Rev 21:18-22 The Wall and the Foundations of the Wall

[Study Aired July 27, 2025]

Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Rev 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

In our study last week we saw that because Christ, the husband of this “bride the Lamb’s wife”, wants only to please His head, His husband, who is also His Father, the Lamb’s wife, being of the same mind, wants only to do the same for her husband, Christ. For this reason, because she has given up her life for her husband, the Lamb’s wife is said to be “foursquare.”

Rev 21:16  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

Four signifies the whole of what is being discussed:

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/numbers_four/

Being ‘foursquare’ means the whole purpose of “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” is simply to please her husband. We saw that both the golden altar of incense and the brazen altar of sacrifice, as well as the breastplate with its twelve precious stones worn by the high priest are all “foursquare”, because all three signify laying down our lives to please our God. That is the meaning we are being given when we are told that this “city lies foursquare.”

The wall and the foundations of the wall are all made of precious stones, and precious stones are precious because they are the product of great heat and great pressure, signifying the “fire and brimstone” endured by those who will rule with Christ for a thousand years.

Rev 21:18  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

The wall was of jasper, and the first foundation was of jasper because that is the precious stone which signifies Christ Himself:

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Rev 4:3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Those who will rule with Christ during that thousand-year reign are found worthy to do so only because they have already endured “the fire and brimstone” which produces the patience and the faith of the saints:

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, [All men do, (Rev 13:16)]
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God [the seven last plagues, (Rev 15:1)], 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. [“No man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled”, (Rev 15:8)]
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 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. [They will “have part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years”, (Rev 20:6)]

It is these verses of this 14^th chapter which explain why precious stones are used to signify how precious “the Bride the Lamb’s wife” is to Christ her loving, doting husband.

We also saw that this city is on “a mountain great and high”, and it “has a wall great and high” for the purpose of telling us that God’s “ways… and thoughts are as high above our natural man’s ways and thoughts as the heavens are above the earth” (Isa 55:8), and we saw that God’s ways and thoughts are His doctrines which our natural man considers to be fanatical and rejects, because our natural man simply cannot receive or accept them.

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.

We also saw that this city and all of its measurements reveal to us that, if we are this city, we have the number twelve and multiples of the number twelve, stamped all over us because we, like Sarah, are in Christ, the very foundation of the family of God:

Heb 11:10  For he [Abraham who signified Christ, the True “Father of the faithful”] looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Heb 11:11  Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive [G2602: ‘katabole’, ‘foundation’, (Luk 11:50)] seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Heb 11:12  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

It is this number twelve which the scriptures use to tell us that, as this city on a mountain great and high, with its wall great and high, lying four square with its twelve gates and twelve foundations, we are the very foundational saviors upon whom, and through whom, being “in Christ”, all men of all time will be brought to God. It is this “wife of the Lamb” through whom God will become “all in all.”

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

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.

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

If “the eyes of our understanding are enlightened” then we will know that it is “the church which is His body, [which is] the fullness of Him that fills all in all.” That is “the hope of the calling” He has given us, and that is the riches of the glory of His ‘inheritance in the saints.’ The church is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” As such it is she who will lay down foundational seed.

Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive [Greek: katabole, founded] seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

For that reason, being the mother of, and the very foundation of, the salvation of all mankind, the wife of the Lamb has the number twelve found in the number of foundations, the number of gates, and in all the measurements of this city. She is Christ’s wife, and it is through her all living will come to be in Christ. With Him and in Him, she is the foundation of the salvation of all men of all time, and she, “the church which is His body, [who is] the fulness of Him that fills all in all.”

This is an exceedingly great and precious calling we have been given, to be the bride of the Lamb, and to bring forth children to our husband, whose numbers will be as the sand of the sea shore and as the stars of heaven.

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

It is the rare and precious quality of this woman, who we are, God willing, which is the focus of our study today. She is symbolized as consisting of gold and precious stones.

Rev 21:20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

These are the symbols of how precious this woman is to her Husband. Notice what we were told of just how precious and how highly thought of by her Husband the Lamb’s wife is earlier in this chapter:

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

The Lamb’s wife is on “a great and high mountain… having a wall great and high… having the glory of God… and light like a stone most precious…” As unpopular and as elitist as this sounds to the natural man, this really is an exclusive group. This is the “few… numbered”, persecuted, and rejected group of people who are called “the bride the Lamb’s wife.” This bride and this angel which had the seven vials have been demonstrated to be one and the same. Both are those who “read, hear and keep the things written in this prophecy.”

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

He that reads, hears and keeps the things written in this prophecy, is the same as he who overcomes and has the name of “the city of my God” written upon him. That name is ‘New Jerusalem.’ So who are these who read, hear, and keep what is written in this prophecy and have the name New Jerusalem written upon them? It is those who are signified by this angel who is showing us “the Bride the Lamb’s wife, the New Jerusalem.”

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

What we are seeing here at the end of this prophecy is what we were told at the beginning. This book is the revelation of Jesus Christ within His few overcoming saints who read, hear and keep the things written in this prophecy; not just the part that pertains to being the Lamb’s precious wife, but also all the things written in this prophecy which must first be endured if we hope to become this beautiful bride of Christ.

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.

When we are told “all things are ours”, what that means is “all things present and all things to come”, the bad before the good, are all ours.

In order to obtain “the patience and faith of the saints”, we must first know what is involved in building patience and why our faith must be tried. Those lessons are learned only through coming to see our wretched condition. Coming to see ourselves as we really are is learned only through the dying of “the body of this death.”

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

“The body of this death” Paul speaks of here is the dying, carnal-minded body of our old man, “the beast” we all are by virtue of being “in Adam.”

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him [the beast we all are] 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.

These words are written in the prophecy of this book. We are told “Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” If we are given to understand that the revelation of Jesus Christ entails first being overcome and killed by the beast, then Christ’s words “In your patience possess ye your souls” takes on much deeper meaning.

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Luk 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem [“Agar… which now is and is in bondage with her children”, signifying Babylon, (Gal 4:25)] compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Luk 21:21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out [Rev 18:4]; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Luk 21:22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

This is exactly what “is foolishness to our natural man”, who wants only to appropriate the positive “things which are written” to himself.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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.

What makes Christ’s wife so precious? It is the heat and pressure she has endured to become all these precious stones.

It is of utmost importance that we acknowledge that we, as the Lord’s bride, have an altar at which they who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

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

If we disagree with this Truth, and we say within ourselves, ‘All men are destined to be one with Christ and His Father, therefore there is no need to say that they who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat with us’; then the previous verse will be our reward if that is our attitude:

Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

Because we do “have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle”, those who know this to be true, from Christ’s resurrection until the beginning of His millennial rule, are symbolized by the multiple of 12 x 12 x 1000, which is a mere 144,000.

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

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

If we are not in this select group “being the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, then we will be of another group whose experience will be the same as ours, but that experience will be a symbolic thousand years later.

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

This “great multitude, which no man could number” comes “after this.” It comes after the “manifestation of the sons of God”, after the revelation of “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” This great multitude which no man could number” comes after the “blessed and holy…first resurrection” of those who will rule with Christ for a thousand years. It will be “by the Church”, through the firstfruits, that this “great multitude” will be brought to God.

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

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Christ’s wife is as precious to Him as is the wife of any man who demands that all of his children look up to and respect their mother. A spiritually begotten son and a spiritual spouse are spiritually one and the same. Both are submissive to, and are subject to their head, their Father or their Husband. It is in this sense that the Lamb’s wife is given the power to bring forth, nurture and discipline Christ’s children whose number will be as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea shore.

The overcomers of Revelation 2:27 are “the bride the Lamb’s wife”, as well as “the manifestation of the sons of God.” It is they who first experience “New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven”, and who then rule with Christ a thousand years upon this earth. These are those who are so precious to their Husband, Christ.

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.

Here is the “judgment [which is] given unto them… first as the house of God.”

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

“That we should not be condemned with the world.” That is just how precious the Lamb considers His wife to be. She is precious, and she is special because she is “the firstfruits onto God and the Lamb.”

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?

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.

Here is the language Christ has chosen to let us know just how precious we are to Him.

Rev 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
Rev 21:19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Rev 21:20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

How is any precious stone formed? How is gold purified? Every precious stone is formed only by placing rather common substances under severe heat and pressure. It is pressure and heat that turn a lump of common coal into a precious diamond. Rubies, sapphires and emeralds are all produced in the same way; through heat and pressure upon minerals which are common to that area. The wife of the Lamb will endure fiery trials and the pressure of being hated of all men to become the precious wife of the Lamb, and the mother of His children.

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

Why are we told “the wall is of Jasper?” The message is that this wall is as pure and as transparent as crystal, which is a rare and precious jasper. These same words are used to describe the entire city earlier in this same chapter. Being clear and transparent and without any impurities is the nature of the Lamb’s wife.

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

The Lamb’s bride is “most precious… like a jasper”, and both she and the wall she is within are “clear as crystal.” So, too, is the entire city, “gold… clear as glass.”

“… The city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.” These are the same words used to describe those who fulfill the pouring out of the seven last plagues and who stand upon the “sea of glass mingled with fire” (Rev 4:6; Rev 15:2).

That is just how pure and transparent the Lamb’s wife is. It also tells us that Christ’s wife has nothing to hide because His bride knows from whence she was redeemed:

Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

This woman has twelve gates because she is the foundation of the seed through whom all mankind will be brought to God. She has been “redeemed from the earth”, but not just for her own salvation. She has been chosen by her Husband to be the spiritual mother of all men of all time. We have yet another symbol for the fiery trials which make this woman worthy of being the spiritual mother of all spiritual living.

Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

We have demonstrated the spiritual significance of the heat and fire and extreme pressure required to produce pure gold and precious stones. Just for the purpose of clarifying the necessity of fiery trials to produce the patience required by all who will follow in the steps of their Husband and Savior, we are now given the symbol of a pearl as the material which forms the twelve foundational gates of this foundational city.

How is a pearl formed? A pearl is formed from one of those very common grains of sand from the sea being placed within an oyster. That grain of sand then irritates the oyster, just as the fiery trials of this life irritate you and me as the Lamb’s wife. The patience we develop to deal with the trials of life, are the beautiful layers of nacre which coat that common grain of sand, until we become a beautiful pearl, large enough to be a gate to the city of our God, the New Jerusalem.

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.

These twelve pearls, twelve gates and twelve foundations with their precious stones; The clear jasper wall great and high, and pure gold of this city, are all Christ. Who “the Christ” is, is what is hidden from the whole world in this revelation of Jesus Christ. This city is those who have been espoused to Christ as a virgin:

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

Here is what our Lord Himself tells us should be the value which our mind, if it is His mind, will place on the pearls which make up the twelve gates of this ‘foursquare city’, which we are.

Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Mat 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

We must do what the rich young ruler could not do; “Sell all we have” and buy that “pearl of great price.”

Just to demonstrate how much Christ and His Father identify themselves with this city being Christ and His Christ, we are told this of the city which we are told is “the Lamb’s wife.”

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

“The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” How can God and the Lamb be the temple of it? We are told that we are the temple of God, and now we are told this city is the the wife of the Lamb? How can we be “the temple of God” and at the same time be considered the city with no temple within it? Here is how that is accomplished in the spirit:

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

The more we come to know Christ and His Father, the more we will begin to see the Truth of these verses:

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

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will finish our study of this 21st chapter of Revelation.

Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Rev 21:24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Rev 21:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
Rev 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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Rev 20:7-10 When The 1,000 Years Are Expired, Part 2

[Study Aired June 27, 2025]

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

In this study we will see when “all [natural] Israel shall be saved” and we will learn why the Lord must literally rule “the kingdoms of this world… with a rod of iron… for a thousand years”. Before we can hope to understand how “all Israel shall be saved” we must first know who “the twelve tribes of Israel” are mentioned in Revelation 7:

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

Notice what is said of these 144,000 in chapter 14:

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

“These were redeemed from among men”. It does not say ‘Jewish men’, it simply says “from among men”, and this is the “principle” by which that statement is made:

Gal 6:15  Certainly, it doesn’t matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16  Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

Galatians 6:15-16 is in complete accord with:

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

The holy spirit has blinded the eyes of the entire incorporated Christian church to the word “not” in Romans 2:28. The whole orthodox Christian world, as well as many governments of this world still believe that natural, physical Jews are still the chosen people of God. They all still believe that when the Lord told Abraham…

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

…that there were no conditions attached to that promise. Nothing is further from the Truth.

These verses are quoted by many Rabbis and many fundamental Christians as if they actually read… ‘Regardless of what you do I will bless you and curse your ememies.’ That is obviously not what the Lord told Abraham. The better part of the Old Testament is filled with all the curses the Lord promised would come on Israel if they did not obey the Lord. The Lord used Israel’s immediate neighbors, Syria, Edom, Moab and Ammon, as well as Pharaoh Necho, of Egypt, and Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon to punish Israel when they would reject and disobey Him. The physical Jews of modern times have continued that same rebellion and rejection of their Lord, and the curses upon Israel of Deuteronomy 28 are just as relevant today as the day they were first penned.

Genesis 12:3 is but one verse of scripture. It is “the sum of [God’s] Word” which  constitutes Truth:

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

All the rabbis and fundamental Christians who think Genesis 3:12 is a stand-alone verse of scripture would do well to take note of Psalms 119:160. It does not read “some of thy Word is Truth”, rather it says “the sum of Thy Word is Truth.” A little more of that ‘sum’ concerning what God blesses and what He curses concerning Israel is found in Deuteronomy 28. That chapter of scripture consists of 68 verses proclaiming the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. The first 14 verses concern the blessings the Lord promises Israel if they obey Him:

Deu 28:1  And it shall come to pass,if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deu 28:2  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

There is not even a hint of unconditional favor because they are Abraham’s seed. The Truth is that all the rest of that chapter, the last 54 verses are all concerned with the curses which will come upon Israel if they disobey the Lord.

Deu 28:15  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

If there were just two more verses those curses would occupy exactly 4 times as many verses as the blessings. Clearly God’s favor on Israel is not unconditional, and Genesis 12:3 does not say that it is.

Gen 12:3  “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” is in fact a promise which applies to all who follow in the footsteps of Abraham and listen diligently to the Lord’s words and obey them.

This is what Paul was inspired to tell the Gentile Corinthian converts:

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them [all who ignore and rebel against the Lord], and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Here is the mind of God as it concerns physical Jews and their relationship with Him:

Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

The spirit then goes on to tell us what a ‘Jew’ is and what a ‘Jew’ is not, and it is found right here in this same 2^nd chapter of Romans:

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

The spirit has made clear that it is “he… which is… a Jew… inwardly”, who is being judged first and experiencing the “tribulation and anguish” of that judgment in this present time.

Not one Rabbi or Christian minister in a thousand will acknowledge the truth of Romans 2:28.

Paul, inspired of the holy spirit, reiterates this spiritual principle in:

Gal 6:15  Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do – submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!
Gal 6:16  All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God— his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! (MSG)

We will learn in this study, that physical Israel will not even “return to  their former estate… until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in”.

The question now is what then did Paul mean when he stated:

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to [physical, natural] Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins

Exactly ‘when’ will God “take away the sins of… all Israel?” Paul may seem to many to the false ministers of Babylon to contradict himself, but he was not in the least bit confused when he plainly states that “the fall of them is the salvation of the Gentiles.”

Rom 11:11  I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom 11:12  Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Does it not say “God forbid?” Yes, indeed, it does say “God forbid” that Israel’s stumbling is only for the purpose of falling. Paul goes on to twice explain that “through their fall, salvation is come to the Gentiles” [and] through “the fall of them is the riches of the world.” He makes clear that there are a few of those who are “Jews outwardly” who even now are being saved, and he calls them “the election” of physical Israel. However, he makes it super clear that “the rest were blinded.” So what does this mean for the vast majority of physical Israel? Paul answers that question without hesitation:

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Will the physical nation of Israel be the preeminent nation on earth during the “thousand years” reign of God’s elect? When exactly does “the fulness of the Gentiles” come in?

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

The Old Testament scriptures actually tell us exactly when “all Israel be shall be saved.” It tells us “when [the Lord] shall take away their sins.” It does not give us an exact date, but it does give us an exact timeline, and the world has been blinded by the Lord to what is right here in the scriptures. Here is the scriptural answer to these questions for all who are given to receive it.

Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

There it is in very clear language. “When… Sodom… and Samaria” return to our Lord, “then you and your daughters shall return to your former estate” with our Lord. That is when “the fullness of the Gentiles will be come in”, and that is when “all Israel shall be saved”. Again:

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Who then will rule during that thousand-year period? Here they are:

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye [Gentile Ephesians] being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh [a part of the commonwealth of Israel] by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

God is not making of twain, twain. He is making “of twain one new man.”  This “new man” is no longer in need of a physical Abrahamic pedigree. The new paradigm is to become an obedient “overcomer” of the rebellious, sinful, carnal mind:

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

What did Christ “receive of His Father?” Remembering the primary inward application of this prophecy, what Christ received from His Father is the same commission which you and I have been sent to accomplish. Christ was sent by His Father to save this world, and with us He was given the commandment to lay down His life for us.

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

Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold [of physical Israel]: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. [Eph 2:14-15]

Christ did not “receive a commandment of His Father” to establish two folds of sheep. He came and laid down His life “to make of twain one new man.” He did not come to make twain of twain with a physical ‘chosen people’ and a different spiritual ‘chosen people.’ There is but “one new man… one body”, one gospel… one spirit… and one “chosen …elect”.

Here is another symbol of these elect:

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

Let us not attempt to make ‘some of God’s word true’ by pitting this verse against Ezekiel 16:55, Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 6:15-16 and Ephesians 2:11-16. It is “the sum of God’s Word which is true”, and that ‘sum’ clearly makes an Israelite or a Jew, a spiritual and an inward matter.

Ephesians 2 informs us that “[we] were in time past Gentiles in the flesh… but now in Christ Jesus [we] are … the commonwealth of Israel” (Eph 2:11-16).

What did Christ “receive of His Father”? He received the commandment to die for the sins of mankind, this entire world.

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

These “hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” are the “true Israel of God [who] live by the rule that neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” “All the tribes of Israel” are now “he that is a Jew inwardly”, “made of twain one new man”, and it is these spiritual “Jews” and these spiritual “Israelites” who are now, and who will be, ruling and reigning with a rod of iron, with Christ for a thousand years. It is through the unbelief of physical Israel and all the unbelievers in Babylon, “that great city where also our Lord was crucified”, that you and I are granted to be believers:

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

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:

“My suffering for you… filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake?” Does Paul think these words apply only to himself? No, of course not. This is speaking of all those who are now granted to rule over the giants within their land and over their nations within, and who will, at the appointed time rule over the outward nations of this world for a thousand years. It will certainly not be the physical nation of Israel which until this very day denies their own savior.

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.

So what is this thing called “a thousand years?”

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

God will have Satan imprisoned for a symbolic “thousand years.” Why does He then release Satan out of his prison?

The answer is that God’s plan is not finished by giving His elect the dominion of the kingdoms of this world during this thousand-year period. Babies are still being born during that time. Death has not yet been destroyed and would never be destroyed if new baby ‘Adams’ continued being born into this world. In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians we are told that this rule of our Lord will last “till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

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

If the phrase “of His kingdom there shall be no end” were speaking of this thousand-year period, what need would there be to release Satan from his prison to again deceive the nations of this earth after the thousand years are expired?

Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

How can “the thousand years [be] expired” (Rev 20:7) if there is no end to the kingdom?

Is death destroyed during the thousand years, or could it be that the destruction of death is the very purpose for this thousand-year reign and the release of Satan to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth? What does scripture teach?

Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The words of verse 10 here are the same words used to describe the fiery trials of the Lord’s elect in Revelation 14:

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. [What exactly is all of this???]
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. [Here are they who “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”, (Rev 20)]:
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.

Here we are told “fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Does that destroy the kingdom of God? What does the final physical conflagration accomplish and what does it produce?

This entire scene is given us in much greater detail in Ezekiel 38, which we will have to look at in our next study. The one thing that is clear, is that the thousand years are nothing more that a time which brought “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth” (vs 8) into position to be “devoured by fire which comes down from God out of heaven.” In other words, this thousand-year reign, like Samson’s marriage to a Philistine woman, serves only to give God “an occasion against the Philistines” because, just as sin and death hold dominion over all flesh, “the Philistines had dominion over Israel… at that time”.

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

Placing Satan in the abussos of our fleshly carnal mind, under the chain and seal of these the words of our Lord, is all “of the Lord, [because] the Lord sought an occasion against… the nations in the four quarters of the earth… to devour them with fire that will come down from God out of heaven.”

Who is this “camp of the saints and the beloved city?” The camp of the saints is “the Israel of God” of Galatians 6:15-16. ‘The camp of the saints” is the spiritual 12,000, from each of the [spiritual] 12 tribes of Israel of Revelation 7:4. The camp of the saints are those who “are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision made by hands” (Eph 2:11). The camp of the saints are all those who are “reconciled unto God in one body” (Eph 2:16). The camp of the saints are the few who will serve and reign with God for a thousand years and then be confronted and opposed by “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” (Rev 20:7-8). The camp of the saints are “the Israel of God” of Gal 6:15-16; they are “Jerusalem above” (Gal 4:26), the “New Jerusalem” (Rev 3:12), and the overcomers of Galatian 6:15-16. The camp of the saints are those who are numbered 144,000 who will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years, and then will continue to rule and reign with Christ in the lake of fire, which is the second death.;

Gog and Magog, on the other hand, signify all the inhabitants of the earth after a thousand years of being ruled with a rod of iron, and are like the Philistines of Samson’s day. They simply have no way of knowing or understanding that these saints against whom they are encamped are the same people who are right at home in the everlasting burnings, and the devouring flames of this symbolic ‘lake of fire.’

Isa 33:13  Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?  [Who will dwell with His devouring fire??? Here’s God’s own answer]:
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

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

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

If they knew who they were going up against, they would not be giving God the occasion He is seeking to destroy all sin and death by bringing an end to all flesh. If they knew who they were encamping against, they would not furnish God the “occasion” He is seeking to bring an end to the birth of babies and bring about the second resurrection of all the dead of all time, to be cast into the lake of fire to be purified, so “that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy”.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

That is the wonderful reward which will be granted to every man whose name is written in the book of life of the lamb. That man will be one of the few chosen to show the Lord’s loving mercy and grace on all who are cast into the lake of fire.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

In our next study if the Lord wills, we will go through the 38th chapter of Ezekiel which is the inspiration for much of this chapter of Revelation, and we will also cover these verses of this chapter 20 of Revelation.

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

Identity in Christ: Who God Says You Are

[Study Aired March 25, 2025]

Introduction: Understanding Identity from God’s Perspective

In a world that constantly pressures us to define ourselves by achievements, possessions, appearance, or social acceptance, Scripture reveals a profoundly different foundation for identity. The source of true identity isn’t found in outward circumstances or personal accomplishments but in an internal, spiritual reality established by God Himself. As Paul affirms, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), showing that our true identity isn’t determined by external factors but through our spiritual position in Christ.

This relationship transforms how we see ourselves, for as Paul declares, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed(ing) away; behold, all things are become(ing) new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our identity in Christ represents the most fundamental spiritual truth about who we really are, transcending temporary circumstances, feelings and worldly labels.

To understand this identity, we must rely not on human wisdom or psychology but on God’s revelation, for “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” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The truth about who we are in Christ can only be grasped through spiritual understanding, as we compare “spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).

Being Made in God’s Image: The Process of Spiritual Formation

Our identity journey begins with God’s ongoing purpose to conform us to His image. When God declared, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26), He was establishing a continuous process rather than an instantaneous creation. The Hebrew word used here suggests an ongoing action of “making” or “fashioning,” revealing that bearing God’s image is not merely our starting point but our destination as we undergo progressive transformation.

Scripture confirms this progressive work throughout the Bible. David understood this when he declared, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15), showing that bearing God’s likeness is something to be realized fully in the future. Paul reinforces this understanding when he writes that believers are “being renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10), emphasizing the ongoing nature of this transformation.

This process of being conformed to God’s image represents the essential basis of human identity and worth, revealing that our value comes not from what we have already attained but from the godly purpose being worked out in us. As Paul explains, we are “predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29), showing that conformity to Christ’s image is God’s ultimate purpose for mankind, “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” (Romans 1:20).

Chosen, Adopted, and Redeemed: Our New Identity in Christ

Building on this foundation, Paul reveals the profound transformation of identity that occurs when we are united with Christ. In Ephesians 1, he unveils multiple dimensions of this new identity:

We are Chosen in Christ: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). Our identity isn’t self-determined but divinely chosen. This election occurred “before the foundation of the world,” revealing that God’s purpose for us predates not only our birth but creation itself.

We are Adopted as God’s Children: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5). Through Christ, we receive a new family identity – no longer spiritual orphans but children of God with full family rights. John marvels at this transformation: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1).

We are Redeemed and Forgiven: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Our identity is freed from sin’s enslavement through Christ’s redemptive work. This freedom changes who we fundamentally are, as Paul explains: “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).

We are Sealed with the Holy Spirit: “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13). The Spirit’s presence confirms our new identity, as Paul declares: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). This sealing isn’t just external proof but an internal testimony of belonging.

These aspects of identity aren’t earned through human effort but freely given by God’s grace, for “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). This means our identity doesn’t fluctuate based on performance but remains secure in God’s unchanging purpose, as He “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11).

A Royal Priesthood: Called to Represent God

Peter adds another crucial dimension to our identity in Christ when he declares: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). This verse reveals four interconnected aspects of believers’ identity that parallel Israel’s calling in Exodus 19:5-6.

As a “royal priesthood,” we’re identified both as kings and priests – those who have privileged access to God and authority to represent Him to others. This priestly identity means we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) while also serving as mediators who “offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Being a “holy nation” emphasizes our collective identity as God’s set-apart people, governed by His principles rather than worldly values. This holiness isn’t primarily about behavior but about belonging – we’re holy because we belong to the Holy One, for “he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

As a “peculiar people” or “people for God’s own possession” (ESV), we belong exclusively to God as His special treasure. This ownership identity means we’re not our own but are “bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20), which transforms how we view our lives, bodies, and purposes.

This identity carries purpose – we’re called to “shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” Our identity isn’t merely for personal benefit but for representing God to the world, declaring His excellence through both words and lives that reflect His character.

Crucified with Christ: Death and Resurrection Identity

Perhaps the most radical aspect of identity in Christ appears in Paul’s personal testimony: “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” (Galatians 2:20). This verse reveals the paradoxical death-and-resurrection nature of Christian identity.

The phrase “I am crucified with Christ” reveals that through spiritual union with Christ, we as believers have died to our old identities. This death is comprehensive, affecting our relationship to sin: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6), to the law: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4), and to the world: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

Yet this crucifixion isn’t the end of identity but its transformation, for Paul continues: “nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Our life becomes Christ’s life expressed through us – not merely imitation but indwelling. This indwelling constitutes the essence of Christian identity: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Our identity becomes so united with Christ that Paul can declare “your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

This resurrection identity means we don’t merely try to follow Christ’s example but experience His life working through us, for “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, ESV). This indwelling life produces what we could never achieve through self-effort, for as Jesus declared, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Temple of the Holy Spirit: God’s Dwelling Place

Another profound dimension of our identity emerges in Paul’s declaration: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). This temple identity reveals that we’ve become God’s dwelling place – vessels that contain His presence.

The implications are staggering – the same God who once dwelt in the Jerusalem temple now makes His home in human hearts. This fulfills God’s ancient promise: “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16, quoting Leviticus 26:12). Our bodies become sacred space where God’s presence dwells.

This indwelling isn’t occasional or temporary but permanent, for Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:17). The Spirit’s permanent residence transforms our self-understanding, for our bodies are no longer merely personal property but “the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

This indwelling guarantees divine guidance, for “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things” (John 14:26). The Spirit’s teaching transforms our understanding, enabling us to perceive spiritual truths that natural thinking cannot grasp.

Walking in Your True Identity: From Understanding to Experience

Understanding these truths intellectually differs from experiencing them as living realities. Paul prayed for believers to comprehend their identity through spiritual revelation: “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” (Ephesians 1:18). This knowledge requires divine illumination, not merely cognitive grasp.

Walking in our true identity means first believing what God says about us rather than what our feelings, past experiences, or others’ opinions suggest. This requires ongoing renewal of our thinking, for Paul instructs: “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Our thoughts must align with God’s truth about who we are.

This renewal happens as we immerse ourselves in Scripture, for “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). God’s Word reveals our true identity and corrects false self-perceptions.

Walking in our identity also means rejecting counterfeit identities based on performance, comparison, or past failures. These false identities contradict what God declares is true, yet they often feel more real because of their familiarity. True identity requires trusting God’s declaration over our perceptions, for we must “trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

The process involves daily choosing to reckon ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). This reckoning means counting God’s truth about our identity as more real than contradictory experiences or feelings.

Conclusion: Living from Identity, Not for Identity

The world teaches us to achieve an identity through accomplishments, relationships, or possessions. God’s approach is radically different – He gives identity as a gift to be received, not a prize to be earned. We don’t work toward an identity; we work from the identity already established in Christ.

This gift-identity transforms our motivation. We no longer serve God to gain His approval but because we already have it. We don’t perform to become something but because we already are something in Christ. This liberation from performance-based identity brings the freedom to live authentically as God’s beloved children.

When we understand and embrace our true identity in Christ, we find stability amid life’s changes and challenges. While circumstances, feelings, relationships, and abilities may fluctuate, who we are in Christ remains secure because it rests not on our performance but on His unchanging work and character.

The message of identity in Christ isn’t self-improvement but self-replacement – not becoming a better version of ourselves but becoming who God already declares us to be. As Paul summarizes: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed(ing) away; behold, all things are become(ing) new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This new identity transforms everything – how we see ourselves, others, circumstances, and God Himself. When we grasp who we truly are in Christ, we begin to live from the reality that our “life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), expressing outwardly the identity already established inwardly through God’s sovereign work, for “he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11).

Zec 11:1-17  “The wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Rev 18:3)

[Study Aired August 10, 2023]

In the last chapter of Zacharias, we saw how the elect will water and plant God’s word during the thousand-year reign of the saints (Rev 20:6, Rev 12:5), and how God never intended to give any spiritual increase regarding all those labors in Christ (1Co 3:6-7). That is the main witness left for us in chapter ten of Zacharias, and in chapter eleven we will see how the initial baptisms of the water of God’s word will play out for the world during the reign of our Lord and His Christ (Rev 11:15). 

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

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

That rod of iron spoken of in Revelation 12:5 will burn away the wood, hay and stubble that is taken from man, but this process does not change the inner man who can only be renewed with Christ’s spirit within him that makes it possible for the gold, silver and precious stones to be purified within him (Heb 6:1-3, 1Co 3:12, Tit 2:13-15, 1Pe 2:9).

Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 
Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 
Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy [Rom 11:30-32].

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Dan 3:20-22) are a type of the elect who go through the entire process of judgment in their flesh [3 men] with Christ in their midst who symbolizes the spirit of God abiding in us through that judgment upon us today. Lord willing. The world, which will have the Lord and His Christ in their midst outwardly during the symbolic time frame of one thousand years, will ultimately be consumed by the word of God in the negative sense as were the men that brought Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to the fire (Dan 3:22, Rev 20:8-9) 

Dan 3:22  Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them [This event parallels what happens to those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego].

God willing, we will move forward and be baptized with fiery trials in this age that will purify the faith of Christ within us, which is what happens when we are crushed under the stone (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 1:7, Mat 21:44).

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: 
1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

A rod of iron expresses the unbending and unwavering way in which the elect will not compromise any part of the word of God during that rulership, regardless of the fact that mankind is not capable of doing what is required, nor able to change the corrupt nature we are all given when born into these vessels of dishonor, which can only be changed through Christ (Rom 9:18-21, 2Ti 2:21).

Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 
Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 
Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these [Tit_2:13-15], he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 

Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 
Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 
Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Zec 11:1  Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 
Zec 11:2  Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. 
Zec 11:3  There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
Zec 11:4  Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 
Zec 11:5  Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
Zec 11:6  For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
Zec 11:7  And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. 
Zec 11:8  Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 
Zec 11:9  Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
Zec 11:10  And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 
Zec 11:11  And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. 
Zec 11:12  And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
Zec 11:13  And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 
Zec 11:14  Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 
Zec 11:15  And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 
Zec 11:16  For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 
Zec 11:17  Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. 

Zec 11:1  Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.

In order for our own self-righteousness to be destroyed, which is iniquity (Eze 18:20), we must be granted to have our minds opened (“open thy doors“) to the reality that the ministries in which we put our trust in this world were all part of a self-righteous harlot system that must be devoured within us by our ‘coming out of her, my people’ (2Co 6:17-18). The doors are open by God’s grace as the son of man sets us free by cleansing us from all self-righteousness, typified by the word Lebanon^H3844 which means whiteness, our own righteousness, in other words.

H3844 lebânôn
BDB Definition:
Lebanon = “whiteness”

The cedar is a tree that produces no fruit and must be cut down and put in its proper perspective in order to benefit the temple of God which we are today. The cedar represents the ministries of Babylon throughout the ages; those who serve the elect in the court as Levi who is joined to the elect in that service (Num 4:17-20, 1Co 3:16). When we can honestly and without any guile admit that we are coming out of Babylon and can see the blind state we were in, we are at that moment opening “thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.” The elect experience this cleansing first so that the rest of humanity can be ministered to through the saints (1Th 5:23).

Num 4:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 
Num 4:18  Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: 
Num 4:19  But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:
Num 4:20  But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die [Heb 13:10].

During the reign of the saints, the world will recognize the lies of the harlot, as many do even today, the beast then making war with the harlot as a result of those revelations (Rev 17:16). That stance without God’s spirit within us (Rom 8:9) just translates into more self-righteousness and further deception as we become convinced, “If someone had just shown me these things, I would have figured it out and rejected the churches of this world” (Mat 23:29-30). That may be true, but again, rejecting Babylon and continuing in Christ are two separate events, one which is a very wood-hay-and-stubble experience in its nature [coming out of Babylon] and the other requiring the miracle of God’s holy spirit within so we can be disciples indeed of Christ continuing in the truth (Joh 8:30-32).

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 

Mat 23:29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 23:30  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him. 
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.

Zec 11:2  Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

“The cedar is fallen” is another way of saying “Babylon is fallen, is fallen” of Revelation 14:8, meaning the influence of Babylon’s tall and fruitless trees in the earth has come to an end “because the mighty are spoiled“, and the howling fir tree demonstrates the great burden this judgment brings upon humanity, represented by the “fir tree” who is seeing Babylon fall (Rev 18:19). They are being spoiled by their previous life of lies and deception that Babylon produced (2Pe 2:17-20, Eph 2:2). The elect will fell all these mighty trees that represent men, to the glory of God. If we are judged in this age, we will be used by God to tear down all the false spiritual temples of mankind and begin to feed the world the words of life that spring forth from the true temple of God, which typifies Christ’s body (1Co 3:16, Mar 8:19-20, Exo 36:36-38). 

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 18:19  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 

The positive use of the cedar is found in these verses (Lev 14:4, Lev 14:6, Lev 14:49), which demonstrate how our life in Christ as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1) is founded upon cedar wood where we lay down our life with Christ by going without the camp, being bound to the altar where Christ was sacrificed for us (Gal 2:20, Heb 13:13).

Lev 14:4  Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

Lev 14:6  As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

Lev 14:49  And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

“Bashan” is an area that is east of the Jordan and the “oaks^{H437 = great tree or other strong tree} of Bashan^{1316 = fruitful, fertile”} represent more powerful religious scholars and leaders in the world who are also missing the mark (Jos 13:12, Jos 17:1, Jos 17:5), not being yet baptized in the Jordan which symbolizes our being baptized into Christ’s death where that mark is found (Rom 6:3-4). 

Jos 13:12  All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out [Num 14:9].

Jos 17:1  There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. 

Jos 17:5  And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan;  [Deu 31:2 , Jos 1:2]

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The oaks, like the fir trees, are also howling at the thought that all their deep-seated roots of intellectual endeavors have missed the mark (Isa 2:13, Eze 27:6, Hos 4:13, Amo 2:9), “the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isa 2:17).

All will come to know that they were sacrificed for the elect’s sake; some to be trees that would bear much of the burden of the temple, the physical revealing the spiritual (Rom 1:20) shown in the support beams that these beloved servants of God represent (Rom 11:28, 1Ki 6:9, Mat 7:22).

1Ki 6:9  So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

1Ki 6:15  And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

The statement “for the forest of the vintage^H1208 is come down” also reminds us that ‘old’ does not mean it is ‘correct’, and what comes to mind are the three ancient scholarly works of “Alexandrinus, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus” (Isa 3:1, Isa 2:11).

H1208 vintage baw-tsore’ From H1219 (related to being inaccessible by height or fortification; clip off); inaccessible, that is, lofty: – vintage [by confusion with H1210].

Isa 2:11  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

Zec 11:3  There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

This verse makes it clear that the trees previously talked about which are howling are in fact the shepherds who are howling because “their glory is spoiled.” The voice “of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled” is again another way of saying and realizing “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” which wine represents another gospel and not the “the everlasting gospel” of Revelation 14:6.

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,

The “pride of Jordan” represents the pride of life that brings forth “another gospel” (2Co 11:4, Gal 1:6-7). In Babylon, Christ’s death does everything. It is substitutionary and not exemplary as it should be, leaving no way for us to be baptized into His death and dying daily so we can fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh, which is Christ’s body (1Co 15:31, Col 1:24). It is another gospel, one that has been perverted by only knowing Christ after the flesh and not by considering the singleness that is in Christ and His body which makes up the church. The context of Satan’s subtle deceiving is centered around a false gospel, the leaven of the Pharisees that speaks smooth things, drawing us away from carrying our cross and filling up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ (2Co 11:3, Mat 16:6, Col 1:24).

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Gal 1:6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicityG572 that is in Christ.

G572 haplotēs hap-lot’-acenn   From G573; singleness, that is, (subjectively) sincerity (without dissimulation or self seeking), or (objectively) generosity (copious bestowal): – bountifulness, liberal (-ity), simplicity, singleness.

It is our pride that prevents us from standing in the Lord, and it is only God Who can destroy that “pride of Jordan” which represents the way we naturally serve the Lord in our yet carnal minds and not as those who have been granted to be broken and contrite in our spirits (Isa 66:2) through His hand dragging us to be baptized into the Jordan representing where we become dead to sin and alive in Christ (Rom 6:3, Rom 6:11-12).

Zec 11:4  Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;
Zec 11:5  Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.

God has called the elect as a body to be shepherds, to be kings and priests, who will “feed the flock of the slaughter” (1Pe 2:9). The statement “flock of the slaughter” and “they that slay them” is talking about those who ruled over the laity and took advantage of God’s people by killing their potential relationship with Christ by monetizing the gospel “and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich” and preaching Christ for their own advantage, thinking nothing of it “whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty.“

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

This spirit of avarice we’re reading represents what is inside all of us until the Lord burns it out. We all, in our appointed time, see ourselves as rich and increased with good not knowing we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17) and so lacking in His compassion and love. Lord willing, we go from being self-centered to other-people-centered, with Christ’s mind that tells us “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Psa 103:8-10, Psa 145:8-10, Php 2:3-4).

Zec 11:6  For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

This verse speaks of how God will deliver and receive every son in time (Heb 2:14-15) through His chastening grace that is His favor upon us (Heb 12:6) as it transforms our thinking so that we are no longer conformed to this world but rather are looking to God to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom 12:2). 

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

It does feel at times (1Pe 4:12) like God is not showing any pity to the inhabitants of the land within us when we are going through a severe trial (Mat 27:46, 1Jn 4:17) and likewise for the people during the rule with a rod of iron “For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.” God will use every means at His disposal to accomplish that chastening leading up to the ultimate destruction of the man of perdition on the throne of mankind’s hearts in the lake of fire (2Th 2:8). This is what we are reading about here: “I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.” It is these actions of God that demonstrate His love toward us, and in the end He will show great pity and kindness to all His creation, whose mercy starts with the elect who are first judged (Heb 12:6-7, Mal 3:17, Jas 5:11).

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Zec 11:7  And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. 
Zec 11:8  Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 

The two staffs or rods God takes represent the elect, who are typified by the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3, who will be used by God to “feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock.“

These two staves or staffs or rods, Beauty^{H5278 (Grace)} and Bands^H2256(Union), have names that represent what God has already done in the lives of those who endure until the end in this life (Mat 24:13) and are then used by God to feed the world with the truth of God’s word. At the same time that the elect are feeding the masses with God’s word, they are also cutting off, through a process of judgment, the false prophets and shepherds of the world, “Three shepherds also I cut off in one month” who we are told “and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.”

God is destroying the old carnal man who is against Christ, “and their soul also abhorred me“, through those who have already been judged and gone through the process of judgment (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17). God’s resurrected elect bride comes up in the first resurrection with agreeable spirits that are childlike and humble in nature that is what all these words tell us of the pleasant and beautiful bride of Christ who has become a teachable child of God (Mat 18:3) “agreeableness, that is, delight, suitableness, splendor or grace: – beauty, pleasant (-ness)”.

H5278 nô‛am no’-am   From H5276; agreeableness, that is, delight, suitableness, splendor or grace: – beauty, pleasant (-ness).

The bride’s role during the reign of the thousand years will be to measure the nations by ruling over them with a rod of iron. The two staffs represent the life of Christ within the elect who will have the power to execute that judgment in the earth so that men will learn of God’s righteousness (Isa 26:9). God’s elect go from being witnesses of these things in the earth today with the earnest of our inheritance within, to receiving an inheritance that will be ruled over with a rod of iron represented by the witness of two staffs called ‘Beauty’ and ‘Bands’. The definition of the staff or rod called ‘Bands’ demonstrates that there will be judgment in the earth during the thousand-year reign of the united-in-Christ saints, the “company (as if tied together)” that is also defined as:

H2256 chêbel kheh’-bel, khay’-bel   From H2254; a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively a company (as if tied together); also a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin: – band, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.

Zec 11:9  Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

God’s word is rejected because God has not given the world a hunger and thirst to retain His word as He has done for the elect (Mat 5:6). The word goes forth throughout the thousand-year reign, however long it needs to as a witness that His word will not return void (Isa 55:11). It will not be sown in vain even though the world will once again reject Christ and crucify Him afresh as we all do in our appointed time. God’s outlook is clear. He has no intention of giving spiritual life to this lifeless generation which is still being nourished by “the flesh of another” and not by the body and blood of Christ (Joh 6:54-56, Eph 5:30).

The flesh and the blood both represent the word of God; the blood being more connected to the word that should be coursing through us (Col 3:16) to keep us alive as blood does, and the flesh being more representative of the works that a healthy fleshly body can produce.

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: [Joh 6:54-55, Eph 5:30] for they shall be filled.

Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. [1Co 10:16]

Zec 11:10  And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. 
Zec 11:11  And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. 

The famine of the word will progressively come upon the world during the thousand-year reign because God will cause that to happen, which is what this statement means, “And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.” It is when God’s word and His favor is taken away from us that we stand up and take notice (Deu 31:21), whether that is today as those who first experience the rejection and hunger that the prodigal son went through or among those who initially are captivated by the many wonderful works and miracles that the Lord and His Christ will achieve at the onset of their reign on this earth, only to later reject that gospel and be turned to hoping in their own flesh (Gen 6:5). This cutting asunder of the people is what will naturally happen as Christ and His Christ will be rejected when the world comes to understand the true gospel message that does not include their rulership in the great white throne judgment, also revealing to themselves that there is judgment yet to come to those who are being reserved to that day (Rev 20:11-12, 2Pe 3:7). 

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works [more or less stripes].

2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment [Rev 20:11] and perdition of ungodly men. 

There will always be those who are left as a witness that these things were so, and they will have a heart to wait upon the word of the LORD in type wanting to attain to a better resurrection as others have (Heb 11:35). “And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.” John the Baptist was just such a person, who pointed to Christ yet still the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John who did not have God’s spirit within him (Luk 7:28, 1Co 10:11).

Zec 11:12  And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

When we acknowledge our sins, we are acknowledging the weight of the judgment that must come upon the body of Christ while in these earthen vessels. The thirty pieces of silver [3×10] represent the process of judgment that must come upon us. If we despise that judgment, which is God’s goodness and forbearance unfolding (Rom 2:4), we will be judged later in the lake of fire, which is what the “and if not, forbear” part of this sentence means. 

The world will learn that it was by grace through faith that both Christ and the body of Christ, the church, were able to endure to the end and be saved. The thirty pieces of silver represent Christ’s redemptive process (Mat 26:15) and the twenty pieces of silver of Joseph represent the redemptive process that the body of Christ experiences (Gen 37:28). The combination of the 30 pieces and the 20 pieces of silver that add up to 50 [5×10] reveals to us how, as the scapegoat and the second dove, God’s elect are connected to the salvation process toward all the world through Christ (Oba 1:21).

Zec 11:13  And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

It is the LORD who tells us to cast our cares upon our Father for He cares for us, and our communion is in the house of God where we learn of the body and blood of Christ (1Co 10:16). This is what we do when we obey God and cast our cares upon the Master Potter, bringing our pricked hearts to our Father of whom it was declared, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” All of this is for our sake so we could be cleansed from all unrighteousness (Act 4:27-28 , Isa 53:10, 1Jn 1:9). 

Casting it “to the potter” is another way of saying bring the whole tithe into the house, which is accomplished by the grace through faith process we just looked at [5×10=50] (Luk 11:51, Mal 3:10). The symbolism of casting the silver into the house of the potter is the same as acknowledging what sinful flesh is and what we are guilty of, expressed with the sentence, “And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD“. The “thirty” reveals the need for the process of judgment to unfold so we may go onto perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32).

Also noteworthy is the sarcasm in the way this verse is written, as seen in other versions (LITV and ERV for example), showing us how little regard our flesh has for the holy things of God. God’s spirit within us is only able to make that change (Eze 22:8, Eze 44:8), so that the natural enmity of flesh does not rule over our hope of glory within (1Jn 4:4, Col 1:27):

Zec 11:13  And Jehovah said to Me, Throw it to the potter, the magnificent price at which I was valued by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it to the potter in the house of Jehovah. [LITV]

Zec 11:13  Then the Lord told me, “So that’s how much they think I’m worth. Throw that large amount of money into the temple treasury.” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury at the Lord’s temple. [ERV]

Mat 27:9  Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 
Mat 27:10  And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

Psa 118:22  The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 

1Pe 2:4 Whom approaching, a living Stone, having been rejected indeed by men, yet chosen by God, held in honor, [CLV]

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

Zec 11:14  Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 

The false sense of unity in the churches of this world is being talked about in these verses; the company of believers joined in a lie that will soon be parted (Pro 14:18, Pro 14:24). 

God has allowed for the ecumenical spirit of this world to thrive, the mantra that says ‘unity in the essentials and tolerance in the non-essentials and love in all things.’ Love is not defined as obedience to God’s words in Babylon (1Jn 5:2, 1Co 14:37-38). 

The world would rather be united in a lie than divided by the truth, and during the thousand-year reign of the saints, the Lord will use the body of Christ to “break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” meaning the false relationship between the religions of the world between themselves and God, typified by “Judah and Israel” who say they are Jews and are not (Rev 2:9, Rev 3:9). 

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. [God knows the works in the body of Christ]

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. [God knows the unholy works in the synagogue of Satan]

Zec 11:15  And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 

The elect are represented by both Beauty and Bands that represent Christ in us who makes it possible for us to be a rod of iron that will use the words of Babylon against themselves to judge them: “And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd” (Luk 19:22). 

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:

The world will not learn of war anymore (Isa 2:4), and physically there will be a forced compliance to that effect via the elect. As time progresses however, the world will, by whatever means God has ordained, come up against the camp of the saints with the intention of destroying God’s people (Rev 20:7-9)

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

Zec 11:16  For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

While the world will consider this verse to be speaking of the antichrist (Albert Barnes et al) or the likes of Antiochus (F. B. Meyer) or scribes and Pharisees (Matthew Henry) or the bishop of Rome (John Gill), the dispensational view of this verse is also speaking of how the Lord will raise up the church as a shepherd in the land, meaning the elect will be in the midst of all the living on the earth, and no conversion will be accomplished in the land, which is what this means: “shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still“.

The world will stand still when God’s elect are resurrected and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ (Rev 11:15), and we will take away the power the world has, the corrupt spiritual influence from Babylon which promotes the traditions of men in the churches of Babylon, along with the multi-trillion dollar industry of war. God’s elect during the thousand-year reign will “eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces“, which is another way of saying they shall be bread for us (Num 14:9), and their power will be taken away from them symbolized by tearing “their claws in pieces.” The claws which are used by the wild beast to tear at the word of God and not rightly divide it is what we are being told. That power will be taken away due to the rod of iron, Beauty and Bands that are in the hands of God’s people, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the oceans are filled with water (Hab 2:14).

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

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

Zec 11:17  Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

All of this chastening of Israel that represents the world is the natural chastening that precedes the spiritual chastening (Heb 12:6) which will happen in the lake of fire. It will be accomplished during the thousand-year reign to demonstrate to all the world of that time and all who will come up in the second resurrection how God disdains the false shepherds of the world, “Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock!“

It is impossible for any of us to understand in an immature state why God would cause these shepherds to err and then punish them for those caused actions. The punishment is described with this verse, “the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.” This punishment is upon the iniquity the self-righteousness, that naturally cleaves to us unless the Lord chastens us, driving that out of us and bringing us to see and believe and lay hold of the strength of His arm, having lost our self-righteous definition of what it means to see. When our arm is dried up and our right eye, representing our own righteousness and spiritual perception, then and only then will we see (Joh 9:41).

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

Lord willing, God will continue to bless us to acknowledge in this age our blindness, and in so doing we can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ as Babylon falls within us and Christ increases as we die daily (Joh 3:30).

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

[Study Aired October 2, 2022]

Jer 50:33  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.
Jer 50:34  Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
Jer 50:35  A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.
Jer 50:36  A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.
Jer 50:37  A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.
Jer 50:38  A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.
Jer 50:39  Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
Jer 50:40  As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.
Jer 50:41  Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Jer 50:42  They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.
Jer 50:43  The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
Jer 50:44  Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Jer 50:45  Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans:  Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.
Jer 50:46  At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

The doctrines of Mystery Babylon appeal to our flesh while at the same time giving us a self-righteous feeling of denying ourselves, loving others more than ourselves, and loving and pleasing God. The only thing missing in all of that is obedience to our Lord and His doctrines. The Pharisee who looked down on the publican embodies this self-righteous spirit which is so appealing to our flesh:

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

With the false doctrine of ‘free moral agency’ Mystery Babylon convinces us that our righteousness is of our own choosing, and we thank the Lord that we have chosen to be better than others. We believe we have chosen of our own will to “not [be] as other men… extortioners, unjust, adulterers. [We] fast twice in one week and [we] tithe [on our net income]”. Those are “heavy burdens” from which our false minister’s false doctrine of free will give us no relief:

Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Jer 50:33  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

The ministers, rabbis, priests, and holy men of every religion are spiritual slave masters over those in their sphere of influence and they “take [us] captives, hold [us] fast; and refuse to let us go”. However, if we are Christ’s anointed, He will come to our rescue:

Jer 50:34  Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

The Lord knows those who are His even before they come to know that they are His. His ability to protect and direct the affairs of their lives is as subtle, as profound, and as powerful as the way He took care of Joseph after being sold as a slave by his ten brothers, who signify the ministers of Mystery Babylon, the subject of the judgment of this chapter of Jeremiah.

Jer 50:35  A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.
Jer 50:36  A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.

‘Doting liars’ are ‘foolish liars’. The Hebrew for ‘dote’ is:

H2973
יָאַל
yâ’al
yaw-al’

A primitive root; properly to be slack, that is, (figuratively) to be foolish: – dote, be (become, do) foolish (-ly).

Here are the four entries for this Hebrew word:

H2973
יאל
yâ’al
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
Become fools, 1
Isa_19:13
dote, 1
Jer_50:36
foolish, 1
Jer_5:4
foolishly, 1
Num_12:11

‘Yaal’ [is] a primitive root” and it is defined as “be [or] become foolish”. “They shall dote” may very well have been understood by all as ‘become foolish liars’ in 1611, but I had no idea what that meant until I looked it up in e-sword. This verse labels all the false ministers of all the religions of men, apostate Christianity included, as “foolish liars”.

The sword that is upon the Chaldeans and the Babylonians (being the same people, both of which signify the tribes of the people of Mystery Babylon) is the same sword which oppresses us all while we are in the clutches of this great harlot. Outwardly Jeremiah speaks of the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, but Nebuchadnezzar is the Lord’s servant:

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.
Jer 27:7  And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
Jer 27:8  And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Therefore, the inward application of:

Jer 50:36  A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.

The inward application of “her mighty men” is that all the mighty false doctrines of Mystery Babylon, the doctrines of free will, the trinity, and that false doctrine’s attendant doctrines of  the immortality of the soul, an eternal hell of literal fire… all these, and many other false doctrines which are espoused by her “mighty men [who] shall be dismayed” when we are exposed as the liars we are by those who the Lord will send to expose us as such. Those who He sends to do that are called “the ten horns… upon the beast”:

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 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

All nations shall serve him”, meaning Nebuchadnezzar, tells us that it is the Lord Himself who sends Mystery Babylon to subdue “all nations”. Therefore, the false doctrines of Mystery Babylon are the Lord’s servants which He sends via Nebuchadnezzar to subdue and enslave our rebellious, self-righteous old man. “All nations” within and without are subdued by “the yoke” of Mystery Babylon the great, who is signified by literal Babylon who the Lord sent as ‘His servant’ to enslave His own self-righteous, stubborn, and rebellious people.

Psa 78:7  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Psa 78:8  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

We are all “as our fathers”. Notice what the holy spirit thinks of a stubborn and rebellious spirit:

1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee [King Saul] on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
1Sa 15:19  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
1Sa 15:21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
1Sa 15:24  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
1Sa 15:25  Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
1Sa 15:26  And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
1Sa 15:27  And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
1Sa 15:28  And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”. All these sins are the fruits of all the “foul spirits… and… unclean and hateful birds” found in Mystery Babylon The Great:

Rev 18:1  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

This great harlot bears dominion over “all nations”. That is true within us, and it is also true outwardly.

Now the Lord is sending His sword upon Mystery Babylon, and her punishment will be accomplished in the same way that she became the yoke of all nations. She, too, will be punished “with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I [the Lord] have consumed them by his [Nebuchadnezzar’s…Babylon’s] hand.” Nebuchadnezzar signifies Mystery Babylon, the hand of the Lord and the instrument of His punishment by “the ten horns on the beast” which ‘beast is dominated by this great harlot, Mystery Babylon the Great.

‘Horns’ in scripture signify strength (1Sa 2:10, 2Sa 22:3, Lam 2:3, Psa 18:2)

1Sa 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Jer 50:37  A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.

“The sword” which causes such fear and despair is “the Word of God”, as the word of the works of the Lord affected all the Canaanite kings who knew what the Lord had done in bringing Israel out of Egypt:

Jos 2:9  And she [Rahab the harlot] said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
Jos 2:10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
Jos 2:11  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Jos 2:12  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:
Jos 2:13  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Jos 2:14  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

As the seven priests blowing seven trumpets signifies the seven angels which blow the seven trumpets and pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God, so also do these two spies signify the Lord’s two witnesses who pour out of themselves the oil of the Word of God:

Zec 4:1  And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2  And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3  And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5  Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

The Lord’s “two witnesses” are His “very elect” who will proclaim judgment upon the ‘earth’ both within and outwardly. They are not just His elders and teachers; they are His “one body”.

Jer 50:38  A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

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.

We all experience this spiritual famine when our Love forsakes us for a season:

Son 3:1  By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
Son 3:2  I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

If we are the “blessed and holy… few” then the Lord’s “watchmen” find us and direct us back to our Love:

Son 3:3  The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?
Son 3:4  It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

The “many called” who are not chosen, or do not remain faithful to the end, do not come out of Babylon in this present time and…

Jer 50:39  Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

Wild beasts and unclean fowl both typify lying false doctrines of devils which is what abides in Mystery Babylon the Great:

Rev 18:1  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev 18:3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Jer 50:40  As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

We can discern from “the sum” of the Lord’s words that the phrase “As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” with literal fire and brimstone, is not the point being made. Rather the fact that Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, Mystery Babylon will also be “utterly destroyed”:

The very next verse reveals that His point is that, as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Babylon will also be destroyed.

Isa 34:2  For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

Here are the next verses which tells us that the allegory ends with the destruction of Babylon by “People… from the north…”, not with fire and brimstone.

Jer 50:41  Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
Jer 50:42  They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

We have demonstrated that the phrase “from the north” is almost always associated with impending judgment:

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.

All of this will be accomplished by the ten horns on the beast which will hate Mystery Babylon, and “eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns strong which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

Inwardly, these ten kings are what the number ‘ten’ always signifies; the full fruit and completed flesh:

Significance of the Number Ten

It is our own flesh which seeks revenge on the harlot who has been taking everything from us and giving us nothing but “the pleasures of sin for a season” in return.

In our study of the last chapter, Jeremiah 49, we saw how the judgment of Esau, who is Edom, was a perfect reflection of the judgment of Mystery Babylon, right down to the description of the reaction of the world to her destruction. This is a cut and paste from that study:

“The utter destruction and the “burning with fire” of Edom and Mystery Babylon are one and the same, and it is not bad news. Rather, it is good news. It is ‘the gospel of Jesus Christ’:”

We are now in the very next chapter and the repetition of what was in chapter 49 proves the accuracy of that statement. This 50^th chapter and the next chapter, chapter 51, both deal exclusively with the judgment of the great city of Babylon, as also being an Old Testament type of “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” (Rev 17:5).

“Notice closely just how much the judgment of Edom, who is Esau, parallels the judgment of Babylon here in this 50^th chapter.”

We will continue here in chapter 50 first:

Jer 50:43  The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.
Jer 50:44  Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Jer 50:45  Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.
Jer 50:46  At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

This is almost word for word what was said of Edom in chapter 49:

Jer 49:19  Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Jer 49:20  Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
Jer 49:21  The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.
Jer 49:22  Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

The judgment of Edom, who is Esau, is almost word for word the same as the judgment which is pronounced upon Babylon here in chapter 50. The only difference, which is really no difference at all, is that the anguish and pain “as of a woman in travail” which takes hold on the king of Babylon is mentioned at the beginning of the judgment of Babylon, whereas “the heart of the mighty men of Edom being as the heart of a woman in her pangs” is mentioned at the end of the judgment of Edom.

The noise of the fall of Edom being “heard in the Red Sea”, and the noise of the fall of Babylon being “heard among the nations” is also saying the same thing because these two symbols both signify all flesh, “all nations”. That is the beast over which “Mystery, Babylon the Great” is given dominion:

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

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.

Both Jeremiah 49:19 and Jeremiah 50:44 pose the question… “Who is the shepherd that will stand before me” to accomplish this judgment?

Jer 49:19  Behold, he [Nebuchadnezzar, the destroyer of both Judah and Esau] shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong [It is Edom, typifying Mystery Babylon The Great, who thinks he is so strong]: but I will suddenly make him run away from her [Edom will flee from the Chaldeans who are also referred to with the feminine pronoun, the pronoun used also of any whore]: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her [Edom]? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

The exact same statement and question are posed in the next chapter concerning the judgment of Babylon:

Jer 50:44  Behold, he [Cyrus the great, the king of Persia, the destroyer of Babylon] shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong [the habitation of Babylon, typifying “Mystery, Babylon the Great”]: but I will make them suddenly run away from her [Babylon will run away from Cyrus]: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

I quote from our commentary on the judgment of Edom because it is the same as the judgment of Babylon:

“The Lord is sovereign, and it is He who will appoint a governor over Esau. In that day He will appoint saviors over all of mankind:

“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.

“Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

“The destruction of Edom and Babylon within us is the best thing we will ever experience, because that destruction is the beginning of the birth of Christ within us.

“Obadiah 1:21 and Revelation 11:15 are one and the same event which will culminate in the greatest work of grace by God which is known as “the great white throne… judgment/the lake of fire/the second death.” It is in the lake of fire that Esau will be destroyed and through that destruction become a new man “as seemed good to the Potter to make [him]”:

“Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jer 18:5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 18:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Jer 18:7  At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;” (End Quote)

Both chapters tell us:

Jer 49:20  Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

The same words concerning Babylon are here in chapter 50:

Jer 50:45  Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

“The least of the flock shall draw them out” is another way the spirit expresses the certainty of the Lord fulfilling “all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11). It is the same message conveyed to King Zedekiah who refused to believe that the Lord would send Nebuchadnezzar to take and destroy Jerusalem. This is what the holy spirit said to King Zedekiah in response to his refusal to believe the words of the Lord by His certified prophet, Jeremiah:

Jer 37:7  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
Jer 37:8  And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
Jer 37:9  Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
Jer 37:10  For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

That is the certainty of the judgment of Edom and Babylon as the Old Testament types of Mystery Babylon the Great, and that is the certainty of the judgment of the spiritual fornication of the spiritual harlots who ride upon and dominate all the nations of this earth, both within and outwardly of each of Christ’s anointed down through the generations since Christ. That is also the certainty of the outward, dispensational judgment of all the religions of this world which ‘Mystery Babylon’ signifies. “The wounded among the men [and] the least of the flock” of those the Lord sends to destroy Mystery Babylon will do so “in one hour”, in a very short period of time. “In one hour” she and all of her harlot daughters will be “utterly destroyed … at the appearing of our Lord” (Isa 34:2, Rev 18:7, 2Th 2:8)

Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

The next chapter in Revelation tells us what will be accomplished in that “one hour”:

Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Rev 18:19  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

The Lord will work a short work when He destroys all the religions of this world:

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

Isa 45:23  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return,  That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

[Study Aired June 13, 2022]

Exo 13:1  The LORD said to Moses, 
Exo 13:2  “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” 
Exo 13:3  Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 
Exo 13:4  Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
Exo 13:5  And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
Exo 13:6  Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 
Exo 13:7  Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 
Exo 13:8  You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
Exo 13:9  And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 
Exo 13:10  You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. 
Exo 13:11  “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 
Exo 13:12  you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. 
Exo 13:13  Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 
Exo 13:14  And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 
Exo 13:15  For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 
Exo 13:16  It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” 
Exo 13:17  When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 
Exo 13:18  But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 
Exo 13:19  Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 
Exo 13:20  And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 
Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 
Exo 13:22  The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. 

Today’s study focuses on what happened to Israel immediately after they left Egypt. The study deals with the sanctification of the firstborn of Israel and their beasts for the Lord, the observance of the Passover and the Lord’s guidance and protection of the people of Israel as they began their journey through the wilderness. The journey from Egypt into the wilderness reflects our coming out of Babylon to serve the living God in this world (wilderness). As we come out of Babylon, we need to prepare the way of the Lord for the glory of the Lord to be revealed in our lives. The question is, “How do we prepare the way of the Lord?” The verses below show us how to prepare the way of the Lord.

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.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Preparing the way of the Lord means exalting every valley, bringing down every mountain and hill, making straight the crooked and rough places plain. As you can see, Isaiah 40:4 is cast in passive voice, and with the passive voice the subject is acted upon by some other performer of the verb. As we have said over and over, our salvation is the Lord’s work. Therefore, the performer of the verb to exalt the valley and make low the mountains and hills is all the work of the Lord. Now, the question is, “What does it mean to exalt a valley?” In the scriptures, a valley serves as the gulf that separates the people of the world and the Lord’s people as shown in the following examples:

1Sa 17:3  And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

Luk 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Now, this gulf or chasm or valley is the Lord’s judgments which separate the elect from the people of the world.

Joe 3:12  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Joe 3:14  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

So, every valley being exalted means that the Lord takes us as people of the world (fleshy) and makes us His people (Israel) through His judgments. Every mountain or hill being brought low means that the beast or the old man within us shall be destroyed by the Lord. The crooked being made straight and the rough places becoming plain is another way of saying that the Lord will straighten us up to become His people. That is when the glory of the Lord will be revealed in our lives for all flesh to see.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 
Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

With this in mind as the introduction, let’s look at how the Lord sanctifies us as His firstborn children to bear His glory.

Exo 13:1  The LORD said to Moses, 
Exo 13:2  “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

We, the elect, are the Lord’s firstborn and therefore constitute the church of the firstborn. In verse 2, we are admonished to be consecrated to the Lord. As we have indicated in earlier studies, both man and beast refer to us.

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

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.

Consecration means to purify. Purification is attained through the Lord’s judgment of our old man.

Psa 119:67  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Exo 13:3  Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
Exo 13:4  Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.

It is the Lord’s strong hand by which He has taken us out of our slavery to sin in this world to become His people. The strong hand of the Lord refers to His judgment of our old man through the ten plagues. The essence of His judgment is for us to learn His righteousness which is symbolized by the eating of unleavened bread.

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

The name “Abib” by implication means a young ear of grain. The Israelites coming out of Egypt in the month of Abib is therefore to let us know that when we come out of Babylon, we are still young in the faith. It takes time therefore, after coming out of Babylon to mature.

Exo 13:5  And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.

This land that the Lord is bringing us to is our bodies. There is the need to possess our bodies to offer them as living sacrifice to the Lord. The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and the Jebusites are all part of the enemy within us that we must conquer. This composite enemy is the old man or the beast or the flesh.

We are told that the land the Israelites are going to inherit after leaving Egypt is a land flowing with milk and honey. Let’s try to understand what milk and honey stands for. Milk in the scriptures represents the basics of the Lord’s word as shown below:

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 

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.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Honey can also mean the milk of the word of Christ. It only helps us to distinguish between good and evil.

Isa 7:15  Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 

On the other hand, honey essentially deals with how we hear the word of the Lord. When the word of the Lord comes to us, it tastes so sweet as honey. After we start to apply to our lives, that is when it becomes bitter.

Eze 3:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

So, the Lord delivering the Israelites from Egypt and taking them to the land flowing with milk and honey is to let us know that when we come out of the world, we are to start with the milk of the word of the Lord and must be zealous for the word of the Lord.

Exo 13:6  Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 
Exo 13:7  Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 
Exo 13:8  You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

According to Strong’s Dictionary, the word “feast” can also mean sacrifice as shown in the following scripture in which the Hebrew word for feast is translated as sacrifice:

Exo 23:18  Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

Once the source of our strength or power of the old man is dealt with by the Lord through judgments of the death of the firstborn, we are able to offer a sacrifice of unleavened bread throughout the rest of our lives which is signified by the seven days of the feast of eating unleavened bread. The unleavened bread here signifies sincerity and truth. This means that through judgment, our understanding of the word of the Lord is deepened and is accompanied by a life of sincerity and truth. In other words, our life then reflects the righteousness of Christ.

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

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 
1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The seven days of unleavened bread refers to the complete period of our lives that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord by living a life of Christ’s righteousness.

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. 

In verse 8, we are told to tell our sons of what the Lord has done for us when we came out of Babylon. What the Lord did to liberate us from the world is the unleashing of the ten plagues on our old man to set us free from the shackles of sin. Our message to our sons and daughters in Christ is that it is through tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God.

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.

Exo 13:9  And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 
Exo 13:10  You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

What the Lord has done must be a sign to us on our hands and a memorial between our eyes. The Lord’s work here refers to His judgment of our old man. A sign to our hands symbolizes that our works, a symbol of our hand, becomes pleasing to the Lord as He works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. The Lord’s work being a memorial before our eyes means that our eyes are enlightened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. It is when we come to see this that we are able to have the word of the Lord in our mouth.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

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

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

In verse 10, we are required to keep the statute of the Passover. Every elect of every generation is required to observe the Passover throughout his/her life through faith. Every day of our walk with the Lord is the feast of the Passover.

Heb 11:28  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

The question is, “What does it mean to keep the passover?” First and foremost, we need to understand the sacrificial offering of the Lord on our behalf.

1Co 5:7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Secondly, we need to know that our lives were spared by the Lord from destruction. This has nothing to do with anything we have done. It was just the mercies of the Lord that He showered on us.

Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Thirdly, we need to know that the blood of Christ purges our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. In spite of our wickedness and flaws, the Lord has chosen us and purged us of our sins so that we can worship him acceptably.

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The Passover also commemorates our eating of the lamb. This lamb is Christ who is also the word. This means that through the mercies of the Lord, our eyes are being enlightened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

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

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

The enlightening of our understanding is accompanied by the Lord’s judgment which destroys the power and influence of the old man or the flesh in our lives. This is signified by the roasting of the lamb eaten at the Passover.

Exo 12:8  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat 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.

Observing the Passover also means that we are eating the lamb with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. The unleavened bread here signifies sincerity and truth. This means that our understanding of the word of the Lord must be accompanied with a life of sincerity and truth. In other words, our life must reflect the righteousness of Christ. When our lives reflect the righteousness of Christ, then we are observing the Passover in our lives.

1Co 5:8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

It is so exciting when the Lord reveals some aspects of the truth of the word of the Lord to us. In other words, it is sweet in our mouth. However, when it enters our belly, it is bitter. The bitter herb that must accompany the eating of the unleavened bread refers to the bitter experience we must go through to actualize the word we have received.

Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Exo 13:11  “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
Exo 13:12  you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. 
Exo 13:13  Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

As indicated earlier, we, His elect, are the firstborn (whether from man or beast) being set apart for the Lord to become part of the church of the firstborn. Being set apart means to be consecrated to the Lord. That means, we are to be purified. The attainment of purification is through the Lord’s judgment of our old man. In verse 13, we are told that the firstborn of an ass must be redeemed with a lamb. That means that it is through the Lord Christ, who is our lamb, that we have been redeemed or rescued from destruction. In the scriptures, breaking the neck is related to breaking the yoke of bondage as shown in the following:

Jer 28:11  And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

Jer 30:8  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

So, what verse 13 is implying is that if we are not redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ from the burden (yoke) of sin, then we shall face spiritual death through the breaking of our necks.

Exo 13:14  And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
Exo 13:15  For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

What is said here in verse 14 and 15 embodies what we are to teach in our assembly. Firstly, our teaching must address the strong hand of the Lord in delivering us from bondage to sin. This strong hand of the Lord refers to the ten plagues or the judgment of our old man. Secondly, our teaching must emphasize the stubbornness of our old man or the beast within, signified by Pharaoh’s stubbornness. This implies that the defeat of the beast through the dying of the firstborn is all the work of God and that we play no part in our salvation. Thirdly, we must clearly demonstrate the goal of our being called and chosen as the firstborn, that is, to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. The goal also includes the reward to be received which involves the role of the elect in the salvation of the world.

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.

Exo 13:16  It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

The strong hand of the Lord leaves a mark or imprint on our hands. The mark left by the Lord’s judgment of our old man is that our works (our hands) become pleasing to the Lord as we walk in the spirit and do not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The judgment that we go through, also enables us to appreciate the word of the Lord better. In other words, our understanding of the word of God is deepened which is signified by the frontlets between our eyes.

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

Mat 13:21  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.

Exo 13:17  When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 

As we have stated earlier, our exit from Babylon does not mean that we have matured. It takes time to mature in the things of God. Our fight against the flesh is a war which the Bible describes as trying to break a bow of steel with our arms. Iron is hard and is almost impossible to break, but steel is several times harder than iron. It is, therefore, impossible to war against the flesh and be successful unless the Lord does it on our behalf. The Philistines stand for the war against the flesh. In the wisdom of the Lord, He leads us in this world (wilderness) toward the red sea so that we encounter the Philistines later. In doing this, He takes His time to train our hands for war before engaging the Philistines. If we start our walk by engaging the flesh (Philistines), we will be discouraged by the cycle of defeat and may give up.

Psa 18:31  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? 
Psa 18:32  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. 

Psa 18:33  He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 
Psa 18:34  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

Exo 13:18  But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 

The Lord leading us in the wilderness toward the red sea is for our benefit. The Lord was going to demonstrate to the us (the people of Israel) how to war against the flesh by leading the Israelites towards the Red Sea. This is to serve as training for the people of Israel on how to war against the flesh. It was after the Red Sea experience that the people of Israel started battling against other nations that opposed them. The color red means the ground of the earth which represents mankind as we were made out of the ground of the earth (dust). This means that the Red Sea represents the sea of flesh or simply, our flesh. As we shall see in the next chapter, the Lord making a way through the Red Sea for the people of Israel to walk through is to demonstrate the fact that overcoming the flesh is the work of God. When we are able to learn this lesson of the Red Sea, then we are ready to overcome the flesh or Philistines. That is how the Lord teaches our hands to war so that we are able to break a bow of steel.

Jos 4:23  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

Immediately after leaving Egypt, the Amalekites waged war with the Israelites, and this war was to teach the Israelites how to war – that is to depend entirely on God.  This war was such that the Israelites were fighting, but victory depended on Moses’ hands being raised.  So technically, the Israelites fighting the Amalekites is not what wins the war. It is the hands of Moses. Moses’ hands here are the hands of the Lord who fights our battles for us. This war against the flesh within is not to be fought in our strength. The reason we are losing this fight is that we are depending on ourselves!!  It is the Lord’s battle. Let us lift up our eyes unto the hill from whence cometh our help.  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth!! This help is what wins the war, not our strength.

Exo 17:8  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Exo 17:9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 
Exo 17:10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 
Exo 17:11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 
Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 
Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 
Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 
Psa 121:3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psa 121:4  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 
Psa 121:5  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

Exo 13:19  Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 

As we mentioned in the previous review, the first mention of bone in the Bible was in relation to the Lord taking the rib (bone) of Adam and using it to form a woman. The woman was produced from a bone taken from Adam. This means that a bone signifies life. This life is the Spirit of the Lord and it is this Holy Spirit (bone) which came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost to form the bride of Christ (woman).

Gen 2:21  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
Gen 2:22  And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 
Gen 2:23  Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Joseph is a symbol of Christ. So, Joseph prophesying about the Israelites carrying His bones is another way of saying what the Lord told His disciples about the promise of the Holy Spirit when He was about to be taken away at the Mount of Olives. This means that Moses taking the bones of Joseph with him is a symbol of the people of Israel (the elect) receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit which is what is needed to form the church of the firstborn.

Act 1:4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 
Act 1:5  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 
Act 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 
Act 1:7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 
Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Exo 13:20  And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 

Succoth means booths or tents.  Succoth signifies that as His elect, we are in this world, but not of this world. Our journey through this world must be a journey of faith with the view of inheriting the promise. In other words, we are looking for the city whose foundation is Christ and the builder being our Lord.

Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Encamping at Etham is spiritually significant. Etham means their plowshare.  A plowshare is the most important part of a plow as it does the cutting of grass and soil. In the Bible, grass signifies the flesh as follows:

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

This means that moving from Succoth to Etham signifies that we start our walk in faith (Succoth) and then we move to the next stage of dealing with the flesh (Etham).

Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 
Exo 13:22  The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. 

These verses show the Lord’s protection and guidance throughout the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness. As we are aware, ‘cloud’ signifies the elect as witnesses. Therefore, the pillar of cloud refers to the Lord’s elect.  In the sight of the Lord, both night and day are the same. What this means is that in this life (wilderness), we, His elect, are protected and led or guided by the assembly of the elect through His word which is the pillar of fire which gives us light in the night of our walk.

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

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 

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

May the Lord teach our hands to war so that we may be able to war against the Philistines (flesh or the old man) within us!! Amen!!

Study Aired February 17, 2022]

1Ki 10:1  And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. 
1Ki 10:2  And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 
1Ki 10:3  And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 
1Ki 10:4  And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, 
1Ki 10:5  And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 
1Ki 10:6  And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 
1Ki 10:7  Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 
1Ki 10:8  Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 
1Ki 10:9  Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. 
1Ki 10:10  And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
1Ki 10:11  And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. 
1Ki 10:12  And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day. 
1Ki 10:13  And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

In last week’s study we looked at how God’s elect, who are the body of Christ (1Co 3:16, Eph 5:30), are the light of the world who preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to all men with works and words (Joh 14:11, Joh 14:20, Luk 6:43-45) which we understand are being accomplished by Christ, our hope of glory within (Col 1:27-28) and King on the throne of our hearts (Luk 17:21, Rom 8:9).

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

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 

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

Luk 6:43  For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
Luk 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 

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: 
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

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.

It is in our hearts and minds that God is able to accomplish this witnessing of the kingdom of God to all nations within us giving us the power to subdue the powers and principalities that we are able to rule over through Jesus Christ (Eph 6:10-12, Eph 1:21) who is working in us both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure within (Php 2:12-13).

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

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: 

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.

As we gain dominion over the beast of the field within our own lives, little and by little through Christ who increases as we decrease (Exo 23:29-30), the fruit of our lives increases (Luk 8:15) which outwardly witnesses to the world that our kingdom is not of this world (Joh 18:36, 1Jn 4:17), but rather resides within us in earnest as we wait on the Lord and possess our souls in patience with great hope, believing and anticipating that in a moment and in a twinkling of an eye this will happen: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15)

Exo 23:29  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. 

Luk 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

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.

When that day occurs, the Lord will draw the world to the body of Christ to witness to them the wisdom and riches of Christ within us, which is what this prophecy in Isaiah  (Isa 60:1-22) is all about. What we are looking at today in the tenth chapter of the first book of Kings is a type and shadow of the prophetic events found in Isaiah 60:1-22. So with that in mind, let’s look at these very confirming verses telling us what God has in store for those who love not their lives in this age (Rev 12:11) and are blessed to endure until the end through our Savior Jesus Christ (Php 4:13, Mat 24:13).

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 
Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 
Isa 60:4  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 
Isa 60:5  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 
Isa 60:6  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. 
Isa 60:7  All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 
Isa 60:8  Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 
Isa 60:9  Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 
Isa 60:10  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 
Isa 60:11  Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 
Isa 60:12  For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. 
Isa 60:13  The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 
Isa 60:14  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 
Isa 60:15  Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. 
Isa 60:16  Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. 
Isa 60:17  For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. 
Isa 60:18  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. 
Isa 60:19  The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 
Isa 60:20  Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 
Isa 60:21  Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. 
Isa 60:22  A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. 

1Ki 10:1  And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. 

The body of Christ will be proved by “the queen of Sheba” who represents Babylon during the thousand-year reign of the saints, the kingdoms of this world (Rev 11:15). That time of ruling over the nations is an unknown (Rev 20:6) amount of time seeing the thousand years represents the process of spiritual completion through judgment, three 10’s (10x10x10=1000) that God’s elect will be able to execute upon all nations so men can learn God’s righteousness because His judgments will be in the earth (Isa 26:9).

The world will be coming to prove the elect “with hard questions” and it will be the answers to those very hard questions that will sow the seed that will not return void until it is purified in the lake of fire (Isa 55:11, Joh 12:48, Rev 20:12, Rev 21:8). Nothing will be hidden from us regarding what is in the hearts of men as revealed in type and shadow with these words in regard to Solomon’s encounter with the queen of Sheba “there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not” (Luk 8:17, Joh 20:19).

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

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. 

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works [words and the works are the same].

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

1Ki 10:2  And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
1Ki 10:3  And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 

This is a very central section of our study as it shows the contrast between all the many wonderful works of the queen of Sheba who represents Babylon who “communed with him of all that was in her heart” and how “Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not“. Solomon as a type of the elect church can answer all of the world’s questions, and nothing is “hid from the king” again is a type and shadow statement of how nothing will be hidden from those who will be given to judge the nations under Christ (1Co 6:3, Heb 4:13).

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 

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 world, represented by Babylon [the queen of Sheba], will bring to “Jerusalem” (Gal 4:26) which represents the mind of Christ [Solomon], “a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones” which represents the many wonderful works that people do in their flesh (Mat 7:22) separate and independent of the knowledge that God is sovereign and that we have no free will. This is the “very great train” that carries with it this lie of the devil from the very beginning, from the garden of Eden, where humanity attributes the disobedient actions of Adam and Eve as something that was a work of their hands independent from the Creator and therefore something that God had not determined according to the counsel of His own will from the start. We self-righteously look at the sins of others and say. “I wouldn’t do what they did if I were in the garden of Eden.” The truth is we will not be justified in this life until we are led by God to repent of such a spirit that just naturally reigns in the heart of mankind (Eph 1:11, Rom 2:4, Luk 18:13-14).

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: 

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?

Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Our speech can become very seasoned in this life prior to knowing Christ, which language is understood and heard by the world (1Jn 4:5). This is what the ‘spices’ Babylon carries before Solomon represent. However, when in the possession of Solomon they will serve a purpose which is more akin to the salt, which is a seasoning that enhances food spoken of in Colossians 4:6 and Matthew 5:13 telling us, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Solomon knew how to answer the queen, “Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not“, which represents how God’s elect will have this same grace given to them as saviors who come up on mount Zion, who will be able to discern good and evil to the glory of God, as Solomon also did with the “two women that were harlots” (1Ki 3:16-27), revealing to us in type and shadow who was the true church [of the two women] who possessed the true doctrine [child] (Heb 5:14, Mal 3:18).

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. 

Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

The much gold and precious stones of Babylon within us, although of great value, are still as so much dung in the eyes of God while it is wrapped around an idol of our heart (Eze 14:4) and connected to our earthly endeavors and completely unable to acknowledge God’s sovereignty (Php 3:8-11). That is what God is burning out of the elect so we can “be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.“

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

All these treasures, the “spices, and very much gold, and precious stones“, are carried by an unclean animal, a camel (Deu 14:7), to remind us that these are works of the flesh and not of the spirit, and they do not and cannot compare to Solomon’s God-given riches and wisdom that “exceeded all the kings of the earth” (1Co 1:25).

1Ki 10:4  And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, 
1Ki 10:5  And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 

Having no more “spirit^H7307 in her” could have also been translated “no more courage” (see Jos 2:11) or “no more breath” (see Jer 10:14, Jer 51:17), again showing us a shadow of the work in front of the elect, moving the world to repentance and a renewed spirit within them (Psa 76:12, Psa 78:8, Psa 34:18, Psa 51:10-12, Psa 104:30).

Psa 76:12  He shall cut off the spirit^H7307 of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

Psa 78:8  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit^H7307  was not stedfast with God.

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit^H7307.

Psa 51:9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 
Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit^H7307 within me. 
Psa 51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit^H7307 from me. 
Psa 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free^H5082 (noble, honorable)  spirit^H7307.

This section of scripture truly captures the moment when the world will come to see the resurrected Christ and His Christ, the world being represented by the queen: “And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built…” She was, as the world will be, left breathless: “…there was no more spirit in her” (1Ki 10:4,5).

Isa 66:8  Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1Co 2:9), and in this story the queen of Sheba is only seeing the fruit of Solomon’s life represented by “the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD“.

The “his servants” of this verse represent the elect of God (2Co 6:4), as does “the attendance of his ministers” and “their apparel” represent the righteousness of the saints (Rev 19:8). His “cupbearers” represent those who will bring healing to the nations with the word of God we will bear for the world’s sake as we do for each other today (Mat 10:42). This last section, “his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD“, is speaking of the relationship the elect have with God that has transcended the flesh (2Co 5:16), represented by the six steps that lead up to “the house of the LORD” (1Ki 10:19).  However, “the meat of his table” is from the Lord, and it will bring healing to all in God’s perfect time (Eze 47:12).

2Co 6:4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers^G1249 of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 

Mat 10:42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

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

1Ki 10:19  The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

Eze 47:12  And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

1Ki 10:6  And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
1Ki 10:7  Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 
1Ki 10:8  Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 
1Ki 10:9  Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. 

Blessed are those who believe and have not seen, quoted in John 20:29, cannot be said of someone who says to “the king…It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.“

It is in Babylon, in our “own land” that we hear of the great stories of the gospel, and of all the things that Christ did, represented by “thy acts and of thy wisdom“, yet we don’t believe the words until we start to be dragged out of Babylon and come to realize how blind we were “until I came, and mine eyes had seen“. It’s then, if we are blessed to continue in the truth and become disciples indeed, that we will deeply realize how corrupt the Babylonian interpretation of the gospel is out of which we come, by grace through faith (2Co 6:17, Eph 2:8).

The queen says “behold, the half was not told me“, meaning we really don’t know Jesus at all when we’ve only  ‘heard half of the story’. It is the sum of His word that is Truth (Psa 119:160 [ASV]). In Babylon, we do naturally add and take away from God’s word, and both are deceptive acts that God gives Satan the power to do (Psa 17:13, 2Co 4:4). When we take away from the words of God, He takes “away his [our] part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book” from us, meaning we have no stay of bread or water while in Babylon (Rev 22:19, Isa 3:1). The queen of Sheba represents the world who will come to see the truth through the body of Christ recognizing “thy wisdom and prosperity” that “exceedeth the fame which I heard” (Eph 3:10).

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 

On the other side of that coin, the queen goes on to say, “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom” (Rev 1:3) and “Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.” (Rom 11:26,  Oba 1:21, Isa 26:9). Just as the queen of Sheba here, we do at first speak beyond our understanding and can prophesy but always and only “by the inspiration of the Almighty” (Job 32:8, Pro 2:6, 1Co 13:9).

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. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

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. 

Job 32:8  But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. 
Job 32:9  Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. 

Pro 2:6  For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

1Ki 10:10  And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

The queen of Sheba represents Babylon who is going to give great increase or “great store^H7235” to Solomon so that he can lay up these “precious stones” and “abundance of spices” that were most abundantly given from her seeing she represents Babylon and this increase^H7235 (“great store” of this verse) that is promised by Christ who said he would build the church (Psa 71:21, Eze 36:11, Mat 16:18). That foundation is Christ, and He is the way, the truth, and the life (Joh 14:6), the pure foundational words of Christ which are likened to “an hundred and twenty [120] talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones“, which must be apprehended by Christ in us typified by Solomon who is now the recipient of all these great treasures that can now be purified seven times in an earthen vessel, the temple of God we are (1Co 3:16, Psa 12:6).

Psa 71:21  Thou shalt increase^H7235 my greatness, and comfort me on every side. 

Eze 36:11  And I will multiply^H7235 upon you man and beast; and they shall increase^H7235 and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 

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.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

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

Psa 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times [Sheba^H7614 = “seven” or “an oath”].

1Ki 10:11  And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. 
1Ki 10:12  And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day. 

In our last study we saw how Solomon developed a navy that symbolizes the strength of Christ in us to rule over “Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom“, which places represent our flesh. He also maintained a working relationship with Hiram, stated this way: “And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon“. It was through this relationship that Solomon was able to receive the benefit of his close tie to Hiram whose navy “came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon“.

In this section of Kings, we are seeing the fruit of this relationship with Hiram that is being brought forth, which is typical of how the gospel can go forth and be preached “whether in pretence, or in truth” (Php 1:18), by whichever navy, Solomon’s or Hiram’s, (the Lord can use either source) to bring “gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones“.

Now we not only have “gold from Ophir” and “precious stones“, we also have “plenty of almug trees” which trees we know represent men (Mar 8:24) who  are being made into “pillars for the house of the LORD” (Rev 3:12), and “harps also and psalteries for singers” which represent those who are now blessed to have become a new creation from those “almug trees” (2Ch 2:8) who are now able to worship God in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:21-23).

2Ch 2:8  Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon [‘white’, (this is the negative example of white representing self-righteousness) ‘incense’ – Hitchcock definition]; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

Lebanon or LIBANUS, signifying white, from its snows,—the most elevated mountain or mountain chain in Syria, celebrated in all ages for its cedars; which, as is well known, furnished the wood for Solomon’s temple. This mountain is the centre, or nucleus, of all the mountain ridges which, from the north, the south, and the east, converge toward this point; but it overtops them all. (Excerpt from The Biblical and Theological Dictionary by Richard Watson)

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 
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.

1Ki 10:13  And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

As the world asks and seeks and knocks during the thousand year reign of the saints (Mat 7:7), Christ, represented by king Solomon, will give “unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty“. This true “royal bounty” is the word of God that is laid up and given unto the world during the thousand-year reign. However, what the world will ultimately do with that “royal bounty” is then expressed with these words: “So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.“

This type and shadow event of the queen of Sheba asking things of Solomon is reminding God’s elect today that we all start off asking amiss to consume things upon our own lust, and that it is only after we go through an experience of evil and then give an accounting of all those things that were given to us (Luk 15:17) that we learn to ask unselfishly and for the benefit of others (Jas 4:3, Pro 30:8).

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!

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Pro 30:8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

It takes that experience of evil for us and all of God’s creation to clearly come to see how Christ, who is typified by Solomon, “exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom“. This, too, is instructive for us today to know that we must never take anything for granted, and that we must hold fast to the true riches and understand what the statement means: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev 3:11-12)

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown [1Co 11:31, Lev 26:40-42, Heb 8:12, 1Jn 1:9].
Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Ruth 4:1–22  So, Boaz Took Ruth, and She was His Wife

[Study Aired October 25, 2021]

Rth 4:1  Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. 
Rth 4:2  And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. 
Rth 4:3  And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: 
Rth 4:4  And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. 
Rth 4:5  Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. 
Rth 4:6  And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. 
Rth 4:7  Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 
Rth 4:8  Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. 
Rth 4:9  And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi. 
Rth 4:10  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. 
Rth 4:11  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: 
Rth 4:12  And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman. 
Rth 4:13  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. 
Rth 4:14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 
Rth 4:15  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 
Rth 4:16  And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 
Rth 4:17  And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 
Rth 4:18  Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, 
Rth 4:19  And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, 
Rth 4:20  And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, 
Rth 4:21  And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, 
Rth 4:22  And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. 

The previous chapter of Ruth shows us the process of becoming the bride of Christ through judgment, signified by the encounter of Ruth with Boaz at the threshing floor. It is through judgment that we learn righteousness, as indicated by Ruth asking Boaz to spread His skirt over her.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 
Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Through the furnace of affliction, we are chosen to learn the ways of the Lord as we see Ruth uncovering Boaz’ feet. We also learn to come to rest in Him, symbolized by Ruth laying down at Boaz’ feet throughout the night.

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Psa 103:7  He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 

Rth 3:7  And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

As Ruth was leaving the threshing floor, Boaz gave her six measures of barley.  The six measures of barley represent all that we need to know about the word of God as long as we are in this body of flesh. That is what will guarantee our inheritance.

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Naomi, representing the church, told Ruth that Boaz would not rest until He had resolved her kinsman redemption issue. That is to let us know that what our Lord starts, He is able to bring to completion. He will not rest until He has made us (His bride) ready for the marriage feast!!

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

Isa 62:1  For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

Today’s study of Chapter 4 focuses on the marriage union between Christ and the church, which is signified by the marriage of Boaz and Ruth.

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

This chapter also gives us a glimpse of our reward, that is, our rulership as indicated by tracing David’s lineage to Ruth.

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

Rth 4:1  Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. 
Rth 4:2  And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. 

As we indicated in the previous review, there are two kinsmen – Boaz and another kinsman who was much closer to Naomi. Boaz here stands for the new man after the image of Christ, and the old man, or the flesh, is the kinsman closer to us. In the Jewish tradition, the older relative must take up the responsibility of a needy relative first, and if he fails to do so, then the onus rests on the younger relative. The old man, or the flesh, always comes first before the spirit or the new man comes.

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 

The failure of the old man to bring us to our safe haven provides the opportunity for the new man to come.

A city gate in the scripture is where the elders meet to decide on an issue or judge. The elders here represent the elect.

Deu 21:19  Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

Deu 22:15  Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:

A city gate is also a place where elders bear witness on an issue. As we can see here, Boaz took ten men to bear witness of the issue of kinsman redemption he was going to discuss with the closest kinsman of Naomi. The elders at the city gate represent the cloud of witnesses. As God’s elect, we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses which motivates us to lay aside every weight or any sin that easily besets us.

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

The number ten signifies the fullness of the flesh. Boaz taking ten men is to let us know that it is when our sins are full that we are dragged by the Lord to expose who the nearest kinsman (our old man) is.  It is then that Christ comes with the brightness of His coming (which is the words spoken in the church) to deal with the old man or the wicked. So, the significance of this encounter of Boaz with the nearest kinsman of Naomi is to reveal the old man in our lives and to subsequently destroy the old man by the word of God.

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:

Rth 4:3  And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: 
Rth 4:4  And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee.  

In verse 3, the decision of Naomi to sell a parcel of land gives us an indication of her utter poverty after coming from the land of Moab. In other words, when Naomi came from Babylon, she was spiritually poor concerning the things of God. The decision by the kinsman to redeem the land, which is our body, on her behalf is to let us know that initially, when we all come from Babylon, we think we can use our own strength in the flesh to stop sinning and to serve the Lord. That is zeal without knowledge, and in a bid to depend on the old man or the flesh to serve Christ, we establish our own righteousness.

Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Rth 4:5  Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
Rth 4:6  And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

When sin, influenced by the flesh or the old man, has run its course, we painfully come to realize that it is impossible for the flesh to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. Raising up the name of the dead is being resurrected from our dead works to a new life in the spirit which the flesh or the old man itself admits that it does not have the capability of doing. It is when we come to this point in our walk with Christ regarding the fact that the flesh cannot help us to live the life that pleases God in the spirit, that Christ steps in as we see Boaz committing to redeem Naomi’s land in the next verse.

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
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.

Rth 4:7  Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 

The kinsman closer to Naomi than Boaz removed his shoe to confirm the fact that he had surrendered the buying of the land and marriage to Ruth to Boaz. The removal of the shoes of the kinsman, which we have identified spiritually as the old man, means that our walk in Christ is no longer under the dictates of the old man or flesh but rather under the influence of the new man or Christ. As we walk in the spirit (influenced by the new man), we will automatically not fulfill the lustful desires of the flesh. It is only the spirit that can raise the name of the dead to inherit the land which is our body.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Rth 4:8  Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

At a certain point of our walk with Christ, it becomes obvious to our old man, or the flesh, that the new man has come to succeed him as shown by the kinsman asking Boaz to buy the land. This is symbolized by Saul telling David that he knows that surely David would come and succeed him as king.

1Sa 24:16  And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
1Sa 24:17  And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
1Sa 24:18  And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
1Sa 24:19  For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
1Sa 24:20  And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
1Sa 24:21  Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.

Rth 4:9  And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

As we have stated earlier, the elders at the gate represent the cloud of witnesses who have compassed us about urging us to let go of everything that offends and to run the race that is set before us with patience.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our ability to run this race of getting to know Christ in this life is because Boaz representing our Lord Jesus Christ had purchased our land, which is our body, with His precious death on the cross. Being purchased with a price means that we can now glorify God with our bodies.

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

Rth 4:10  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. 

It is this purchase of our land, which is our body, which qualifies us to become the bride of Christ. Being the bride of Christ means that in union with Christ, we are required to raise the name of the dead upon his inheritance. This means that we, the elect, are supposed to make the blind see, the lame to walk, the lepers cleansed, the dead raised and the poor having the gospel preached to them. That basically was what Christ did while on earth, and we are required to follow up with this work here on earth. That is why we are His Christ.

Mat 11:4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
Mat 11:5  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

The blind seeing means that through us, those called and chosen will come to understand the word of God. The lame walking signifies the fact that our walk before Christ will be blameless. The lepers cleansed means we are delivered from the power of sin by the death of our old man. The dead raised up is to tell us that we are being awakened from our spiritually dead situation or sleep. The poor having the gospel preached to them signifies that it is only those who come to recognize that they are spiritually poor who are brought to understand the truth of the gospel.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Rth 4:11  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: 

As indicated, the people at the gates represent the cloud of witnesses. They are the elect of every generation who have petitioned or are petitioning the Lord to bless us spiritually. Them blessing us is the same as the Lord Himself blessing us. So, the Lord is saying that we, the church (Ruth), shall build the house of Israel just like Rachel and Leah did. This house of Israel here symbolizes the church of the first born. Our union with Christ as our husband is to build the church in this age. Later in another age, as shown in other scriptures, we shall build the house of God that involves all humanity.

This spiritual building of the house of Israel is demonstrated physically by the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah after he returned from captivity.

Neh 4:15  And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
Neh 4:16  And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
Neh 4:17  They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
Neh 4:18  For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
Neh 4:19  And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
Neh 4:20  In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
Neh 4:21  So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

As indicated in Nehemiah 4:16, we build the house of Israel with all the spiritual talents our Lord has given to our brothers and sisters. In other words, our Lord has given what every joint supplies. All the weapons mentioned here in Nehemiah refer to the word of God.

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

Rth 4:12  And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman. 

The mention of Tamar here is to let us know the way God operates. Tamar was a widow on two occasions and was without children just like Ruth before she (Tamar) gave birth to Pharez (Genesis chapter 38). We, the church, the bride of Christ are currently barren, but our union with Christ will finally result in us having more children than the religions of this world that have many children.

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.

Rth 4:13  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. 

This verse speaks of our marriage union with Christ.

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

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

What comes out of this marriage union is the birth of a son who represents the new man who is after the image of Christ.

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

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

Rth 4:14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 

We are spiritually blessed that our kinsman, the Lord Jesus Christ, has not left us alone to wallow in the miry clay of sin but has paid the price for us to be cleansed so that a new man would be birthed in us. That his name may be famous in Israel is the same as praising the Lord to the glory of His grace.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Rth 4:15  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 

Our union with Christ is what results in the birth of the new man after we have gone through suffering resulting in the death of the old man. This verse shows us the benefits of the birth of the new man in our lives.

The new man is a restorer of our lives. This means that we shall eat bread at our Lord’s table. It means we shall be given the eyes to see and the ears to hear what the spirit is saying in God’s words. We shall know the joy of God’s salvation and become the light to the Gentiles and God’s salvation unto the ends of the earth. Finally, we shall be comforted.

2Sa 9:7  And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

Psa 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Isa 49:3  And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Isa 57:18  I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

The new man is also a nourisher of our lives in our old age. This means that the new man comes only when we are in our old age. The old age here signifies the period in our lives when we begin to walk with Christ knowing we are weak and cannot do anything. In other words, our strength has failed. That is when the new man comes to nourish us.

Psa 71:9  Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

The coming of the new man in our lives signifies that we, the elect, are better than seven sons. The better here means precious. Seven sons in the scriptures have both positive and negative applications. The seven sons in a negative application means all of our brothers and sisters in Babylon. They are the called but not chosen.

Act 19:14  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 
Act 19:15  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

1Sa 16:10  Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

Rth 4:16  And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

The role of the church is to nurture those whom the Lord brings into our midst so that they will grow up into Him and not tossed about by every wind of doctrine.

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

Rth 4:17  And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The name Obed according to Strong’s Dictionary means serving. It is when the new man comes in our lives that we can serve the Lord acceptably. We are called and chosen to serve the Lord.

Joh 12:26  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

1Sa 12:20  And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; 
1Sa 12:21  And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 
1Sa 12:22  For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Rth 4:18  Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, 
Rth 4:19  And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, 
Rth 4:20  And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, 
Rth 4:21  And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, 
Rth 4:22  And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. 

The list of names of the genealogy of David is to show us the road to rulership which is our reward as the elect.

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

Pharez, which is the same as Perez, means a breach, that is, the act of breaking or failing to observe the law. We all came into the world being naked or sinful but we did not know it. We were marred in the hands of the Potter which is Christ.

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

Pharez gave birth to Hezron which means surrounded by a wall. In our desperate situation, we were basically surrounded by the prison walls of sin and so doing what was good was no option.

Hezron gave birth to Ram which means high. This indicates that our sins take on a higher notch bringing us to a state where we become people of liberality (the meaning of Amminadab, the son of Ram). That is, we are swept away by false doctrines and the principles of the world from both Babylon and the world. We therefore become worse off than when we started. That is the situation we all found ourselves in. We therefore cry out just like Paul as follows:

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.

Amminadab gave birth to Nahshon which means encounter. It is when we get to this deplorable state that we have an encounter with Christ who comes with the brightness of His coming to destroy the wicked or the old man within us.

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:

Nahshon gave birth to Salmon which means clothing. Our Lord Jesus comes into our lives to cloth us with His righteousness.

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

Salmon gave birth to Boaz which means in Him is strength. As we are clothed in righteousness, we grow in the strength of the Lord.

Boaz gave birth to Obed which means serving. As we receive strength from the Lord, we are able to serve the Lord acceptably.

Obed gave birth to Jesse which means wealthy or possess. True riches means coming to know Christ.

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Jesse gave birth to David which means beloved. David is the man after God’s own heart and was therefore ready for the reward of rulership. As we press on and die daily, we automatically become like David who sought after God’s own heart. This means that we shall surely receive our reward which is to rule the earth with Christ symbolically for a thousand years and to judge the world.

1Sa 13:14  But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 

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. 

May the Lord strengthen us and grant us the grace to die daily as we wait on our Lord!! Amen.

Jer 2:1-9 You Defiled My Land, Yet I Will Plead with You

[Study Aired December 20, 2020]

Jer 2:1  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 2:2  Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
Jer 2:3  Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
Jer 2:4  Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
Jer 2:5  Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Jer 2:6  Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
Jer 2:7  And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
Jer 2:8  The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
Jer 2:9  Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead.

One principle we must remember as we go through this study is that Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4 both establish that when the scriptures speak of our children, our fathers, our city, or our country, they are really speaking of and to you and to me. Therefore, whenever we read:

Jer 2:1  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 2:2  Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
Jer 2:3  Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.

All those words apply to you and me. We really are “the apple of [the Lord’s] eye”, and any who touch us to harm and devour us “evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord.”

Deu 32:9  For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
Deu 32:10  He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Deu 32:11  As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
Deu 32:12  So the Lord alone did lead them, and there was no strange god with him.

However, when the Lord causes us to want to be like the nations around us, then He will judge us by using those wicked nations and doctrines to judge us and bring us to see that we have lost our first love, we have placed ourselves under the oppressive doctrine of the Nicolaitans, we have Satan’s throne in our very midst, and we are spiritually dead while thinking we are rich and increased with goods. It is the Lord Himself who sends us plagues and evil spirits to us to cause us to err from His ways and harden our hearts from His fear:

Lev 14:34  When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

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.

Only after He has sent evil spirits to ‘make us to err from [His] ways, and harden our heart from [His] fear’, if He loves us as His bride in this present time (Rom 8:18), then we will suffer with the world, and we will be judged in this age, and be brought to see our “wretched… miserable… poor… blind and naked spiritual condition. Until He does so, we are completely blind to our “wretched and miserable” state:

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. [“To die shall you be dying” (Gen 2:17 CLV)]
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.
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

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:

It is our being judged by a loving Father that is the subject of this prophecy of Jeremiah:

Jer 2:4 Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
Jer 2:5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

‘Our fathers’ typify us ourselves. That is a rhetorical question if ever there was one. You and I are the “house of Jacob and the house of Israel”, and it behooves us to remember what Job said when He, too, was being questioned by the Lord:

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?

It is not advisable to contend with and reprove God. It is much better to simply say:

Jer 2:6 …Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

However, the Truth for every man is that we are all designed by our Creator to ‘lose our first love’ (Rev 2:4) and become unfaithful to Him and begin loving “another Jesus”:

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

This is what we choose to do to our own spiritual Husband… “not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected [us to this vanity] in hope”:

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

The Lord is in the process of creating every one of His creatures “in His image”:

Gen 1:27 And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them. (CLV)

The process of judgment by which the Lord is dragging us to Himself requires that He first causes us to ‘err from His ways and harden our hearts from His judgments’:

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.

Those who possess the keys to the kingdom of God know and see that the very fact that mankind was formed of the dust of the earth on ‘the sixth day’ reveals the temporal and incomplete state of the Lord’s creation of all of mankind “in His image”.  Let’s read it again as inspired of the holy spirit for our edification:

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Gen 1:27 …creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them.

Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

“Very good” is not a synonym for ‘complete’. Six is the Lord’s number which signifies that which is not yet complete. Seven is His number which signifies that which is being completed, and we are being completed only after we are given to begin to “enter into His rest”:

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Heb 4:3  For we which have believed [aorist tense] do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished [aorist tense] from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus [Greek: ‘Joshua’] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Paul is not teaching anything that is not founded in the Old Testament scriptures, which had already revealed that Israel had not yet “entered into the Lord’s rest”:

Psa 95:7  For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.  Today, if you will hear His voice,
Psa 95:8  do not harden your heart as in the day of strife, as in the day of testing in the wilderness.
Psa 95:9  When your fathers tried Me, they tested Me and they saw My work.
Psa 95:10  For forty years I was disgusted with this generation; and I said, They are a people who err in heart; and, They do not know My ways,
Psa 95:11  to whom I swore in My anger, They shall not enter into My rest.

Physical Israel considered the promised land to be “His rest”, and they thought they had ‘entered into’ His rest. The Truth was and is that all the priests and all the people continued to die, generation after generation, but there is no death in the Lord’s true ‘rest’. Nevertheless, this is how the religious world feels toward us until this very day:

2Co 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2Co 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

The judgments of this prophecy of Jeremiah are the work of the Lord who is even now “creating… mankind in His image”. He continues to reveal the details of His judgments by which He is creating us in His image:

Jer 2:7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

Exactly when does the Lord begin bringing us into a plentiful country to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof? We know that the Lord first comes to us while we are still in Egypt, signifying while we are still in this world following all its ways.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

If Christ waited until we were out of sin to come to us and give us life, then we would never be given life because we are His workmanship, even while we are yet “dead in [our] sins” (Pro 16:4 and Isa 63:17).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of [our] works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

After Christ comes to us, we, the Lord’s Israel, must first endure a symbolic forty years of wondering in the wilderness, where we “ten times” rebel against Him and His ways:

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;
Num 14:23  Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

It is our old man who rebels and tempts the Lord “ten times” and “cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:50). When Moses wrote these words, Israel had already been given the law. They had been given the priesthood, and they had been instructed in how to approach the Lord. They had been sanctified and prepared to occupy the land. Nevertheless, our flesh is hesitant to depend entirely upon the Word of the Lord, and we want to first see for ourselves if we think we can take the land:

Deu 1:19  And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.
Deu 1:20  And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.
Deu 1:21  Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
Deu 1:22  And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
Deu 1:23  And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:
Deu 1:24  And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.
Deu 1:25  And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.
Deu 1:26  Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:
Deu 1:27  And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
Deu 1:28  Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
Deu 1:29  Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
Deu 1:30  The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
Deu 1:31  And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

Just a few months earlier, while yet at Mount Sinai, the Lord had sanctified the people and had proclaimed them to be “…a nation of priest and an holy nation”:

Exo 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Exo 19:7  And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
Exo 19:8  And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
Exo 19:9  And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
Exo 19:10  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

By the Lord’s own design, to show us how unworthy of the kingdom of heaven our flesh is, the “kingdom of priests” proved to be just a shadow of the true “kings and priests” of:

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Again, the antitype of the “kingdom of priests”… the four and twenty elders and the four beasts around the throne of God reveal to us who they themselves are and who they signify:

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

As newborn “carnal babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4) we, too, are the priests of whom the Lord declares:

Jer 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

That is what we do as carnal babes in Christ, who think we have been baptized in the spirit and yet have no clue of the fact that it is we who “cannot receive the things of the spirit for [the things of the spirit] are foolishness unto [us]” at that stage of our walk.

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.

As with so many things in scripture, the same symbol has both a positive and a negative signification. Coming out of Egypt in one sense signifies our coming out of sin. In a more mature sense, coming out of Egypt signifies that we are nothing more than “carnal babes in Christ” who are not yet even aware that we must yet pass from Egypt into forty years of rebellion in the wilderness, followed by years of warring against the giants we find to be occupying our promised land. After warring against the giants in our land, in the end we are forced to acknowledge that we cannot fight this fight on our own, and we begin being overcome of those giants. Only after we have been overcome by our own lack of knowledge and strength, and by our own weaknesses and passions, then by the Lord’s sovereign mercy, we are carried away captive into Babylon for seventy years. The Lord does not let His elect return to Egypt, but He does make them to be carried away into the lies and slavery of Babylon for a symbolic seventy years:

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2  As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Hos 11:3  I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4  I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Hos 11:5  He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian [Babylon] shall be his king, because they refused to return.

It is here in Babylon where we begin to complete our preparation to receive “the redemption of the purchased possession.” It is here in Babylon that we are brought to our wits’ end and begin to be delivered from slavery to all false and lying doctrines of men:

Mic 4:10  Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Mic 4:11  Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
Mic 4:12  But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
Mic 4:13  Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn [a rod of] iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

The whole world is waiting for “the daughter of Zion” to be given a rod of iron to rule the kingdoms of this world as one single “kingdom of our God”:

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 [Greek: G2506, uihothesia, sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

All the suffering of the judgments of this prophecy of Jeremiah are not worthy to be compared to the glory which will be revealed in us if we are granted to endure that suffering to the end of this age:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
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.

The “manifest sons of God” are also called “the Lamb’s bride”, and Paul even tells us:

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

We as “a chaste virgin to Christ” are therefore the “virgins” who make up “the Lamb’s bride”:

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

In Revelation 19 we are told:

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The ‘blessing’ of being “called to the marriage supper of the Lamb“ is the very same blessing upon those who are given “part in the first resurrection” because the first resurrection and the marriage supper of the Lamb are both the same one event:

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.

It is the next chapter of Revelation where we are called both “the New Jerusalem” and “the Lamb’s wife”:

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

This “New Jerusalem” is also called “the bride, the Lamb’s wife”:

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

Notice very closely that Romans 8:18 says, “the suffering of this present time.” It does not mention the suffering of the Old Testament prophets and patriarchs. They are not being considered in “this present time”. Neither is the suffering of those who are “cast alive into the lake of fire” considered to be “the sufferings of this present time”.

For this glorious reason Jeremiah declares:

Jer 2:9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead.

“Your children’s children” are those who are the children of their Father Christ and “His generation”. The holy spirit poses the rhetorical question:

Isa 53:8  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Act 8:33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Here are those who will “declare His generation:

Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

It is not one modern-day Christian in a million who is given to believe or understand:

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.

It is “Jerusalem above” who will “declare His generation”. Though we are few in number in this age, we will become the ‘mother… the Lamb’s bride” who will be the mother of all men of all time who will come up at the great white throne to be judged of their mother, the Lord’s elect of this present time, who will “fill Him who fills all in all”:

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

That is our study for today. Here are the verses we hope to cover next Sunday:

Jer 2:10  For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
Jer 2:11  Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
Jer 2:12  Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
Jer 2:13  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Jer 2:14  Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
Jer 2:15  The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.
Jer 2:16  Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.
Jer 2:17  Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?
Jer 2:18  And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
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.

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Isa 62:7-12 – The Redeemed of The Lord… You Shall Be Called

[Study Aired July 12, 2020]

Isa 62:7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Isa 62:8  The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
Isa 62:9  But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.
Isa 62:10  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
Isa 62:11  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
Isa 62:12  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Before reading the first verse of our study today, we must include verse 6 to give us the context for the admonition we are given in verse 7.

Isa 62:6  I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

There it is… “Ye that make mention of the Lord.” That is who we are. It is those who “fear the Lord [and] speak often one to another”:

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Those who “speak … one to another and fear the Lord” here in Malachi 3 are the “watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem” of Isaiah 62:7. The Lord is calling us His “watchmen”. As such we, His body, are commanded, “Keep not silence… give Him no rest [give the Lord no rest], till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

Isa 62:7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

If you and I are speaking to one another out of the fear of the Lord, as Malachi 3 reveals, we are not going to be gossiping about how carnal our other brothers in the body are. We will not be complaining about how badly our brothers in Babylon are behaving. If we fear the Lord, we will be speaking to one another about the Lord’s sovereignty over all good and evil. We will be expressing our gratitude for how the Lord is showing us what abominations are within us and how we are so very blessed to be dying daily to our old man and not becoming weary in well doing.  We will first speak of how we ourselves are struggling to keep Jerusalem within us pure and guard against every attempt of the adversary to breach the walls of Jerusalem within us. Then the Lord will grant us to also guard against the abominations of false doctrines which are also constantly assaulting the walls of our corporate “Jerusalem above, the mother of us all”.

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.
Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Eze 9:5  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Eze 9:7  And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
Eze 9:8  And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
Eze 9:9  Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
Eze 9:10  And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
Eze 9:11  And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

The Lord’s elect are the ones who have been given “charge over the city”. That is our commission as the Lord’s “watchmen upon [the] walls [of] Jerusalem”. Why would we as His watchmen be told, “Give Him no rest till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth?” Christ Himself answers that question for us in His parable about the importunate widow who is seeking vengeance against her adversary in the kingdom of God, which is within us.

This parable explains why we are told to “Give [the Lord] no rest, till He establish, till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth”:

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

This parable is a perfect example of how the Lord uses people and things, which seem to be totally unfit to be a figure or a type of heavenly matters, to make a spiritual point. The point being made is clearly stated: “That men ought always to pray.” This unrelenting ‘widow’ typifies us as ‘watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem’. Jerusalem is where the Lord’s throne is located within us, and this judge typifies our heavenly Father who will avenge us of the offences of our old man against the new man within us.

Where else do we see the Lord’s elect seeking vengeance against their enemies?

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

Notice where the Lord’s watchmen are located: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem…” A ‘wall’ symbolizes protection against our enemies. Here is what Nabal’s servants told Abigail about David’s men:

1Sa 25:14  But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
1Sa 25:15  But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
1Sa 25:16  They were a wall unto us [They protected us] both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
1Sa 25:17  Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

There is a lot of talk about walls these days. There is a secular proverb which has a Biblical foundation. It says, “Good fences make for good neighbors.” The scriptures bear out that proverb because we are told there is a great wall around the Lord’s Jerusalem. Christ and His words and His doctrines are that wall, and He does not let anything that is defiled into His “Jerusalem”:

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

This angel who is showing us “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” is just another symbol of the “watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem who give the Lord no rest till He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” These pleading watchmen are also symbolized by the importunate widow who will give the judge no rest until she is avenged of her enemies. The judge she is constantly importuning is a type of the Lord. The importunate widow in type is the same as the earnest ‘souls under the altar’ who are also importuning the Lord to be revenged of their enemies. This angel who shows us “the bride the Lamb’s wife” is the very same angel who shows us “the great whore who rules over the kings of the earth”.

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

The revelation of this great whore here in Revelation 17 is just another way of showing us “the image of jealousy” of Ezekiel 8:5 and “the abominations committed in Jerusalem” of Ezekiel 9:4. These all “are types of us”:

1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things (CLV)

This wall upon which the Lord’s watchmen stand is the Lord Himself and His words within us. We are told He is the same as His own Words:

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

Those who know Christ and His Father have the words of Christ within them, and in that sense they, too, are Christ, as He Himself tells us:

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.

Paul confirms that Christ considers us to be Himself in:

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

This means that if Christ is our protective ‘wall’ and we are Him, then we, too, are that ‘wall’ upon which we are His watchmen who give Him no rest until He establishes us and makes us a praise for Him in this earth.

It is the same message repeatedly written. We are those who are symbolized by the watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. We are symbolized by David’s wall of protective men. We are symbolized by the avengers of Ezekiel 9, by the importunate widow seeking to be avenged of her enemies, and by the importunate souls under the altar, seeking to be avenged of their enemies. We are on the walls of Jerusalem importuning the Lord to help us fight the spiritual warfare which is even now being waged over the Lord’s Jerusalem, and we are not to give Him rest until He has established us and made us a praise in the earth of our old man.

If we are given to overcome the enemies of the kingdom of God within us, showing no pity to our enemies within, then in time we will be granted to wear a crown of life at the “resurrection to life” ruling with our Lord for a thousand years, bringing peace to this world for the first time in its history. We will then, one last time, experience what it is like to be rejected by those to whom we have given so much, all by the Lord’s design. That last rejection will give Him the occasion He is seeking to completely extinguish His clay vessel prototype and finish His work of making all mankind into His own image.

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

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.

That is the glory which awaits those watchmen whom the Lord has placed upon the walls of His Jerusalem to importune Him to bring them to that place of being established and made a praise in the earth. When the Lord accomplishes this in us there will be no doubt who worked it all:

1Ch 16:28  Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
1Ch 16:29  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Truly “we are His workmanship” (Eph 2:10):

Isa 62:8  The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
Isa 62:9  But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

“I will no longer give your corn to be meat for your enemies” is the same as telling us that when our efforts are “meat for [our] enemies” it was really the Lord who gives us up as food for our adversaries. This is what Christ meant when He gave the dust, which we are, to be for the nourishment of the adversary:

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Verse 15 explains what is meant by “dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life”. Eating what we have gathered and drinking what we have brought is another way of saying that we are given to be the serpent’s food. When we are finally given to “bruise [the head of the serpent]” that is when the Lord “will no more give [our] corn to be meat for [our] adversaries [and He will no longer give our adversaries to] drink [our] wine”. It is all accomplished by the Lord Himself, and by Him making us to know and Him making us to do what the Lord tells us to do. Until that preordained time His word, which is our “corn”, will continue to be taken from us and eaten by our enemies in Babylon.

Mat 13:18  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

It was Christ who brought the good news of the kingdom of God… “the word of the kingdom”. His words and His doctrines are the things to which Isaiah refers when he tells us we will eat what we have gathered and drink “in the courts of His holiness” what we have brought together. It is His doctrine, as well as the doctrine of John the Baptist, which teaches us that John the Baptist fulfilled these words:

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.

Take note that it is the Lord’s elect who also “receive of the Lord’s hand double for all [their] sins”. This is how John applied these words to himself:

Joh 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
Joh 1:20  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
Joh 1:23  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isa 40:3].

Notice again how the preceding two verses refer to “My people”.

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.

Jerusalem is called “My people”, and we have demonstrated the “The New Jerusalem… the bride, the Lamb’s wife” is another type and shadow of us as the Lord’s body, which is the church (Col 1:24-27). These are some of the most comforting words of scripture, and they are addressed to us as the Lord’s chosen elect.

These words in Isaiah 62 are very similar to the words of Isa 40:1-3:

Isa 62:10  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
Isa 62:11  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Verse 11 is also repeated in Isaiah 40:

Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

The Lord’s words will never pass away (Mat 24:35). That means they are applicable in every generation (Mat 24:32-34).

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation [the generation reading these words verse 15] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

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

This is all confirmation of the New Testament doctrine that those in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are the true “seed of Abraham”:

Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

An essential part of the “is, was and will be…  shall never pass away” words of Christ are those words which place before us the order in which every word of God will be fulfilled. Our Lord is a God of order:

1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

This is repeated in the very next chapter:

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

That is His order, and it will be kept. Christ is first of the firstfruits, “afterwards they that are Christ’s firstfruits, and then comes the [final harvest at] the end” of the year.

All of these glorious promises must be fulfilled in that very order, which means these great and glorious promises will be fulfilled first in the Lord’s Christ, His firstfruits, who will then be used as the channel of the Lord’s mercies upon all the rest of mankind.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

That is why:

Isa 62:12  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

This is confirmed by the holy spirit in the New Testament in the parable of the workers in the Lord’s vineyard:

Mat 20:1  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2  And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14  Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

The Lord’s order is reiterated in these words:

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
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.

“The mystery of His will” (vs 9 above) includes the order in which that ‘will’ is being carried out. That is why we are told there will be a thousand-year reign with Christ by those who are given to have a part in the “blessed and holy… first resurrection”:

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.

That is our study for today. Next week we will begin chapter 63:

Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Isa 63:2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.