What Christ Revealed About His Father

[Study Aired August 12, 2025]

Introduction

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth… No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:14, 18). The apostle John’s testimony captures the supreme purpose of Christ’s incarnation—to declare the Father completely, drawing back the veil to show Him fully. This declaration means to lead out completely, to explain fully—Christ didn’t merely teach about the Father but made Him known through His very being. This divine revelation had been prophetically anticipated: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD… And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:3-5). What Isaiah foresaw found perfect fulfillment in Christ’s ministry, as John the Baptist prepared the way for the ultimate revelation of God’s character through His Son.

The Son’s purpose was not self-revelation but the manifestation of the Father’s character in truth and spirit. “God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). To see Christ was to see the Father, for He is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). As David prophetically declared, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:7-8), words the writer of Hebrews applies directly to Christ (Hebrews 10:7).

This revelation was transformational. As Paul writes, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The Perfect Mirror: Christ’s Complete Dependence

Christ’s relationship with the Father was one of absolute dependence and perfect unity. “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do” (John 5:19). The Greek word for “nothing” here is οὐδέν (ouden, G3762), meaning “not even one thing”—emphasizing complete dependence upon the Father’s initiative. This was not limitation but love; not weakness but willing submission to reveal the Father’s heart.

This dependence finds its typological foundation in the Old Testament relationship between Adam and Eve. Just as Eve was formed from Adam’s substance yet remained distinct, so Christ shares the Father’s nature while maintaining His distinct personality. Paul confirms this when he calls Christ “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45).

When Christ healed the sick, He manifested the Father’s compassion. When He cleansed the temple, He displayed the Father’s holiness. When He wept over Jerusalem, He expressed the Father’s grief. As Isaiah prophesied, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek” (Isaiah 61:1-2). Christ read these words in the synagogue at Nazareth and declared their fulfillment in Him, revealing the Father’s heart for restoration and freedom: “And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18-21).

The Father’s Voice and Works Through the Son

Christ consistently emphasized that His teaching originated with the Father: “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me” (John 7:16). He declared plainly, “The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:24). This fulfilled the ancient promise: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Where the prophets spoke partial words from God, Christ became the complete Word of God. As Hebrews explains, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

When Philip requested, “Lord, shew us the Father” (John 14:8), Jesus responded: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father… the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:9-10). These “works” encompassed far more than physical miracles; they were signs of the Father’s spiritual labor in redemption. Every miracle revealed deeper spiritual reality about the Father’s character.

The Father’s works through Christ had been foreshadowed throughout Scripture. When Moses struck the rock and water flowed (Numbers 20:11), it prefigured how the Father would provide spiritual water through the smitten Christ: “that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). When Elijah raised the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:17-24), it pointed to the Father’s power over death that would be demonstrated through Christ’s resurrections and ultimately His own victory over the grave. The feeding of five thousand echoed how He fed Israel with manna (Exodus 16), yet Christ explained the deeper meaning: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). The physical bread pointed to the spiritual sustenance that the Father provides through His Son.

Christ challenged His hearers to recognize this perfect unity: “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (John 10:37-38). As He declared, “I can of mine own self do nothing… because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father” (John 5:30).

The Father’s Character Unveiled Through Parables and Teachings

Christ’s parables consistently portrayed the Father’s character with stunning clarity. Through the prodigal son account (Luke 15:11-32), Christ reveals the Father’s eager forgiveness toward the repentant. When the wayward son declares, “Father, I have sinned” (Luke 15:18-19), Christ shows us the Father’s heart through the father’s response: “But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

Through this parable, Christ reveals the Father’s proactive love—running to meet every repentant sinner just as the earthly father ran to his son. The elder brother’s reaction allows Christ to demonstrate the Father’s patient correction of our misconceptions: “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine” (Luke 15:31-32).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ points to the Father’s providential care: “Behold the fowls of the air… yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Through this teaching, Christ reveals that the Father knows our needs before we ask—“your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:8)—yet delights in our prayers. Christ shows us that the Father’s provision becomes a means of drawing us into deeper relationship.

Christ also unveiled the Father’s righteous judgment through the parable of the unmerciful servant. The king’s forgiveness of an enormous debt (Matthew 18:27), followed by judgment when the servant refuses mercy to others (Matthew 18:34-35), reveals through Christ how the Father’s mercy flows from His righteous character, and those who receive it must reflect it.

Progressive Revelation: From Types to Ultimate Reality

The Father’s revelation through Christ represents the culmination of progressive unveiling that began in Eden. Looking back through Christ’s lens, we see the Father’s provision when God clothed Adam and Eve after their sin (Genesis 3:21), His righteousness in the Abel-Cain account (Genesis 4:3-5), and His redemptive purpose in calling Abraham to bless all nations through his seed (Genesis 12:3). These early acts pointed forward to their complete fulfillment in Christ.

Christ reveals that each patriarch experienced foreshadowings of the Father’s character: Abraham’s covenant relationship prefigured the Father as covenant-keeper (Genesis 15:7), Isaac’s experiences pointed to His unchanging nature (Genesis 26:2), Jacob’s transformation foreshadowed His transforming power (Genesis 32:28), and Joseph’s trials demonstrated His sovereign control over circumstances for good (Genesis 50:20). Moses received the most complete Old Testament glimpse: “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:6-7)—finding perfect embodiment in Christ, as John testified when he declared the Word became flesh among us.

Through Christ, we understand that the prophets provided glimpses of His coming revelation of the Father. Isaiah saw the Suffering Servant revealing the Father’s redemptive heart (Isaiah 53:4), Jeremiah prophesied the new covenant showing the Father’s transforming grace (Jeremiah 31:31-34), Ezekiel envisioned dry bones living as the Father’s life-giving power (Ezekiel 37), and Daniel saw the Son of Man displaying the Father’s eternal kingdom (Daniel 7:13). The principle of “precept upon precept, line upon line” (Isaiah 28:10) governed this progressive revelation, preparing His people for the Father’s complete manifestation in Christ.

The Ultimate Revelation: Cross, Resurrection, and Continuing Work

The supreme revelation came through the Son’s obedience unto death. Jesus declared, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). The cross reveals the Father’s character uniquely—His justice (sin must be punished), His love (He provides the sacrifice), His wisdom (turning Satan’s victory into defeat), and His power (raising the dead).

Paul writes, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The word “commendeth” (συνίστημι, synistemi, G4921) means to demonstrate conclusively. Through the resurrection, the Father confirmed His testimony about His Son and revealed His character as God of life (Acts 2:32-33). “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”

Even in suffering, Christ continued revealing the Father’s heart: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This prayer reveals the Father’s heart toward ignorant sinners—not vindictive anger but merciful intercession. It shows that the Father’s default response to human failure is not punishment but forgiveness for those who know not what they do.

The Father’s revelation didn’t end with the ascension. Through the holy spirit, Christ continues revealing the Father’s character through His body, the church: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:27). John writes, ” 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” (1 John 4:17). The same spirit that enabled Christ now dwells in us, transforming us.

Paul reveals the church has become the Father’s dwelling place: “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). Just as Christ was the perfect temple revealing the Father’s presence, the church corporately serves as the Father’s temple today. This means that our unity, love, and service to one another become ways of revealing the Father’s character to the world. Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). Our unity becomes revelation of the Father-Son unity, convincing the world of God’s love.

From Natural to Spiritual Understanding

The revelation of the Father through Christ requires spiritual discernment to perceive. Paul explains: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is why Christ said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).

Those who witnessed Christ’s ministry with natural eyes saw a remarkable teacher. Those with spiritual discernment see the Father Himself at work. This understanding develops through consistent meditation on God’s Word and fellowship with His spirit. As we compare spiritual with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13), we see deeper connections between Old Testament types and New Testament realities.

The process requires humility and dependence on the holy spirit. As Jesus taught, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). The Father’s revelation comes to the humble, not the self-sufficient.

Conclusion

Everything Christ said, did, and suffered served as perfect revelation of the Father’s nature, will, and purpose. He manifested the Father’s compassion, holiness, justice, and sovereignty in living reality. To behold Christ is to behold the Father’s mind made flesh: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

This revelation is progressive, comprehensive, and transformative. It continues today through the holy spirit’s work in Christ’s body. The Father’s revelation through Christ establishes the pattern for spiritual understanding—depending not on natural wisdom but on spiritual discernment.

The ultimate purpose extends beyond individual enlightenment to all of mankind being restored. The Son’s mission continues until He delivers the kingdom to the Father, “that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28). The promise remains: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). In this revelation, we find eternal life itself: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

The Father’s glory was made manifest in Christ, and through Christ, continues to be revealed in all who walk in His light. This is our blessed hope—not merely intellectual understanding, but experiential knowledge through His Son, reflecting His character to a world that desperately needs to see His glory.

Rev 8:1-6 Part 3 – The Seven Trumpets

[Study Aired June 30, 2024]

We concluded our last study by pointing out that because this entire prophecy is addressed to the seven angels of the seven churches therefore the seven angels who blow the seven trumpets are the same seven angels. It is the seven angels of the seven churches which inform the seven churches of the judgments which are coming upon them.

It is these same seven angels who tell us that they are “your fellow servant, and those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” If we are God’s elect, then it is we who are signified by these seven angels to the seven churches. It is these seven angels who are given the priesthood to “perform the service of God” who will have mankind to come to know Him and His son:

Num 3:10  And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The promise of being kings and priests is not just to the leaders and elders of the body of Christ. That promise is to the entire body of Christ who are all “fellowservants and of [our] brothers who have the testimony of Jesus… and of them which keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

You and I, if we are fellow servants and of our brothers the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book, are commissioned to “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” That is the commission given to those who “have been made kings and priest unto God and His Father.” It is the priests alone who have been given this commission. Look at what the scriptures reveal about these “seven priests.”

Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

That ‘tabernacle’ signifies the house of God. It signifies His temple, and this is now those who are His temple and His dwelling place:

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

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The work of a priest, and therefore our work, is revealed in the spiritual types and shadows of the Old Testament. Just look at how many times we see this phrase “seven priests” in the Old Testament, and look at what these “seven priests” do in “accomplishing the service of God.”

Jos 6:4  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Jos 6:6  And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.

Jos 6:8  And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

Jos 6:13  And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

Jos 6:16  And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.

It is “the… seven priests bearing seven trumpets… going on and blowing with the trumpets” who signify the seven angels who stand before God. It is the same seven angels in Christ’s right hand, who tell us that they are our fellow servants, who keep the sayings of this book and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, who are sent as God’s messengers to God’s seven churches, to blow these seven trumpets to prepare us “go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you.” This is the message of the seven angels with the seven trumpets. If you think the number ‘seven’ simply means ‘seven’, then you know nothing about comparing spiritual things with spiritual. The names of these seven churches, like the names of the twelve tribes, are given only as types of those first-fruit overcomers who are in Christ. The seven churches signify the “complete… one body… which is the church.” The seven angels to the seven churches are all the messengers of God to all who are in the “one body… which is the church,” just as “the seven spirits of God… are one spirit.”

Here are a few verses which demonstrate the spiritual significance of the number seven, but for a more in depth study be sure to read The Spiritual Significance of the Number Seven at this link:

The Spiritual Significance of the Number Seven

Rev 4:5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The “seven spirits” of God signify His “one spirit” just as “the seven churches” signify the “one body… which is the church… whether we be Jews or Gentiles”.

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’ sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

What is “the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God?” It is “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

How is this mystery made known to His saints? There is only one way; “by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” That is how the apostle Paul learned of this mystery:

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Gal 1:12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

That is how the apostle Peter learned of this mystery:

Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

That is how the apostle John learned of this mystery:

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John

That is how we will all learn of this mystery. What is this mystery being revealed to us as “the things written therein which we are to keep… the sayings of the prophecy of this book… every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God… [the] all things are yours” of this revelation? Here is that mystery. Here is what this “revelation of Jesus Christ” is:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

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

As such we must say these words with our Lord.

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Luk 13:33  Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

Remember these are the same words we were given in the spiritual type and shadow in the Old Testament at the spiritual type of the founding of the body of Christ, at the blowing of the trumpet at the first Pentecost at mount Sinai.

Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

Exo 19:15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.

These seven trumpets announce the war being fought against the enemy in our land. ‘The land’ signifies our bodies which are occupied from birth with many ‘giant’ passions and lusts which are “enmity against God” (Rom 8:2). That ‘land’ and that ‘giant’ enemy are both within. It is primarily within us that “the kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.” The outward fulfillment of that prophecy is secondary to its primary inward application. That outward fulfillment is contingent upon first being applied within against our carnal mind which must precede a new mind, the mind of Christ who will then be qualified to rule the outward kingdoms of this outward world:

Num 10:9  And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

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.

These “seven trumpets” warn us that “the third day” is near, and we will soon be meeting our Lord. That is when the fire, which ‘fire’ is the eyes and words of our Lord, begins doing its fiery work in our lives. Remember this verse in chapter one, just before John saw His glorified Lord. Coming to see our glorified Lord is nothing less than being caused to look behind us to hear our Lord’s own voice “as of a trumpet”, which calls us to “go to war in our land against the enemy that oppresses us.” “Then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets.” Those trumpets are also the voice and Words of our Lord.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

This all being so,…

What does the fire from the altar which is cast unto the earth signify?

Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

This entire revelation is the words of that “voice, as of a trumpet” which we hear behind us. “The Lord’s day” is revealed to us in the sixth seal which seals away from our view the understanding of the sayings of the prophecy of this book. It is in this sixth seal “that great and terrible day of the Lord” is revealed to us, wherein “every man will say to the rocks and mountains, fall on us and hide us from the face of the Lamb, because the great day of His wrath is come.”

Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

That is what the fire from the altar signifies, and that is what the thunderings and lightnings which causes the earth to quake within us all signifies. The altar signifies the cross which we are admonished to take up and follow in the steps of our Lord. The fire from the altar which is cast into the earth is the same spiritual fire of the altar given us in the Old Testament spiritual type and shadow.

Eze 10:2  And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

We are “the city” and the “fire from between the cherubim” is the Lord’s words and voice which come to us “from between the two cherubims”:

Exo 25:22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Num 7:89  And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

“The city” is the city of Jerusalem, the Old Testament spiritual type of the “earth” which, in turn, is the type of us all in Adam who claim Christ’s name, but do not want to eat His bread or wear His apparel (Isa 4:1):

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women [“the seven churches”] shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Here is where Jerusalem is called the earth; not just once, but three times.

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

“These gates” are the gates of Jerusalem. “The house of the king of Judah” was in Jerusalem. It is to this city that the Lord makes this plea in this same chapter:

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

It is to us that these words are addressed. We are the “earth” into which the coals from the altar are cast, and whose lives are being cleansed by the ‘fire’ that is these coals. That ‘fire’ is always the Word of God, and that fiery Word is in the hearts, minds and mouths His elect.

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

Christ’s example of dying daily, which He came and set for us, is the fire that tries every man’s works.

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

That “voice behind ” us (Rev 1:12) is “Christ in you,” and the “you” that Christ is in signifies “thy fellowservant, and of your brothers, and of those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

If Christ is in us, then it is we who are commanded… “seal not the sayings  of this book” of which ‘sayings’ we are told to “keep the things that are written therein because the time is at hand.” When it is all said and done, then we will know that this entire prophecy signifies the “war in your land against the enemy [within] which oppresses you…”

1Sa 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD [our own carnal-minded ‘old man’] shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king [Christ in us], and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Num 10:9  And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Summary

We have seen that the primary purpose and spiritual significance of trumpets in scripture is to call us to meet our God “on the third day,” and to call us to Christ.

Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Exo 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

“The third day” signifies the day of Christ’s resurrection, and it signifies the day we are “raised with Him to walk in newness of life”.

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We also saw that it is also the function of trumpets to alarm us of the spiritual warfare we are facing in this journey of following our God wherever He goes.

Num 10:2  Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

Num 10:6  When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

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

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

That is what these seven trumpets signify here in the sayings of this prophecy of this book. That is what the fiery words from between the cherbims will accomplish in our lives.

We have seen that the scriptures forbid anyone but the priests, the sons of Aaron, to blow the trumpets to bring the people to God, and to lead them in war. We also saw that it is God’s elect who are the priests, who are the angels to the seven churches, to whom this entire prophecy is addressed. We also saw again that it is these seven angels who represent our fellow servants, our brothers and sisters, and those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Finally, we saw that the fire from the altar is the same fire we see throughout the entire word of God. That fire is the Word of God in the mouth of those to whom He gives the humbling honor of being faithful to His words even unto the death of the flesh.

Next week, Lord willing, we will discover the meaning of the symbols found in the blowing of the first two trumpets:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

“Musical Instruments in the bible” Part I – Introduction and “the Voice”

[Study Aired September 14, 2-23]

This is a study on the musical instruments that are mentioned in the bible. There is spiritual significance connected to these physical items, just as there is to the temple of God and the vessels within the temple which we are (1Co 3:16). I’ll be using one main website that I found as a resource for the origins and names of those instruments and where they are mentioned in the bible: 

https://www.biblestudy.org/bible-study-by-topic/musical-instruments.html

I can’t confirm that this is an exhaustive list of all the physical instruments below, and I did want to also add the “voice” as an instrument, which is possibly the most significant and often mentioned one in the bible. In musical parlance, every instrument has its own voice that is generated by various means, whether percussion instruments, stringed or wind instruments, and oftentimes we will hear of their use in a singular manner or together as you would expect in a more orchestral environment, depending on the occasion.

I’m not sure at this point how long this series is going to go but I would like to launch it off by talking solely about the voice as the one instrument that we all have the potential to use. I’ve included a list below of the other instruments that I hope to look at in the coming weeks, Lord willing, and they are categorized in four main groups, voice, percussion, string, wind, and one unknown category that includes one ‘string-like’ instrument.

Excerpt from: https://www.biblestudy.org/bible-study-by-topic/musical-instruments.html:

• Percussion

Hebrew: Menana
KJV Name: Cornets (Sistrum)
Strong’s: #H4517 
References: 2Samuel 6:5

The Hebrew menana is erroneously translated as “cornets” in the King James Version of 2Samuel 6:5. The word means “to rattle” and likely designates an instrument known as a sistrum.

Sistrums had rings or disks loosely attached to one or more bars fixed across a frame. The frame was constructed out of carved bronze or copper. The Sistrum was played by holding it upright and shaking it, allowing its rings to move back and forth on its bars. The menana was played when King David attempted to escort the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Hebrew: Meziltayim
KJV Name: Cymbals
Strong’s: #H4700
References: 1Chronicles 13:8, 15:16, 19, 28, 16:5, 42, 25:1, 6, 2Chronicles 5:12 – 13, 29:25, Ezra 3:10, Nehemiah 12:27

The Hebrew word meziltayim means “double tinklers.” This instrument, made of brass, was utilized by the leaders of the Levitical singers and played a prominent role in religious ceremonies.

Hebrew: Paamon
KJV Name: Bell
Strong’s: #H6472
References: Exodus 28:33, 34, 39:25 and 36

Tiny bells and pomegranates were attached to the lower hem of the High Priest’s ephod. Although not loud, the bells signaled his location in the temple’s sanctuary.

Hebrew: Toph
KJV Name: Timbrel / Tabret
Strong’s: #H8596
References: Genesis 31:27, Exodus 15:20, Judges 11:34, 1Samuel 10:5, 18:6, 2Samuel 6:5, 1Chronicles 13:8, Job 21:12, etc.

The Hebrew word toph is translated 10 times as “timbrel” and 8 times as “tabret.” The toph, the oldest and most popular means of percussion, was a musical instrument of the drum kind. The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, in its section on the timbrel and tabret, states the following:

“It is very simple, consisting of a broad or narrow hoop of wood or metal over which the skin of an animal is stretched. Sometimes small, thin pieces of metal are hung upon the rim, which jingle when the timbrel is shaken, as in the modern tambourine.

The instrument is held high in one hand, while the performer beats on the drumhead with the fingers and the back of the other hand.”

Hebrew: Tselatsal (possibly Zelzelim)
KJV Name: Cymbals
Strong’s: #H6767
References: 2Samuel 6:5, Psalm 150:5

Tselatsals produced a loud clanging sound. This musical instrument was played when King David attempted to escort the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

• String

Hebrew: Asor
KJV Name: Instrument of Ten Strings
Strong’s: #H6218
References: Psalm 33:2, 92:3, 144:9

The only thing known about the Asor was that it was a ten-stringed instrument. It was likely a type of harp such as a zither or lute.

Hebrew: Gittith
KJV Name: Gittith
Strong’s: #H1665
References: Psalm 8:1, 81:1 and 84:1

The name gittith suggests this musical instrument was retrieved by King David in the Philistine city of Gath.

Hebrew: Kathros
KJV Name: Harp
Strong’s: #H7030
References: Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

Found only in the book of Daniel, the kathros (an Aramaic word) was a stringed instrument played at Nebuchadnezzar’s court. It was possibly a type of lyre.

Hebrew: Kinnor
KJV Name: Harp
Strong’s: #H3658
References: Genesis 4:21, 31:27, 1Samuel 10:5, 16:16, 23, 2Samuel 6:5, 1Kings 10:12, 1Chronicles 13:8, 15:16, 21, 28, 16:5, etc.

The kinnor has the distinction of being the first musical instrument recorded in Scripture. Its creation is credited to a man named Jubal who was of Cain’s lineage (Genesis 4:16 – 21). The kinnor is sometimes referred to as David’s harp.

This instrument is small enough to be played while walking (1Samuel 10:5) and made of wood. Its strings were crafted from sheep tripe. David, when an evil spirit bothered King Saul, would play his kinnor and chase the demon away (1Samuel 16:23)! The kinnor was used to worship and praise God (2Samuel 6:5, Psalm 43:4), utter prophecies (1Chronicles 25:3), and bid farewell to loved ones (Genesis 31:27).

Hebrew: Nebel
KJV Name: Psaltery, Viol
Strong’s: #H5035
References: 1Samuel 10:5, 2Samuel 6:5, 1Kings 10:12, 1Chronicles 13:8, 15:16, 20, 28, 16:5, 25:1, 6, 2Chronicles 5:12, 9:11, etc.

Nebel, in 23 Old Testament places, is translated “psaltery.” It is translated, in Isaiah 5:12, 14:11, Amos 5:23 and 6:5 as “viol.” Jewish tradition states that the Nebel stood upright as opposed to the handheld kinnor.

The psaltery, a type of harp, may have had as many as ten strings (Psalm 33:2, 144:9). It was used when the Ark of the Covenant was moved (1Chronicles 15:28) as well as in worshiping God (25:6).

Hebrew: Psanterin
KJV Name: Psaltery
Strong’s: #H6460
References: Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

This instrument was used in the court of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. It may have resembled a dulcimer that had its strings struck with small hammers.

Hebrew: Sabbka
KJV Name: Sackbut
Strong’s: #H5443
References: Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

This instrument was used in the court of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. It may have been a type of lyre or harp with four strings.

• Wind

Hebrew: Halil
KJV Name: Pipe
Strong’s: #H2485
References: 1Samuel 10:5, 1Kings 1:40, Isaiah 5:12, 30:29, Jeremiah 48:36

The halil was one or two pieces of wood that were hollowed out with two or more holes. Its first Scriptural mention involved it being played by a group of prophets. This pipe was commonly played at festive occasions and during pilgrimages to Jerusalem. It could also be used during mourning (Jeremiah 48:36) and at funerals.

Hebrew: Hatsotserah
KJV Name: Trumpet
Strong’s: #H2689
References: Numbers 10:2 – 10, 31:6, 2Kings 11:14, 12:13, 1Chronicles 13:8, 15:24, 28, 16:6, 42, 2Chronicles 5:12 – 13, 13:12, etc.

The hatsotserah, a different musical instrument than the shofar, is mentioned 29 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Hatsotserahs were trumpets that were straight, narrow and quite long (possibly .9 meters or 2.9 feet). They were constructed out of silver (Numbers 10:1 – 2) or gold, had a flared end and produced a high shrill tone.

This type of trumpet was used to signal the Israelites, when they wandered the wilderness for forty years, to assemble and break camp (Numbers 10:5). It was an important part of temple worship (1Chronicles 15:28, 2Chronicles 15:14) and considered one of the sacred utensils (2Kings 12:13, Numbers 31:6). The hatsotserah was blown on New Moons and other festive occasions as well as at the temple’s daily offerings (2Kings 11:14, Hosea 5:8, Psalm 98:6).

Hebrew: Kehren
KJV Name: Cornet
Strong’s: #H7162
References: Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

This musical instrument, found only in the book of Daniel, was commonly used in the court of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. According to Clarke’s Commentary, it was a horn that could make a deep and hollow sound as well as one that was piercing.

The cornet, along with other instruments, was used by Nebuchadnezzar at the dedication of a huge golden statue in his likeness. The statue was 60 cubits (at least 87.5 feet or 26.7 meters) tall by six cubits (8.75 feet or 2.67 meters) wide.

Babylon’s officials, as well as the people, were commanded to bow down and worship the image when they heard the instruments play (Daniel 3:3 – 5). All those refusing to do so would be put to death in a fiery furnace. Daniel’s three friends, who rejected this idolatry, were thrown into this fiery trial of their faith but were miraculously saved by God (Daniel 3).

Hebrew: Mashroqiy
KJV Name: Flute
Strong’s: #H4953
References: Daniel 3:5, 7, 10, 15

This instrument is found only in Daniel in the KJV. It, along with others, was used by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to signal when those he ruled over were to worship a huge golden statue made in his likeness. The mashroqiy may have been the Chaldean name for a flute with two reeds. Tyndale’s Dictionary and the ISBE believe it was similar to Pan’s pipe.

Hebrew: Shofar
KJV Name: Cornet / Trumpet
Strong’s: #H7782
References: Exodus 19:16, 19, 20:18, Leviticus 25:9, Joshua 6:4 – 20, Judges 3:27, etc.

The Hebrew word shofar is recorded 72 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, all of which are mistranslated in the KJV. It is erroneously called a trumpet 68 times and a cornet 4 times (Psalm 98:6, 1Chronicles 15:28, 2Chronicles 15:14, Hosea 5:8). The shofar and trumpet, according to the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, are two distinct instruments as delineated in Psalm 98:6 and 1Chronicles 15:28.

The shofar is mentioned more than any other musical instrument in the Bible. It is the only instrument that survives in its original form that is still used in modern Jewish liturgy. It was usually made from the curved horn of a ram or goat. Shofars announced the New Moons and Sabbaths (Psalm 81:3), warned of approaching danger, and signaled the death of nobility.

Hebrew: Ugab
KJV Name: Organ
Strong’s: #H5748
References: Genesis 4:21, Job 21:12, 30:31, Psalm 150:4

The ugab is the second musical instrument mentioned in Scripture. It was created by Jubal who also made the first harp (Genesis 4:16 – 21). The KJV translation of ugab is a bit misleading as it was not some kind of keyboard-based instrument. It was a flute-like wind instrument, possibly a double or manifold pipe, made of wood or ivory. It could be used to praise and rejoice before God (Psalm 150:4) or while mourning (Job 30:31).

• Unknown Type

Hebrew: Sumponia
KJV Name: Dulcimer
Strong’s: #H5481
References: Daniel 3:5, 10, 15

The KJV word “dulcimer,” found only in Daniel, is a mistranslation. Modern dulcimers are percussion based musical instruments that possess metal strings that are hit with lightweight hammers. Smith’s Bible Dictionary, the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Wilmington’s Guide, however, all state the sumponia was possibly a type of bagpipe.

Tyndale’s Dictionary, however, argues the sumponia couldn’t have been a bagpipe, as musicologists believe no such instrument existed at the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. The uncertainty of the Hebrew makes it difficult to know what is being referenced.

———————– end of excerpt  ————————

These instruments listed above can have a negative and positive application in their use, which is brought out in scripture. Each instrument symbolizes a means by which we can glorify God, or in the negative application bring glory to ourselves that Christ warned His disciples about in Matthew 6:1-4. I’ll get to that point more extensively as we get into our study, but for now I just want to make clear like everything God has created, there is potential to use it for good or to abuse these liberties that God gives us in this life for an occasion to our flesh (Gal 5:13). God knows our hearts (Jer 17:9), and those hearts need to be overcome little and by little so that our actions which our Father “seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” Christ, our hope of glory within, is that means to a glorious end as we present our bodies a living sacrifice, being made into instruments of righteousness to His glory and honor (Col 1:27, Ecc 7:8, Ecc 3:11, Rom 12:1-2).

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Mat 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Mat 6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
Mat 6:4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:  

Ecc 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 

Ecc 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 

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

There are also modern versions or spin offs of all these instruments that we will be looking at, and countless others that exist in our society that are never mentioned in the bible. This is what makes this subject so interesting to us, because we know that it’s not the instrument itself that carries the most important message, but what we do with what God has given us. This is always the point whether we’re talking about music, or the preparation of food and drink and how we use them, as well as our jobs, or whatever skill that God has given us on the earth. We are living instruments in His hands, and it is the Lord who is orchestrating all our actions, both to will and to do of His good pleasure (1Co 10:31-33, 1Co 3:22-23, Php 2:11-13).

1Co 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 
1Co 10:32  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: [Rom 14:21-23, Rom 14:3] 
1Co 10:33  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. 

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

With all this in mind, let us begin by looking at our first, and what I believe is the most significant, instrument – our “voice“, remembering what we just read that with the voice “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. What a blessing it is when we can do that with a voice of praise and thanksgiving to our Father. The voice itself is not what is in question, otherwise a mute person could never praise God with their voice, but in truth we can all praise God in our spirit. That is the central point being made with all these instruments, including the voice. It is not what gift we have. It is what we do with what we have in our spirit that ought to be rejoicing always and again I say rejoice (Php 4:4), as we grow in learning to glorify God in our spirits, which oftentimes is reflected by our outward actions in life.

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

The first time the word ‘sing’ is mentioned in the (KJV) bible is in Exodus 15:1. That is significant as it shows us the main reason we should praise God with our voices, that reason being because of the victory He gives us over our flesh, symbolized by “the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea” (Exo 15:1). That victory is something God’s elect are blessed to experience first in this life through Christ, and the reason the Psalmist was inspired to write these verses, (Psa 107:8, Psa 107:15, Psa 107:21, Psa 107:31), reminding us to offer up the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to God (Heb 13:15).

Exo 15:1  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Psa 107:15  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 
Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 

The word Sing is mentioned 102 times [not always the same Strong’s number], Sung is mentioned 5 times and Singeth is mentioned once. For our consideration I want to start by looking at this entry of the word “sing^H6031” which is only used in these verses, (Exo 32:18, Isa 27:2-3). The use of the word ‘sing’ in this context shows us that singing can be an expression of sorrow, of affliction, of joy, and many other emotions that are associated when we are lifting up our voice to the Lord.

Exo 32:18  And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing^H6031 do I hear. 

Isa 27:2  In that day sing^H6031 ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. 
Isa 27:3  I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

H6031 ‛ânâh
aw-naw’
A primitive root (possibly rather identical with H6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively (in various applications). (sing is by mistake for H6030.): – abase self, afflict (-ion, self), answer [by mistake for H6030], chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing [by mistake for H6030], speak [by mistake for H6030], submit self, weaken, X in any wise.

Total KJV occurrences: 83

BDB- Definition:
(Qal) to be occupied, be busied with

to afflict, oppress, humble, be afflicted, be bowed down
(Qal)
to be put down, become low
to be depressed, be downcast
to be afflicted
to stoop
(Niphal)
to humble oneself, bow down
to be afflicted, be humbled
(Piel)
to humble, mishandle, afflict
to humble, be humiliated
to afflict
to humble, weaken oneself
(Pual)
to be afflicted
to be humbled
(Hiphil)
to afflict
(Hithpael)
to humble oneself
to be afflicted
– Origin: a primitive root [possibly rather ident. with H6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating]

– TWOT entry: 1651,1652
abase, 1
 Isa_31:4

afflict, 27
Gen_15:13; Gen_31:50; Exo_1:11; Exo_22:22; Lev_16:29; Lev_16:31; Lev_23:27; Lev_23:32; Num_24:24(2); Num_29:7; Num_30:13; Jdg_16:5; Jdg_16:6; Jdg_16:19; 2Sa_7:10; 1Ki_11:39; 2Ch_6:26; Job_37:23; Psa_55:19; Psa_89:22; Psa_94:5; Isa_58:5; Isa_64:12; Lam_3:33; Nah_1:12; Zep_3:19

afflicted, 21
Exo_1:12; Lev_23:29; Deu_26:6; 1Ki_2:26(2); 2Ki_17:20; Job_30:11; Psa_88:7; Psa_90:15; Psa_107:17; Psa_116:10; Psa_119:67; Psa_119:71; Psa_119:75; Psa_119:107; Isa_53:4; Isa_53:7; Isa_58:3; Isa_58:10; Isa_60:14; Nah_1:12

afflictest, 1
1Ki_8:35

afflictions, 1
Psa_132:1

defiled, 1
Gen_34:2

exercised, 2
Ecc_1:13; Ecc_3:10

force, 1
2Sa_13:12

forced, 4
Jdg_20:5; 2Sa_13:14; 2Sa_13:22; 2Sa_13:32

hardly, 1
Gen_16:6

humble, 3
Deu_8:2; Deu_8:16; Jdg_19:24

humbled, 7
Deu_8:3; Deu_21:14; Deu_22:24; Deu_22:29; Psa_35:13; Eze_22:10; Eze_22:11 

hurt, 1
Psa_105:18

Leannoth, 1
Psa_88:1

ourselves, 1
Ezr_8:21

ravished, 1
Lam_5:11

sing, 2
Exo_32:18; Isa_27:2

thyself, 3
Gen_16:9; Exo_10:3; Dan_10:12

troubled, 1
Zec_10:2

weakened, 1
Psa_102:23

wise, 2
Exo_22:23(2)

Another word we want to consider in God’s word is the word “voices”^G5456 which is used 128 times. I want to focus on its use in Revelation in these verses, (Rev 4:5; Rev 8:5; Rev 8:13; Rev 10:3; Rev 10:4; Rev 11:15; Rev 11:19; Rev 16:18), that are talking about a language that only the elect can speak and interpret. This word “voices”^G5456 represents the new voice or language that comes out of those who are part of New Jerusalem (Rev 3:12, Rev 21:2). When Christ took His disciples aside to sing a hymn with them, it was a symbolic moment of this truth that we would one day be of one voice, in harmony of spirit and truth, praising our Father in heaven together (Joh 4:23-24). All the world will join in that harmony of praise after their heavens have been purified and God is all and all, when “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time” (Mat 26:30, 1Co 15:28).

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

Mat 26:30  And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

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

Rev 4:5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices^G5456: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God

Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices^G5456, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 

Rev 8:13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice^G5456, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices^G5456 of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! 

Rev 10:3  And cried with a loud voice^G5456, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices^G5456.

Rev 10:4  And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices^G5456 in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices^G5456, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Rev 16:18  And there were voices^G5456, 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.

G5456 pho-ne

fo-nay’

Probably akin to G5316 through the idea of disclosure; a tone (articulate, bestial [Rev 4:6-11] or artificial); by implication an address (for any purpose), saying or language: – noise, sound, voice.

Total KJV occurrences: 141

– Original: φωνή
– Transliteration: Phone
– Phonetic: fo-nay’
– Definition: 
a sound, a tone
of inanimate things, as musical instruments
a voice
of the sound of uttered words
speech
of a language, tongue

– Origin: probably akin to G5316 through the idea of disclosure
– TDNT entry: 13:38,1
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine 
– Strong’s: Probably akin to G5316 through the idea of disclosure; a tone (articulate bestial or artificial); by implication an address (for any purpose) saying or language: – noise sound voice. 

Total KJV Occurrences: 128 

noised abroad, 1
Act_2:6

noise, 1
Rev_6:1

sound, 6
1Co_14:7; 1Co_14:8; Rev_1:15; Rev_9:9 (2); Rev_18:22 

voice, 105
Mat_2:18; Mat_3:3; Mat_3:17; Mat_12:19; Mat_17:5; Mat_27:46; Mat_27:50; Mar_1:3; Mar_1:11; Mar_1:26; Mar_5:7; Mar_9:7; Mar_15:34; Mar_15:37; Luk_1:42; Luk_1:44; Luk_3:4; Luk_3:22; Luk_4:33; Luk_8:28; Luk_9:35; Luk_9:36; Luk_11:27; Luk_17:15; Luk_19:37; Luk_23:46; Joh_1:23; Joh_3:29; Joh_11:43; Joh_12:28; Act_2:14; Act_4:24; Act_7:31; Act_7:57; Act_7:60; Act_8:7; Act_9:4; Act_9:7; Act_10:13; Act_10:15; Act_11:7; Act_11:9; Act_12:14; Act_12:22; Act_14:10; Act_16:28; Act_19:34; Act_22:7; Act_22:9; Act_22:14; Act_24:21; Act_26:14; Act_26:24; 1Co_14:11; Gal_4:20; 1Th_4:16; Heb_3:7; Heb_3:15; Heb_4:7; Heb_12:19; Heb_12:26; 2Pe_1:17; 2Pe_1:18; 2Pe_2:16; Rev_1:10; Rev_1:12; Rev_1:15; Rev_4:1; Rev_5:2; Rev_5:11; Rev_5:12; Rev_6:6; Rev_6:7; Rev_6:10; Rev_7:2; Rev_7:10; Rev_8:13; Rev_9:13; Rev_10:3; Rev_10:4; Rev_10:7; Rev_10:8; Rev_11:12; Rev_12:10; Rev_14:2(4); Rev_14:7; Rev_14:9; Rev_14:13; Rev_14:15; Rev_16:1; Rev_16:17; Rev_18:2; Rev_18:4; Rev_18:22; Rev_18:23; Rev_19:1; Rev_19:5; Rev_19:6(3); Rev_19:17; Rev_21:3 

voices, 15
Luk_17:13; Luk_23:23(2); Act_13:27; Act_14:11; Act_22:22; 1Co_14:10; Rev_4:5; Rev_8:5; Rev_8:13; Rev_10:3; Rev_10:4; Rev_11:15; Rev_11:19; Rev_16:18

The first time the word “praising^H1984” is used in the bible is in 2 Chronicles 5:13 where we learn that there is a oneness that is involved with praising God. The common denominator that brings us to praise God is this reason, “For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” This idea of worshiping God ‘for his mercy endures forever’ is a very repeated reality that is found throughout God’s word. Here are forty-eight verses that have some combination of the words “mercy” or “endure” or “endureth” to make the point clear that God’s mercy endures forever, and we should be filled with thanks and praise for that reality.

2Ch 5:13  It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 

1Ch 16:34  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

1Ch 16:41  And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever;

2Ch 7:3  And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

2Ch 7:6  And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. 

2Ch 20:21  And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Ezr 3:11  And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 

Psa 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psa 52:8  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 

Psa 61:7  He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. 

Psa 77:8  Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

Psa 89:2  For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. 

Psa 106:1  Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 107:1  O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 118:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:2  Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:3  Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:4  Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 118:29  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

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

Psa 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. [Luk 13:32]

Jer 33:11  The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD. 

Mic 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Hopefully with this first entry of musical instruments in the bible, it is clear to us that the voice is one of, if not the most powerful instrument, used to praise God, not just with a beautiful harmonious sound as all instruments can do, but also with a language of praise toward God (Psa 92:1) that is elevated through the accompanying expression that the voice can produce.

Psa 92:1  A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 

Briefly, what about the negative use of our voices? The verse that comes to mind is that we can have all truth, and if that truth is not spoken in love, it is as a clanging gong (1Co 13:1-8). 

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 
1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 
1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 
1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 
1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 
1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

Similarly, the voice can be as pitch perfect as possible and full of deep expression, and even expressing truth in that endeavor, and yet if it is not being done prayerfully and to the glory of God it is as a clanging gong to Him, and just another occasion to glorify our flesh (Eph 4:15, 1Jn 5:2). Only God and Christ, who is our life and our reason we exist, is worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving, and we can’t praise and worship God in heaven in spirit and in truth unless we are given His spirit within (Rom 8:9, Joh 4:23-24). God’s Spirit helps us grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2Pe 3:18) as we’re lead into all truth (Joh 16:13), and it reveals to us just how great and worthy of all praise our Father is for His sovereign hand in our lives that is making us into a new vessel of honour as His workmanship (Jer 18:4, Eph 2:8-10). To walk worthy with God is to acknowledge that He alone is worthy of all praise, and of all glory and all honour, for all the things that He is doing as His will unfolds before us (Rev 4:8-11, Eph 1:10-12).

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

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

Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 
Rev 4:9  And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
Rev 4:10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship^G4352 him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

This concludes our installment with the first instrument, “the voice“, and in the following weeks I will most likely pair some of the other instruments to make the study long enough. We will also see how instruments work together in harmony at some point, providing for us a spiritual lesson of how the body is fit together by God (1Co 12:18) who is Christ’s head and the one who is fulfilling God’s will within His body the church (Php 2:12-13, Col 1:24, Eph 5:30). We could say that we are a spiritual orchestra in that sense and that God is using each joint, each instrument of God, “according to the effectual working in the measure of every part [every instrument], maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

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

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: 

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

[Posted July 26, 2023]

Hi Mike,

It’s been said by some scholars that the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 7 and 8 does not appear in many of the original Greek manuscripts and is therefore completely spurious.

Is there any truth behind this claim?

Thank you always for your help, guidance and counsel,

your thankful brother,
C____

Hi C​____,

Thank you for your question.

You ask if the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 is spurious as some allege.

Christ said ‘My sheep know My voice’, and I for one hear the voice of Christ in that story, especially when He says:

Joh 8:11  [b] Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

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.

Here is a cut and paste from Gill’s Commentary on this question:

“This history of the woman taken in adultery, is wanting in the Alexandrian copy, and in other ancient copies; nor is it in Nonnus, Chrysostom, and Theophylact; nor in any of the editions of the Syriac version, until it was restored by De Dieu, from a copy of Archbishop Usher’s; but was in the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, and in the Harmonies of Tatian and Ammonius; the former of which lived about the year 160, and so within 60 years, or thereabouts, of the death of the Evangelist John, and the other about the year 230; it was also in Stephens’s sixteen ancient Greek copies, and in all Beza’s seventeen, excepting one; nor need the authenticness of it be doubted of;… nor should its authority be called in question.” (End Quote, Emphasis Mine)

I hope this helps you to see that this story of Christ forgiving a woman, who the established church condemned, is very much a part of the Word of God. It is such a powerful story of the forgiving spirit of God that some early ‘church fathers’, not to be confused with the apostles themselves, did not want it in the scriptures, but the Lord has preserved His Word and those who ‘know His voice’ can discern His voice in this story.

YbiChrist, Mike

[Posted August 1, 2020]

​T​o Mike,

Greetings​,​ Brother Mike​.​ I hope you and Sandi are doing well. Kindly comment on this Scripture below regarding the reference to the Book of Jasher.

2 Samuel 1:18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

Also:

Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

I thought this book is one of those apocryphas that are not inspired​.​ ​W​hy is it being referenced? What do we make of it?

Your brother, thanking God for the wisdom He has bestowed on you for our good and the privilege to partake of it with His saints.

M​____

Hi M​____,

Thank you for your question.

You ask:

“I thought this book [of Jasher] is one of those apocryphas that are not inspired​.​ ​W​hy is it being referenced? What do we make of it?

The reason the book of Jasher is not included in the scripture is that the holy spirit did not see fit to retain it​,​ and it no longer exists. The existing ‘Books of Jasher’ (there are several versions) are simply and obviously falsified, deceitful,​ ​spurious forgeries. It is not even apocryphal. It is simply spurious. In other words​,​ it is not “the book of Jasher” referred to in scripture. The real ‘book of Jasher’ simply has not been preserved along with about 21 other books referred to in the Old Testament.

Anyone who has any ability to hear the voice of the True Shepherd has to read very little in the book of Jasher before he realizes that it is indeed a spurious book passing itself off as the book mentioned in scripture. It most certainly is no such thing!

There are two sections of scripture which we must keep in mind as we “try the spirits” (1Jo 4:1) of such spurious works as the Book of Jasher, the book of Enoch, and any of the other books mentioned in scripture which are not included in the holy spirit inspired canon of scripture, which are the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament.

The first section of scripture is:

Joh 10:4  After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
Joh 10:5  They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice. (GWV)

The voice of the True Shepherd is not to be found in the book of Jasher​,​ as I will demonstrate with ​just a few examples in the form of quotes from the book of Jasher​,​ which flatly contradict​s​ scripture.

The second section which we must keep in mind tells us the same thing Christ is telling us in John 10:4-5, but in these words:

1Co 4:6  Brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself for your sake. You should learn from us not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. Then you won’t arrogantly place one of us in opposition to the other. (GWV)

Anything which adds to the scriptures is “go[ing] beyond what is written”. Anything which flatly contradicts scripture is “go[ing] beyond what is written​”​ in Scripture and is not the voice of the True Shepherd.

Here are a few of the patently unscriptural passages from the book of Jasher, which I have in my possession:

Book of Jasher ​C​ritique

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 1:18…what is there between me and thee that thou comest to dwell and bring thy flock to feed in my land?
Jasher 1:19 And Abel answered his brother Cain and said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that thou eat the flesh of my flock…

Bible:

Gen 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. [The meat of animals was not eaten before the flood,]

Only after the flood of Noah do we read:

Gen 9:3  Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 1:20 And now therefore, put off the wool of my sheep with which thou hast clothed thyself, and recompense me for their fruit and flesh which thou hast eaten…I will then go from thy land as thou hast said. [These are not the words of “righteous Abel”.]

Bible:

Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

The Book of Jasher:

Jasher 1:26 And after this Cain repented having slain his brother…

Bible:

Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? [No indication in scripture of any spirit of repentance]

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 2:14 Cainan reigned over the whole earth [pg 4, ch 2]

Bible:

Gen 5:12  And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
Gen 5:13  And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:14  And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

That is all the scriptures have to say about Cainan. Jasher is speaking “above what is written”.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 3:9 And all the kings of the sons of men, both first and last, together with their princes and judges, came to Enoch when they heard of his wisdom, and they bowed down to him, and they also required of Enoch to reign over them, to which he consented.
Jasher 3:10 And they assembled in all, one hundred and thirty kings and princes, and they made Enoch king over them and they were all under his power and command.

Jasher 3:20 …they feared to approach [Enoch] on account of the Godlike awe that was seated upon his countenance.

There is no scripture to back up any of this. This writer is “speaking above what is written”.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 3:23 …an angel of the Lord…wished to bring [Enoch] up to heaven to make him reign there over the sons of God.

Jasher 3:26-29 (a horse descended from heaven to take Enoch to heaven.)

Jasher 3:36 (pg 8) …upon the seventh day that Enoch ascended into heaven in a whirlwind, with horses and chariots of fire.

The Bible;

Gen 5:21  And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
Gen 5:22  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:23  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
Gen 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

The ‘whirlwind and chariots of fire’ refers to Elijah, not Enoch. Totally spurious!

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

“Translated” does not ​equate to “ascended up to heaven” as this spurious book tells us.

“That he should not see death” indicates that Enoch was “hated of all men” not proclaimed a king. Later in this same 11^th chapter of Hebrews we are told that Enoch “died in faith, not having received the promise”:

Heb 11:13  These all [including Enoch] died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 4:13 And the wife of Lamech conceived…

The book of Jasher always puts the emphasis on the woman, whereas the bible puts it on the man.

Bible:

Gen 5:3  And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
Gen 5:6  And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

Gen 5:9  And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

Gen 5:28 Lamech…begat a son.

Jasher has what Christ called “the voice of a stranger” throughout.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 6:28 And the ark…was tossed upon the waters so that all the living creatures within were turned about like pottage in a cauldron.

The Bible:

Gen 7:17 …the waters increased, and bare up the ark and it was lift up above the earth.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 7:24-30 (pg 15) (It is claimed that Adam and Eve’s garments God made were given to Enoch, then Methuselah, then Noah, then were stolen by Ham and later given to Cush, then to Nimrod after he grew up, and when he put them on, he became strong. Total hogwash with no scripture to verify such statements!)

Jasher 9:4-6 (It is claimed Abraham was raised in a cave to be saved from death by Nimrod for ten years [or three – not clear] then was raised with Noah and Shem [39 years] to learn God’s ways.

Jasher 12 (pg 30-31) [There is a recounting of Abraham (because he had destroyed Terah’s gods) and his brother being put in a fiery furnace in which Haran died but Abram was three days walking around in it. All totally spurious!]

Book of Jasher:

​Jasher ​8:1 And it was in the night that Abram was born, that all the servants of Terah, and all the wise men of Nimrod, and his conjurors came and ate and drank in the house of Terah, and they rejoiced with him on that night.
​Jasher ​8:2 And when all the wise men and conjurors went out from the house of Terah, they lifted up their eyes toward heaven that night to look at the stars, and they saw, and behold one very large star came from the east and ran in the heavens, and he swallowed up the four stars from the four sides of the heavens.
​Jasher ​8:3 And all the wise men of the king and his conjurors were astonished at the sight, and the sages understood this matter, and they knew its import.
​Jasher ​8:4 And they said to each other, This only betokens the child that has been born to Terah this night, who will grow up and be fruitful, and multiply, and possess all the earth, he and his children for ever, and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit their lands.
​Jasher ​8:5 And the wise men and conjurors went home that night, and in the morning all these wise men and conjurors rose up early, and assembled in an appointed house.
​Jasher ​8:6 And they spoke and said to each other, Behold the sight that we saw last night is hidden from the king, it has not been made known to him.
​Jasher ​8:7 And should this thing get known to the king in the latter days, he will say to us, Why have you concealed this matter from me, and then we shall all suffer death; therefore, now let us go and tell the king the sight which we saw, and the interpretation thereof, and we shall then remain clear.

The Bible:

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

It was “the Lord” who made this prophecy to Abram, not the “conjurors [and] wise men of Nimrod”. This is definitely not the voice of the True Shepherd.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 13:5 (pg 33) …Abram was fifty years old when he went from Haran.

The Bible:

Gen 12:4  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Book of Jasher:

​Jasher ​18:4 And the Lord appeared to him in the plain of Mamre, and sent three of his ministering angels to visit him, and he was sitting at the door of the tent, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and lo three men were coming from a distance, and he rose up and ran to meet them, and he bowed down to them and brought them into his house.

The Bible:

Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
Gen 18:3  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Gen 18:4  Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
Gen 18:5  And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
Gen 18:6  And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
Gen 18:7  And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
Gen 18:8  And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

The scriptures say nothing of Abraham bringing the three men into his tent​, let alone a house​. Speaking or even thinking “above what is written”​ is spurious!

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other.

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 20:6  [at the birth of Isaac] Also Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor his brother, came from Haran, they and all belonging to them…

The Bible:

Gen 11:32  And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

Gen 12:4  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Terah died in Haran before Abram left Haran at 75 years of age.

I will take the time to give one more spurious story from this book of total fiction. Notice how this writer has taken the wording of the first chapter of Job and applied to the story of Abraham offering up his son, Isaac:

Book of Jasher:

Jasher 22:46 And the day arrived when the sons of God came and placed themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with the sons of God before the Lord.
Jasher 22:47 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? and Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Jasher 22:48 And the Lord said to Satan, What is thy word to me concerning all the children of the earth? and Satan answered the Lord and said, I have seen all the children of the earth who serve thee and remember thee when they require anything from thee.
Jasher 22:49 And when thou givest them the thing which they require from thee, they sit at their ease, and forsake thee and they remember thee no more.
Jasher 22:50 Hast thou seen Abraham the son of Terah, who at first had no children, and he served thee and erected altars to thee wherever he came, and he brought up offerings upon them, and he proclaimed thy name continually to all the children of the earth.
Jasher 22:51 And now that his son Isaac is born to him, he has forsaken thee, he has made a great feast for all the inhabitants of the land, and the Lord he has forgotten.
Jasher 22:52 For amidst all that he has done he brought thee no offering; neither burnt offering nor peace offering, neither ox, lamb nor goat of all that he killed on the day that his son was weaned.
Jasher 22:53 Even from the time of his son’s birth till now, being thirty-seven years, he built no altar before thee, nor brought any offering to thee, for he saw that thou didst give what he requested before thee, and he therefore forsook thee.
Jasher 22:54 And the Lord said to Satan, Hast thou thus considered my servant Abraham? for there is none like him upon earth, a perfect and an upright man before me, one that feareth God and avoideth evil; as I live, were I to say unto him, Bring up Isaac thy son before me, he would not withhold him from me, much more if I told him to bring up a burnt offering before me from his flock or herds.
Jasher 22:55 And Satan answered the Lord and said, Speak then now unto Abraham as thou hast said, and thou wilt see whether he will not this day transgress and cast aside thy words.

The Bible:

Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Jasher 22:46-55 is a mixture of plagiarism and heresy. Nowhere in scripture is there any such an account of Satan coming in the midst of the sons of God and being asked by the Lord, “Whence came ye?” except in the book of Job. This is rank plagiarism mixed with the heresy that Abraham forsook the Lord. This is not the voice of our Shepherd. It is clearly the voice of a stranger:

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.

I could go on and on demonstrating the heresies of this spurious book, but this should be quite sufficient for anyone who knows the voice of the Truth Shepherd.

I hope I have helped you to see some of the heresies which are found in these few examples.

Your fellow servant, Mike

Hello Body,

Greetings!

Can anyone help me with a contrast between the holy spirit’s function as teacher, and that of teachers in the body?

Please help!

YBIC,

M____

Hi M_____,

Thank you for this question. It will serve to help us all to see just a little more clearly how closely Christ identifies with His body, the church, and all of its members.

You ask:

“Can anyone help me with a contrast between the holy spirit’s function as teacher, and that of teachers in the body?”

“The body” you reference is “the church which is His body”.

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: 

Christ tells us that if we know Him we know His Father and we are in Him and His Father:

Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

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

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

Christ tells us time and again that He and His Father are “one”, and that there is but “one spirit”.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

Then He tells us that we, through the spirit are one with Him and His Father, in the same manner that He and His Father are one:

Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

The way we are all “one” with Christ and His Father is through the spirit of His Father, which ‘He gives to those that ask Him’:

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? .

The holy spirit is “the holy spirit of God”, and it is through God’s holy spirit that Christ taught His disciples who He was, and yet He could still truthfully say this of what He had taught them:

Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

What this shows us is how the holy spirit prepares our hearts and opens our eyes and ears to receive the Truth, which is Christ and His doctrines. Then Christ uses “the church which is His body” to confirm what the holy spirit has already revealed to us and placed within our hearts and minds. That is what is taking place every time we read or hear a truth which we have never before understood, and we recognize immediately that we are ‘hear[ing the] voice of the [true] shepherd’.

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:

That is what has happened to all of us when we have heard a truth, and we say within ourselves, and sometimes out loud, ‘Yes, that is right! I knew that already, I just didn’t know how to say it!’

There is your answer. “You believe not because you are not of my sheep… My sheep hear my voice… and follow me”.

But Christ is not here in a physical body, so how do we “hear [His] voice” today? Well, this is what the scriptures tell us. This is how the holy spirit speaks to us today:

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

Now there are many people in many churches who claim to be teachers and prophets and who claim that their words come directly from God without the need of scriptural backing. This is what the scriptures say about everything we think, say or do:

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I did transfer to myself and to Apollos because of you, that in us ye may learn not to think above that which hath been written, that ye may not be puffed up one for one against the other, (YLT)

“The church” by which the holy spirit makes “known… the manifold wisdom of God” is also called “His body”.

Col 1:24  Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly, (REV)

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

1Co 12:12  For, just as, the body, is one, and yet hath many members, but, all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so, also, the Christ;

“His body… the Christ” is His “assembly” which the King James calls “the church”. “The church, which is His body”, has many members, and some of those members of that body are prophets and teachers.

1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Sometimes those prophets and teachers make mistakes. How then does the holy spirit go about correcting those teachers? This is how that is to be done:

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

“Many” means ‘the majority’ of prophets and teachers are “false prophets” who are gone out into the world with false spirits which are false doctrines which must be tried, and the only way to “try the spirits whether they are of God” is by the instructions we were given in 1 Corinthians 4:

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I did transfer to myself and to Apollos because of you, that in us ye may learn not to think above that which hath been written, that ye may not be puffed up one for one against the other, (YLT)

Here are a few examples of how the holy spirit corrected some New Testament prophets and teachers, and a very prominent man:

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

The holy spirit, through Christ, corrected Peter who had already been teaching others with Christ for over three years at this time, which was just before Christ’s crucifixion.

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

The holy spirit, through Christ in Paul, corrected Peter for his hypocrisy.

Here is what happened with the apostle John:

3Jn 1:9  I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
3Jn 1:10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 

The holy spirit through Christ in John, admonished an entire church and one of its prominent leaders, Diotrephes.

So the Biblical answer to your question is that there is no “contrast between the holy spirit’s function as teacher, and that of teachers in the body?”

We are expected to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God” by being familiar with the words of the True Shepherd. Those who know “what is written” will have no trouble recognizing “the voice of a stranger” instead of the voice of the True Shepherd, when they hear a minister tell them to ‘Go and sign up for the military and kill your enemies’. That is not the voice of Christ. That is the voice of anti-Christ, and Christ’s sheep will flee from that minister.

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.

“Know not the voice of strangers” means that Christ’s true sheep know from “that which is written”, that anyone who says ‘Go kill your enemy’ is not the voice of the True Shepherd, the Christ.

So we have been told that “the manifold wisdom of God [is being] made known by the church, [by] prophets and… teachers [whom] God has set in the church”, and we have been told by “that which is written”, that is how the holy spirit teaches us.

Christ Himself made that as clear as it can be made:

Luk 12:11  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 
Luk 12:12  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say [“not think(ing)] above that which is written”.

There it is. The holy spirit teaches through true men of God, who never “think above what is written”.

I hope this helps you to understand that the holy spirit and teachers in the body of Christ “are one spirit” and of “one mind” and are not distinguishable for that reason.

On the other hand “many false prophets” are easily tried and found to be so by simply knowing “that which is written” and recognizing whether what is being preached and taught is the voice of the True Shepherd, who has but “one spirit and one mind”:

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Your brother in that “one spirit and one mind” of Christ,

Mike

Video Links

Rev 10:5-11 In The Days of The Voice of The Seventh Angel

Rev 10:5  And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Rev 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go [ and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [ it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Introduction

The first thing we will do today is to review last week’s study. After that, our attention will be focused on the statement that “There should be time no longer”, in verse 6 and the meaning of “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets” in verse seven.
Several of the verses in this week’s study were a necessary part of last week’s study, so since we did not have the time to summarize last week’s study, we need to comment on the symbols of those verses as a review of what we learned last week, and as an introduction to our study of what “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel” means.

A review of the seven symbols of Rev 10:1-4

1) The mighty angel

Here is a brief overview of the seven symbols we discussed in our last study:
1) Who is this “mighty angel” described in verse one? We saw that this angel with His feet on our sea and our earth, speaking as a lion roars, is Christ as the Lord of our lives, who is subduing our every thought to Himself, at the expense of and making a prey of, the life of our old man.

2) The little book

2) What is this “little book” mentioned in verse two? We saw that this “little book” is contained within the book given to the slain Lamb in chapter 5, by the man on the throne. This is the same book which is written within and without with “lamentations,  mourning, and woe, because it is the revelation of Christ in His Christ, who must enter the kingdom through “much tribulation.”
There is a principle revealed to us in the story of Joseph, which tells us that when the Lord gives us something twice, it is simply a second witness to a single truth. The details may differ, but the meaning is the same, and the time is imminent.

Gen 41:25  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Gen 41:26  The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

The “book in the hand” in Ezekiel three and the book in the hand of the mighty angel in Rev 10, are one book. That is why both men are told to “Eat this book”. Christ told us in John six to “eat My flesh”. We are also told in the same sixth chapter of John that His flesh is His words, which are “the bread of life.”

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.

In this same chapter, what does Christ say gives us life? Here is the answer.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.(ASV)

So when Christ says “I will give my flesh for the life of the world”, what He is really saying, contradictory as it may sound to the natural man is, “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.” “Eat this bread”, and “eat this book”, is one and the same thing. Again, the book in Rev 5, which the man on the throne, gives to the Lamb, contains within it, this “little book”, which details the trials and tribulations of Christ in us.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Eze 2:10  And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

So the “little book” is sweet in our mouth, but it is bitter in our bellies. Christ is “the book of the life of the Lamb”, and our lives are the life of Christ in us. Our lives are the “little book” which we are told to eat, just as Christ told us to “eat my flesh… the true bread of life.” It is “out of the books” that we are “judged according to our works”.

Rev 13:8 And will worship him [ the beast within us] all those dwelling on the earth, of which not has been written the name in the scroll of the life of the lamb of that having been killed, from a casting down of a world. (EDT) Emphatic Diaglott
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

All of Christ’s words are good for us, and we will live by them all. But our lives are not sinless as was Christ’s life, and we will be judged out of those things which were written in the lesser books, according to how Christ has worked in us as the “little book”, as the Christ of Christ.

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.

3) His right foot on the sea, and His left foot on the earth

3) Why does He “set His right foot on the sea, and His left foot on the earth”?
We saw that whatever is under one’s feet is subjected to that person. Christ has been given all power in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

As such He is our King over our lives and over all we do.

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

4) The sea and the earth

4) What are “the sea and the earth”?
We saw that “the sea and the earth” are those realms below the heavens. As such they are the realm of the temporal, and the realm of death. The earth is pushed up our of the sea, but both the sea and the earth are still below the heavens, and both oppose heavenly things and are the enemies of Christ.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

5) The mighty angel cries with a loud voice, as a lion roars

5) Why does this mighty angel “cry with a loud voice, as when a lion roars”?
A lion roars only when he has taken his prey. The “roar of the lion” and having “the sea and the earth under His feet” are both compatible with Christ’s destruction of His enemy, “the body of this death”. Our salvation comes only through the death and destruction of our old man.

Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God [ and we all have], him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Lam 2:5  The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.
Lam 3:10  He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Lam 3:11  He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
Amo 3:4  Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
Amo 3:5  Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin [ is] for him? shall [ one] take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

6) The connection between the little book and the seven thunders

6) What is the connection between this “little book” and the seven thunders which are sealed up and not written?
We saw that this little book is introduced to us just before the seven thunders utter their voices. We also saw that John, the type and symbol of God’s elect, heard the voices of the seven thunders and “was about to write” what he had heard. If this little book is Christ and His Words in us, if John is the symbol of us and Christ in us, and if thunder typifies the wrath of God upon the unrighteousness of those who are to become His elect, then the connection between the revelation of this little book and the seven thunders, is the revelation of the work of Christ’s Words upon all that is within us which is contrary to those Words of Christ.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

7) Seal up the seven thunders

7) What is it that has been “sealed up and are not written”? What exactly is thunder? Exactly what is it that we are not being allowed to know? 
We saw that ‘thunder’ symbolizes the wrath of God, on all that withstands His Word and His Work.

Psa 18:7  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Psa 18:8  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Psa 18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

We saw that the Lord withholds nothing good from His elect.

Psa 34:10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

We also saw that it is just after telling us that the thunder of God’s wrath will destroy all that is contrary to His Words within us, we are told that “the secret things belong to God”.

Deu 29:24  Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
Deu 29:25  Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:
Deu 29:26  For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:
Deu 29:27  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:
Deu 29:28  And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as [ it is] this day.
Deu 29:29  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Compare these words of Deu 29 with these words of Rev 10.

Rev 10:2  And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
Rev 10:3  And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Rev 10:4  And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

Since we are told that we will not be given more than we can bear, it is obvious that what the seven thunders utter is “the secret things” which belong to God, concerning whatever lies ahead of us which we are not, at this moment, able to bear.

Joh 16:4  But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
Joh 16:5  But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
Joh 16:6  But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [ it].

We also saw the verses of God’s Word which promise to “prepare our hearts” before we are faced with any trial.

1Ch 29:18  O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: 
Psa 10:17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

It is only after we have been prepared, that we, with John, are given ears to hear the voices of the seven thunders and we are prepared for our trial which lies before us. But it is always sealed up, and we only hear it when we need to. It is “not written” because is it for us alone at that moment. “The secret thing belong to God knows what we will do tomorrow, but we do not know because “The secret things [ of our trials and tests] belong to God… because we have forsaken the covenant of our fathers… [ so] seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”

There should be time no longer

Now let’s look at the two verses we have not yet considered:

Rev 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

In verse six we are reminded that God is the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and the sea, and all the things which are therein. It is by our Creator that this great angel swears and declares “that there should be time no longer.” What are we being told? The thousand years have not yet even begun, and the great white throne judgment and the lake of fire is not yet finished, so why are we being told “that there should be time no longer”?

In the days of the voice of the seventh angel… the mystery of God should be finished.

The answer to this question is actually revealed in the next verse, verse 7, where we are told “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God should be finished as he has declared to his servants the prophets.” When we know what  the seventh trumpet is, and we know what the mystery of God is which He has declared to His servants, then we will understand why we are being told “that there should be time no longer”.

What is the voice of the seventh angel?

What happens “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel”? What happens at that time is the judgement of the world in us. As Christ plainly told His disciples just before His crucifixion.

Joh 16:8  And when he [ the holy spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

That judgment “must begin at the house of God”.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 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 days of the voice of the seventh angel is the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon our sins, as detailed in chapters 15 and 16. This study concerns the sixth trumpet, and we are in Rev 10. Chapter 15 lays the groundwork for the pouring out of the seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon our idols and our sins. Here is what we are told in the last two verses of that chapter.

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

“No man is able to enter the temple of God, till the seven plagues of the seven angels is fulfilled.” Put that phrase together with our verse here in chapter 10 and you should begin to understand what “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God should be finished” means.

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

The seventh seal, which is the seven trumpets, is opened in the first half of chapter 8. The last half of chapter 8 contains the events of all of the first four trumpets. Chapter nine contains the events of the fifth and sixth seals, which are referred to as two of “three woes.” These trumpets are even called “plagues” in chapter nine. Referring to the 2 hundred million army of the horse men of the sixth trumpet, “the second woe”, we are told this:

Rev 9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Rev 9:21  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

So the events of the seventh trumpet, which is also called “the seven last plagues”, are obviously not the only plagues, and they are not the only wrath of God. But what the seven last plagues do is “fill up the wrath of God.” What that tells us is that God’s wrath continues on all sin until “the last trump.” If that seventh and “last trumpet” has no place in our lives, then neither will the finishing of the mystery of God, nor the first resurrection.

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

If that mystery of the gospel is finished “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel” and if that mystery really is “Christ in you the hope of glory”, then we must conclude that the work of this seventh trumpet begins early in our spiritual lives and continues till we die and are raised and we are changed.
So we really do need to ask ourselves, How then will the mystery of God be fulfilled in you and me if the voice of this seventh angel has no personal application?  Christ tells us this is a book of signs and symbols, a book which reveals the beginning and the end of the entire process of Christ as He is being revealed in us. He tells us that we will “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” He tells us that these words are “a two edged sword,” and that “things present and things to come are ours.” He tells us we will realize this revelation only as we “look behind us”. So, for all those who believe that this book is telling them to avoid keeping the blasphemous lives which bring upon all men the plagues of the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials, instead of seeing this prophecy as an overview of the entire Adamic experience, we ask again, How will the mystery of God be fulfilled in you? How will you enter into the temple of God if these seven plagues are not experienced and “fulfilled” in your life?
So what is that mystery of God? We have already referenced this verse, but let’s rest assured that we are not left to speculate about this mystery. Here is that mystery which has been so long hidden, and which mystery ever since the death and resurrection of Christ is being finished “in the days of the seventh angel when He begins to sound” in our lives as He declared to His servants the prophets. Here is that great mystery. Here is the secret which has been hidden for so long.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Now let’s look at the verses which present the truth of this “mystery of God” to us, and as we do so, let’s notice just how similar to Ezekiel 2-3 and Rev 10 are presented as the necessary circumstances surrounding the revelation of this mystery.

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
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:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

We are “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard.” Why would we ever “be moved away from the hope of the gospel”? What does that good news, that gospel, entail? Is it a good news of smooth things that will make us independently wealthy, free from trials and well liked by all men is this life? Or is a gospel which teaches that no man can enter into the temple of God until the seven plagues of the seven angels has been poured out in his own life?

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

As Ezekiel phrases this same message:

Eze 2:9  And when I looked, behold, an hand [ was] sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book [ was] therein;
Eze 2:10  And he spread it before me; and it [ was] written within and without: and [ there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the holy spirit, tells us that “The hope of the gospel” entails “sufferings for you, and fill[ ing] up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
According to the Emphatic Diaglott there is an article before the word ‘Christ’ or ‘Anointed.’

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in the sufferings on behalf of you, and I fill up the wants of the afflictions of the Anointed one in the flesh of me on behalf of the body of him, which is the congregation;  (EDT)

Rotherham agrees with the Emphatic Diaglott.

Col 1:24 Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly, (REV)

“The tribulations of the Christ” are not yet filled up because the “lamentations, mourning, and woe, written within and without the little book” are not yet fulfilled, and the seven plagues of the seven angels are not yet fulfilled in “the Christ” which is the body of Christ, “which is the church.”
This book is called “the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [ it] by his angel unto his servant John:

Here is the King James Version.

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:

Apparently Christ was dead serious when He made this assertion to Saul of Tarsus as he journeyed to Damascus to imprison the followers of Christ.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Christ was also dead serious when He made these assertions:

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.

Those who “try the spirits to see whether they are of God” and actually speak those words of God and the words of Christ “line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little”, really are speaking the words of Christ, as He said they would.

Luk 10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:6  We [ those who “try the spirits” and “do not think above what is written” (1Co 4:6)] are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

When we persecute our brothers who “try the spirits to see whether they are of God”, we are persecuting Jesus of Nazareth:

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

So “the mystery of God”, “Christ in us”, is finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel. But it is not finished until the seven plagues of the seven angels is poured out in our lives, and that is all being done as we come out of Babylon. As the fuel of our idols is burned up, the pain of those words of fire is reduced till we become comfortable in those fiery words. But the story of King David, and the very fact that we “die daily” and we are being “crucified with Christ” remind us that the body of this death is with us until indeed we are dead to this world.

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

It is the seventh angel which is the last of the seven trumpet angels. What is the one thing we know happens in the days of the last trumpet? Here is what we are told.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For all who can receive it, these things are all already being done in earnest in the lives of all who have been sealed with the holy spirit of promise and who know no man after the flesh. Seven is not seven at all, and “the last trump is the finishing of the mystery of God”. It is not a seventh trumpet. For those who can receive it, seven does not mean seven it means complete.

Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Mat 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

It is few indeed who can receive the doctrine of these verses:

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are [ already] passed away; behold, all things are [ already] become new.

For those who can receive it, “This generation will not pass till all these things shall be fulfilled” (Mat 24:34), is fulfilled in these words:

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [ in the likeness] of [ his] resurrection:
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [ him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If we fail to “reckon ourselves dead to sin, but alive to Christ”, then we will never understand how “the mystery of Christ is finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.” But if we do so reckon things, then we will know that the seven churches are one church, the seven seals are one seal, the seven trumpets are one trumpet, and the seven plagues are one work of God upon the man of sin who is the kingdom of the beast with all of us.

Summary

Our review of last week’s study is our summary of that study. So we will summarize only what we have seen in verses 6-7, which were not covered in last week’s study. Here are those two verses

Rev 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

We have seen in this study that the phrase “there should be time no longer”, is simply stating that there will be no longer a delay of the events which begin in the days of the voice of the seventh angel. Here is this same verse in the American Standard Version.

Rev 10:6  and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer: (ASV)

We have also seen in this study that whenever a message is repeated, it is repeated with slightly different symbols as a second witness to a single message. Pharaoh’s two dreams were one message showing Pharaoh what was to shortly come to pass. Both the book of Ezekiel 3 and the little book of Rev 10 are revealing the same message, and that message is that we will prophesy before many people in the days of the voice of the seventh trumpet. It is through the eating of this little book, in which are written “lamentations, mourning, and woe”, that the mystery of God will be finished in the days of the beginning of the sounding of the seventh trumpet.  But all of this, as we will see next week, is revealed in the sixth trumpet, along with the account of the measuring of the temple and the death and resurrection of the two witnesses.
For reasons which we will discuss next week, the seven last plagues of the seventh trumpet are not poured out until chapter 16. The seventh trumpet, in which the mystery of God is to be finished, is mentioned as sounding in chapter 11 but the seven plagues of that trumpet are not poured out upon the earth until chapter 16.
Lord willing, our study next week will be in chapter 11, which concerns the measuring of God’s temple and the death and resurrection of God’s two witnesses.  We are told that these events are the passing of the sixth trumpet which is also called the second woe.

I know you said not to give another thought about this man, but — here is another prophecy. It doesn’t seem that he is attributing anything to our “free will” but, instead promotes obedience in taking up our daily cross.

“… This causes the harlot nature in you to stop up her ears and scream in torment because she alone wants to be seen as the fanciful one, as the one catering to your fleshly desires. But you choose, by an act of your personal volition, to worship and praise Jesus alone. This kills off any form of self in either its exaltation or its self promotions. … Behind the Lord a great star fell, a star named wormwood, and it smote the earth IN PRESENT TIME. As the star smote the earth the earth became much polluted with the bitterness of this hour and a large portion of mankind died in this great gall of bitterness. This was a judgment of the Lord upon the world of men for our time, it is happening even at this moment, that there is a judgment which cannot be thwarted nor erased for the Lord has determined the time for this to happen and the purpose which He has purposed can no man remove or deny. This judgment of the casting down of this star will cause men to be bitter in the experience of the Lord’s judgments in the earth, even in our time. Rev 8:11.

J____

Hi J____,

This man is indeed attributing things to our “free will.” He said so in his last e- mail. and he says so in this “prophecy.” Do you have some reason to believe he has repented of saying, “God wants us of our own free will to choose to obey Him?” That is what He said. Now look at what is in this “prophecy.”
Here is the last prophecy:

I did subject creation to this futility so that I could find those who would obey My word and come into My image by free choice and by perfect obedience through sufferings.

Here is the same doctrine in this e- mail

But you choose, by an act of your personal volition, to worship and praise Jesus alone. This kills off any form of self in either its exaltation or its self promotions.

“Choosing by an act of your personal volition” does not “kill off any form of self.” It exalts “your own personal volition,” and flatly denies that “it is not of him that wills.”

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Of course he “promotes obedience in taking up our daily cross.” All of Christendom, does that. That has been the Adversaries method of operation since the garden of Eden. Quote God and then twist what He said all at the same time. The word ‘Babylon’ means ‘confusion.’ So the Adversary will agree with God 99% of the time. He will agree that “God is love” even as he tells you to kill your enemies, and tell us all how stupid it is to love someone who really is your enemy. He will agree that God is sovereign, even as he tells us that “God wants us of our personal volition, to worship hand praise Jesus alone.”
If I say that God is sovereign, and that self has nothing to do with my salvation, and I repeat that statement 100 times during a Bible study, but then, right at then end of my talk, I tell you that “God wants us of our own personal volition, to worship and praise Jesus alone,” have I not just contradicted everything I have been saying for the previous hour?
That is the Adversary’s way. He agrees with God and then denies God’s words, and you and I are not supposed to even notice.
Here is how Webster defines ‘volition:’

“Volition is the actual exercise of the power which the mind has of considering or forbearing to consider an idea.”

Your friend is again teaching that the beast is supreme over your salvation in direct contradiction to this truth of God’s word:

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

That verse puts the beast in his proper place. “Personal volition” is never mentioned.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

That puts “personal volition” in its proper perspective. ‘ It is not of personal volition…’ It is not of “the power of the mind.” It is “all of, by and through God,” and here is why that is:

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

“Not of us” means not of “your own personal volition,” but acknowledging that God had to strike us down on the road to Damascus where we were intent on killing those who believe that “all things are of God,” including our time in Babylon, and including every move we make, be it good or evil, it is God who “works all things after the counsel of His own will.”

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Until we acknowledge the truth of that verse, God is working with an evil spirit to keep us from seeing the reality of His sovereignty.
God wills to deceive and later He wills to reveal His true doctrine. Only after we are given to “tremble at His Word,” and “keep his commandments” are we given to understand “the doctrine of Christ.”

Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

This ‘prophecy’ is straight out of his fertile mind. He “speaks of himself,” and it is not “of God,” except in the sense that God has sent an evil spirit to deceive.

Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Eze 14:10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

The “destruction” of the old man is his very salvation:

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

It is very difficult to admit that your prophecies and tongues were actually of the Devil. I know because I have had both and was forced to acknowledge that they are not scriptural. That is nothing less than the death of the old man and all the pride he takes in all he has taught for so many years. It is hard for a person who thinks he is rich to acknowledge that he is a penniless beggar in spiritual terms. It is hard for a person who thinks he is healthy and strong to realize he needs a physician, and it is hard for a person who thinks he has 20/20 vision to acknowledge that he really cannot see his own hand in front of his face spiritually:

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And [ some] of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

This man’s prophecies are not scripture, and by claiming that the Lord showed him these things, he is “adding to the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” The Lord in NOT judging this secular world at this time. When Christ said “For judgment I have come into this world…” He is talking about the house of God first. He is not referring to calamities like those Galileans who died under Herod or those who died when the towers fell or any other calamity. Calamities are common to every age of mankind. Christ made that abundantly clear:

Luk 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luk 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Now that is a prophecy which is true. It is the words of Christ and He is telling you and me that calamities prove nothing more than to serve as a lesson to those who are given eyes and ears to see and hear. Those who are given such eyes and ears never, ever think in the terms of God judging this world as is laid out in your friend’s teachings. Those who are given eyes and ears that see and hear “the voice of the true shepherd” know that voice because it is always speaking to them individually and never to the outside world. “Except YOU repent” is addressed to you and me, etc., not to this world, who have “not been given eyes to see or ears to hear.”Christ never denounced Rome, and He never proclaimed judgment upon those who were destroyed in any calamity. His entire focus was upon His kingdom and its subjects. All true subjects of that kingdom know that God’s kingdom and God’s house is within.

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

That is why Christ said that the victims of any physical calamity should serve only to tell you and me that we will likewise perish unless we repent. Christ never even expected physical Israel or physical Rome to repent or to do anything other than to reject Him and crucify Him. We are yet in darkness if we expect anything less.
Your friend may well have had his visions, but the spirit that brought them to him telling him that God is judging this world now is a lying spirit.

1Ki 22:19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

God is not judging this world at this time. His entire focus at this time is to “give them eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear lest they should be converted and He should heal them.”
All who claim that God wants this world to repent at this time are persuaded of “lying spirits” from the Lord.

Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Eze 14:10  And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh  unto him;

Do not “seek unto him”. He is “adding to the words of the prophecy of this book” and does not “tremble at God’s Word,” but rather presumptuously adds to it. It is God who is blinding this world. The only people being judged at this time are “the house of God” alone, not this world.

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?
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

God cannot be giving this world eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear and at the same time be judging them. The judgment of this world will take place in the lake of fire, and at that time the world will repent and come to its Maker with a whole heart. That is what judgment accomplishes:

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

The fact that he isn’t emphasizing his doctrine of free will in today’s prophecy, doesn’t mean that he has repented of that false doctrine. It is still throughout this prophecy:

The Lord was looking upon the earth in the area where the nations of Georgia and Russia meet and there was upon His face the look of great grief. A tremendous sorrow over men and that man had become so violent towards each other and that this was indeed the place of a war amongst men, which war grieved the Lord greatly. Not only the war, but it grieved the Lord that men had become so violent in the earth.

If indeed these words were a prophecy from Christ, then we should consider them as such, and include them with scripture. These words are not from Christ. Your friend is saying “Thus saith the Lord, when the Lord has not spoken.” Sure men are still sinning and warring just as they did in the days of Noah before the flood. But there is a difference between now and then from a Biblical perspective. Whereas God described Himself as grieved with the world at that time, this is how He feels since Christ came into the wold:

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19  To wit, t hat God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [ you] by us: we pray [ you] in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

It is the ministers of Babylon, whether in or out of an organized denomination, who teach that God is judging the world at this time. He is doing nothing of the kind. This is what the scriptures say about those who say otherwise:

Deu 18:20  But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Deu 18:21  And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
Deu 18:22  When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Your acquaintance has said that God wants us to choose Him of our own free will. Those are words which will never come to pass, simply because they would be defying the Word of God.

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

I have been in Babylon and was as sincere then as I am now, but I have repented of every false doctrine as the Lord gave me eyes to see. Not as I chose of my “own personal volition.” When your acquaintance openly repents of teaching false doctrines and stops “adding to the words of the prophecy of this book,” then he will be worthy of your time. Until that time, do not be afraid of a single word he speaks. Here is a perfect description of his prophecies:

Eze 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.

This prophecy is still full of the Babylonian, free will doctrine even as he denies that anything is of self. Here is proof in this very prophecy of how he is doing what the Adversary always does:

But you choose, by an act of your personal volition, to worship and praise Jesus alone. This kills off any form of self in either its exaltation or its self promotions.

That is a contradictory statement and a lie. If we “choose by an act of personal volition” then that is an act of “ personal volition.” ‘Personal volition’ is not “God working in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” This man exalts self even as he condemns doing so. He never exalts the words of God which say “it is not of him that wills but of God who either shows mercy or hardens hearts.” This man does not believe that God hardens hearts. He believes in a free will. Write Him and ask him straight forwardly if he believes mankind has a free will. If he denies that He believes in free will, then he needs to start emphasizing the sovereignty of God and saying what the scriptures say.
There is no need for all these his so called prophecies. We are commissioned to “preach the Word,” not come up with new words.

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
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Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

I cannot imagine sending out ‘prophecies’ as this man does and claiming they are from the Lord. That is nothing less than “adding to… the words of the prophecy of this book.” This man’s prophecies show no fear of that warning. He is speaking presumptuously, and without any fear or trembling at the words of this dire warning. What does that tell of of this man?

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isa 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

Of course he says “let the Lord be glorified… take up your cross and follow Christ,” and at the same time he is teaching contrary to “the voice of the true shepherd.”
He was decrying the fact that “no one responds” to his prophecies in that last prophecy you sent me. I cannot conceive of doing such a thing. Why complain about the fact that God has blinded the whole world? Those who respond to what is written on IWWB are exactly those who God wants to respond. Those who do not are not intended to do so. Why would I dare to complain about what God is doing?
All of these scriptures I am quoting are true of you and him and me. We are each where God has us as He “works all things after the counsel of His own will.” But he has no fear of Rev 22:18-19. He adds to the sayings of this book with every “prophecy ” he sends out. The Lord is not speaking those words. They are not the voice of the true shepherd, and while he does what the Adversary always does, and quotes a lot of scripture and makes some very good points, he is still teaching falsehoods and denying doing so even as he does it.
I pray the Lord will give you the ability to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God” and will give you deliverance from this man’s additions to the sayings of the prophecy of this book. He is adding to the plagues therein with every prophecy his sends out. We all do that at some time in our lives, but we need to “repent or else our candlestick will be removed.”

Rev 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

This brother sees Babylon in the churches, but not in himself. He has lost his first love and does not “tremble at God’s warning words.” Do not fear what this man says.
As I said in my last e- mail, I have never heard of this man, and I certainly am not questioning his character. I truly believe that “all things are of God” and that includes this man and His prophecies. But I do not hear the voice of the true shepherd in His writings.

Joh 10:5 They will not go after another who is not their keeper, but will go from him in flight, because his voice is strange to them. (BBE)
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Rom 3:18 There is no fear of God [ or His warnings] before their eyes.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

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Revelation 1:15 – Feet Like Unto Brass

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

As always, we are being taught to “keep the things written therein.” We are being taught the same things all the apostles were taught. What the apostles all learned was what Paul, Peter and John all called “the revelation of Jesus Christ:”

Gal 1:11  But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Gal 1:12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

… and of course this very book, penned by John himself:

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

What we are learning in this study is that as Christ’s elect we are to this world exactly what Christ was when He was in a body of flesh and blood.  We reveal Christ to others in this world through our lives, just as the Father was revealed to us by Christ and His way of life.

Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

As Christ is to us, the revelation of His Father, even so we are to this world “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” What we are learning is that the revelation of Christ takes place within each of us because we are told… “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.

We are learning that as we come to see more of “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” what we are seeing is that the revelation of Jesus Christ has to do with Christ in us being Christ in this world.

Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

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

So how is it that Christ’s feet are “like unto fine brass,” and why are we told that His feet are “as if they burned in a furnace?” Why are we not told that Christ’s feet are as gold, as if they were in air-conditioned comfort?

“And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;”

All of these symbols of the book of Revelation come from the Old Testament. For example, Revelation 1:15 comes from Daniel 10:6.

Dan 10:6 His body also [was] like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Many months ago we did a study on metals in scripture. That study is to be found in its entirety on iswasandwillbe.com, with the series beginning here. In our study on the base metal copper, we saw that the sockets of the feet of all the boards which made up the tabernacle in the wilderness, were all made of silver, except for the sockets which held the pillars on which the curtains hung, which formed the door of the holy place. What we learned in that study was that God had promised His overcomers that He would make them pillars in His temple, and it just so happens that the sockets which hold the pillars at the door of the tabernacle are not made of silver, but they are made of fine brass.

Exo 26:36  And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
Exo 26:37  And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, [and] their hooks [shall be of] gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

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

What we learned in that study on metals is what we are learning in this study. We came to see that the only place pillars are found in God’s tabernacle were five pillars at the door of the tent and four pillars at the door of the holy of holies. Only the feet, or the sockets of the pillars at the door of the tent, were to be made of fine brass, which should have been translated ‘copper.’ The message we were given in that study was that it is only through God’s elect that anyone can come into the presence of God because “As He is so are we in this world.”

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

So there is a very good reason why Christ’s feet are “like unto fine brass” instead of fine gold, and there is a very good reason why we are told that they are “as if they burned in a furnace.” That reason has to do with the fact that Christ was “made sin,” and “took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham” and in that body of sinful flesh, He endured the fiery trials of resisting sin and false doctrines as a way of life.

“As He is so are we in this world” is true only because of the truth of the verses quoted in earlier studies concerning the fact that Christ “took not on Him the nature of angels, but He took on him the seed of Abraham.” That “seed of Abraham” was indeed the “the same… flesh and blood… seed of Abraham… made in the likeness of sinful flesh… as the children.” It was not some different kind of flesh and blood.

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Heb 2:12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Heb 2:13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Here again is why Christ’s feet are “like unto fine brass” instead of fine gold. Here again those who deny the truth of Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 2:3-17 are called “that spirit of antichrist.”

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

So while the whole world is looking for a certain man to come at the end of this age as the Antichrist, we are clearly warned that that prophecy is, was and will be being fulfilled every day that anyone denies that Christ has “come in… the same… sinful flesh and blood… as the children… of Abraham.”  This is a matter of spiritual life and spiritual death. Did Christ come as a man, or does this next verse of scripture contradict what we are told here in 1 John 4:3?

Mat 1:20  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

This verse has been used since the days of the apostles Paul and John to deny that Christ was really a son of Abraham and thus a son of Adam, as well as being “of the holy ghost.” The whole orthodox Christian world has taken it upon themselves to save Christ from being tainted with the sin that is in all flesh:

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.

If “no good thing” dwells in our flesh would that not also be true of Christ’s flesh? Let’s let Christ himself answer that question:

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

These words out of the mouth of our Lord accord with the words of Hebrews 2… “the same flesh and blood…like unto sinful flesh…not the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, flesh and blood,” which it “behoved Him in all things to be like unto His brothers.” Just as men could not see how Christ could be both “out of Judah” and at the same time be “out of Nazareth”, neither can carnal men understand how Christ can be “born of the holy ghost” and also be “the Son of Man.” Until this very day mankind cannot see how our Savior can be “made sin who knew no sin,” and yet that is the doctrine which is according to godliness, as contrasted to the spirit of Antichrist. Here is a second warning against this millennial old doctrine which has always dominated orthodox Christianity.

2Co 5:21 For the man who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist

Just as the Adversary has always done, he speaks with a forked tongue. He admits that God is love, and with the same tongue and in the same breath, he tells you that this loving God and heavenly Father, will burn His children in hell for all eternity. So it is with this doctrine of Christ coming in “the same flesh and blood as the children of Abraham.” All of orthodox Christianity proclaims that Christ came in the flesh, and with the same forked tongue of their father the devil (Joh 6:44) they deny that it is “the same flesh as that flesh and blood of the children of Abraham.”

Here is the doctrine of a dear brother who bought into this body the heretical doctrine which denies that the flesh of Christ is the same as ours:

“Your point about Psalm 51:5 is again out of line with the scriptures. You say my take on this scipture is “Catholic orthodoxy”. No, Mike, that’s just plainly not true. It is you that deny the Gospel of Matthew, and the Gospel of Luke and call those Gospels’ “false doctrines.” The Gospel accounts of both Matthew and Luke tell us that Christ was born of a virgin mother, not conceived in sin as you state. Christ was born Holy, not shapen in iniquity as you state, and both of those statements by Matthew and Luke are in line with all the prophecies of Christ in the O.T. Psalm 51:5 is clearly David talking about himself, and about all of mankind. It is not in reference to Christ. Christ did not come in the “same” flesh as we do, he came in the LIKENESS of our flesh.”

“There is no scripture anywhere that says Christ was either carnally minded, sinful, conceived in sin or shapen in iniquity. Jesus Christ is, was and will be our spotless, unblemished sacrifice and savior, He was perfect just as His Father is in Heaven.”

That is how the phrase “likeness of sinful flesh”  is twisted to make it say that “Christ did not come in the same flesh as we do.” Compare those words to these words of our Lord, and then try the spirits to see whether they are of God:

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

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

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

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;

Do any of those scriptures say “[Christ] was perfect just like His Father in heaven”? I think not!

Why are Christ’s feet as brass? Because they represent “His body… in the likeness of sinful flesh.”

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Christ’s body, His true church, is always walking in fiery trials:

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

Christ is now in “our flesh.” We are now His body and His feet, which move his body. We are now “His flesh and His bones”:

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

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

As if they burned in a furnace, Christ’s feet are what move “His body” as He walks. Christ is now walking in the same sinful flesh and blood in which He came to this earth. He is now in you and in me, and if we are faithful to His doctrines, we are even now “as if we were in a furnace.” Here is the scripture which tells us this is so:

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

What day is “the day?” “The day” is the day of judgment. It is a fiery day which will burn up all that cannot withstand the fire. It will burn out all of the “wood, hay, and stubble” that is in our lives.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [ are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

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?

God’s word is the ‘fire’ which judges all flesh. Yes, it even declares that the flesh and blood of our spotless Savior cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and even Christ had to be “perfected on the third day,” the day of His resurrection.

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

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

It takes time for the wood, hay and stubble to be burned out of our lives, to bring us to perfection. When we read that His feet burned in a furnace, it is interesting to note that the only other place that this Greek word translated ‘burned’ appears in the book of Revelation is in Revelation 3:18, and here it is translated ‘tried’.

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried [G4448: ‘puroo’]  in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned [G4448: ‘puroo’] in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

The same word is also translated ‘fiery’ in Ephesians 6:15-16.

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

The ‘fiery’ in 1 Peter 4:12 is also from the root of this same Greek word.

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:

Rev 1:15  … And his voice as the sound of many waters.

What is meant by the phrase “many waters?” Why is the voice of Christ said to be “as the sound of many waters? The scriptures demonstrate that the phrase “many waters” is another way of saying the people of God, whether God’s people are being ruled over by a “great whore” or whether they are around the throne of God in heaven. Wherever we see this phrase, we are seeing a reference to the people of God. Here is how the spirit has inspired this phrase to be used:

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

That is the negative application of this phrase. Look now at these entries for this phrase:

Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

As we will soon come to see, “the voice of many waters and the voice of a great thunder and the voice of harpers harping with their harps” are all one and the same. All three are symbols of God’s people.

Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Once again, “the voice of a great multitude and the voice of many waters and the voice of mighty thunderings” are all the voices of God’s elect “ saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

Conclusion

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

We have seen that the feet “as fine brass” are the feet of Christ and His Christ. We have seen that the feet of Christ are always “as if they burned in a furnace” as we carry the body of Christ through the fiery trials which are “the things which are written therein.” We have also seen that the sound of many waters is also Christ and His elect, speaking the fiery words of Christ which judge this world in us and burn out of us all that cannot withstand that fire.

We have seen that “as He is so are we in this world” (1Jo 4:17).

Does the world need Christ?

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
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.

Yes, the world needs Christ. No matter how popular Oprah may be, the Truth will always remain that the name of Jesus Christ is the only name by which men can be saved.

Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

What does “the name of Christ” mean? What does “as He is so are we in this world” mean? Can we carry that thought through to the extent that we can be called saviors? Yes, we have already established that fact with these verses:

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.

“You gave them saviors.” Is this the only verse which brings this out? No, it is not. Here it is again:

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.

What kingdom shall be the Lord’s? Is this talking exclusively about the millennial kingdom, or do these “saviors” include you and me as that “kingdom of God within you?”

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

If ‘saviors come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau’ and if “the kingdom is the Lord’s” and if that “kingdom is within us,” then it follows that mount Zion and the mount of Esau, must also be within us, the former judging the latter, within us. Is this not what we are being told in these verses of God’s Word?

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the 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.
Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:22  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

In our next study, Lord willing, we will discover what is the meaning of the symbolism of our next verse:

Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength.

Rev 1:10 – Part 3,  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet

[Updated September 15, 2023]

Last week we saw with many verses of scripture cited that being “in the spirit” was nothing more or less than living out “the words that I say unto you, [which] are spirit.” Being “in the spirit” is nothing other than keeping “the things that are written therein.” We also saw that “the Lord’s day” is absolutely not a day of the week, but is rather “that great and terrible day of the Lord” which is the “day of wrath and fierce anger to destroy sinners out of the land.” We have seen in the scriptures, that “the day of the Lord,” just like all of “the things which are written therein” in God’s Word, “never passes away.” It is always “nigh at hand,” and “the Lord’s day” is intended to be lived in “this generation,” meaning every generation which is “reading the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Here again is our weekly reminder as to how we are to approach God’s Word:

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

Which accords with Christ’s other words in:

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

There are many false prophets who tell us that Christ’s words here in Matthew 24 and in the book of Revelation, were addressed only to the people of that day, as if the words “Whoso readeth, let him understand” were not even there.

A brother once commented, “If I do not see my name written on every page of God’s Word, then I am taking away from or adding to that word.” That is the Truth, and that is why Christ tells us:

Mat 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

These words are addressed only to those with “eyes that see and ears that hear.” They are not addressed to the spiritually blind and deaf who cannot see or hear the words “whoso readeth…”.

We have been shown that “the words of this prophecy” are the same as “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Finally, we also saw that “the great voice” which John heard “behind him” was nothing less than the voice of the true shepherd of the Lord’s sheep. That “great voice” is, was and will always be “my words which will never pass away.” We saw that the ability to hear that “great voice” is really nothing less than the gift of discernment of spirits and the ability to hear and distinguish the “voice of the true shepherd” of God’s sheep from the voice of “another Jesus with another gospel and another spirit.”

This week we will see who is given ears to hear this great voice, why the voice was behind John, and why that great voice is said to be “as a trumpet.”

Who hears this “great voice as a trumpet?”

We are actually given the answer to this question. That straight forward answer is:

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

Christ reinforced to whom it is given to hear His “great voice as a trumpet” in:

Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

Christ then explains that all the people called to this marriage were too busy doing good works to come to the marriage supper of the King’s Son, and He concludes:

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen [to see or hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God and to be at that marriage supper].

Remember the story of Gideon and his army. Gideon is a type of Christ. Gideon’s final army of three hundred men typifies Christ’s elect who have Christ, the light of the world, in earthen vessels, which earthen vessels are destroyed in the battle to which they are called. It is through the destruction of those earthen vessels by the trumpets which call us to battle, that God’s elect fight and win the battle to which they are called. Victory requires the destruction of the earthen vessels by the trumpets. Yet we have those who teach en masse that the trumpets are not for us, because we never experience God’s wrath. It all amounts to saying that certain parts of God’s Word have no personal application.

Jdg 6:34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
Jdg 6:35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

The whole of Israel hears and answers the call of the trumpet, but very few are chosen from those who respond to actually conduct and fight the battle. Gideon had 32,000 respondents, but ended up with only 300 men in his army.

Jdg 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

Babylon within and without both boldly proclaim that they are “saving the world for Christ.” When we first come to Christ, we all think we did so because we chose to do so. Outwardly also, those are their own words. They actually boast that they are the ones who are “saving the world for Christ,” instead of Christ saving the world for them.

What does God do under these ever present circumstances?

Jdg 7:3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

Gideon’s original army was 32,000. “Many are called but few are chosen” to deliver God’s people. 99% of God’s own people have far more fear of the “foes of [their] own household” (Mat 10:36), and being “hated of all men” (Mat 10:22) than they fear God. Our calling is not really a marketable calling to which the masses of God’s people will flock in droves. It is actually those who do not at first leave Christ who end up eventually selling out our Lord.

After “many went back and [no longer] walked with [the Lord]”, this is what we are told of the few (12) remaining disciples:

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Joh 6:71 He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Through Adam in us all, we, too, deny our Lord and crucify Him and all of the prophets (Luk 11:50-51).

So what does God do when so many respond to His call and yet do not really have their heart in His service?

Jdg 7:4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

Judges 7:4 is the Old Testament way of telling us what Christ tells us in the New Testament:

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen.

I am often asked, “How many do you think are chosen to be God’s elect?” The answer to that question is the answer to our question, “Who hears the great voice as a trumpet?” It certainly is not anyone who doesn’t believe that some of those trumpets are for them. This story of Gideon demonstrates that it is only those whose clay vessels are destroyed by the trumpets who are given to “hear a great voice as a trumpet.”

Jdg 7:19  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the [clay] pitchers that were in their hands.
Jdg 7:20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the [clay] pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

Consider carefully these words of our Lord, because Babylon cannot see or hear these words:

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

Joh 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

What do these verses show us? They show us God’s word is eventually for “all men” of all time. They are for “the world.” They show us that all “man[kind] will live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” in their appointed time. Even the words He said to the adversary:

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

The false doctrine of the rapture, combined with the false doctrine of an immaculate conception, either of Christ or His mother Mary, are believed by most of orthodox Christianity. When it is not believed by some, they willingly tolerate their own differences and think nothing of “leavening the whole lump.” The whole lump has been leavened to the point that God makes this incredible statement:

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

Consequently, at this time, most of mankind cannot understand how one can be “saved from the wrath to come” by “being children of wrath, even as others” now. Neither can they understand how one “will not be judged” by being judged now. They cannot understand how one can “lose his life” now, in order to “find it.” Most men simply are not given to understand how it is possible for one who is “drawn from the breasts” is made mature in Christ by becoming “as this… humble… little [teachable] child” now. The multitudes who come to Christ simply are not at this time being given to understand how one is given spiritual sight only if they admit that they are spiritually blind (Joh 9:39-41). It is not given to the multitudes of Christians to understand how we are Christ’s sons (1Jo 3:2) and His wife (2Co 11:2), both at the same time.

Only those who can hear that “great voice as a trumpet” can see and hear “the things of the spirit” (1Co 2:14), and understand clearly how there is a “beast [that] was, and is not, and yet is” and see no contradiction at all in that statement.

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

To the natural man God’s Word is full of contradictions, and when you are faithful to those words of God, you, too, will be accused of contradicting yourself by the very people who “oppose themselves.”

2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Christ said He came into this world “for judgment”:

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

It is only those who are “in the spirit on the Lord’s day,” being judged of Christ now “in this present time” (Rom 8:18), who can read and hear the words of this prophecy and “keep those things which are written therein” or who even understand that “the time is at hand.”

Only those who are now being judged (1Pe 4:17) can read and hear. Both ‘read’ and ‘hear’ mean ‘to spiritually understand.’ It is only those who read and understand how all of these apparent contradictions are actually great hidden truths which the world “cannot receive” who are “hearing a great voice as of a trumpet.”

For example:

1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

If while in these vessels of clay we are being judged by the fiery trials of this life and we are enduring the chastening and scourging of God’s wrath on our sins now and God pours out his wrath on us “for a little moment… [now] that we should not be condemned with the world,” only then are we acknowledging that “we were all by nature children of wrath even as others…” and only then will we be “delivered from the wrath to come.”

Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

This verse is not saying that if we “hide in our chambers” we will never experience God’s indignation on our sins.

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

What Isaiah 26:20 is saying is that we had better not be flaunting our sins as the Corinthian fornicator did. What it is saying is that the sooner we acknowledge and repent of our blindness and our sins, the sooner “the indignation [will] be overpast.” The very next verse makes it crystal clear that “what we sow is what we will reap:”

Isa 26:21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

The “little moment” of Isaiah 26:20 is the same “small moment” of Isaiah 54:7-8.

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

The way we avoid “the wrath to come” is the same way we avoid any of the words of God. We live them first. We live them now and thereby avoid “the wrath to come”:

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Do we really believe that those who “enter into their chambers and shut the doors about them” are somehow not “of the earth” and will not “reap what they sow?”

God will forsake us all “for a moment” in which our bodies of sinful flesh will be destroyed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. As with all God’s Word, this will be lived by us, both within and without.

Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Salvation comes only through “God’s fury” upon our sinful dying bodies of flesh. This is what Christ Himself endured as a ‘body of death’ on the cross. Knowing the necessity of it all still could not keep His flesh from crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, *My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Who hears this “voice as of a great trumpet?” The sum of God’s Word shows us that not every man can receive God’s word at this time. God’s Word is “the testimony of Jesus Christ” to God’s elect, but that same word is also a testimony against all who teach that we are not to “keep the things that are written therein.”

Mat 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

All we do is remain faithful and say, “Yes, I have indeed kept the things written therein.” Contrariwise they testify against themselves that they have taught men not to keep the things written therein, but rather than acknowledge that we have all, in the past, been children of disobedience, they say we are instead to guard against doing so.

Mar 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Act 10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Act 10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
Act 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

“Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly, but not to all the people, but unto [His two] witnesses…unto us” are who eat and drink with Him in His resurrected “spiritual body.”

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

As His “chosen… witnesses” we also should not be praying for the world, but for those God has given us, for they are Christ’s body. They are those who are enduring the trials that are endured by all those who are living “in the spirit on the Lord’s day, hearing behind them a great voice, as of a great trumpet.”

Why is the voice behind John? Let’s look at this verse in the context of the next two verses:

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

John “heard behind [him] a great voice as of a trumpet, and he “turned to see the voice that spoke to [him].” Where was John when he turned around to see this “great voice?” We can know where John was “in spirit” by what he says when he “turned to see the voice that spoke to [him].” What John saw tells us where he was. Let’s read the next verse:

Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

The only place any man who had “kept the things written in this book” could be standing and “looking behind” himself and seeing the seven golden candlesticks” which are in the holy place, is if he himself is standing in the holy of holies.

The tabernacle and the temple always faced the east. One could only enter into the temple from the east. If John “looked behind [himself]” and saw “seven golden candlesticks”, then he had passed through the veil that was torn at the death of Christ, and He was in the very presence of the Lord Himself.

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

In other words, John (signifying you and me) was in the very temple of God and in the very presence of God, as Christ was being revealed within him:

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2, and many other verses of God’s Word, reveal that if we are “raised up together and made to sit together… in Christ Jesus,” then we are, at this very moment, “seated with Him in His Father’s throne in the heavens.” Yes, it is all “in earnest of the spirit” (Eph 1:14), but from Christ’s perspective it is a present reality with a future completion:

1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Where are we in the Revelation of Jesus Christ? We all are at the very point where we can look behind us and see Him walking among our candlesticks. We are all right where we see him in a glass (mirror) and “are changed into that same image, from glory to glory.” We are not seeing today what we will see tomorrow, because the revelation of Jesus Christ is, was, and will be, “as He is” as we see that image more clearly “from glory to glory.”

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord. (KJV)

2Co 3:17  This Lord is the Spirit. Wherever the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom.
2Co 3:18 As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (GW)

2Pe 3:18  But grow [“from glory to glory”] in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

In scriptural terms, “turning to see the voice behind us” and “reflecting the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils… being changed into His image with ever increasing glory” is the same thing. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ within to whatever degree that revelation has come thus far in each of us. It is all of “the Lord, [who] is the spirit.”

Why was the great voice said to be “as a trumpet?”

The answer to this question is revealed throughout God’s word for those with eyes to see. Here is a verse that makes the answer very plain. Paul is dealing with the abuse of the gift of languages in the church at Corinth when he makes this inspired statement:

1Co 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

This call “to the battle” Paul knew was mentioned throughout the Old Testament:

Num 10:5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
Num 10:6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

This life of fiery trials (1Pe 4:12) is not intended to be our reward. It is intended, for God’s elect, to be a “stranger’s and pilgrim’s” journey directed by that “great voice as of a trumpet.”

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

So much for those who loudly proclaim that they “are sick and tired of hearing of streets of gold;” who loudly proclaim, “If I hear another word about ‘I can’t wait to get to walk on those streets of gold,’ I’m going to slap that person in the face because I want my gold now! I don’t want my pie in the sky by and by. I want it now!” Let’s continue with the scriptural meaning of the “a great voice as of a trumpet.”

Num 10:9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

An alarm was blown for two reasons. It was blown both (1) for “taking their journey” and (2) for “going to war.” If you are not yet aware that the words ‘trumpet’ and ‘battle’ are spiritual words which have nothing at all to do with a physical trumpet or a literal, physical battle, with literal, physical weapons, then you simply are not yet “in the spirit on the Lord’s day.” Until you are “in the spirit” of Christ’s words of His “hidden wisdom,” you will never understand a word of this “signified” book” (Rev 1:1).

To what battle is the ‘trumpet preparing us? Here is the battle to which both Paul and John refer:

1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

There you have all the weapons of a true Christian soldier. No brother in Christ who depends upon physical weapons of warfare can receive these spiritual weapons. They are foolishness to him.

These are the words of one of the founders of the Concordant Publishing Concern: “‘Love your enemies’ is at best foolish, and at worst they will get you killed.” That is the reasonings of the mind of the natural man. “All that is needed for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing” is only true if, when you ‘do something’, you are using only the spiritual weapons of Ephesians 6:12-17. Otherwise the moment you pick up a physical weapon, you have lost your spiritual protection.

The second purpose for which God’s Word is called ‘a great trumpet’ – God calls His people to Himself with “a great sound of a trumpet:”

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Num 10:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 10:2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
Num 10:3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 10:4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.

Num 10:7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
Num 10:8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
Num 10:9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

If the words and phrases, “trumpet… gather together… four winds, [or the word] heaven”, mean only things literal to you, then you have been given no spiritual perception at all to this point. There will be no physical trumpet sound, there will be no physical gathering together. Our ‘gathering together’ will be as spirits. This is not speaking of four literal winds, and it is not speaking of the literal, physical heavens. The Son of Man is already sounding a spiritual trumpet because we are told that in Matthew 24:33 and Revelation 1:3, “the time is at hand” to “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Rev 1:3, Rev 22:7). The Son of Man is already gathering together His elect from the four winds of heaven (Mat 24:31), because we are told in the very next few verses (Mat 24:34) that “this generation will not pass till all these things are fulfilled.” The spirit clarifies “this generation” as “he that readeth” (Mat 24:15) and not just those disciples he was speaking to at that moment. These are spiritual words concerning spiritual conditions within the spiritual hearts and minds of God’s elect.

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

God’s elect are being “gathered together” simply by being “in Christ in… this generation,” which is reading these words of Christ because verse 34 comes after verse 31.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together [Aaorist tense], and made us sit together [Aorist tense] in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

This Matthew 24 “Olivet prophecy” is something that took place in that generation as well as taking place in “this [and every] generation [since Christ].” Look at how Christ speaks of “the abomination of desolation” earlier in this very same chapter:

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

Christ knew very well what He meant by “this generation.” He knew that He was referring to the generation reading His words in every generation. He also knew that His words were all in parables which would keep the mysteries of the kingdom of God hidden from the multitudes of “those Jews which believed on Him”, typifying the multitudes of Christians today, who “believe on Him” and yet despise and “cannot understand His words because His words have no place in them.”

Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

There is no reason to believe that any of “these Jews which believed on Christ” were physically hearing impaired, but there is every reason to believe that “Christ’s Word had no place in them.” They did not understand one word of:

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Those with eyes that see and ears that hear know that “the four winds of heaven” is a parable for the whole spirit world. It is all of the spirits and doctrines which are battling to gain and maintain control in the heavens of our hearts and minds.

Eph 6:12 Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh but, against the principalities, against the authorities, against the world-holders, of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies. (REV)

Where does this battle, this “struggle,” take place? It takes place “in the heavens,” in the hearts and minds of Christ’s elect.

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Christ has granted you and me to know where that temple in those heavens is located. Christ enters into His temple, which temple we are, and occupies His throne in His holy place in the “temple of God, which temple we are.”

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God [in heaven], and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple [in heaven] ye are.

When Christ does so, then “the great dragon is cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he is cast out into the earth, and his angels are cast out with him.” Read What and Where Is Heaven on iswasandwillbe.com. Do not compare physical with spiritual and expect to arrive at a spiritual understanding of any of these spiritual matters. It simply cannot be done.

When “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world… is cast out… his angels,” that is, all of his false doctrines proclaimed by all of his false prophets, are cast out with him. He is no longer able to deceive God’s elect. This infuriates “that old serpent.” He is now on a mission to destroy, not the woman, but the remnant of her seed who take God’s words seriously.

Here is the “war” to which this “great voice as a trumpet” is calling us:

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman,* and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

We saw earlier that “those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” are those who “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” These are God’s elect. These are those who hear the trumpet calling them to do battle in the heavens:

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

That is the battle to which we have been called by the “great voice as a trumpet.”

Conclusion

We have seen who hears “the great voice,” and we have seen the scriptures that reveal that it is only those to whom it is given to see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

We saw that the voice is behind us because we cannot hear or see what we have not yet already lived and that what we have already lived and seen is always behind us. We saw the scriptures which tell us that “Now are we the sons of God,” but we also saw that “it does not yet appear what we shall be.” This tells us that we see behind us what we have been “changed into from glory to glory, by the spirit of the Lord.” Each of us, being at our own stage of understanding ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ within us, “keep the things that are written therein.”

Finally, we have seen that the scriptures reveal that “a great voice as a trumpet” is nothing less than the voice of the true shepherd calling His elect together in His mind and spirit, to move forward in their pilgrim’s journey, and to engage their enemy in battle. We were shown that that enemy is none less than “a great red dragon” along with all of his messengers. We have seen exactly how we are to wage war, and we have been given all the instruments of war with which we are to do spiritual battle.

In our next study, we will be reminded of who the “seven churches of Asia” are, and we will, Lord willing, learn why our Lord walks in the midst of those churches, and why He so often refers to Himself as “the Son of man,” and what is the spiritual significance of the description of His clothes.