, denied Christ and had placed stripes upon Him. Both had an appreciation of what He had done for them. We too, have denied our Lord, and we too, must come to appreciate what He has done and is doing for us.

It was for us that “the things in the heavens themselves” had to be cleansed with better things then the blood of calves and goats:

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

“In Him… For you!” And Here is what He can and will do “in Him, and for you:”

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I want you to remind yourself of the Truth of that verse all day every day. You really are a conqueror of your flesh and spirit “through Christ.” Any evil spirit which trys to convince you otherwise is a liar.

I will close with Paul’s advice to us all right after reminding us that we wrestle not with flesh and blood but with spiritual wickedness in our heavens:

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

I am praying with and for you. “You can do all things through Christ.”

Mike>

Dear Mike Vinson, Does God use fire to “drag” people to Himself before they are converted?  Because I do not feel converted in the sense that I have the power of Christ, but I feel more like I am being acquainted with that power very slowly through trials.  One of my biggest quests with Scripture right now is understanding that divide – the divide of being called and not yet converted and being called and converted.  Does God use fire on people even if He is not calling them?  How does one really know if they are being called?  For me, I feel like I’m being called simply because I DESIRE to overcome the flesh by Christ’s Life in me.  I DESIRE to be like Christ and for others to be like Christ.  But can’t someone have that desire in their lifetime, but never have the desire or knowledge to “reign with Christ” in the Lake of Fire?  By “called”, Scripture means “called to reign with Christ”, right?  Perhaps you will understand my confusion. Thank you so much.  I am really looking forward to the February conference in Texas.  I will make plans to be there. Regards, N____

Hi N____,

You ask:

Does God use fire on people even if He is not calling them?  How does one really know if they are being called?  For me, I feel like I’m being called simply because I DESIRE to overcome the flesh by Christ’s Life in me.  I DESIRE to be like Christ and for others to be like Christ.  But can’t someone have that desire in their lifetime, but never have the desire or knowledge to “reign with Christ” in t of Fire? he Lake By “called”, Scripture means “called to reign with Christ”, right?

You are exactly right. One can indeed “have that desire [ to be like Christ] in their lifetime, but never have the desire or knowledge to “reign with Christ” in the Lake of Fire?” That is the exact position in which most Christians find themselves. They believe in Christ, but when it comes to abiding in His deeper words they actually want to kill the very man they believe in:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [ then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:37  I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye [ Jews who believe on me] seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

So you see, you can believe on Christ and still want to kill him for his weightier doctrines like “resist not evil” and “love thine enemy.”

You then ask:

“By “called”, Scripture means “called to reign with Christ”, right?”

No, ‘called’ does not mean to reign with Christ. Being simply called and enduring fiery trials does not necessarily mean that you are being called to reign with Christ. “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

And being ‘chosen’ is not even all there is to it. Even the chosen must be faithful to the end in order to be saved and to reign with Christ:

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

Here is the scripture referring to the saved of this age. Notice what is said of this group:

Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

It is a three step process.

I hope this has answered your question and I look forward to seeing you in Texas in February.

Mike>