Rev 14:6-12 Part 2, The Patience and Faith of the Saints

[Study Aired February 16, 2025]

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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.

We ended our last study asking if verse 9 was suggesting that there is a way to avoid ever taking the mark of the beast. Are we to believe that this “loud voice” is mentioned here so that we will know that this angel is intent on getting the attention of someone else, other than you and me? Not so! It is you and I who are to “read, hear and keep the things written” in this 14th chapter of Revelation. We have firmly established in the previous chapter that all men are born with the mark, number, name and image of the beast.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

We demonstrated that we are all beasts and are “children of wrath, even as others” by birth and “by nature”.

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

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.

So verse nine is not offering us a way out of “drinking of the wine of the wrath of God”, rather it is simply a statement to the contrary, and is informing us that we shall surely drink of it.

Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;  Ye shall certainly drink.

Here is how that was done within Peter and within all of Christ’s disciples. Here is Peter being “tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”:

Mat 26:69  Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Mat 26:70  But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
Mat 26:71  And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mat 26:72  And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
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.

Matthew’s account tells us that Peter actually denied Christ “with an oath” and then with cursing and swearing, telling us that Peter then “remembered the words of Jesus” concerning denying Him before the cock crowed. Luke’s account is far more poignant, and adds many more flames to an already very hot fire.

Luk 22:56  But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
Luk 22:57  And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
Luk 22:58  And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
Luk 22:59  And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
Luk 22:60  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
Luk 22:61  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Did any of the apostles avoid drinking of this cup of God’s wrath? I think not:

Mar 10:38  But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Mar 14:22  And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
Mar 14:23  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
Mar 14:24  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
Mar 14:25  Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25  After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

“They all drank of it… I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God”. When does Christ again drink of the fruit of the vine? He does so “new in the kingdom of God”. Where is that kingdom where Christ again drinks of that cup and is again crucified? Here are the verses which answer those questions.

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.

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

Christ’s disciples had no idea what Christ was having them to do and admit to when “they all drank of that cup” (Mar 14:23). What they were confessing in drinking that cup was that they themselves were guilty of the shedding of Christ’s blood and would therefore partake of the wrath of God, “even as others”.

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.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Who are these children of disobedience who must endure “the wrath of God… even as others”? Here is who they are:

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:

Is our denying of Christ something that we do and repent of, never to do that again, or is the wrath of God, always present to burn out of us any wood, hay, or stubble that may reappear within us? In other words, did Peter ever again deny Christ? Well, as a matter of fact he did, and when he did, he again had to repent. Here is the account of that second denial of Christ on the part of Peter who is a type of us all:

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

It was “the fear of them which were of the circumcision” which caused Peter to deny Christ the first time, and now here he is doing so again.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So don’t permit a lying spirit to tell you that Revelation 14:11 is addressed to those who are the children of disobedience, but Job 23:13 is not.

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

What we will to do and what we actually do has nothing to do with you. You and I are those “children of disobedience” who were born with, and who have lived with, the mark, number, name and image of the beast. It is you and I who must first be judged by “fulfill[ing] the seven plagues of the seven angels” before Christ will begin to take up His residence within us. He is not innately within us. We are innately opposed to having Him sitting on the throne of our hearts and minds, and we must endure the seven plagues of the seven angels before we will begin to be willing to surrender that throne to Him. It is not a matter of free will on our part. It is a matter of being dragged to that decision, ‘through fiery trials (1Pe 4:12), much tribulation (Act 14:22), and through the burning out by fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb’ (Rev 14:11-12), all of the wood, hay and stubble of the lusts of our flesh and the lies of Babylon which are all innately within us.

It is you and I who will be tormented day and night in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, for the eon of the eons, “till the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled” in our lives (Rev 15:8). We are then being purged of all the lies and uncleanness that is that man of sin who withholds the coming of Christ within us. It is these seven plagues and the torment of Revelation 14:11-12, which will serve to begin to dislodge that man of sin from residing upon the throne of God within us, because the “brightness of Christ’s coming” is the light of His fiery Words, which reveals to us who has been ruling our lives for so long.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [“of the Christ”, vs 2, the beginning of our day of judgment] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let [will withhold], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, [the “two horned beast which speaks as a dragon” within us] whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We have all “believed not the Truth”, and we have all been damned while in that deception. Here is how this process is described in scripture:

Joh 6:44  No man can come [Aorist tense, can begin coming] to me, except the Father which hath sent me [Aorist tense, is sending me] draw (Greek – dragging) him: and I will raise him up [future tense] at the last day.
Joh 6:45  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard [Aorist tense, is hearing] , and hath learned [Aorist tense, is learning] of the Father, cometh unto me.

“Hearing” is a necessary gift of God, which gift is an essential part of the dragging process. We are told to “work out our own salvation”, but we are also told why we will work out our own salvation. Is it because of our own free we will choose to serve God? Absolutely not!

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For [G1063, ‘Gar’, because] it is God which worketh in you both to will [present tense]  and to do [present tense] of his good pleasure.

The willing and the doing are both His present work within us. Neither are of ourselves as the scriptures so abundantly demonstrate:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth [the salvation of all, 1Ti2:4], even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

It is God who has willed that “we will live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. It is God who has willed that “all things, things present and things to come, are ours”. It is God who has willed that we will “read, hear, and keep the things which are written in this book”, and this verse is “written in this book”:

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.

What is the product of keeping these verses of God’s Word within our lives? This is the product of keeping those verses and those words in our lives:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

This is simply repeating what we were told in chapter 13:

Rev 13:4  And they [you and I] worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they [you and I] worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.
Rev 13:6  And he [All of mankind, Rev 13:10 and 16] opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

It is the saints who keep the things written in this book, and both chapters 13 and 14 are “written in this book”.

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.

That was prophesied many hundreds of years earlier “as he has declared to His servants the prophets”.

He declared all of this in Jer 25, but He also declared it in these verses of scripture:

Isa 54:6  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Isa 54:7  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Isa 54:9  For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Here is the ultimate fulfillment of these verses:

Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Truly our Lord was “in all ways tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” It was not a sin for Him to recognize that the darkness over all the land was the symbol of God’s rejection of all sinful flesh and blood. That is right, God really had rejected the physical flesh of Christ as “corruptible flesh”. Not even the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ was fit to inherit the kingdom of God and had to be rejected by God. But on “the third day”, Christ was perfected and raised a spiritual body which was capable of appearing as flesh and bone.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

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.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Summary

We have seen in this study that there is a three-step process which is essential to bringing us to the “finishing of the mystery of God” within us. We have seen that the three angels of these seven verses of Rev 14 are all one spirit which is working through this process to prepare our hearts and minds for the reception of the King of the kingdom of God to take up His residency within our hearts and minds and upon His rightful throne within our hearts and minds.

What we have learned is that like the three seasons of the festivals of ancient Israel, these three angels are all necessary and essential to prepare us for the “finishing of the mystery of God, which is Christ in you the hope of glory” within us.

We saw that the second angel of these verses proclaimed the fall of Babylon, and the third angel in this process is the pouring out of the wrath of God upon the Babylonian seat of the beastly “man of sin” who we all are by nature within our own carnal hearts and minds.

So we have learned that the torment of these verses 9-11 in Revelation 14 is the same as the pouring out of the seven last plagues of the seven angels in Revelation 15:8.

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 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2  And I saw [Aorist tense, am seeing] as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory [Present tense] over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, [Which temple {we} are, 1Co 3:15-16] having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Both the torment with fire and brimstone of Revelation 14:9-11, and the seven last plagues of Revelation 15, are “the wrath of God,” upon all the lies and uncleannesses which are the essence of our Babylonian experience. We saw that all of this is just a repeat of the same statement concerning this same experience in the previous 13^th chapter concerning the wrath of God upon our two horned beast who speaks as a dragon and gives life to the image of our first beast which he causes us to become. Here is how this same experience is worded in that chapter:

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.
Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Both events, the events of the 13^th chapter and the events of the 14^th chapter bring us to the same conclusion:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus

So we have learned that if we have the patience and the faith of the saints, and if we have the faith of Jesus then we are really the ones who must “read, hear, and keep the things which are written in this book”, including being tormented in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb, and the seven plagues of the seven angels of the seventh trumpet. In other words, all of these things are ours and are “the patience and faith of the saints”.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Next week, Lord willing, we will learn how clearly the scriptures speak of the work of Christ and the work of His Christ. It is revealed to us in the angels who are used of God to reap the harvest of the earth. Here are the verses we will be covering in our next study:

Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Rev 14:14  And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Rev 14:17  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
Rev 14:19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.

Rev 14:6-12 Part 1, The Patience and Faith of the Saints

[Study Aired February 14, 2025]

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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.

Introduction

There are three angels in these seven verses, all speaking with one voice, bringing into our spiritual view the process which is ordained to reveal to us “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations.” The first angel brings to us the first part of that process and sets the stage for the next two parts of the process which will finish the mystery of God. This first angel tells us that this whole process is part and parcel of the eonian gospel, and that ‘good news’ that ‘gospel’ includes “the hour of God’s judgment” within our lives. It is only through God’s fiery, thunderous judgment upon our sins that we are brought to “fear God and give Him glory”, as we are four times commanded to do under these very “fire and brimstone” circumstances of judgment in Psa 107:8, 15, 21, 31.

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:15  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

All the words in between those four admonitions to give God praise and glory for His judgments are some of the “fire and brimstone” of:

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:

There are three proclamations from three angels which ‘3’ signifies the process of judgment the Lord is working in our lives in “this present time” if we are so blessed as to be judged now rather than later. We are so blessed if we are being judged at this time, because it is only through the Lord’s judgments that we “learn righteousness”, and it is only if “judgment begins at [us as]” the house of God… in this present time that we can be declared to have “done good” in this present time (Rom 8:18) and “come forth … unto the resurrection of the righteous.

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 [at the beginning of the thousand-year reign]; and they that have done evil [A thousand years later], unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘krisis’ judgment, the “white throne judgment” after the thousand-year reign. (Rev 20:11)]

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.

In verse six we read: “And I saw another angel flying in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth”. In verse eight we read: “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.” Finally, in verse nine we read: “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, 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.”

Hearing the gospel, the message of the first angel, realizing that Babylon has fallen, the gospel of the second angel, and understanding the necessity of being judged in this present time, the gospel of the third angel, are one and all the preaching of the gospel to the seven churches, and therefore these ‘angels’ are the  messengers of the churches because the angels of the heavenly hosts desire to look into the everlasting gospel, but are not granted to do so. These three angels are ‘three’ because they reveal the process of our judgment:

Numbers in Scripture: Three – The Process of Spiritual Completion Through Judgment/

So this is a three-step process, just as the festivals of God were a three-step process leading up to the judgment and salvation of all in the fall harvest “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 [1 – Passover and the days 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 [2] the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours [the feast of Pentecost, called ‘the feast of “the firstfruits of thy labors”], which thou hast sown in the field: and [3] the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, [The feast of Tabernacles] 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.

Those three festival seasons typify God’s dealings with the whole of mankind and with each of us individually. First, we cry out to God, and He brings us out of the world, as Israel came up out of Egypt. We are still “in the wilderness” however, and are “yet carnal” (1Co 3:1-4), and we rebel against God ten times in the wilderness.

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

The second part of our experience includes crossing the Jordan and fighting against and subduing the giants in the land. Those giants in the land are types of the passions and carnal lusts within us. We do not drive out all those giants, and for that very reason we end up being carried away captive into Babylon. At this point we are God’s called-out people, but the mystery of God is still not finished within us. This is why within us we are told:

Rev 14:8  And there followed another [second] 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.

The “fall of Babylon” has far more to do with our coming out of the lies of “the mother of harlots” in every generation of mankind than it has to do with the physical destruction of a physical city called Babylon. So all those who are looking for the physical city of Babylon to be rebuilt and the physical temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt are assuming that these words are dispensational words, which apply only to the last generation who happen to be standing on this earth when Christ returns to set up his ‘thousand-year’ reign. For these people these words are all external and impersonal. They have completely forgotten the admonition of Revelation 1:3.

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.

“In the end of the year” is “the feast of ingathering.” This festival typifies our coming out of Babylon and returning to the land of promise victorious, to rebuild the temple, which temple will be more glorious than the temple of Solomon.

Hag 2:6  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:8  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:9  The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

Let us keep in mind that everything we are reading is proceeding directly “out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4, Rev 1:1), and is therefore to be kept by those who are given by our heavenly Father to “read… hear… and keep the things written in this book” (Rev 1:3). Let us also remember that everything written from chapter 10 through chapter 16 happens “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when the seventh angel shall begin to sound.” What we are reading here in these seven chapters, from chapter 10-16, prepares us for what is happening in “the days of the voice of the seventh angel”, and is preparing us for what will be revealed in us, in the events which are revealed at the sounding of the seventh angel.

It is the events of the seventh-trumpet judgment within us which prepares us and makes us fit for the “finishing of the mystery of God.” These are the things that we must endure before that mystery of “Christ in you the hope of glory” can be realized. That is why these five chapters are interjected between the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the revelation of what comprises this seventh trumpet. Let’s read it again.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Put another way, this seventh trumpet and keeping and fulfilling the experience of this seventh trumpet, is what must begin to be fulfilled within us, before “the mystery of God, which He has declared to His servants the prophets” can be finished within us. Notice how similar are Rev 10:7 and Rev 15:8:

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

As we will see below, “the mystery of God is Christ in us, the hope of glory.” It is not Christ in us the glory, but “the hope of glory”, and that hope cannot come into us until we have begun entering into the temple of God, and that temple is “Christ within us, and we in Him” (Joh 14:20), Christ increasing daily while we are dying daily with Him (1Co 15:31):

Joh 3:30  He [Christ] must increase [daily], but I [our old man] must decrease.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

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

Now let’s look at the message of this first angel:

The first angel

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

“The everlasting gospel” this angel brings to us is “the gospel of the kingdom of God” which is within us (Luk 17:20-21) which the angels desire to look into but cannot do so.

Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

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.

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 [these three angels of this 14^th chapter] with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

That gospel of the kingdom of God within us is the same as “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations.” That mystery is the revelation that Christ Himself actually lives within us, is taking up residence where the beastly “man of sin” once lived, and that we are actually and truly part and parcel of “the Christ” who has been sent to save the entire world.

Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: [The three angels of this 14^th chapter]
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

“The mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to His servants the prophets… has been hid from ages and generations… whereof I am made a minister… is Christ in you the hope of glory”. This ministry “which is given to me for you” are words which have an application for the entire body of Christ, because the entire body ministers to “itself in love”, not just the apostle Paul.

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.

Rev 10:7 tells us “in the days when the seventh angel begins to sound, the mystery of God should be finished [Aorist tense, being finished], as He hath declared [Aorist tense, being declared] unto His servants the prophets”. Whatever else we can glean from that statement, the one truth we cannot deny is that that mystery of Christ living His life in us is not finished in ten seconds or even in a whole 24 hour day. Rather He “begins” to “finish” His work through the symbol of “three angels”, and He is declaring it by and to ‘His servants the prophets’ who are these three angels. The fact that this is all brought to us by three separate angels who are speaking with one voice, reveals to those with the spiritual “eyes to see” it that there is a process in motion, which is the process of Christ taking over His throne in His temple, “which temple we are”. What we are being told here is that the process of destroying and dethroning our beastly “man of sin” and gradually and daily replacing him with our “new man”, is initiated “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound”.

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.

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

1Co 3:16-17 is “the mystery of God which has been hid from ages and from generations” because we are told this:

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

So “the spirit of God” and “the spirit of Christ” are one and the same spirit, which is exactly what Christ Himself tells us:

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one.

The very same thing is said of us and Christ.

1Co 6:17  But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

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.

Since Christ and His Father are one, then “Christ in you, the hope of glory”, which is “the mystery of God which has been hid from ages and from generations”, is really Christ and His Father in us and we in them.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know [future tense because Christ was not yet in anyone] that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

“At that day”? What day is “that day”? “That day” is when “the mystery of God should be finished”, and that mystery of Christ dwelling in us begins to become a reality. But that day cannot become a reality until the seventh angel has sounded and all the events that comprise that seventh trumpet are being fulfilled. This is what we are told:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave [Aorist tense, is giving] unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled [Aorist tense, is being filled] with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter [Aorist tense, begin entering] into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled [Aorist tense, were being fulfilled].

So Christ cannot truly abide in us “till the seven plagues of the seven angels begin to be fulfilled” within us. This is not a “smooth thing” to have to teach. The Truth of Rev 15:8, and 14:11-12 has been replaced throughout Babylon by various forms of a rapture doctrine. The entire Christian world denies that God’s elect live by and keep these words concerning the living and keeping or enduring of the wrath of God. These words in Rev 14:11-12, and 15:8, are the modern equivalent of Jeremiah telling Israel that it is God’s will that Israel is to be carried away into Babylon to serve the king of Babylon and to suffer the wrath of God upon their sins. So Rev 15:8, and 14:11-12 are simply reaffirming what the Old Testament scriptures have already told us many hundreds of years earlier in the book of Jeremiah.

Jer 25:15  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Jer 25:16  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
Jer 25:17  Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
Jer 25:18  To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;

No one wants to hear that Rev 14:11 is something which has “proceeded out of the mouth of God, is written in the sayings of the prophecy of this book, and is to be kept by each and every one of us”. Nevertheless, those verses are part of what the scriptures call “the strong meat… for them that are of full age.”

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.

But what did God tell Jeremiah concerning anyone who subscribes to any form of a doctrine which excludes anyone from “living by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God”, or telling us that we can somehow avoid drinking of the cup of His wrath? Here are God’s own words to all who subscribe to any form of a rapture theory, which declares that there are parts of God’s Word which are only for those whose hearts God hardens, but are not for you and me if we will only repent:

Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;  Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jer 25:30  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

These verses in Hebrews five should begin to be make clear that the phrase, “in the days when the seventh angel shall begin to sound” is speaking of the days in which Christ is us, the hope of glory”, begins to become a spiritual reality, and all the seals and trumpets which lead up to this seventh trumpet, begin to be experienced within us while we are yet in Babylon. These are the days in which Christ begins to dethrone the beast that occupies the throne of our hearts and begins His fiery judgment which teaches us righteousness. “Christ in us, the hope of glory” is the very subject of “that day” spoken of in John 14:20 and Rev 15:8, where we are beginning to appreciate and to understand that we are in Christ, and He is in us and we are in the Father.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

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

Now let’s look at the verses preceding John 14:20, and while we are looking at these verses let’s remember that none of Christ’s unconverted disciples had yet denied Him. Let’s realize that all of them, at this point, considered themselves incapable of such a dastardly deed. Here is Christ speaking of that day when He would be dwelling within His disciples.

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

It was Christ who was in His Father and had His Father in Him, and it was Christ who would soon be “dwelling within” His disciples, and it was Christ who, at the day of Pentecost, began to take up His residence within His disciples. But for his disciples this was yet “the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound.” At this time, “the mystery of God [was not yet] finished” within His disciples, and “no man [no disciple] was able to enter into the temple of Christ till the seven plagues of the seven angels should begin to be fulfilled” within them.

You will say to me, “Wait a minute, we are the temple Christ dwells within according to 1Co 3:16-17. “

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

And I will say to you that ‘Yes, you and I are indeed that temple, but we are not that temple of ourselves nor of anything we have done. We are the temple of God only if Christ first begins to dwell within us’.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk [present tense] not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So we have to be in Him before He can be in us. Which takes us right back to Joh 14:20:

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Now what does “the hour of His judgment is come” mean? This again is strong meat which simply cannot be accepted by those who use milk and are “unskillful in the word of righteousness” (Heb 5:13). Here is what “the hour of His judgment is come” means:

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?

“The hour of His judgment is come” is the same as “the time comes that judgment must begin at the house of God.” “The house of God” is “the temple of God,” However, this judgment doesn’t even begin until after “the seven plagues of the seven angels are [Aorist tense, begin to be] fulfilled” within us. Only then can we “enter [Aorist tense, begin to enter] into the temple of God” and we begin being judged and begin “learning righteousness”.

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

Put another way, when God’s judgments “begin at the house of God, the inhabitants of the earth” within us will begin to learn righteousness.

The second angel

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.

Four chapters later, after the seven plagues of the seven angels have been poured out upon the lying and false doctrines of Babylon within us, we read these words:

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

This seventh verse should make us remember the words we have kept in Rev 3:17-18:

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [ that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rev 3:17-18 are words which we read, hear and keep. They describe each of us to a tee. God’s people all “come out of Babylon” where we all said in our hearts “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow”. We have all thought that these curses were all placed upon the sins of some blasphemous sinner, and of that we were exactly right. That “chief… of… sinners” is each and every one of us. The only way to avoid partaking of her sins and receiving of her plagues in the future is to confess that we have already done so and we are even now fulfilling the seven plagues of the seven angels, and entering into the heavenly temple which is Christ. The very purpose of those plagues of the seven angels is to purify us so that Christ can enter into us and we into Him.

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

Therefore we must keep the words of this third angel also, whose message to us is just as much a part of “the everlasting gospel” as are the first two angels:

The third angel

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, [We all do so, Rev 13:16]
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 [our old man] 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.

What is all of this? It is all part of the everlasting gospel which is being preached to them that dwell on the earth (vs 6). It is also described in this manner:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God [“The sayings of the prophecy of this book” Rev 1:3, 22:7], and the faith of Jesus.

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.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

We will pause at this point and we will consider what “the patience of the saints, keeping the commandments of God, and having the faith of Jesus” entails in our next study.

Is verse 9 insinuating with the word ‘if’ that there is a way for the saints to avoid the mark of the beast?

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 13:10-13 Part 1, Here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints

[Study Aired January 24, 2025]

Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Introduction

Let’s read that again!! “The patience and faith of the saints is to lead into captivity and be led into captivity? The patience and faith of the saints is to kill by the sword and be killed by the sword”? Is that what we just read? Is that how far the holy spirit’s doctrine of “all things are ours” doctrine goes?

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Is that how far “living by every” word goes?

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

Is that how far “keeping the things written therein goes”?

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.

Every time we come to God’s Word thinking that we are coming to it to study history or to seek to know the future, we are failing to approach God’s Word with the proper mindset. That mindset is this:

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

Let us be very clear… ‘living by every word’ means believing and doing everything the scriptures tell us to believe and to do. If the scriptures tell us that we are to follow the footsteps of Christ then that is what we are to do.

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

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jn 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

If, on the other hand, the scriptures tell us:

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.

Then we should believe and teach that all who are the first to die daily with Christ, to die to our old man, and to overcome the wicked one in this present world, and are the first to be judged in this present time, shall not be hurt of the second death. The “second death… [which] is the lake of fire” is ‘second’ in time and in order. It is not common to all men and will not ‘hurt’ the elect (Rev 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.

God’s elect who will rule with Christ for a thousand years, go through judgment and “die daily… in this present time”:

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?

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.

It is only because the Lord’s elect ‘die’ first, in ‘this present time’, and it is only because “judgment… first begins at us” in “this time” that we are granted to “come forth… unto the resurrection of life”, the “blessed and holy… first resurrection” at the commencement of the thousand-year reign of Christ and His ‘Christ’, who will rule with Him for a thousand years. The elect live by those words of God, but they do so “first… to the praise of His glory”, and not later at the “great white throne… judgment/ lake of fire/ second death” (Rev 20:11-15).

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 [G2920: ‘Krisis’, judgment, the “great white throne… judgment”].

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him from the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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 [of His grace, vs 6].

“Man” in Matthew 4:4 is the Greek word ‘anthropos’ and it means ‘mankind’. What that means is that you and I will live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We will “keep the things written therein… because, all things are ours” (Rev 1:3, 1Co 3:21-22).

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

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.

Now, since mankind will live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and since all things present and things to come are ours, and since we must all “keep the things written therein”, then it is a very safe bet that “all things [will] come alike to all” men.

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.

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Now if it is true that “there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked”, and if it is also true that in the end we are all to be redeemed by the blood of the Christ, then the only conclusion we can draw from all of these verses of God’s Word is that we must all first be wicked before we can become righteous, and we must all experience “the day of evil” before we can be “accepted in the beloved.” Put another way, we must all be “in Adam” before we can be “in Christ”.

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

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

All of this is by God’s own deliberate design:

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. (CLV)

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Eze 20:25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

With this Biblical approach to today’s verses in Revelation 13, let’s look and see…

What is the patience and the faith of the saints?

Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Now doesn’t a statement like that make you very thankful that you have never led anyone at any time into captivity? Don’t these words make you very thankful that you have never in your life killed anyone with the sword?

But wait a minute. It is the leading into captivity and going into captivity, it is the killing with the sword and the being killed with the sword which is “the patience and the faith of the saints.”

Surely we have read this wrong, or maybe we have simply misunderstood what “keep the things written therein” means. Let us take the time to see if “the patience and faith of the saints” is mentioned anywhere else in this book, and let us look very closely at those verses to see what they tell us is “the patience and faith of the saints.” Is there a “second witness” to this definition of the patience and faith of the saints?  Yes, of course there is always a second witness to any Biblical doctrine, and this ‘second witness’ is found in the very next chapter of this prophecy, and it again demonstrates that we endure everything those in the lake of fire endure, but we do so but once in this present time, and we do so first:

Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come [1Pe 4:17]: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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 [three signifies the process of being judged] 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.

There it is again, just as plain as it can be stated. The patience of the saints and they that keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus Christ, are those who drink of the wrath of God, poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, and are tormented day and night in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. The patience of the saints, and of those who keep the commandments of God and keep the faith of Jesus, is to “keep the things written in this book”, which things happen to include the worship of the beast and his image and receiving the mark of His name. “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

“Another angel… another angel… and a third angel” is not speaking of three different spirits. They are all the same spirit with three messages concerning these three steps in the process of the judgment of the worship of beast that is within us all. This message in chapter 14 is the exact same message as the message of chapter 13. Both are the necessary ingredients of “the patience and the faith of the saints.”

Now let’s go back to Rev 13:10 and notice how the preceding verses parallel these verses here in chapter 14:

Rev 13:4 And they [all mankind, you and I] worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Who among God’s elect have not worshiped and served the beast before the coming of Christ into their lives? Who among us has not opened our mouths in blasphemy against God, “to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven”? We have all “made war with the saints” when we first heard their doctrine. Here are a few more words which have been inspired by our God, demonstrating that we will all live by every word of God:

1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.

“Who before was a blasphemer [who]… led into captivity, [and] killed with the sword…” Those words are not unique to the apostle Paul. They speak of all of us.

Are there any of us who have not first been “the children of wrath even as others”? Think before you answer that question, because we will all be “judged out of our own mouths”. Here is the answer to that question:

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 [all] by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

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

No, there are none of us who were not first “the children of wrath, even as others”. Not one of us was born perfected. We are all ‘shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin’:

Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

“We all [have been] in times past… by nature the children of wrath, even as others”. It is all “the patience and faith of the saints” who are given to “look behind [themselves]” and witness this entire revelation of Jesus Christ and to see and understand that this revelation of Jesus Christ includes both the first and then the last Adam, and it is so stated in both chapters 13 and 14. The worship of the beast in both chapters precedes the statement, “This is the patience and faith of the saints.”

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

“I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth…” This ‘coming up’ is the same phrase used to tell us “what the Lord is about to do” in Pharaoh’s dream:

Gen 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
Gen 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
Gen 41:3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
Gen 41:4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
Gen 41:5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
Gen 41:6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
Gen 41:7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

Pharaoh’s dream involves seven well favored and fat fleshed cows being eaten up by seven ill favored and lean fleshed cows. This is so troubling to Pharaoh that he is awakened out of his sleep. Then he falls asleep again and dreams a second dream involving seven ears of corn on one stalk “rank and good.” These seven good ears of corn are then eaten up by seven thin ears of corn, blasted with the east wind.

So in Pharaoh’s two dreams we have seven fat cows and seven thin cows, and seven fat ears of corn and seven thin ears of corn. What does it all mean? It all means the same thing. The message in these two dreams is one single message which the Lord is giving to Pharaoh about things He is about to do. Both dreams have one message, and the different kinds of cows and the different kinds of corn are simply expressing the different stages of the progression of that one single message being delivered by God, through Joseph, to Pharaoh.

Here is what Joseph tells the Pharaoh.

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

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

The fact that the dream was doubled to Pharaoh indicates that it is “written in God’s book” (Psa 139:16), and it will happen very soon. Two is God’s number for witness, and God’s witness is always given as “the time is at hand… it is near, even at the door” (Mat 24:32-33, Rev 1:3).

Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

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.

Joseph is sent by God to Pharaoh to confirm to Pharaoh that these two dreams are just one message to Pharaoh. This message has been established by God and will soon be done.

That is just as true of the message we are being given here in Revelation 13. “Another beast” like “other kine” is really nothing less than the same beast, at the next stage of his progression. Just as the “seven other kine” are simply that which follows the first seven cows, here, too, in Revelation 13, this “other beast” which “comes up out of the earth” is the natural, predestined progression of what will become of the first beast which comes up out of the sea.

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.

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Here is the message contained in these two verses, in their Old Testament type and shadow form:

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

In Biblical terms, the first beast represents the sea of our naked flesh, and the second beast represents the dry land which rises ever so slightly higher than the sea. The second beast is aware of his nakedness and is thereby one step closer to being like God than the first beast. Nevertheless, like the cows and the corn in Pharaoh’s dream, both are a single beast. It is very similar to this statement which “proceeded out of the mouth of God” immediately after our original parents first disobey their Father:

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man [H120: ‘adam’, mankind] is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

The separating of the dry land from the waters of the sea is the preordained progression of God’s work upon His one single creation, you and me, “the earth”, and the beast that comes up out of the earth is the predestined progression of the beast that is within God’s one single creation, the earth, which we are.

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

There are two beasts mentioned in this chapter. There is the first beast which “rises up out of the sea.” Then there is this second beast of our study today, which “comes up out of the earth”. This second beast, has “two horns like a lamb, but he speaks as a dragon.” It is this second beast, ‘which speaks as a dragon’, who makes an image of the first beast and is given the power to give life to the image of the beast and to cause all men to worship the image of the beast, but like the 14 cows and the 14 ears of corn in Pharaoh’s dream, the three beasts are all nothing more than a predestined progression of a single message about a single beast, which beast we and all the rest of mankind are:

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

The vision of the two beasts of this 13th chapter of Revelation, like Pharaoh’s different dreams, is also one vision of one beast, but the fact that John sees three angels in chapter 14, tells us that this beast is in the process of being judged. These three angels are really just the three phases of where we are while we are in the process of being judged in this present time, on this earth. God has “made manifest to us that we ourselves are beasts”, and as such we live the process of the judgment of that one beast which is in us all.

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?

Three is God’s number for the process of judgment, and all the chapters of Revelation 10-16 are all about the judgment of the beast within us, and that judgment, as we will later see, comes in three separate and distinct phases.

Now what does this mean:

He had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

In our next study we will seek to discover what the scriptures reveal about this second beast which comes up out of the earth with two horns like a lamb, yet speaking as a dragon. Lord willing, we will learn what these words signify.

The Book of Romans, Part 11 – We Have Hope Through Tribulation

[Study Aired September 5, 2023]

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
Rom 5:4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 
Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

To understand Romans 5:1-2 in the context of the first four chapters of Romans, it’s essential to recognize the progression the Apostle Paul builds in this letter. Let’s break down these verses considering the preceding chapters:

Romans 1-4: In the preceding chapters, Paul has been establishing the foundational principles of salvation and righteousness through faith. He explains that all have sinned (Rom 3:23) and fallen short of God’s glory but are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24). He emphasizes that righteousness comes not through works of the law but through faith in Jesus (Rom 3:28).

Rom 3:21-28  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

In Romans 4, Paul uses the example of Abraham to illustrate the concept of justification by faith. He points out that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness (Rom 4:3), and this justification was not based on works but on faith (Rom 4:5). Abraham’s faith in God’s promise foreshadowed the faith that would be placed in Christ for salvation.

Rom 4:1-5 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Now, with this context in mind, let’s look at Romans 5:1-2:

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Considering Paul’s foundational teachings in the preceding chapters, this verse signifies that faith leads to our righteous declaration (justification) before God. This justification brings about reconciliation with God and, as a result, peace. Prior to faith, mankind existed in a state of separation from God, marked by sin – a condition the law, serving as our guide, revealed to us (Gal 3:24). Through faith, we are harmoniously reunited with God, erasing the enmity that once existed, ultimately resulting in peace. This peace finds its source and foundation “through our Lord Jesus Christ” because His sacrificial act on the cross is what underpins both our justification and reconciliation, as explained in Romans 3:25.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

Romans 5:2: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Here, Paul continues to emphasize the role of Jesus Christ in our salvation. He explains that it is through Jesus Christ that we have access to “this grace”. Our faith opens the door to God’s forgiveness. This grace allows us to “stand” in a state of righteousness before God, firmly rooted in His favor and acceptance.

This access to grace leads to rejoicing in hope. As Paul established in Romans 4, just as Abraham hoped in God’s promise, we also hope in the glory of God. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we gain access to God’s grace, and we stand in this grace with confidence. This echoes the Old Testament’s emphasis on the importance of grace, such as in the Psalms where we find, “But he gives us more grace” (Psa 84:11, Jas 4:6).

Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 

Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

In summary, Romans 5:1-2 builds upon the foundation laid in the previous chapters by explaining that through faith we are justified, reconciled to God and have access to God. This faith fills us with the hope of future glory, allowing us to stand in a state of righteousness and rejoice in our relationship with God.

Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
Rom 5:4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

In our journey, we can find joy, especially in difficult times, knowing that trials produce patience, which leads to experience and ultimately hope. This idea of finding purpose in trials is found in the Old Testament, as in the story of Joseph in Genesis, where his trials led to his exaltation and the saving of many lives.

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

The following verses emphasize that going through tribulations or trials will develop patience in us, and this patience leads to spiritual growth and maturity.

Psa 37:7-9 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Psa 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Jas 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

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

The above verses teach us to rely on God’s strength and faithfulness during times of tribulation, ultimately leading to a deeper relationship with Him.

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

Our hope in Christ is sure and will not disappoint us, because the Holy Spirit, which is given to believers, fills our hearts with the love of God. This aligns with the Old Testament’s promise of the Holy Spirit, as seen in Ezekiel 36:26-27.

Eze 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

These verses emphasize the incredible love of God. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross occurred when we were still sinners and had no ability to save ourselves. This echoes the concept of God’s unfailing love found throughout the Old Testament, such as in Psalm 136.

Psa 136:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa 136:24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. 
Psa 136:26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

This Psalms reveals the process we all go through to enter the kingdom of God. We were Pharaoh, the great kings, and the famous kings. 

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are justified and saved from God’s wrath to come in the lake of fire. This reconciliation through the death and life of Christ reflects the Old Testament’s teachings on reconciliation, as seen in Isaiah 53:5-6.

Isa 53:5-6 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Through Jesus Christ, we find joy and have received peace, atonement and the reconciliation between God and mankind. This concept of atonement for sins is rooted in the Old Testament, particularly in the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).

Lev 16:11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself.

This verse states the importance of the high priest’s atonement on behalf of himself and his family.

Lev 16:15 Then shall he (Aaron) kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat.

This verse describes the people’s sin offering.

Lev 16:16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

This verse underscores the comprehensive nature of the atonement, covering both the holy place and the tabernacle itself, symbolizing the cleansing of the sanctuary from the people’s sins.

Lev 16:30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

Leviticus 16:30 serves as a clear declaration of the Day of Atonement’s purpose. The priest’s actions on that day are aimed at cleansing the people so they may stand before the Lord free from the stain of their sins. This verse underscores the meticulous process of atonement, highlighting the central role of the priest in facilitating purification.

In a similar vein, the order and significance of salvation are elaborated upon in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. The resurrection of Christ is pivotal, as He is the first to rise from the dead, marking the beginning of a sequence in which all who belong to Him will be made alive. This process follows a particular order, starting with Christ as the firstfruits and continuing with those who are His when He returns. Ultimately, this culminates in the defeat of death itself.

1Co 15:20-28 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 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.

This journey toward salvation, however, is far from effortless. It demands a significant price, the death of our old man. Faith becomes the sole means of achieving salvation, as relying on adherence to the law is insufficient. While the law has its role in educating us about sin, it isn’t the ultimate path to salvation.

The process is challenging, marked by tribulation and the filling of what remains of Christ’s afflictions. Perseverance until the end is the key, leading to the eventual enjoyment of the fruits of our labor. Through this journey, we move beyond the constraints of the law, having God to become the overarching and all-encompassing presence in our lives.

Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
Rom 5:4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

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

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

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

Here are our verses for our next study:

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 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 
Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 
Rom 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 
Rom 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Rom 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 
Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Acts 13:28-52  It is Necessary That the Word First Be Spoken to Babylon

[Study Aired April 30, 2023]

Act 13:28  And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
Act 13:29  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
Act 13:30  But God raised him from the dead:
Act 13:31  And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
Act 13:32  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
Act 13:33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Act 13:34  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
Act 13:35  Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 13:36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
Act 13:37  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
Act 13:38  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Act 13:39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Act 13:40  Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
Act 13:41  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
Act 13:42  And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Act 13:43  Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Act 13:44  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Act 13:48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Act 13:49  And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
Act 13:50  But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
Act 13:51  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
Act 13:52  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

In our last study, Paul and Barnabas had just arrived in Pisidian Antioch and had entered the local synagogue where they were invited to speak:

Act 13:13  Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Act 13:14  But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
Act 13:15  And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

These verses demonstrate the veracity of James’ statement when he concluded that the Jews were still under the law in chapter 15:

Act 15:19  Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Act 15:20  But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21  For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

The consensus of the apostles and elders was that the Gentiles were not under the law of Moses, but the Jews were still expected to keep the law of Moses which… “Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” The apostles themselves were still very much attached to the temple in Jerusalem and were still tithing to the Levites, circumcising, and offering blood sacrifices. They were still observing all the Jewish holy days and all the laws concerning the eating of only clean meats and zealously keeping all the laws of Moses.

Act 21:20  And when they heard it [What the Lord was doing among the Gentiles through Paul’s
ministry], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

The point being, they did not yet see the synagogue as a great harlot from whom they must separate themselves. The apostles themselves, at this point and throughout the book of Acts, considered Judaism and the law of Moses to be the same as the law of Christ. Hence “Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues ever sabbath day” was a very positive thing in the eyes of James and all the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

The reformation had to start somewhere, and this first journey will help us to see the beginning of “the reformation”:

Heb 9:10  Which stood [the temple and all of its Mosaic rituals] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

When we closed our last study, Paul was in the process of reviewing the history of his nation to those in the synagogue there in Antioch in Pisidia. He began his review from the time the Lord had brought Israel up out of the bondage of Egyptian slavery. He reviewed how the Lord had brought Israel through the wilderness, had displaced seven nations in the promised land, how Israel had lived for four hundred and fifty years under the judges, had then been given a king named ‘Saul’ for forty years, and then the Lord had replaced King Saul with King David, who is a physical ancestor of Christ.

This is where Paul was in our last study:

Act 13:23  Of this man’s seed [King David] hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
Act 13:24  When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Act 13:25  And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
Act 13:26  Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
Act 13:27  For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

Notice that everywhere Paul and Barnabas travel, they assume that the people in the synagogues are already familiar with the story of the miraculous events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist. They knew that John’s father was a priest serving in the temple, who had been struck with being dumb until John was born and named. They were familiar with the preaching of John the Baptist and the fact that John had proclaimed that Jesus was “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world”:

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

His life, His ministry, His miracles and the death and His resurrection had already become common knowledge among all the Jews in all the synagogues. However, it was not necessarily believed by the Jews, and the true significance of the death and resurrection of Christ was certainly not yet realized except by a very few.

Paul continues with his sermon in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch:

Act 13:28  And though they found no cause of death in him [Christ], yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
Act 13:29  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
Act 13:30  But God raised him from the dead:
Act 13:31  And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

Verse 31 is a confirmation of Peter’s testimony at the house of Cornelius, that Christ, after His resurrection, had not revealed Himself to the whole nation of Israel but only to faithful witnesses:

Act 10:39  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Act 10:40  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Both Peter and Paul and Barnabas mention Christ knowing that their audience was already familiar with what had happened in Jerusalem, resulting in the crucifixion and death of Christ, following three-and one-half years of healing multitudes of people of all their afflictions:

Mat 4:24  And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Luk 4:40  Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

Luk 6:17  And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

Christ was the celebrity of His day because everyone had heard of Him.

Act 13:32  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
Act 13:33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Here is the section of the Psalm to which Paul refers:

Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

This is the understanding of these verses which many Jewish Rabbis have until this very day:

“Abraham ibn Ezra, [A Spanish Rabbi, 1089- 1167 A.D.] who lived in both Muslim and Christian lands, offers both a messianic and a non-messianic interpretation of the [second] psalm!

The response to Christianity is evident in Rashi’s commentary on the psalm, one of his only two explicit glosses against Christians in this commentary:” (End Quote)

Notice what this widely respected Rabbi confesses:

“Our rabbis [traditionally] interpreted the subject of the chapter as a reference to the King Messiah. However, according to its basic meaning and for a refutation of the Christians it is correct to interpret it as a reference to David himself.

“Rashi [French rabbi, 1040- 1105 A.D.] interprets the psalm’s first part^[60] by appeal to the historical context about David provided in 2 Samuel. Most later commentators living in Christian lands follow Rashi in interpreting the psalm in light of David’s biographical details, though some turn up polemical heat.

“Radak’s Screed – Among the polemicists, Radak (An acronym for Rabbi David Kimchi, 1160-1235), who lived in Narbonne in Provence during a time of increasing Christian missionizing,^[61] was especially combative. Radak first follows Rashi in interpreting Psalm 2 in relation to David’s anointing and understands 2:7 as a metaphor:

“The LORD said to me, ‘You are my son’”—and my (David’s) kingship derives from that. Therefore, no one can dispute it, for YHWH has taken me as a son….^[62]

Radak then explains his preference for this interpretation, as opposed to the Sages’ [Gamaliel] traditional messianic interpretation:

“Some explicate this in reference to Gog and Magog, and the “anointed one” is the Royal Messiah… But it makes more sense to me that David said it about himself, as we explained [above, in the verse-by-verse commentary].

In sharp departure from previous commentators, Radak concludes his gloss on Psalm 2 with a long coda or screed (approximately 400 words)^[63] against the literal reading of v. 7 as describing God having an actual son:

“The Christians interpret it [Psa 2:7] concerning Jesus, and [it is] the verse that is their main proof, and is the basis for their error—it is a stumbling block for them—is: “The LORD said to me, ‘You are my son.’”

“Radak continues by attempting to refute the Christian reading by using logic:

“If they say to you that he [Jesus] was the son of God, say to them: It is inappropriate to use the term “son of God” concerning a being of flesh and blood, because a son must be of the same species as the father. Surely you cannot say that this horse is the son of Reuben! If so, anyone to whom God says, “You are my son,” has to be of his same species, and has to be a God just like him. Similarly it says: “I fathered you this day”—the one born has to be of the same species of the one who gives birth.

“Thus Radak argues that Jesus cannot have a human aspect to him since his father is divine.

“Further say to them that you cannot have a father and son both as a godhead, for a godhead is indivisible, for it is not a corporeal entity that can be divided into parts. Rather God is total unity—he cannot be made larger or made smaller or divided.

“In sharp departure from previous commentators, Radak concludes his gloss on Psalm 2 with a long coda or screed (approximately 400 words)^[63] against the literal reading of v. 7 as describing God having an actual son:

“Here Radak follows the Maimonidean principal of God’s unity, one of the bases for the claim that people can only have negative knowledge of God (i.e., humans can know what God isn’t, not what God is). He continues with a related point:

“And if they say: It makes no sense to call something that is not divine the son of God, say to them: We can only speak of God, may He be blessed, through metaphorical language—after all, it says of Him: “the mouth of the LORD,” “the eyes of the LORD,” “the ears of the LORD,” etc. It is well known that these are metaphorical.

“Similarly, we should understand as metaphorical “son of God” and “sons of God.” Whoever fulfills someone’s commandments and acts as his proper emissary is called “son”—just as the son heeds what his father commands.

“And so too a person, because of the heavenly spirit within him, when he performs the command of God on account of the wise spirit that guides him, [God] calls him “son.” And that is why [the psalm] says: “You are my son, today I have given birth to you.”

“Radak then moves to the son’s apparent lack of omnipotence in the psalm:

“Further say to them: Concerning the deity—when you say the father says to son (v. 8): “Ask it of Me, and I will make the nations your domain”—why would the son ask this of his father—is he not a deity just like him, with the strength to subdue the nations to the ends of the earth as well! Moreover, [this implies that] before asking this question the nations were not yet his inheritance — does this suggest that that he was a weak deity beforehand and only later gained strength? That makes no sense of a deity!

“Feeling that he has the Christians on the defensive, Radak goes on to coach his readers on how to respond were Christians to invoke Jesus’s unique role as a deity who became enfleshed:

“And if they say to you: this is referring to the enfleshed deity—after the deity took a human form [as the earthly Jesus], and He told the one of flesh to ask Him [God the father] to give him nations as his inheritance—this cannot be, for the enfleshed one [Jesus] never had a kingdom and no authority over any of the nations.

“Finally, Radak addresses Christian faith:

“And if they say to you: We must accept this as a matter of faith—most of the nations, whether Jews or Moslems, do not accept him on faith.

“After his exhaustive argument, Radak summarizes his strategic point:

“I just instructed you what you should answer them concerning this psalm; you should add your own answers along this line. And if they ask you what the psalm means, you should choose to explicate it in one of these two ways: concerning David, or [the future] the King Messiah, as I explained to you [above]”. (End Quote, Author’s emphasis).

Cited from: Psalm 2 – Is the Messiah the Son of God?

This is the Babylonian doctrine of Paul’s day. This is the mindset Paul and Barnabas were dealing with. If John’s witness to whom Christ was, had not been so well known… if Christ’s death and resurrection had not been so well documented, and if all His miracles and all the miracles of His apostles had not been accomplished and displayed in such miraculous and undeniable ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ would never have been accepted by anyone, especially anyone in Judaism. The works of the risen Christ were done in a way that the public was made aware of the veracity of His resurrection. Losing your prisoners on two occasions after publicizing their capture is very hard to deny or hide.

The arrest and imprisonment of all the apostles was public knowledge as was their supernatural deliverance, and their brazen return to the temple to teach the people.

Act 5:18  And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
Act 5:19  But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Act 5:20  Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

Their most respected rabbi, Gamaliel, advised the priests and elders against doing any harm to the apostles. There was no denying or hiding what Christ was doing.

Peter’s apprehension by Herod after the slaying of the apostle James, the son of Zebedee, and then his miraculous deliverance from prison, happened during the days of unleavened bread while there were Jews in Jerusalem from all over the known world, and King Herod had made a big showing of his power to stifle this Jesus movement by killing the apostle James, and now King Herod wanted everyone to know that the apostle Peter was next, and yet Peter was not available for this very public trial before the Sanhedrin.

It was so humiliating that Herod had the guards all slain and then left town for Caesarea where he died being eaten by worms. This was all known by everyone because it all happened during the days of unleavened bread, and so many pilgrims were in Jerusalem and heard about and saw what happened. Christ was showing the whole world at that time that He was very much alive and working His own will in the kingdoms of men.

Saul of Tarsus had even had a very active part in the efforts of the chief priests and the elders in Jerusalem to destroy this new and growing movement, and now the Lord had converted the most zealous Jew on earth who had been intent on stomping out this perceived heresy.

All that zeal was now being used by the Lord to proclaim His gospel to this dark and dying world. Saul had been given the inspiration to pronounce blindness upon the false prophet Elymas in Paphos, in the presence of the governor of the island of Cyprus, and the governor had become a believer. At that time Saul’s name, meaning ‘asked of’ or ‘desired of’, reflected what Saul had done in requesting letters from the high priest at Jerusalem to go outside of Israel seeking to destroy the followers of Christ.

Act 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Act 9:2  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

His name is then changed to Paul, which means ‘small’ or ‘little’. It may or may not reflect his physical stature, but it certainly reflected how he now thought of himself as ‘chief of sinners’:

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

The Lord has now prepared a knowledgeable soldier to do battle for Himself, so here we go:

Act 13:34  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

The phrase “the sure mercies of David” is quoted from:

Isa 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Act 13:35  Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

“Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” is quoted from:

Psa 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. (ASV)

The word ‘corruption’ is translated from the Greek word, ‘shacath’ H7845, and it is defined as “a pit” and Strong’s tells us that it can refer to corruption or to the other Hebrew word, ‘sheol’ which is defined specifically as the grave, or “the world of the dead”.

H7845
שַׁחַת
shachath
shakh’-ath

From H7743; a pit (especially as a trap); figuratively destruction: – corruption, destruction, ditch, grave, pit.

The Jewish Rabbis teach that the words of Psalms 16:10 apply to King David, even though, as Peter also pointed out on the day of Pentecost:

Act 2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

Act 13:36  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
Act 13:37  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

As we demonstrated earlier, nothing in the history of mankind was more affirmed and proven by the facts than was the death and resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ.

Act 13:38  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Act 13:39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

From what could not the law of Moses give us justification? From all the sins worthy of death, which were prescribed by the law of Moses, that law could not justify – sins like murder, adultery, apostasy and blasphemy.

This statement by Paul was music to the ears of many Jewish proselytes because, as Peter told all the elders at the Jerusalem conference:

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.

Paul continued his discourse in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch:

Act 13:40  Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
Act 13:41  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

These words are quoted from:

Hab 1:5  Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

The context, as always, leads you to the conclusion that Habakkuk is prophesying about the coming Babylonian captivity:

Hab 1:6  For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

The holy spirit, through Paul, reveals that these words of Habakkuk are primarily referring to the work Christ is doing within us, giving them a far deeper meaning than being outwardly conquered by a foreign nation.

Act 13:42  And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

The Gentile proselytes loved those words… “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard…” The Gentile proselytes loved the words “…ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (vs 39).  The Gentiles are on the verge of coming out from under the law of Moses, and the Jews want them to stay right where they are and to be circumcised “after the manner of Moses”.

Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Act 13:43  Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Act 13:44  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

The detractors were saying all those things we just read about how a Jew should answer a Christian. They were “contradicting and blaspheming” every word of Paul and Barnabas. We need not go back over how the Jews until this very day are blinded to the spiritual meaning of their own scriptures. It is they, and all those who are still under the law, to whom the scriptures are a stumbling block:

Rom 11:9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

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

2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

The proclamation that Christ was “to be a light to the Gentiles” is repeated by the prophet Simeon when Christ’s parents brought Him up to Jerusalem as a baby to be dedicated to the Lord according to the law of Moses:

Luk 2:22  And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
Luk 2:23  (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
Luk 2:24  And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Luk 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
Luk 2:26  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Luk 2:28  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Luk 2:29  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Luk 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Luk 2:31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
Luk 2:32  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Luk 2:33  And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

Simeon was quoting a prophecy concerning Christ in Isaiah:

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Isa 42:4  He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isa 42:5  Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isa 42:6  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7  To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Isa 42:8  I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Act 13:48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Act 13:49  And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
Act 13:50  But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

Popularity for Christ and His Christ in this present time is fleeting. “The whole city” can come together all excited to hear what you have to say on one day, and the very next day they can all turn on you and expel you out of their coasts. We will see this in an even more striking way when the apostle Paul and Barnabas go to the city of Lystra in a future study.

Act 14:18  And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
Act 14:19  And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

There it is! Their own disciples wanted to worship them in verse 18, and then stoned Paul in verse 19. Christ has given us specific instructions about how to respond to being rejected:

Mat 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Act 13:51  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

However, knowing the Lord had foretold them to expect such a reception, the apostles were not at all discouraged:

Act 13:52  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

That is part of our joy until this very day:

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Part 2

[Study Aired March 20, 2023]

In the first part of this topic that was presented last week, it was established that Abraham’s seed and the land are the two prerequisites of achieving God’s purpose. The purpose of God as revealed in His encounter with Abraham is to have a people who express Him, and through them all the families of the earth will be blessed. The seed here physically represents Isaac. However, spiritually, Isaac represents Jesus whose coming is to cause a people to express God’s image and His dominion. This people (a great nation) will later become a blessing to all the nations of the earth. Unfortunately, Abraham did not have a seed and had to believe the Lord even though physically, it was impossible for him to have a seed.

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 
Rom 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 
Rom 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 
Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 
Rom 4:22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 
Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

The second requirement for fulfilling God’s purpose is the land. The land is a place for God’s people to live, a place where God’s enemies would be defeated, a place where God will have a habitation and a place where God will build His kingdom. Looking at it from one perspective, the land is our body. In another perspective, the land represents Christ. As the scriptures say, in Him we live, move, and have our being. It is in Christ that we can defeat our enemies and build the kingdom. We can therefore see that both the seed and the land represent Christ!! This is to let us know that everything in this life revolves around Christ, and without Him, nothing flourishes!! That is why Christ coming to us is crucial!!

Heb 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 

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

Every kingdom has a territorial domain, and in the case of the elect, our bodies (hearts and minds) are supposed to be the dwelling place of Christ or His throne where His kingdom dwells. Christ has to come and establish His kingdom within us first before the kingdom becomes visible later in another age. Unfortunately, the beast is already occupying the throne of Christ within us when we were born. This was the same with Abraham. When he went to Canaan, the land was fully occupied by Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, etc. That’s why David said the following:

Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

It took a long time for Abraham to have a seed and for the seed to multiply enough to be able to possess the land – more than four hundred years. In other words, it took a long time for Isaac to be born and for the twelve sons of Jacob to multiply enough to leave Egypt and to possess the land.

Gen 15:13  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Gen 15:14  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

This shows the Lord’s patience in dealing with us before we are capable of dealing with the beast to establish the Lord’s kingdom within. We, His elect, must also learn to be patient in dealing with the Lord, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our family and the people of the world.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 
Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

In today’s study, we will continue to take a look at Abraham’s life that was written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

Abraham’s Life of Faith – Learning to Walk by Faith

When God came to Abraham and made a promise to him, he was seventy-five years old. It was not until he was a hundred years old that Isaac, the seed, was born. From the time of the promise to the birth of Isaac was therefore a period of twenty-five years!! All of us would have given up on God’s promise, but God was able to sustain Abraham to walk by faith as follows:

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 
Rom 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 
Rom 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 
Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 
Rom 4:22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 
Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 

This is to show us that it takes time for God’s promises to come to fruition. This is demonstrated clearly by the parable of a man traveling into a far country who delivered his goods to his servants and took a long time to come back for reckoning.  Thus, it is necessary for us to learn to walk by faith if we are to receive the reward as our father Abraham did. For without faith, it is impossible to please God. In the case of Abraham, the scriptures say that, against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and became the father of many nations. Against all the odds, we must still believe that the Lord will intervene in our circumstance!! Even this belief is not our work. It is the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ that operates within us according to His measure.

The Two Women: Hagar and Sarah – Representing the Physical and the Spiritual Experience of the Elect

Sarah was the legitimate wife of Abraham while Hagar was the concubine. The prolonged delay in the birth of Isaac made Abraham fall into the temptation of depending on his own strength to have a child called Ishmael with Hagar, a handmaid of Sarah. However, Ishmael was rejected by God as the seed. This is to make us understand that in this relation with God, it is what God has promised that counts. Our efforts are useless in fulfilling God’s purpose.  We do not choose to serve the Lord. It is God that chooses us. As the scriptures clearly state, it is not of him that will or of him that runs but of God that shows mercy.

Gen 16:1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 
Gen 16:2  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 
Gen 16:3  And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 
Gen 16:4  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Gen 16:5  And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. 

Sarah represents the church of the elect, or Jerusalem which is above, while Hagar symbolizes the physical churches of this world (Babylon) or Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children. As we indicated earlier, we start our walk as carnal and therefore we are more attracted to Hagar, since we can see the immediate result in signs and wonders which seemingly makes Jerusalem, which is in bondage, more productive than the New Jerusalem whose husband is Christ. However, in the fullness of time, the bride of Christ, the church of the firstborn, shall have more children than Jerusalem which is.

Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

Famine in the land – A famine of hearing the word of God

Gen 12:9  And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Gen 12:10  And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

When we start our journey in Christ, we experience famine as Abraham went through famine when he started his journey with the Lord. This famine is not the lack of food or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord as shown in the scriptures below:

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. 
Amo 8:13  In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

As verse 12 of Amos 8 indicates, the result of famine causes us to wander from sea to sea. This means we get hooked to all kinds of false doctrines that originate from the sea of flesh, thinking we are spiritually being fed.  As a result, we end up being more carnal or worldly, as we continue to faint or thirst for the word of God. This was what happened to Abraham when he came to Egypt as a result of famine and lied about his wife being his sister.  In other words, absence of the word makes us carnal, and, in this situation, we cannot please God. We have all been in this situation before, and it is this absence of the word of God that sets in motion our exit from Babylon.

Abraham as a friend of the Lord – The Lord wants to relate to us as a friend.

Abraham’s encounter with the Lord when He visited him in the heat of the day in the plains of Mamre, was a friendly visit. The conversation centered around Sarah and the Lord’s promise of Sarah having a child at the time of life. What was most significant was the fact that when the Lord was leaving, He said that He could not hide what He wanted to do from Abraham. This is what defines friendship – the openness in dealing with one another, and that was what the Lord did. In this relationship with the Lord, He wants us as friends and not servants, as servants do not know the mind of their master.  However, we are privileged to know the mind of Christ.

Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 
Gen 18:3  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 
Gen 18:9  And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 
Gen 18:10  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 
Gen 18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Gen 18:12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
Gen 18:13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 
Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 
Gen 18:15  Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 
Gen 18:16  And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 
Gen 18:17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 
Gen 18:18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 

In this conversation with Abraham, the Lord assured him that at the time of life, Sarah will give birth to a son. There are two instances in the Bible that the phrase “time of life” has been used, and it is all related to the birth of a son. Spiritually, it signifies the time in our lives that the new man (Christ) is born within us, and the old man continues its journey of death.

2Ki 4:16  And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
2Ki 4:17  And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

Abraham Praying for Sodom – the need to intercede for our brothers and sisters.

Gen 18:17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 

Gen 18:20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 
Gen 18:21  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 
Gen 18:22  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 
Gen 18:23  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 
Gen 18:24  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 
Gen 18:26  And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

Gen 18:32  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. 

Abraham requesting the Lord not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if He were to find a certain number of righteous men was to show us the need to intercede on behalf of the elect. Actually, Abraham had Lot in mind as a righteous man living among a wicked generation. He was not praying for Sodom. On a positive note, Lot here represents the elect. 

2Pe 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
2Pe 2:7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 
2Pe 2:8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 

Abraham’s intercession was based on divine revelation. Our intercession for the brethren must also be based on the Lord’s revelation. We must all have the burden of praying for the Lord’s elect just like Paul. What the Lord has revealed to us to guide our intercession for our brothers and sisters are His words. The following example shows us what we need to pray for: 

Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 
Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

All our physical needs are encapsulated in these spiritual blessings that we need to pray for. 

Abraham Praying for Abimelech – The “Shameful” Intercession

Gen 20:1  And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 
Gen 20:2  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 
Gen 20:3  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife. 
Gen 20:4  But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 
Gen 20:5  Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
Gen 20:6  And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 
Gen 20:7  Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. 

These verses of scripture reveal to us that after several years of walking with the Lord, Abraham was still struggling with the flesh. Even though the process of putting to death the old man has started, he was still overcome by the flesh due to fear of insecurity – being put to death because of Sarah. We, also are going through the same thing as Abraham as the evil one buffets us with all kinds of ailments and circumstances that brings us to our wits’ ends. However, just as Abraham was delivered from Abimelech, we shall also be delivered!! What is insightful here is the fact that in spite of Abraham’s apparent failure, the Lord told Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him as the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech. In fact the Lord told Abimelech that Abraham was His prophet!! The Lord sees the end from the beginning in spite of our apparent failures!! On many occasions when we have failed, we are unable to pray even though no one knows our sins. We can just imagine how difficult it was for Abraham to pray for Abimelech’s family to be fruitful and be preserved. However, Abraham had not seen the fulfillment of his prayer for the Lord to give Sarah a seed. 

Gen 20:17  So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

The lesson we are to learn from this episode of Abraham is that when we intercede for others, we must forget about our failures and circumstances and believe the Lord will answer our prayers. We must not think that because the Lord has not answered our prayers regarding a particular need, the Lord will not answer our prayer for a brother or sister in a similar situation. We need to learn not to pray according to only our victory. It is easy to pray when we are victorious over the flesh, but we should believe in the Lord that He hears us even in our failures!! Interceding for others does not depend upon our condition. It depends upon our standing with the Lord. That is, it depends on who we are – the prophet of God!!

The Birth of Isaac – the Coming of Christ within us

Gen 21:1  And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 
Gen 21:2  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 
Gen 21:3  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 
Gen 21:4  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 
Gen 21:5  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 
Gen 21:6  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 
Gen 21:7  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. 

As indicated earlier, Isaac typifies Christ. The birth of Isaac therefore signifies the coming of Christ within us to build His kingdom within us (great nation) and in the fullness of time, this kingdom will be outward as the Lord will use us to bless the whole earth. As we are aware, when the Lord comes into our lives, He starts to deal with all that offends through the judgment of our old man. This coming of Christ is the birth of the new man within us as our old man is dealt with by the Lord.

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 
Joh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 

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

The goal of Abraham’s calling was to bring forth a seed (Christ). The birth of Isaac was based on a promise. If we are called and chosen, then we also have the promise of Christ coming to our temples to build His kingdom within us. This is the promise we have:

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 
Mal 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 
Mal 3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Mal 3:4  Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 

Here in Malachi 3:4, we are told that it is when Christ comes that Judah and Jerusalem will offer a pleasant offering to the Lord. It is when Christ comes that we can offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him. The period of Christ coming into our lives is the time of life – that is, the giving of eternal life to us. This eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ.

Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 
Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

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

May the Lord help us to continue to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him until that day!! Amen!!

[Study Aired October 13, 2022]

2Ki 8:1  Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. 
2Ki 8:2  And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
2Ki 8:3  And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. 
2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. 
2Ki 8:5  And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. 
2Ki 8:6  And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

There are five verses in the KJV bible that use the terminology “be not deceived” and one which reads a little differently “let not him that is deceived trust in vanity” found in Job 15:31. This man who is deceived is speaking of the wicked man of perdition within me who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming so that I stop trusting in this vain flesh that cannot inherit the kingdom of God (Job 15:20, 2Th 2:8).

Everything in this life is passing and vain in that regard; everything within me as Christ told us (Mar 10:18), and therefore it must be our lifelong labor in the Lord to be about our Father’s business which involves examining ourselves and dying daily to our vain flesh so we can discern God’s will and not be deceived by other lying spirits that try to compel us to live to the flesh and not the will of God (Ecc 1:14, Ecc 2:17, 1Jn 4:1, Rom 8:13, 1Jn 2:16-17).

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Ecc 1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecc 2:17  Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. [1Co 15:10, 1Co 15:58]

OUR HOPE

1Co 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord [Col 1:27].

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: [that’s the vanity part!] but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. [Php 2:12-13] [“forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.“]

This section of Kings shows us how feeble and weak flesh is, and how only by the grace through faith process to which God’s elect are called (Eph 2:8) will we stop being controlled by our flesh which does not have the ability to stop sowing in a negative way that leads to spiritual death (Pro 14:12). Our hope is that the Lord is constantly intervening on our behalf to that end so we can be set free from the bondage of sin through repentance and be given the ability to see the need to die daily (Heb 7:25, Rom 2:4, 1Co 15:31).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

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

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

The hope of our calling is all centered around the truth that Christ is greater than our weak flesh and higher than all powers and principalities against which we wrestle (Eph 1:21, Eph 6:12), and He will bring us to see our utter hopelessness in this weak flesh and then deliver us so that in the end, we will be able to become the merciful kings and priests we are becoming who understand it is the Lord alone who can build the spiritual house and deliver us from our own wretchedness. The result is that the elect will be used to do the same thing for the rest of God’s creation in time (Rom 7:24-25, Oba 1:21).

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

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.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

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

The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. One of the main characters in this section of the book of Kings is wicked Hazeal  (god has seen – PNB) whom God has seen and created to be destroyed. He typifies for us the man of perdition who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming within us (Pro 16:4). This story is a strong admonition to God’s elect as well to take heed “that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them” as Hazeal did in worshiping himself.

2Ki 8:9 so (god has seen) went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of (sack of blood), forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, thy son (lot caster’s son) king of (highlands) hath sent me to thee, saying, shall I recover of this disease? [PNB-kjv]

Deu 11:16 take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

Christ put the idea of deception for us in perspective with this statement, “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name [Mat 22:14], saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.” (Mat 24:24, 1Pe 2:9)

We can be deceived in many ways, but one of the hardest ways to detect being deceived is how we can easily harbor personal sin. So, we are admonished and told that God is not mocked (Gal 6:7) and that those whom He is receiving and loving in this age are not going to be able to harbor those sins indefinitely.  They will be sought out and destroyed by our Father, and that is good news for God’s elect in this age (Heb 12:6, Joh 4:23-24, Joh 8:36).

1Co 6:9 know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Co 15:33 be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Gal 6:7 be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

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

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

2Ki 8:1  Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

This woman, whose son Elisha has previously healed, represents the elect church, and the son being restored represents God’s words being purified as the day star has now risen in our hearts and minds through the more sure word of prophecy (2Pe 1:19), enabling us to worship Him in spirit and truth.

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Elisha telling her “and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn” is like Christ telling us “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (1Jn 4:17). Elisha forewarns the woman of the complete physical famine that will come upon the world which represents Christ forewarning the church (Amo 3:7) that the whole stay of bread and water is taken away from the world today and prophesied to also wax worse and worse before our Lord returns (Isa 3:1, 2Ti 3:13).

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 

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

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The key to spiritual survival in these lean spiritual years is to lay up store of God’s word and be content with such things as we have, learning to patiently possess our souls through every stage of our sojourn in the Lord, including our coming to see ourselves as completely falling seven times in the wilderness of Babylon out of which we are coming (Php 4:11, Rom 8:14-16, Luk 21:19, Pro 24:16). Joseph also typifies the church, in that regard, laying up store during the seven years of plenty as the woman did who was given supernatural provision typifying the spiritual readiness she needed so she could now heed the advice of the prophet who has warned her of things to come (Gen 41:47-57).

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

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

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Gen 41:47  And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 
Gen 41:48  And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, [“In your patience possess ye your souls” (Rom 2:7)] which were in the land of Egypt [where we have our evil experience to humble us thereby (Ecc 1:13 CLV)], and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

Gen 41:53  And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
Gen 41:54  And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Gen 41:55  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
Gen 41:56  And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:57  And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. [Rev 11:15]

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.

2Ki 8:2  And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
2Ki 8:3  And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

This journey of the woman is clearly a type and shadow of how God’s elect must completely [7] go into Babylon, “the land of the Philistines seven years“, and then ‘come out of her my people’ (Rev 18:4). When we come to that point of coming “out of the land of the Philistines” then we “cry unto the king for her house and for her land“. This cry symbolizes our acknowledging that we’ve been taken advantage of by Babylon, and we “cry unto the king for her house and for her land“. We are as the prodigal son who comes to his senses and realizes he had nothing in Babylon, or in this case nothing in the land of the Philistines where there was no stay of bread or water, all reflecting the carnal heart within us which God is destroying so He can make a new creation that now has the mind of Christ (Isa 3:1, Luk 15:16-17).

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.

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

Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. 
2Ki 8:5  And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
2Ki 8:6  And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

The “king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done”. Naturally he wants to ask this question, because the king represents Babylon who is only interested in seeking after a sign in the flesh (Mat 12:39), and what greater sign can there be than to hear of this resurrection of a dead child (Luk 16:30-31).

Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Luk 16:30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 
Luk 16:31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. [Rev 20:6]

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.

Notice that it is exactly at this point, when Gehazi is telling the king about this physical resurrection, that the request of the woman is brought to his attention, which is her desire “for her house and for her land” from the king to be restored. Again, this woman is like the prodigal son coming out of the bondage of sin and seeing the need to restore her first love which is represented by “her house and for her land“.

When we come out of Babylon, our ways start to please the Lord and He makes our enemies to be at peace with us (Pro 16:7). Such was the case here with this woman who represents the body of Christ coming out of Babylon and her request is being granted to her from someone who is really an enemy of the cross (Php 3:18) who is caught up in signs and wonders and not able to understand that spiritual restoration is all that matters (Luk 11:28-29).

Luk 11:28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luk 11:29  And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

Regardless of the fact that the king typifies one who is spiritually blind, he is still used to bless the woman as Babylon blesses us and serves us in their unbelief (Rom 11:31-32): “And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

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

This first section of chapter 8 of 2 Kings (2Ki8:1-6) represents more of the positive sowing that is happening by way of this woman who represents the body of Christ. In the verses ahead we will see the negative tares that will be sown and used according to the counsel of God’s own will via king Hazael (Eph 1:11). Lord willing, we will always remember that these things were written for our sake upon whom the end of the ages is come (1Co 10:11).

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:

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

2Ki 4:38-44 “For thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.”

[Study Aired September 8, 2022]

2Ki 4:38  And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. 
2Ki 4:39  And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
2Ki 4:40  So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
2Ki 4:41  But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
2Ki 4:42  And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. 
2Ki 4:43  And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
2Ki 4:44  So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

This last section of the fourth chapter of 2 Kings looks at another parable that helps us understand how God provides for all our physical and spiritual needs which are met through Christ (Php 4:19). The primary lesson is that the physical provision is not to become an idol of our hearts but rather a reminder that God knows what we need, and the natural provision reveals the spiritual (Rom 1:20). That spiritual provision makes it possible for us to grow in faith and in appreciation of how He miraculously provides all we need through what each joint supplies in love via the body of Christ, until we all come in the unity of the faith via that blessed increase that comes through the vine by way of the Father (Eph 4:16, 1Co 3:6). Christ works through the branches giving us the power to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and Christ is directed by our Father who gives that increase through the body both to will and to do of His, the Father’s, good pleasure which is to give us the kingdom (Php 2:12-13, Luk 12:32).

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

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.

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase [spiritual provision].

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

These verses below help us understand what God’s spiritual provision is all about. With them in mind we can look at the last few verses of this section of Kings and be reminded of how God worked with a longsuffering spirit with the prophets of old who represent the patience and faith of the saints being accomplished in God’s workmanship which we are today (Psa 132:15-16, Jer 15:11, Jer 15:20-21, Zep 3:13, Zec 8:12, Eph 2:7, Php 4:6-7, Heb 13:20-21)

Psa 132:15  I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 
Psa 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Jer 15:20  And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 
Jer 15:21  And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

Zep 3:12  I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. 
Zep 3:13  The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Zec 8:12  For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

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.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 
Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2Ki 4:38  And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

Gigal^H1537 is defined by BDB as “a wheel, rolling” and that wheel represents the “wheel in the middle of a wheel” within the body of Christ found in (Eze 1:16-17, Joh 14:20) where God is showing us how we are connected as a many-membered body through Christ (1Co 12:12, Col 1:27) experiencing in this life how all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose because of that middle wheel, our hope of glory within (Rom 8:28.

H1537 gilgâl ghil-gawl’    BDB: Gilgal = “a wheel, rolling”

The same as H1536 (with the article as a properly noun); Gilgal, the name of three places in Palestine: – Gilgal. See also H1019. Total KJV occurrences: 41

Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

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.

Again it is at that day (Joh 14:20) through Elisha, who typifies Christ, that we learn of this relationship granted to the “sons of the prophets” who typify the elect of God (Jas 5:10, Rev 14:12). What it is that God gives those sons is described as being given through the servant who is given instruction on how to serve the rest, just as we are learning how to serve one another in the body of Christ.

Jas 5:10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Elisha’s servant is told, “Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.” This food is needed because there is “a dearth in the land” meaning that our life goes through periods of spiritual dearth, but God is faithful to those who are called according to His purpose of election to bring Christ to us and to feed us with spiritual food that is convenient for us and given in due season. Christ is the faithful and true witness within us (Rev 3:14) who makes that provision through the church (Eph 3:10-11) and so the proverb reads, “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die.” Christ will not deny Himself, His own body which we are, and will be victorious through the church (Mat 16:18) that He is blessing by answering this prayer, “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.” (Mat 24:45-46, Pro 30:7-9, 2Ti 2:13)

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

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? [Joh 21:15-17]
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Joh 21:16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Joh 21:17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Pro 30:7  Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 
Pro 30:8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: [Joh 21:15-17]
Pro 30:9  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

2Ki 4:39  And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

This verse reminds us in the early stages of our walk what it is that we gather as the elect of God who have been ordained to be a kind of first fruits from the foundation of the world. We gather herbs in “the field” which represents the world, and we find a wild vine which represents the church in the wilderness that we come out of to become part of the true vine into which we’re grafted (Joh 15:5). The wild gourds^H6498 [wild vine] are a symbol of faith that is untried (or food that is uncooked) and not yet been “shred” in a seething pot, symbols of the fiery trials and judgments brought into our lives (1Pe 4:12) to refine us (Zec 13:9).

H6498   paqqû‛âh   pak-koo-aw’

From the same as H6497; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its seeds): – gourd.

Total KJV occurrences: 1

H6497  peqa‛   peh’-kah

From an unused root meaning to burst; only used as an architectural term of an ornament similar to H6498, a semi-globe: – knop.

Total KJV occurrences: 3:  1Ki_6:18, 1Ki_7:24 (2)

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

Zec 13:9  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Mat 13:32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

The knowledge is indeed Christ’s while yet still in Babylon, symbolized by the herbs and the wild gourds and wild vine, still wild and not yet prepared, like John the Baptist who was preparing the way for Christ with wild honey and locust (Isa 40:3, Mat 3:1-3). All of these food types are instructive for the new Christian, and it will be in the proper preparation and enduring through the process of maturing over time that we will be able to be strengthened with these foods to then partake of the stronger meat spoken of in Hebrews 5 (Heb 5:13-14, Joh 8:31-32).

Mat 3:1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 
Mat 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
Mat 3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 

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. 

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.

2Ki 4:40  So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
2Ki 4:41  But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

Until we’re granted to bring the meal^H7058 that represents our presenting our life to God as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2), the word of God, which is represented by the food within the pot, will not be able to be digested and taken in to nourish our new man and destroy our old man. We can only “pour out for the people” after we are strengthened through Christ to present our lives a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service to God (Rom 12:1).

H7058  qemach keh’-makh  From an unused root probably meaning to grind; flour: – flour, meal. Total KJV occurrences: 14

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

This action of bringing meal to the “great pot” is typical of what happens when we “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom” (Luk 6:38). We can’t see clearly how all these ingredients put into the pot are going to work together for the good, but God calls us to trust Him through our trials and much tribulation through which He will deliver us, which will result in our seeing all men “give into your bosom” (Rom 8:28-31, 2Ti 1:9, Jas 1:12).

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

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.
Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

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

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

2Ki 4:42  And there came a man from Baalshalisha^H1190, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

There came a man from “Baalshalisha^H1190“, which is interpreted “thrice-great lord”, who brought two gifts which represent the word of God that is given to us in due season and nourishes us that we may eat (Jas 1:17-18, Joh 6:51, 1Co 10:16). Notice that the food, which represents the word of God, comes from a pagan culture in “Baalshalisha”^H1190 because in God’s eyes we are gentiles and pagan when we have God’s gold, and silver and precious jewels, which are symbols of His word, wrapped around the idol of our hearts and claim ourselves to be spiritual Jews when we are not (Eze 14:3, Rev 3:9). It takes our coming out of “Baalshalisha”^H1190 and being dragged to Christ, who is typified by Elisha (Joh 6:44), to have that word purified in our lives so those idols are destroyed.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 
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.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

H1190  BDB Definition: Baal-shalisha = “thrice-great lord”

1) a place in Ephraim near Gilgal
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H1168 and H8031

God’s provision is being described for the elect now with these physical food sources that represent Christ and His Christ and the word of God that sustains us. What is our communion but the body and blood of Christ (1Co 10:16), and we receive this nourishment through the church where “the man of God” (Eph 3:10) is provided with “bread of the firstfruits” (Jas 1:18),”twenty loaves of barley“, which represents the witness of Christ’s undefiled truth we are blessed to be nourished with via the true bread of life who was broken for us. Elisha tells the servant to “Give unto the people, that they may eat” as Christ does for us (Exo 9:31, Isa 53:4, Luk 22:19, Mar 14:22).

Exo 9:31  And the flax and the barley was smitten [Isa 42:3]: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. 

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Luk 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Mar 14:22  And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Christ’s body, which is the church, is represented by the “full ears of corn in the husks thereof” that are sustained through Christ and blessed to mature to that point so that they can be used to nourish the nations one day with God’s judgments, his words in the earth that will bring healing (Gen 27:37, Psa 107:20).

Gen 27:37  And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

I’ve taken this excerpt from Mike’s Revelation Series –  Revelation 1:5 – Part 2 – which explains that when we die daily and reckon ourselves buried into Christ’s baptism, we in turn become as that first holy seed (1Jn 4:17) that died and fell into the ground and brought forth much fruit, Jesus Christ (Joh 12:24, Rom 5:17). The first fruits are not just a kind of first fruits. We are also those who have become a holy seed through Jesus Christ Who will be used to populate the world with truth and be given the power through God’s holy spirit to judge the nations in the great white throne judgment so that they can be purified and made one with the body of Christ and our head Jesus Christ.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Rom 5:17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

*** Excerpt: 

So we are actually told to “reckon ourselves” both dead with Christ, and yet living “in newness of life” in Christ. But are we actually counted as firstfruits from the dead, as Christ is?

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

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.

The wave sheaf of barley, at the days of unleavened bread, immediately after the Passover, was the first of the firstfruits. However, fifty days later was another festival which was called Pentecost. Pentecost was also called “the feast of firstfruits,” because we, the church which was established on Pentecost, was to be “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

Rev 14:4  These [144,000] 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.

Lev 23:10  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

“The sheaf of the firstfruits” at Passover, is Christ Himself. The feast of firstfruits, fifty days later, at Pentecost, typifies Christ’s Christ, the church.

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.

Exo 34:18  The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

Exo 34:22  And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks [Pentecost], of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
Exo 34:23  Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. [Pentecost is called “the feast of firstfruits”.]

“Thrice [three times] in the year…” are the feast of unleavened bread [passover], the feast of weeks [Pentecost], and the feast of ingathering [tabernacles] at the year’s end. These three seasons typify the three seasons of God’s judgments and His harvest of mankind. They are the first, the barley harvest in the spring, which typifies Christ, the first of the firstfruits; the second, the wheat harvest in the summer, the judgment which is on the house of God; and third, the grape harvest in the fall, when all men are raised up from among the dead and are judged and cleansed in the white throne judgment, lake of fire.

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.

So while our Head certainly does have the preeminence in all things, we are still “as he is… the first begotten of the dead and the firstfruits of them that slept.

*** End Quote

2Ki 4:43  And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
2Ki 4:44  So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

Our time of need is now in these marred clay vessels of flesh witnessed by “an hundred men” – ten representing the flesh (10×10). The servant provided spiritual meat in due season and “set it before them” and they did eat, because it was all done “according to the word of the LORD“. Elisha’s servant lacks the faith and is typical of us saying ‘Lord help me in my unbelief’, and Elisha, who typifies our Lord, helps his servant accomplish what seems impossible to his flesh:

2Ki 4:43 He asked: »How am I to feed a hundred hungry men with this?« Elisha replied: »Give it to them to eat, because Jehovah says that they will eat and still have some left over.« [Mat 14:20]
2Ki 4:44 So the servant set the food before them. Just as Jehovah said, they ate and had some left over. (NSB – New Simplified Bible version)

It is when things are done “according to the word of the LORD” that we will be properly nourished, not thinking above what is written (1Co 4:6), and believing that there is safety in a multitude of counselors (Pro 11:14, Pro 24:6). It takes becoming like children (Mat 18:3) in order to receive the word of God in due season, and God is humbling our old man for that express purpose of overcoming all the sins of the world within us so that we can fulfill the will of God in this life as His servitors to one another (1Jn 2:16-17, Gal 6:2).

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

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

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

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

We are called to “give the people, that they may eat“, meaning we are called to ‘feed my lambs, and feed my sheep’, and are assured of God that if we seek Him with all our hearts and minds and souls (Mat 22:37-40) that this promise of provision of His word which nourishes us will always be supplied, “for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.“

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

[Study Aired July 17, 2022

Jer 46:1  The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
Jer 46:2  Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.
Jer 46:3  Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
Jer 46:4  Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
Jer 46:5  Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.
Jer 46:6  Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
Jer 46:7  Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
Jer 46:8  Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
Jer 46:9  Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
Jer 46:10  For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Jer 46:11  Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
Jer 46:12  The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
Jer 46:13  The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.
Jer 46:14  Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

Egypt is merely the first of many nations, because ‘Egypt’ in scripture typifies and signifies the world of sin. So, we are first told:

Jer 46:1  The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

Here is an outline of the remainder of this prophecy of Jeremiah:

Part Three: The Prophecies to the Gentiles (46:1-51:64) I.
Prophecies against Egypt……………………………………………46:1-28 II.
Prophecies against Philistia…………………………………47:1-7 III.
Prophecies against Moab…………………………………………….48:1-47 IV.
Prophecies against Ammon………………………………………….49:1-6 V.
Prophecies against Edom…………………………………………….49:7-22 VI.
Prophecies against Damascus……………………………………49:23-27 VII.
Prophecies against Kedar and Hazor…………………49:28-33 VIII.
Prophecies against Elam…………………………………………….49:34-39 IX.
Prophecies against Babylon………………………………………50:1-51:64 A.
Babylon’s Defeat…………………… 50:1-20 B.
Babylon’s Desolation…………………50:21-46 C.
Babylon’s Destiny……………………51:1-64
Part Four:
The Fall of Jerusalem………………..52:1-34 I.
The Capture of Jerusalem……………..52:1-11 II.
The Destruction of Jerusalem………….52:12-23 III.
The Exile to Babylon…………………52:24-30 IV.
The Liberation of Jehoiachin………….52:31-34
[SOURCE: Talk Through the Bible (TTTB) – 5-3-2017]

This is a good outline of the Gentile nations against which Jeremiah prophesied. It is copied from this link:

http://epubc.ca/files/ROOT/bible-study/documents/2017-08-09_OUTLINE–Book-of-JEREMIAH_rev.pdf

These are one and all the historical enemies of the Lord’s chosen people. In type they signify the various false doctrines and physical passions which seek to destroy the Lord’s elect. The fact that they are each named and judged is for our admonition to show us who our enemies are and to let us know they will not be given any quarter by the Lord. These nations signify the spiritual enemies of Christ within us. They were all “marred in the Potter’s hand” and will each and every one be destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s coming into our lives.

This is the negative application of the word ‘Gentiles’. The judgments which are pronounced upon Egypt and upon all the other Gentile nations in the coming chapters of Jeremiah are pronounced upon each of these Gentile nations as a type and shadow of the different offenses of our old man within ourselves, but we know that before we can learn any spiritual lesson within our own heart and mind, we must first be shown an outward fulfillment of these prophecies upon these nations of the world outwardly.

The Lord begins His words against the Gentiles, who hate His chosen people, with His words against Egypt:

Jer 46:2  Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

Nebuchadnezzar smote Pharaohnecho but not before Pharaohnecho had smitten Josiah, king of Judah. It was all done for our sakes and for our admonition:

2Ki 23:28  Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
2Ki 23:29  In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he [Pharaoh] slew him [King Josiah] at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
2Ki 23:30  And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead.

Why are we told of this tragedy? It was during the reign of Josiah that Jeremiah’s prophecy begins. Josiah was one of the best kings Judah ever had. This is what the holy spirit tells us of King Josiah’s thirty-one-year reign:

2Ki 22:1  Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.
2Ki 22:2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

However, even righteous King Josiah made the mistake of failing to seek the Lord’s counsel before going to war, and that careless act cost him his life even after the Lord used Pharaohnecho to warn King Josiah against getting involved in the Lord’s work with Egypt and Assyria. As the Lord’s soldiers, we are commanded to stay out of the affairs of this world:

2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Josiah forgot how the Lord communicates with His servants and presumptuously went to war without first inquiring of the Lord via His proven prophet, Jeremiah:

2Ch 35:20  After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
2Ch 35:21  But he [Necho] sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
2Ch 35:22  Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
2Ch 35:23  And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.
2Ch 35:24  His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
2Ch 35:25  And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

Jeremiah’s prophecy began in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign:

Jer 1:1  The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Jer 1:2  To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

Josiah’s reign lasted 31 years, so Jeremiah had been prophesying for 18 years by the time Josiah went out to war against Pharaohnecho without enquiring of the Lord at the mouth of His prophet Jeremiah, “and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.”

The Lord had not yet rejected His physical people even though He used King Josiah to demonstrate to us the need to always seek a multitude of counselors before we make our war as an earlier king, King Solomon, had counseled Josiah and us:

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.

Josiah failed to seek counsel before making his war, and he paid dearly for it as we all will if we refuse the Lord’s counsel and if we fail to seek His counsel. It happened to Josiah for our admonition (1Co 10:11). It will cost us our lives if we refuse the Lord’s ‘counsel’ which counsels us to seek and then defer to our counselors:

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you. (CLV)

That is the Lord’s counsel to each of us.

Nevertheless, the Lord has a controversy with the nations that are within us spiritually as well as the outward dispensational nations. As the Lord judged these Gentile nations outwardly, He is setting up all the nations within His elect to be chastened for their rejection of Him and of His people and His prophets. These prophecies still have both inward and outward applications. In the prophets the Lord shows us what He is doing within us by His outward punishments of the Gentile nations of this world beginning with Egypt. The Lord shows no mercy to His enemies whom He has told us to “destroy”:

Jer 46:3  Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
Jer 46:4  Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your  helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

All these words referring to the gear worn by soldiers in war are all mentioned just to make the point that it is all to no avail when they are used in war against the Lord and His purpose. Here is what the holy spirit tells us the Lord can perform for His own glory:

Act 5:17  Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
Act 5:18  And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
Act 5:19  But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Act 5:20  Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Act 5:21  And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
Act 5:22  But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
Act 5:23  Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
Act 5:24  Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
Act 5:25  Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Act 5:26  Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
Act 5:27  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Act 5:28  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Act 5:30  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Act 5:31  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Act 5:33  When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Act 5:34  Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
Act 5:35  And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
Act 5:36  For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
Act 5:37  After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
Act 5:38  And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
Act 5:39  But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

Nothing we can do has any affect against the Lord, and nothing we can do can protect us if “we be found even to fight against God”. Just as the Lord worked things with Joseph’s brothers, He is doing the same thing with the whole world. Everything we do in defiance of Him will be made to correct and reprove us for our own wickedness.

This word ‘brigandines’ (Jer 46:4) is used one other time in scripture, and that entry is also here in Jeremiah where the Lord is telling us what He will do to judge Babylon after Babylon has served as His rod to reprove His own people:

Jer 51:1  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;
Jer 51:2  And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.
Jer 51:3  Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

“Him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine” refers to soldiers in “a coat of mail”.

H5630
סִרְיֹן
siryôn
sir-yone’
For H8302; a coat of mail: – brigandine.

A coat of mail covers the entire body to defend against an enemy, but there is no defense against the Lord’s power to punish us for our rebellious defiance of Him and His ways. This is true within and outwardly. Our old man is completely defenseless against the Lord’s hand, and when we fight against the Lord everything we do turns out to be really working against us. It is our own wickedness which will correct and reprove us. The outward nations of this world are just as defenseless as they continue to declare themselves as being free of the Lord’s ruling hand. The world’s rebellions against the Lord are really nothing less than curses against themselves. These words apply within the heavens of the Lord’s elect and as long as there is an outward physical realm, they will always have an application to that outward world in the appointed time:

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

It is the Lord who decides the outcome of every war mankind has ever fought or ever will fight.

This is the Truth, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar:

Dan 4:17  This matter [Any and every “matter”] is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

It is Christ Himself who has three times in the book of Matthew, commissioned us to “watch” for the Lord’s appearing:

Mat 24:42   Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Mat 25:13   Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Christ reproved His very tired apostles for not watching with Him on the night of His apprehension:

Mat 26:40   And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41   Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The parable of the ten virgins demonstrates that if we are given to be “watchers” it will be only because the Lord has given us His spirit, so we need not “go to them that sell” when the cry is made that, ‘the bride cometh’:

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

The foolish virgins had “tasted of the holy ghost” to be able to say, “Our lamps are gone out.” A lamp cannot ‘go out’ if it never had any oil at all.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.
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 [the lamp oil],
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 [The Lord’s elect wise virgins]:
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.
Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Our “work of love” is our obedience to our Lord under any circumstance. Our ‘work of love’ is measured by how much we “tremble at His words” (Isa 66:5).

We need to remember what it means to “go and buy”. Here is what that means. Here is what the five foolish virgins were not willing to do:

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

The dream is one and all who buy gold tried in the fire and are rich are the same as the five wise virgins who are rich in the ‘oil’ of the spirit and words and works of Christ because they tremble at His words.

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

All who “have tasted of the holy ghost” have had a degree of the holy spirit given to them. If they are then made to “fall away” it will then be “impossible to renew them again to repentance because they will “find no place for repentance”, typified by Esau who actually had the inheritance before treading it underfoot and counting it “an unholy thing.”

Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Christ is “the spirit of grace”, and it is He who Esau in type “despised” when he sold Jacob his birthright for a bowl of pottage:

Gen 25:34  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

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

The whole world has turned their backs on God and on His Christ, and all we and they do to deny His sovereignty over the nations of this earth serves only to correct and reprove us and them “every man in his own order” (1Co 3:13 and 1Co 15:23):

Jer 46:5  Wherefore have I seen them [the armies of Egypt] dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.
Jer 46:6  Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

“The mighty man… shall stumble and fall toward the north…” is one of many verses which demonstrate that ‘the north’ typifies the Lord’s humiliating judgment with which He is working His purpose in all the affairs of mankind.

Judgment is revealed to come upon the Lord’s people “from the north”:

Eze 9:1  He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

The Lord’s judgments are always depicted as coming out of “the way… which lieth toward the north”, and they are administered first upon “they that are Christ’s”] because the Lord is seeking an occasion to destroy our old man and his entire kingdom “first”, but then “every man in his own order”:

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

The Lord’s own anointed are being judged first in this present time as Ezekiel informs us:

Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Eze 9:5  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Eze 9:7  And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

The Lord’s chastening, scourging, correcting, and reproving, all “begin at His sanctuary… His house… which temple [we] are” if indeed we have His oil in our vessels:

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

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?

The Lord’s judgments burn up all our wood, hay, and stubble. They cause the death and destruction of the entire kingdom of our rebellious old man. They are the painful and humiliating destruction of our old man:

Eze 9:8  And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
Eze 9:9  Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
Eze 9:10  And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
Eze 9:11  And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

These words are telling us that we all reap what we sow, and saying “the Lord hath forsaken the earth” will not keep us from doing so or restrain His chastening hand:

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

The Lord’s elect are judged by the same words which judge those in the lake of fire. The fire of the lake of fire is the same fiery words (Jer 5:14) which judge the elect in this present time. “Every man’s work… shall be revealed by fire, and the fire will try every man’s work of what sort it is”:

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.

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Both endure the same “fire and brimstone [of] the wrath of God [expressed in] the words of the prophecy of this book”. It is “the prophecy of this book [which] is the fire and brimstone which produces “the patience of the saints and the faith of Jesus”:

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

[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?]

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.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The Lord’s “very elect”, the “sheep… on His right hand” share much in common with “the goats on His left hand” (Mat 25:31-46). If we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” that means we believe and live by every word of God. Therefore, the sheep will never hear the words “depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”, and the goats will never hear the words “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”:

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The elect of the Lord will not be hurt of nor have any part in the second death/lake of fire/great white throne judgment, other than being the judges who administer that great white throne judgment, and being the ‘fire’ which is ‘the lake of fire’.

Egypt signifies the whole world in rebellion against “the Lord and His Christ”. All men have their beginning in this rebellious world and must be judged for that rebellion against their own Maker:

Jer 46:7  Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
Jer 46:8  Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
Jer 46:9  Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
Jer 46:10  For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

If you have the nerve to let it be known that you actually believe that God rules in the kingdoms of men and will judge every man according to his works, this world will consider you to be insane. Nevertheless, the word of God stands true and will be proven to be so.

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Since “[the Lord’s] words shall not pass away” these words of His coming judgment must be fulfilled:

Jer 46:11  Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
Jer 46:12  The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

“The mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty” tells us that when the Lord’s judgments come upon us, nothing we can do will keep us from falling under His judgment. All our ‘mighty men’ and all our false doctrines will be revealed to be the lying contradictions they are.

Jer 46:13  The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

When the Lord uses Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the king of one nation to punish another nation’s king, the king of Egypt in this instance, He is demonstrating how our own wickedness will correct us, and our own backslidings shall reprove us:

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Jer 46:14  Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

Physically and outwardly “the sword shall devour round about thee” tells us that just as the king of Babylon had already devoured the Philistines, Judah, Syria, Edom, Moab, and Ammon, the Egyptians are now next to defend themselves in vain because the Lord has already decided that Egypt is now in the queue to be punished for her sins, along with all those other nations.

Spiritually and inwardly all these nations are “the law of sin” within our members warring against us even as we war against the Lord. These nations signify all the false doctrines and sins within us which are our own wickedness which will correct and reprove us.

[Study Aired March 27, 2020]

Jer 34:1  The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
Jer 34:2  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
Jer 34:3  And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
Jer 34:4  Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:
Jer 34:5  But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.
Jer 34:6  Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
Jer 34:7  When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.
Jer 34:8  This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
Jer 34:9  That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
Jer 34:10  Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.
Jer 34:11  But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

The first four verses of our study today tell us of the fate of our old man. His fate is to die as a blind man in Babylon being lamented by those who honor him.

Jer 34:1  The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
Jer 34:2  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
Jer 34:3  And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
Jer 34:4  Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

That is the fate our old man, and this is what happened to King Zedekiah:

Jer 39:2  And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.
Jer 39:3  And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
Jer 39:4  And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
Jer 39:5  But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
Jer 39:6  Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
Jer 39:7  Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
Jer 39:8  And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.

Look once more at what the Lord told Jeremiah to tell King Zedekiah of his fate:

Jer 34:2  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
Jer 34:3  And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
Jer 34:4  Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

“Thou shalt not die by the sword” is not a positive pronouncement of the Lord’s love and mercy. Whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges (Heb 12:6). Whom the Lord loves, as He loved King David, He tells him “the sword shall not depart from thy house”:

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

King David in scripture, with all his faults, typifies our new man who is “a man after mine own heart” as the Lord speaks of King David.

Act 13:21  And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.
Act 13:22  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

King Saul and King Zedekiah both typify our old man who at first loves the Lord, but then loses that love, and typifying our own flesh, are not given to inherit the kingdom of God.

King Zedekiah would no doubt have preferred to have died by the sword before having to watch all his own sons, all the princes of Judah, and all his closest associates and friends, “all the nobles of Judah” be slain before his eyes, just before having his “eyes… put out” and carried away alive to Babylon. Everything Jeremiah prophesied came to pass, and more:

Jer 39:6  Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
Jer 39:7  Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

Let us compare all these words about the “king of Babylon… and all the kingdoms of the earth…” who are fighting against God’s unfaithful wife, Judah, and Jerusalem, with the spiritual application of these words in:

Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and  sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Revelation 14 makes clear that even the Lord’s elect must endure the torment in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb:

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, [“all men” do (Rev 13:16)]
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.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond [“all” inclusive], to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Remember how the Lord looks upon King Nebuchadnezzar:

Jer 27:6  And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

As ‘the Lord’s servant’, Nebuchadnezzar’s judgment upon Zedekiah signifies the Lord’s judgment upon our own old man. It is we who [Isa 40:1-3 and Rev 14:9-12] “receive double” at the Lord’s hand for robbing Him of our worship, and it is our own old man whose “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”, and it is he, our old man, who receives double at the Lord’s hand for all his iniquities and sins:

Exo 22:4  If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Mal 3:9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

It is our judgment in “this present time” (Rom 8:18) which ‘prepares the way for the Lord’ to establish His “house”, His kingdom within us (1Pe 4:17). When we refuse His residence and His dominion over us, we are robbing Him of His rightful claim upon the throne of our hearts and minds because we are all “bought with a price”.

Gen 47:23  Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
Gen 47:24  And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
Gen 47:25  And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
Gen 47:26  And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1Co 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Compare the spirit of the seventh verse of Revelation 18 with these words which concern the Lord’s own people:

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

Compared with:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and  sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Those two verses are addressed to the same ‘whore’, and they give the Lord the occasion He is seeking to give us the same dire warning Jeremiah gives King Zedekiah:

Jer 38:17  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

Those are the same words the Lord uses in speaking with us via “the church of the Laodiceans”:

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and  that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten [in “this present time” (Rom 8:18 and 1Pe 4:17)]: be zealous therefore, and repent.

There are two points which must be seen and understood if we are to understand who “Babylon the great” is. The first point is the fact that “her fornication is with the kings of the “earth”, and it is “the earth” which “is waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies”. If we are granted the gift of comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1Co 2:13-14), then we will know that the ‘earth’ signifies spiritual “Judah and Jerusalem”, the Lord’s own unfaithful wife, as Jeremiah has already revealed:

Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

Speaking to the same people in this same 22^nd chapter of Jeremiah, Judah and Jerusalem are addressed as:

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

It is few indeed who understand that it is “the earth” which stands over against and in opposition to the heavens. The opposite of ‘heaven’ in scripture is not ‘hell’ as so many suppose. Rather the opposite of heaven is the earth. It is fewer still who are given to see and understand that “Judah and Jerusalem” are the great whore whose ‘fornication and delicacies have enriched “all nations… and the kings of the earth” (Rev 18:3).

This is the fate of our self-righteous, iniquitous, rebellious, adulterous old man who is robbing Christ of His throne which is in our hearts and our minds:

Jer 34:5  But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.

Here is the New Testament spiritual fulfillment of these five verses which concern the fate of our rebellious, self-righteous old man:

Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

“The kings of the earth” lament the destruction of our old man, and they are quick to let it be known. But the Lord has devised means to bring about both our destruction and the lamenting of the demise of our old man by those who identify with him and were made rich by him, the king of Judah and Jerusalem, who is also “become a harlot” (Isa 1:21).

The natural man will say, “Revelation 18 is a prophecy of the great harlot, and it has nothing to do with Zedekiah, the king of Judah and Jerusalem.” Nothing is further from the truth! The King of Judah and Jerusalem is labeled by the Lord himself as this very harlot of Revelation 17-18, and that very title was given to “Judah and Jerusalem” by the prophet Isaiah 70 years prior to these prophecies of Jeremiah:

Isa 1:1  The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
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.

The Lord’s covenant with His people at Sinai was a marriage covenant, and these verses demonstrate that Judah and Jerusalem had not been a faithful wife. Lest anyone miss this point Isaiah goes on to place the label of ‘harlot’ squarely upon the “kings of Judah and Jerusalem”:

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
Isa 1:22  Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
Isa 1:23  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

Nothing changed between the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah except that ‘evil men and seducers waxed worse and worse’. The only change was that Jerusalem became even more of a harlot, and that is our story for many necessarily sinful years of iniquity while we all justify our self-righteous transgressions.

Jer 34:6  Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
Jer 34:7  When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

Notice that the events of this chapter of Jeremiah transpire “When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem.”

This is the state of our own ecumenical Christian mind. In our appointed time, we all are fighting against ‘the Lord’s servant’ by denying that we are already in spiritual bondage to “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of this world” (Rev 17:4). We all, in our own time, deny the fact that the “time is at hand” that we must “read… hear and keep [all] the things which are written” in this prophecy of how Christ must come to be revealed within us. That confession must include the fact that we have been a harlot and not a faithful wife to our Lord.

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.

King Zedekiah typifies our self-righteous old man who ‘reproves, contends with, disannuls the Lord’s judgment, and condemns God to make himself righteous.’

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

The answer to the Lord’s question to Job is, “Yes we have done all those things to make ourselves righteous. We have done ‘many wonderful works’, and we did them in Christ’s name (Job 27 and 29).” We simply cannot see ourselves as an unfaithful whore, and yet it is of this very whore within us that the Lord speaks these words:

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 [self-righteousness (Eze 33:13)].

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Acknowledging our infidelity to our spiritual Husband is integral to our salvation. Christ Himself was “called… out of Egypt” and confessed that even His flesh was not ‘good’:

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Jer 34:8  This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
Jer 34:9  That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
Jer 34:10  Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.

Our old man, signified by King Zedekiah, all his ‘good works’ notwithstanding, despises the word of the Lord by His certified prophet, Jeremiah. Yet he self-righteously “made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto [their Hebrew servants].” This was done “When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem” (Jer 34:7). Even if this were done to seek the Lord’s mercy while under siege, it was the right thing to do, and no doubt it was given Jeremiah’s approval. Indeed, the king of Egypt came up against Nebuchadnezzar and caused the Chaldeans to lift the siege for a short time, during which time the people went back on their word to their Hebrew servants.

Here is the New Testament fulfillment of this story of going back on their word to release their Hebrew slaves:

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.

Releasing our “Hebrew servant” from bondage to ourselves, typifies our willingness to receive and be obedient to the things the Lord tells us to do. Christ asks us:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

This story about King Zedekiah’s covenant with the people to release their Hebrew slaves right in the midst of the siege of Jerusalem signifies that the Lord’s chastening hand has begun its work in our lives when we “anon with joy” receive His word. However, when we realize how hard things are “because of the word”, when we don’t have the services of a Hebrew slave, that trial is more than we are willing to endure, so we go back on our own word and demand the services of our Hebrew slave. It is a ‘Hebrew servant’ because it is the word or Christ and not the doctrines of men. A Hebrew slave signifies our willingness to use the Lord’s own words to serve us instead of us being obedient to the Lord’s words. We begin to twist and wrest His words to mean what we want them to mean, and Christ goes on to tell us the result of doing that. It is the very same thing that happened to Jerusalem when they refused to be obedient to the Word of the Lord by Jeremiah. Here are the very next verses in Luke 6:

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. [(Psa 15:4) “sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not”]
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.

Psa 15:4  In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

When we release the bondage of our Hebrew slave, we are setting the Word of God free to show us how we are to obey Him. Setting our Hebrew servant free typifies being given the dominion over sin in our lives and being willing to bear the cross to achieve that liberty. We are now grateful to be given to “labor to enter into His rest” knowing that it is the Lord who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Php 2:12-13).

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Part of that “example of unbelief” (Heb 4:11) was the example of Judah and Jerusalem who agreed to release their Hebrew servants but when the trials came, “because of the word”, and from having to labor without their subjugation they were offended and went back on their covenant.

“These things happened to them, and they are written for our admonition” (1Co 10:11) and this is what our Hebrew slaves do to us when we abuse them:

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

The release of our ‘manservants and maidservants’ signifies spiritually our obedience to the Lord’s words which serve and nourish and minister to us. We are all given to release those doctrines to minister to us when we first come to the Lord. Then we are all also given to ‘lose our first love’ as we twist and wrest and force the Lord’s words to cover the idols of our hearts. The idols of our hearts always accommodate the flesh of our old man and require much less labor on our part.

Rev 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil [at the first]: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars [at the first]:
Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted [all at the first part of our walk with the Lord].
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Jer 34:11  But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

When we bring our ‘servants and handmaids’ back into subjection to ourselves we are no longer being submissive to the Lord. Rather, we begin to wrap and wrest His words around the idols of our own self-righteous, iniquitous false doctrines to justify not letting them go free to serve the Lord. When our servants are free to serve the Lord, then we, too, are free from the bondage of all our false doctrines and self-righteous iniquities:

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,
Eze 16:18  And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.
Eze 16:19  My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:20  Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,

The Lord’s gold and silver, His broidered garments, His oil and incense, His fine flour, oil, and honey, and His sons and daughters, are one and all symbols of His doctrines and His words which we bring into bondage to our own will and to our own false doctrines. We make His words into our doctrines, and in doing so we are placing ourselves under the bondage of sin in our lives, and yet sin’s dominion comes to an end at the appointed time in the life of “every man” (Rom 6:14, 1Co 3:13-16).

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. [God’s chastening grace (Tit 2:11-12 and Heb 12:6)]

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.