Gospels In Harmony – The Final Judgment

Mat 25:31-46

[Study Aired September 21, 2021]

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

Today’s study Christ shares the process of mankind’s judgment with his disciples.

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Our first verse tells us the timing of when Christ enters our heavens and sits upon His throne of glory. It is the combination of Christ and His angels, the messengers with His word in them, sharing the truth with us. Sitting upon the throne represents our time of judgment. The religions of the world believe this is not directed toward the elect of God but a future group of people, and they are partly right. What they don’t understand is that we are all given life in a particular order, and we are all judged.

Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with right eousness, and the people with his truth.

Psa 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Act 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

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

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

1Pe 4:17-18 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? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Rev 20:11-12 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. 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.

Our next verses tell us there is a process of judgment and what takes place.

Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

“All nations” in these scriptures represent everyone’s doctrines, the understanding of those doctrines, and each person’s way of life.

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.

In the Revelation study on the website, this verse is explained to show us how the nations are our way of life and our doctrines. Here is an excerpt of that study and the link to the full study.

Rev 17:12-18

“Again, “the dream is one”, and the symbols of this vision are one. These waters are the “people, and multitude, and nations, and tongues of the “two hundred thousand, thousand” false doctrines which ascend up out of the bottomless pit within us to darken our Sun and our air, and keep us in the darkness which is our false Babylonian doctrines. These waters are this beast on which the woman sits, and over whom she rules with “the bondage of the elements of this world.” These waters and these peoples are all within us submitting to the teachings and doctrines of this great harlot until the appointed time when the beasts we are will rebel against the strength and influence of this harlot. Whenever this woman within us comes into conflict with this beast within us, the brute beast we are will always win that battle, and will hate the hypocrisy of the harlot we also are.”

The division of the sheep and goats represents the truths of Christ being separated from the lies of Satan in our minds. The sheep are the righteous ways of Christ in us, and the goats are the ways of Satan, our unrighteousnesses, which are the merchandise we receive either by Christ and His holy angels or of our father the devil and his angels.

Rev 18:12-14 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

The right and left hands represent the power these doctrines have in our lives.

Exo 15:6-7 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

Ecc 10:2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Mar 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Luk 22:67-69 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Here is what happens with those on His right hand.

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

In the beginning of everyone’s walk with Christ it is questioned what is happening. Also, this in not a one-time event but a continual happening until God is all in all – the elect first and then to all mankind.

Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Everyone is first a carnal babe in Christ and cannot understand the doctrines of Christ and must grow into understanding.

1Co 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 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. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

We ask the questions because we are not able to bear the spiritual understanding of Christ’s doctrines. Here is Christ’s answer.

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.

Now here is what is happening to doctrines of the world within each of us.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Christ once again is telling us the same thing He has told us in earlier parables: “One shall be taken, and the other left.”

Luk 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

These parables are all about the kingdom of heaven, and as you all know and understand, this kingdom is within us and must be cleansed of all filth. This is done through “everlasting (age-abiding) punishment”. Our mind must be renewed from having the mind of Satan and changed to having the mind of Christ.

Rom 12:1-2 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. 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.

The doctrines within everyone are judged by fire and every doctrine is judged in the order ordained by God. We first are given the way of the world, and by the renewing of our minds, we are given the way of Christ. This continues until our mind is completely changed. I will end our study with Proverbs 2.

The Value of Wisdom

Pro 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

This study was inspired by this e-mail:

Mike,

I am going through your teaching on the Law of the Offerings and noticed in Leviticus 4 that there was a distinction made between a ruler sinning and bringing a male kid vs a common person who had to bring a female kid.

What was the significance of the male vs female goat?

Thanks,

J____

There are three offerings in the law of the offerings which reveal to us “the Lord and His Christ”. The scapegoat sin offering, the second bird in the sacrifice for leprosy and the male sacrifice for the rulers of the people; are all types of Christ and His Christ.

Christ tells us that He is sending us “As My Father hath sent me”, but what does that mean?

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

Here are a few of the things which Christ’s Father sent Him to accomplish, and these are a few of the things which Christ has sent us to accomplish:

1) Christ tells us that He is “the light of the world”.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

So, has Christ sent us to be the light of this world as His Father sent Him to be that light? Yes, as a matter of fact, Christ Himself tells us that is exactly what He has sent us to be to this world:

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

2) Christ tells us that he was sent to be “the bread of life”. He then tells us that He will give us His body as that bread of life, and He tells us that we are His body.

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Joh 6:48 I am that bread of life.
Joh 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

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.

Does the holy spirit ever refer to us as that same bread? Yes, once again, we are told that we are all “one bread and one body”.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

3) Christ tells us that He has the water of life:

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

Do the scriptures tell us that we, too, have that same “living water”.

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

We can see that in Christ those ‘in Him’ are “1) the light of the world, 2) the bread of life, and 3) they have the water of life. This all being so, can we not say that Christ identifies Himself with us? Well, Christ certainly does. Here is just how much He does so:

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Christ tells us that the way we treat His disciples is how we are treating Him. He goes even further when He tells Saul of Tarsus who He is:

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.

Here we have Christ Himself telling Saul of Tarsus that when he is persecuting Christ’s disciples, he is persecuting “Jesus of Nazareth”. Now let’s get back to what the Father sent Christ to accomplish. Here it is again:

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.

Let’s also remind ourselves what Christ told us about what He has sent us to do:

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

If the Father sent Christ to be the Savior of the world, and if our Savior has sent us “even as [His] Father has sent [Him]”, has not Christ sent us to also be Saviors? It would appear that is exactly what Christ meant when He said “As My Father hath sent me, even so send I you”.

That is why in the last verse of Obadiah we are told:

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.

When we are told that “as [Christ] is in this world, so are we”, that likeness extends to the point of us being called “Saviors”.

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

The only difference is that while Christ’s crucifixion culminated at the age of 33 1/2 years, we are to “present our bodies as living sacrifices.” We are to be “dying daily” with our Lord, and we are to count ourselves as being “crucified with Him”. We are to do this every day until the day we die, even if we live to be 120 years old.

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.

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

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

“Jesus of Nazareth” would have us to know that His faithful disciples are a second phase, or an extension, of who He is and what He was sent to do, and He wants us to know that as far as He is concerned, we are “Jesus of Nazareth” and that “as He is so are we in this world.”

Now if that is a Biblical Truth, then we should also find a type and a shadow of our Lord-anointed saviors in the Old Testament. It just so happens we do have such types and shadows in nothing less than the law of the offerings, which we are given so we can see Christ as His Father wants us to see Him. It so happens that our heavenly Father has given ancient Israel at least three sacrifices which are types and shadows of this two-phase work of Christ and His christ.

The first offering which reveals this two-phase work of our “Lord and His Christ” is the offering of the goat and the scapegoat.

Lev 16:5 And he [Aaron the high priest] shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
Lev 16:6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
Lev 16:7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

There it is! The scapegoat is “to make an atonement with him”, meaning with the goat upon which “the Lord’s lot fell”. Israel, by God’s design, is not cleansed by the blood of the first goat alone. It requires the work of both of these goats “to make an atonement” for the sins of the people. Are we actually told that we are to consider ourselves to be part of the sin offering which is made for the sins of the people? Here is what we are told:

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

“Bearing His reproach” is exactly what the scapegoat, the Old Testament type of “our Lord’s Christ”, did:

Lev 16:18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat [upon which “the Lord’s lot fell”], and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
Lev 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

“The hand of a fit man” refers to Christ Himself, living within His own elect who are symbolized by the goat whose body is offered as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” As His elect, we are all, at this very moment, being “led by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness” that is this world.

Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

“As… the goat [on which] the Lord’s lot” fell, died for the sins of the people, “even so” is the “living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1), “crucified with Christ, nevertheless… liv[ing]… [as] Christ in [us]… filling up the sufferings that are behind of the afflictions of the Christ [of Christ]”

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice [the scapegoat], 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.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live [as the scapegoat]; 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.

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:

Look at what the holy spirit has revealed to us. We are to fill up in our bodies what is behind of the afflictions of “the Christ” as the literal versions show us:

Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly, (YLT)

Why are we called “Jesus of Nazareth” by Jesus of Nazareth? Why are we called ‘the light of the world, the bread of life, [and why are we given] the water of life’? Why are we “crucified with Christ”, and why are we “filling up in our bodies the afflictions of the Christ”?

As hard as it is to grasp, the answer is, “As [Christ’s] Father… sent Him, even so [Christ] has sent us [to] fill up His afflictions in our bodies for the same reason Christ suffered His afflictions, and for the same reason Christ’s Father sent Him. That reason is “for His body’s sake, which is the church”. Our stripes and afflictions are for the same purpose as His, “because as He is, so are we in this world”.

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

In other words, since “before the world began”, God never intended that the goat which was offered for a sin offering should “atone for the sins of the people” alone. Instead, “before the world began”, God intended that the living scapegoat would also be an integral part of “the atonement for the people”. Let’s look at that again:

Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

God has always intended, from the beginning, that it would take both goats to atone for the sins of the people.

Let’s examine another sacrifice which reveals this very same revelation of the function of “the Christ”, the anointed, of Christ. This is the offering of the two birds for the healing of the leper.

Here are the scriptures on this revealing sacrifice:

Lev 14:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 14:2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
Lev 14:3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
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 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
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 14:7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

Again, just as the scapegoat is released by a fit man into the wilderness, this live bird is released by the priest “into the open field”, which is just another symbol for the world into which we all are born and in which we all live. We have this interpretation of the meaning of “the field” on the words of our Savior Himself:

Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

We are all familiar with Christ’s healing of the “ten lepers”.

Luk 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
Luk 17:12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
Luk 17:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
Luk 17:14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
Luk 17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
Luk 17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
Luk 17:17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
Luk 17:18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

It could have been nine or eight or seven lepers, but it wasn’t. It was ten lepers because the spiritual significance of the number ‘ten’ is the completeness and perfection of the flesh, and God wants us to know that all flesh is leprous and dying.

See this study on the spiritual significance of the number ‘ten’:

The sacrifice for the healing of this deadly disease of leprosy is not one, but two doves, and just as with the two goats, one bird is sacrificed to the Lord, and the other is kept alive and is released into the open field.

However, let’s notice again how this is all commanded to be accomplished:

Lev 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
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 14:7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

“The cedar wood, the scarlet, and the hyssop are one and all symbols of the pains and afflictions, “which are behind of the afflictions of the Christ”. They are one and all symbols of the sufferings of the cross of Christ.

Joh 19:29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

Heb 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

The requirements for the cleansing of “all the people” and the cleansing of the leper are the same. In the offering of the cleansing of the leper, however, we find that there are two birds required to be a part of this offering before the leper can be pronounced clean. The first bird is to be killed “in an earthen vessel over running water”. We are clearly told that this “earthen vessel” is the physical body of sinful flesh and blood into which all in Adam are born, including our Lord Himself:

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;

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure [Being Christ’s christ] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The “running water” is the type of the word of God and the words of Christ, which “are spirit” and which are to be found in the mouths and hearts of all who are truly abiding in Christ.

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

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Joh 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

‘Flowing’ waters are “running water”, and those running waters are the type and shadow of the life that is in the Word of God. ‘The words I speak are life…’ Those words are still to be found in the mouths and the hearts of those to whom it is given to remain faithful to the words of our Lord and to follow in His steps:

Mat 15:10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Mat 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Mat 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

This bird which is set free in the field has that spirit of Christ within it, and that bird as well as the cedar wood, the scarlet and the hyssop, have all been dipped in the blood of the first bird “in an earthen vessel over running water”. These two birds constitute one sacrifice. “Take for him that is to be cleansed two birds…”

Lev 14:2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
Lev 14:3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
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 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
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 14:7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

This second live bird is as expedient to the cleansing of this leper as the first bird, for they are one sacrifice for the cleansing of the leper.

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

This bird is another type of the second phase of the work of Christ, and it, too, represents us as we are filling up in ourselves the afflictions of the Christ as they are symbolized by the cedar wood, the scarlet and the hyssop, which are all dipped in the blood of the first bird.

Let’s look at our third and final sacrifice which is the symbol of this two- phase work of our Lord, in the offering for the sins of the ruler and the sins of the common people.

Lev 4:22 When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;
Lev 4:23 Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:
Lev 4:24 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering.

This sacrifice for “a ruler” must be “a kid of the goats, a male without blemish… it is a sin offering”. Notice that God wants to distinguish “a ruler” in this sin offering from the sin offering which is to be offered for “one of the common people”.

Lev 4:27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty;
Lev 4:28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.
Lev 4:29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.

This offering is for sins of “one of the common people.” It is to be a female goat, while the offering for the ruler is to be a male goat. Who in scripture is called “a ruler?” Once again we will see that those who are called rulers in scripture are those who are also called ‘the Christ’ of Christ, and “a ruler” is always to be distinguished from “one of the common people” who are to be ruled over by the overcomers.

Gen 41:40 Thou [Joseph, a type of “the Christ”] shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

Gen 41:43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Mat 24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Mat 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

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.

Let us ask, where is this ‘Christ’, this ‘anointed’ of Christ, mentioned in the New Testament? Is it to be found there?

If indeed Christ lives within us and we are dying daily with Him and are being “crucified with Him” and He is “nevertheless [living]” within us, then we are the christ of Christ who Christ says we are. To fail to acknowledge who we are, as expressed by Christ and His words, is to deny the Christ, and all who do so will be ‘judged out of their own mouths.’

Luk 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luk 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

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 Greek word for ‘Christ’ is ‘christos’, and it means simply ‘anointed’. Immediately following His resurrection, Peter informs us that Christ is now “both Lord and Christ”.

Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

If Christ is now both ‘Lord’ and His Father’s “anointed”, whom His Father has sent into this world to save this world (Joh 3:17), then we should also be able to find some mention of Christ’s ‘anointed’, whom He has sent into this world to save this world as His Father has sent him.

Remember what we have been told already:

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.

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

Can we find the christ of Christ mentioned anywhere in the New Testament? The answer is, yes, we certainly can, and here are a few of the verses which refer directly to “Our Lord and His Christ”.

Act 4:23 And being let go [Peter and John], they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
Act 4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Act 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

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 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

The phrase “the Christ” according to Young’s Literal Translation, is found in the New Testament 155 times. Many times it refers to Christ, but just as many times it refers to the christ of Christ.

For example, Paul speaks of Christ and in the same breath poses this question concerning “the Christ” of Christ?

1Co 1:12 and I say this, that each one of you saith, `I, indeed, am of Paul’ –`and I of Apollos,’ –`and I of Cephas,’ –`and I of Christ.’

1Co 1:13 Hath the Christ been divided? was Paul crucified for you? or to the name of Paul were ye baptized; (YLT)

There is also this most amazing and revealing statement concerning just how involved this christ of Christ is in the salvation of His church:

Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly, (YLT)

What an incredible calling! We are granted not only to believe on Christ but to also suffer with Him and “fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ, in our flesh. Our suffering in our flesh, just as His own suffering was, is “for His body’s sake which is the church”.

Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Let’s look again at this verse of scripture in the book of Hebrews.

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

“They which serve the tabernacle” are the Levites, who in type are “the many called” but not chosen. They are Israelites, and they are the seed of Abraham, but they “have no right to eat at our altar”. This is one of the reasons Christ was so hated by the church of His day. He never chose to join them. He rather condemned them for their lack of obedience to the word of God. In two thousand years nothing has changed. There has been no “great revival”, and there will be no great time of universal repentance or “revival”, which the churches of this world are expecting. These are the words of our Lord, and you and I can take these words to the bank:

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.

Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The christ of Christ are the overcomers who “endure to the end” and will, in time, hear these words:

Mat 25:20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
Mat 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

In Revelation 12 we see another symbol of the ruler whose offering must be a male goat. We see a woman who brings forth a manchild who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron:

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.

In summary, this “man child, who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron” is the same as “he that overcometh [who is also promised to] rule the nations with a rod of iron”. This “man child” is just another symbol for the christ of Christ who is even now filling up in his flesh that which is yet lacking of the afflictions of the Christ. It is this manchild whom Christ has sent forth as His Father has sent Him, to save this world by being the scapegoat, which ‘scapegoat’ is an integral part of a sin offering, but is “a living sacrifice”. This “manchild” is also the second bird which was an integral part of the sacrifice of the lepers in Israel, and he is again the “living sacrifice” part of that sin offering, and is released into the open field to accomplish his part in filling up the afflictions of the Christ in his body for Christ’s body’s sake, which is the church. Finally, the male kid of the goats is the sacrifice for those who are to rule, and this sacrifice is distinguished from that of “the common people” of Israel, as the type of “Him that overcometh”, our Lord’s Christ, who is promised to be a ruler over the nations of this world.

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. [“Our Lord and His Christ”]

Video Links

Job 24:14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

Job 24:15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

Job 24:16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

Job 24:17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

Job 24:18 He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

Job 24:19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.

Job 24:20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

Job 24:21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

Job 24:22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

Job 24:23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

Job 24:25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

Introduction

In our last study Job, the Old Testament type of us while we are being judged, was still attempting to understand the principle revealed in “the parable of the tares of the field”.

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

We saw that “the time of harvest” is the same as “the day of the Lord” which is the judgment which comes first upon the house of God.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The burning of the tares “first” is the judgment which begins at the house of God. In fact Peter calls this day of judgment which must “first begin at us” a time of “fiery trial which is to try [ us].”

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:

So ‘trials’ and ‘judgment’ are the same in the scriptures just as they are in the natural realm. All legal trials are held before a judge, whose charge is to seek and reveal the Truth. In doing so, it is incumbent upon the guilty to “give an accounting” of what he has done. Then it is the charge of every righteous judge to render his judgment which is intended to make things right which have not been right.

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.

Job is the Old Testament type of us as God’s elect. But the story of Job begins while God’s elect are still in Babylon, being physically blessed while under the strong delusion of such false doctrines as the prosperity gospel, and while we are still under the blinders of our own self- righteousness, just before our judgment begins.

Here is Job while he is “at ease in Zion” (Amo 6:1).

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

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.

Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Job 1:2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

Job 1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Just like those who are “at ease in Zion”, as Job we “put far away the evil day [ thereby] causing the seat of violence to come near”.

Amo 6:3 Ye [ Job, the type of you and me] that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

We all strive to become comfortable in this life, before we seek to be judged by our Creator.

Isa 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

What Job reveals to us of ourselves is that we just naturally fear the day of judgment, and we just naturally “put far away the evil day”. In doing so we “treasure up to ourselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God“.

Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

The message of this book of Job is an expanded version of the judgment of Babylon within us which is mentioned in the last of the seven plagues:

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Rev 14 has already informed us that this “cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath” is “the hour of His judgment… [ it is] the fall of Babylon… [ it is] the smoke of [ our] torment”, and then this same chapter informs us that all of this comprises “the patience of the saints, [ and] the keeping of the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”. Let’s read those verses and understand what we are reading:

Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

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

“Her fornication” is the occasion which God is seeking to pour out on Babylon within us, “the wrath of God”. So “the wrath of God” and “the wrath of her fornication” are one and the same, as is made clear in the seventh plague of Rev 16:19:

Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. [“the wrath of her fornication”]

The last part of Rev 14 informs us that all of this takes place at “the [ time of the] harvest of the earth”.

Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

Rev 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

Rev 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

So now we know that the harvest, the burning of the tares, the separating of the sheep from the goats, the wrath of God on Job (in type) and on us (in spiritual reality), and the day of the Lord, are one and all the “day of judgment” and “the patience of the saints… and the faith of Jesus” (Rev 14:12) which must come upon all men of all time, “each in his own order… beginning first at the house of God” (1Co 15:23, 1Pe 4:17, Mat 4:4, 1Co 3:21-22, and Rev 1:3).

This is the principle revealed to us in the parable of the tares which we, as Job, could not understand at that time in our walk. So we, as Job, ask why God would not lay folly to those who were so guilty of that folly. Not only do we ask why God does “not lay folly to them”, we also ask why he even goes as far as to bless that folly and those men of such foolishness, while cursing our old man.

Job actually answers his own question, but because he is incapable of applying his answer to himself, his great knowledge just puffs him up and is of no personal application or value. After all, Job is a man of great integrity in his own mind.

Here is his own answer to the reason God is blessing Job’s enemies while cursing Job:

Job 24:23 Though it be given him [“the sinner” vs. 19] to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his [ God’s] eyes are upon their ways.

Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while [ the sinner], but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

This has great personal application for us all because:

Psa 90:3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

Job’s entire experience reveals to us that we are first very offended with God’s ways and His way of thinking. Here is what God Himself tells us about our own natural way of thinking:

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Eze 18:25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

Has God given us, like King David, to see that ‘We are the man’ who has done all these things?

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God [ God’s chastening] leadeth thee [ that would be me and you] to repentance?

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;[“The sword shall not depart from [ our] house”]

Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

But as typified by Job, we see none of these spiritual truths, and we simply do not yet “know God or His Son”. Consequently we do not yet know what “life eternal” is.

Job 23:3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

Job 23:8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

Job 23:9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

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

But until that day of coming to know God arrives, as it is written in our book, we continue to complain to God of His unequal ways (Eze 18:25), and for treating us as if we were sinners.

Job 24:14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

The previous verse told us that the wicked despise the light of day:

Job 24:13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

“The light” exposes the murderer and the thief for what they are. So “they… rebel against the light”. “They” are of their father the devil, and it is His works which they will do. It is always first “they”, and at first it is never you or me.

So what does this “thief” do?

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

“The thief” who is first [ our] “father the devil”, is not capable of revealing our beastly nature to us, and he has no desire to have us to “suffer loss” so we can be “saved… by fire”, which is the very purpose and function of this whole story of Job.

Instead this is what our self- righteousness produces within us:

Job 24:15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

Job 24:16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

This is the perfect description of what we, as typified by King David’s adultery and murder, have done within our own lives, when we question “the goodness” of our Lord which “leads [ us] to repentance”. King David “waited for the twilight, saying, No man shall see me”, and when he was doing that he “knew not the light”, all the while considering himself to be the king and the representative of that light. Job’s self- righteousness has within us the very same end. We “reprove, contend with, and condemn” God (Job 40:1-8). This is what Job, the type of our own “old man” does:

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God [Psa 107:21-31] leadeth thee to repentance?

It is God who has made us to err and hardened our hearts from His fear (Isa 63:17), yet we are not even aware of what we are doing. It is actually in our Job- like self- righteousness that we, like King David, act like this:

Job 24:17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

“If one know them” refers to the murderer, the thief, and the adulterer of verses 14-15. It was God’s own people who killed Uriah and Christ. In other words, it is you and me who have done that. It is we who have been the murderer, the thief and the adulterer, and God is justified when He judges us and determines that our old man is not worthy of life, but his destruction is the fit channel through which our new man will be born. Christ knew the murderer, the thief and the adulterer within us all, and indeed He was “in the terrors of the shadow of death”.

Here is how the holy spirit describes what “the terrors of the shadow of death” worked within Christ:

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Here is Luke’s version of Christ while He was “in the terrors of the shadow of death”:

Luk 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

So Job, as the Old Testament type of us, continues to lament the unimpeded blessings of the wicked. At the very same time, he is granted to understand that those blessings of the wickedness we commit in this life are temporal, while our future destruction is just as certain as our present blessings, and that destruction is permanent.

Psa 92:6 A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.

Psa 92:7 When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

Here is the fulfilling of that principle of letting the tares grow with the wheat “until the time of the harvest”, at which time, the tares are gathered first and are cast into the fire to be burned.

Job 24:18 He [ the wicked, our old man] is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

Job 24:19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.

Job 24:20 The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

“He is swift as the waters” refers back to the murderer, the thief, and the adulterer of verses 14 and 15. “He knows not the way of the vineyards”, alludes to the fact that the murderer, the thief and the adulterer within us preys upon the efforts of others who labor to bring forth fruit.

“The drought and heat” are the judgments that brings our old man to “the grave”.

Here is what happens in the time of the harvest, when the time finally arrives for “their portion [ to be] cursed in the earth”:

Psa 37:20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

Psa 69:22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare [ the blessing of our old man], let it become a trap.

The phrase “as the fat of lambs” demonstrates the principle upon which God operates. This is the very principle which is so frustrating to Job. It infuriates Job, who is the type and shadow of us, that God literally blesses our old man while persecuting our new man. Here is that very principle revealed in the book of Genesis. Remember, Ishmael is the son of the bondwoman. He is the type and shadow of God’s rejected anointed, carnal seed of Abraham, and this is what God tells us of this type of our own rejected anointed seed of Abraham, our old man:

Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Ishmael became “a great nation”, long before Isaac’s seed became a mere 70 souls whose descendants became the slaves of the Egyptians. Ishmael’s descendants had multiple cities and a capital before the type of the new man even began to flourish. The same is true of the next type of God’s rejected anointed, seed of Abraham, who was Esau. Esau also became a great nation, before Israel ever began to flourish. Esau met Jacob with 400 men from his nation which was called Edom, a name for Esau.

Gen 36:1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

Gen 36:19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.

So it is God Himself who blesses our old man and makes him a great nation within us, while at the very same time outwardly persecuting and subduing the new man within us, just as our Savior was killed by His own people, but was resurrected from among the dead to become the victor over the old man within us all.

This is what Job cannot yet receive. Job, the type of us, thinks that outward works are sufficient to please God, but being the physical seed of Abraham and being outwardly circumcised does not change the heart of anyone. Isaac is the Old Testament type of those who are supernaturally born of God’s spirit. Those who are not born by the will of man, but are circumcised in their hearts, in the spirit, are “as Isaac was, the children of promise.”

Gen 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Gen 17:22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Gen 17:23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

Here is Paul’s commentary on these verses of Gen 17:

Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren [ Gentile Galatians, you and me], as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

So now we know what God is doing with Job, the type of us, as we are being judged and as we are coming to see that it is God who blesses our old man who is the enemy of our new man.

Job continues his description of his enemies, not yet aware that these enemies are one and all within himself, and are hiding behind the giant of self- righteousness of which we, as Job was, are completely unaware.

Job 24:21 He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

Job 24:22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

Job 24:23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

“Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he rests”, is the revelation of this same principle at work. It is God who blesses our old man, while persecuting and killing our new man. “Yet His eyes are upon their ways. They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low, [ and] are taken out of the way as all other.

Now Job poses this question:

Job 24:25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

It is given to our self- righteous old man to see many of the principles upon which God operates. The very last thing any of us sees is that the worst enemy we have in this age is not anyone without, but is that beast we face each morning in the mirror. Like Job and like King David, we see the moat in our brother’s eye, but we cannot see the massive beam of self- righteousness within ourselves.

But God does see that massive beam, and it is the fuel for a great fire to be kindled within us, as it was in King David, and as it was in Job.

Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou [ God] mightest be justified when thou speakest [ the Truth of God’s sovereign judgments in all things], and be clear when thou judgest.

Here is where this verse is quoted in the New Testament. Here is the answer to Job’s question, “Who will make me a liar?”:

Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings [ God’s judgments], and [ we] mightest overcome when thou [ and I] art judged [ by God].

Paul is quoting Psa 51:4 where David is confessing that God is indeed justified in sending the sword upon his house for the sin he committed in going after another man’s wife, killing that man and acting for nine long months as if he had done nothing wrong.

Here was the sin of King David, here is the sin of Job, and here is our sin:

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

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

The solution to this lukewarm, self- righteous condition (Rev 2:14-15) is to “buy of me gold tried in the fire”, and that “gold tried in the fire” for King David and for us all, is this blessed gift from our loving heavenly Father, articulated here in 2Sa 12. That “gold tried in the fire” is our heavenly Father’s free gift, and He is justified in judging us thusly:

2Sa 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

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

As always, anything that is bad news for our old man is good news for our new man. It is the greatest blessing ever given to the penitent “new man” when it is granted to us that “the sword… never departs from [ our] house”.

The way you and I ‘kill Uriah and take his wife to cover our sins’ is by settling for being half- hearted in our service to our Lord instead of “saving alive nothing that breathes” of the giants like self- righteousness which are just naturally within our own lives (Deu 20:16). It is by reproving God for judging us instead of confessing that it is we who have lied to ourselves concerning our own corrupt, self- righteous spiritual condition. “[ We] art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”, and we think we are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”.

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

Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

When we maintain our own righteousness, we are making God a liar, because God tells us that He is our righteousness.

Jer 51:10 The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

It has not yet happened but we will get to the point where Job will acknowledge his own sad condition and will accept with gratitude the wonderful works of God within his life. But this takes a divine intervention within the lives of us all.

Once again we will jump ahead to see exactly where it is we are headed:

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?

Next week, If the Lord wills, we will hear Bildad’s last feeble attempt to point his own self- righteous finger at Job. Because it is such a feeble attempt, we will also hear a little of Job’s self- righteous answer as he demonstrated that he too, can point his finger at Bildad.

Job 25:1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

Job 25:2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.

Job 25:3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?

Job 25:4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

Job 25:5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Job 26:1 But Job answered and said,

Job 26:2 How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

Job 26:3 How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

Job 26:4 To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

Job 26:5 Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

Job 26:6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

Audio Links

Introduction – ‘Sheep’ and ‘Lamb’ as Christ

As with every word of scripture, the word ‘sheep’ has a meaning behind it that has nothing at all to do with a four legged barnyard animal. What then does this word typify?

In answering this question we must remember that God’s Word is completely “Christ-centric.” We are told that the book of Revelation is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is a completely Christ-centered book. Now, since “the sum of Thy Word is Truth” (Psa 119:160 ASV), and since “Christ is that Truth” (Joh 14:6) and “is the Word” (Joh 1:1), that makes the entirety of God’s Word Christ-centered.

Psa 119:160  The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. (ASV, ESV, etc.)

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Since the sum of God’s Word is Truth and since Christ says “I am the Truth,” it adds not one Word to the Word of God to say that Christ is the sum of God’s Word and that the whole of the Bible is indeed ‘Christ-centric.’

What does all this have to do with the word ‘sheep’ in scripture? It tells us that this word ‘sheep’ is centered around Christ. If we can keep this in mind, we will much better understand what Christ means when we see the words, sheep, lamb or ram in scripture. If Christ is in us, then we, too, must identify with these words ‘sheep’ and ‘lamb.’

Who is “the lamb of God?

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

Joh 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Joh 1:35  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

If Christ is a lamb, what does that make us?

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

In what way are we sheep?

Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Christ calls us His lambs and His sheep. He mentions the lambs first but only once. He mentions the sheep twice and last. Christ, through His elect sheep, feeds both His lambs and His sheep.

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

“Feed my sheep,” not ‘feed upon my sheep’ but “feed my sheep. When we see the sheep being abused, we take it to our Father:

Gen 37:2  These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Joseph was in Babylon when his eyes began to be opened to the fact that His brothers didn’t really care for the welfare of their Father as much as for themselves.

Joseph’s brothers were so interested in their own welfare that they later sold Joseph for two pieces of silver each – twenty pieces of silver (Benjamin was not involved in this betrayal).

What are a sheep’s natural enemies?

Many biblical animals prey upon sheep. Scripturally sheep are the natural prey for lions, leopards, bears, and wolves:

1Sa 17:33  And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1Sa 17:34  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

The true shepherd does not leave God’s sheep to the lions, leopards, bears or wolves. He fights for His flock, and He slays the lion, the leopard, the bear and the wolf, and takes God’s lambs “out of his (the lion’s) mouth.” David was a true shepherd who had laid his life down for His father’s sheep. It was that same spirit which led him to lay his life down for King Saul and to fight Goliath, the giant who defied God.

David’s service for His heavenly father, just like ours, also began in Babylon. Later David comes to see that God has a rejected anointed, who wants God’s elect dead:

Psa 17:11  They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy [ kasaph] of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

All the beasts of the forest prey on God’s backslidden flock:

Jer 5:6  Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

Eze 22:25  There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Eze 22:26  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Eze 22:27  Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

Zep 3:3  Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Our prophets, priests and princes,  like lions, bears and evening wolves, all destroy God’s sheep.

Until the day that Christ delivers us from the lion, leopard, bear, and wolf

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. [The ‘wolf’ comes in the hireling. The hireling is the wolf.]

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

We are all “dumb sheep” who “follow strangers and go astray” before we become “wise as serpents” to be are “sent among wolves.”

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

“To draw away disciples” means that these false prophets are willing to leave off part of “the counsel of God” which may be a little too hard to maintain a good sized congregation.

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

“It takes a congregation of at least 30 regular attendees to make it worth while.” That is a quote from a minister friend of mine.

2Ti 4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

Even when ‘David delivers us out of the lion’s mouth’ we are still “sheep sent forth among wolves.”

The positive application of all of a sheep’s enemies

Num 23:23  Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Num 23:24  Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
Num 23:25  And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

It is only through our destruction as foolish sheep that “our own sins… evil men [as] God’s sword” judge us and crush us and humble us to be used of God.

Do you want to “be delivered out of the mouth of the lion?” The only way to do so is to go into the lion’s den. We all are in danger in the lion’s den and in the fiery furnace. No, we are willing to die, we actually lay our lives down for God, and in so doing are delivered out of the fire and out of the mouth of the lion.

Conclusion -“My sheep know My Voice…”

It is a wonderful truth that God’s true sheep know his voice:

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
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: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.

Before we “know His voice” we “follow many strangers” and “go astray”.

Psa 119:176  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jer 50:6  My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

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 [Isa 53:6] 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.

The Old Testament made it clear who that “lost sheep” was.

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

If we can see that we are that lost sheep which has gone astray and been deceived by our own shepherds, then we just might be given ears to hear the voice of our true shepherd:

Joh 10:24  Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Christ is the “good shepherd.” He is also the door to the sheepfold, and He tells us, “He that enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

So along with calling His elect “the light of the world” and “one bread”, we are now also called “the shepherd of the sheep” if we enter the sheepfold through the door to the sheepfold. “As He is, so are we in this world.”

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

One more thing Christ is that we also are is a lamb and a sheep. As John the Baptist said of Christ,

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

The world should see Christ in us. We are the lambs of the Lamb; what our Savior calls saviors:

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

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

Neh 9:27  Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

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.

In Christ, you are that fire of the lake of fire.

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?
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;

In Christ, you are Christ’s lambs who will also be “saviors on Mount Zion”.

There can be no greater calling. Lay hold upon that calling:

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19  Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

I will close by reminding you that in this world you are as Christ is, and the world should be able to say of you:

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

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]