Cloud(s) – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word

Rev 14:13-20 Part 2, The Angel Thrust in His Sickle into The Earth

Mike Vinson — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 06:02:02 +0000

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Rev 14:13-20 Part 2, The Angel Thrust in His Sickle into The Earth

[Study Aired February 23, 2025]

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

We ended our last study quoting this very profound verse of scripture:

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

If Christ has sent us “as My Father has sent me”, then we need to know what Christ’s Father sent Him to accomplish. So why did the Father send Christ and what was Christ expected to accomplish for His Father?

Here is the answer to that all important question:

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

In this study we will point out the similarities between this 14^th chapter and chapter 7. Chapter 7 and chapter 14 both begin with the revelation of “144,000” firstfruits who are distinguished from a great multitude which no man could number:

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

In the ninth verse we encounter another group “of all nations and kindreds and tongues” which is so large that “no man could number” them.

In Revelation 14 the first thing we see is this same 144,000 who are in this chapter identified as “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”:

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

The ‘firstfruits’ signify those who are the first to be raised to life and rule with Christ in His kingdom for 1000 years. That is why Christ likens all of His parables to “the kingdom of heaven”.

Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

These 144,000 “firstfruits unto God and The Lamb” are signified in Christ’s parables by the lost sheep that was found and celebrated, more than and before the ninety and nine sheep “which needed no repentance.” The 144,000 firstfruits are signified by the prodigal son who was repentant, and was also celebrated before the elder son who needed no repentance. The 144,000 firstfruits unto God and the Lamb are signified by the laborers in the Lord’s vineyard who were hired at the last hour and got paid first with the same wages as those who had worked all day. Each of these parables contains the same two groups. Those two groups are 1) the first, and 2) the last:

Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. [To be in “the resurrection of life, the blessed and holy… first resurrection”, Joh 5:27-29, Rev 20:6]

1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy [and will be given life last]: the second man [who is raised from the dead first] is the Lord from heaven.

In this 14^th chapter these two separate groups are both in the process of being judged. Both judgments are signified by the work of three angels. The first three angels judge the 144,000, and we are informed in the order they are presented to us… the first angel proclaims “the hour of His judgment is come” (1Pe 4:17), the second angel proclaims that “Babylon is fallen is fallen”…

Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The next two verses tell us who this group signifies:

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The second three angels mention none of these things which all apply only to those who are being judged in “this present time” (Rom 8:18), before the thousand-year reign while the beast and the false prophet are given to control the earth. We are specifically told that the process of the judgment of the first three angels is “the patience and faith of the saints who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus:

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

The judgment of the first three angels concludes with this very encouraging proclamation:

Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

There we have it. Those who are judged in this process of judgment, which is what the number three signifies: Numbers Three in Scripture

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

The second ‘three angels’ are introduced in an entirely different way:

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

First we are told that John sees a white cloud. Then we see “the Son of Man seated on the cloud wearing a golden crown “and in His hand a sharp sickle.”

The next verse, verse 15, introduces us to the first of the second three angels of this 14^th chapter. This first angel tells “the Son of Man” to “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Notice that this first angel and the second angel both “came out of the temple”. This second angel, just like The Son of Man sitting on the cloud, also has “a sharp sickle.” Then the third angel with power over fire comes out from the altar and tells the second angel which came out of the temple with a sharp sickle that he, too, must thrust in his sharp sickle and reap:

Rev 14:18 And another angel [the third angel] came out from the altar, which had power over [the lake of] fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

It is easily demonstrated that both the cloud and the temple signify the 144,000 firstfruits who are resurrected at the beginning of the thousand years and who reign the earth with Christ for a thousand years:

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

Job 36:29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:31 For by them [the clouds] judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

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

Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven [“By them He judges the people” Job 36:31] with power and great glory.

Now we understand that the cloud upon which the Son of man sits is His “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1), and we understand that the temple out of which the first two angels come signifies our hearts and minds where the Lord dwells (1Co 3:15-16). What does the altar out of which this third angel comes signify? The altar always signifies the cross of Christ where we lay down the life of our old man and upon which we are crucified with our Lord “for His body’s sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24).

Is “the Son of Man” on this white cloud the Savior of this world? Of course He is. Nevertheless Christ Himself tells us that He is sending us into this world just as His Father sent Him to save this world. Putting John 3:17 together with John 20:21 makes 1 John 4:17 mean a lot more to us:

1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is [vs 14, sent to be the savior of the world], so are we in this world.

Did Christ send us into this world to be saviors of sinners? What do the scriptures say?

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.

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

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

“Mount Zion” is a symbol for God’s elect, and God’s elect are His agents for bringing mercy and life to all men. Let’s read it again:

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,

Remember this verse quoted above:

Rev 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Here in Revelation 14:17 is “a man that is… the angel.”

The first two angels “come out of the temple which is in heaven.” The third angel comes out from the altar with the power over fire. The phrases ‘out of’ the temple and ‘out from’ the altar, are both translated from the single Greek word ‘ek’, G1537. It is properly translated as either ‘out from’ or ‘out of’.’ Both the temple and the altar signify the Lord’s elect who are being crucified with Him daily. We have demonstrated over and over that “ye are the temple of God.” We have demonstrated that these angels are redeemed, resurrected men who are also reapers:

Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil [via his ministers with two horns like a Lamb, but speaking as a dragon]; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him [the angel]. 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 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

It is “the church” who dies with Christ for the sins of the world who also shows these things to “all men”, just as Christ showed them to John.

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, [“These things” of Rev 22:8]

We will pause here and continue in our next study to see the differences in these two sets of three angels, and we will also take note of all they have in common.

Rev 14:13-20 Part 1, The Angel Thrust His Sickle Into The Earth

Mike Vinson — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:54:34 +0000

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Rev 14:13-20 Part 1, The Angel Thrust His Sickle Into The Earth

[Study Aired February 21, 2025]

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

Introduction

Here we are in the verses before us today, right after being told that “the hour of God’s judgment is come” (Rev 14:7). We are now being told that those who die in the Lord are blessed. Then the very next verse tells us that the Son of Man has come with a crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. So it is quite clear that “the hour of God’s judgment” is integrally connected with our death and “the harvest of the earth”.

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

According to this verse, death must precede judgment, not follow judgment. So let us remember that this is all leading up to the revelation of what comprises the seventh trumpet, and let us never forget that these are all words which are proceeding out of the mouth of God, which we are all to “read, hear and keep” (Rev 1:1, Mat 4:4, Rev 1:3). In these verses before us today, because we know that these are words that we are to “read, hear and keep” (Rev 1:3), we will see that both Christ, and we as His Christ, are the agency for the reaping of the harvest of the earth.

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

Now let’s look at what we are to keep as we are brought to see the revelation of this seventh trumpet that is “beginning to sound.”

Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

There are two forms of death mentioned in scripture. The one is physical death, and the other is spiritual death to the things of this world. Physical death, from Christ’s perspective, is not death at all. It is merely taking a nap, and it is referred to in scripture as “sleeping” or being “asleep”. Spiritual death, on the other hand, has two applications of its own. One is positive, as when we are the first to “die in the Lord”, and one is negative, as when we are given part in “the second death.”

Here is what are we told of those who ‘die in the Lord’… “the dead in Christ”:

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord [the same as being “dead in Christ”].

To God physical death is not an issue, except as the loss of God’s saints is a loss to those in this world involved in grieving that death.

Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Here are the scriptures which demonstrate that, from God’s perspective, physical death amounts to nothing more than a temporary nap.

Mat 9:24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Joh 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Christ first tells His disciples “Our friend Lazarus is asleep”, and in the same breath He tells them that “Lazarus is dead.” “Howbeit He spake of his death”, qualifies what Christ meant by the word ‘sleep’ in this instance. If death is nothing more than being asleep, who then is dead to God and His Son? The answer is that no one is permanently dead to God, and those are the words of our Lord Himself:

Luk 20:37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Luk 20:38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

The fact that Christ did say… “Lazarus is dead” demonstrates that He acknowledges that ‘death’ is indeed a temporary, necessary “experience of evil” which He is using to humble all of mankind:

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

Then who is really dead in our Lord? Here again is Christ’s perspective on who is really dead:

Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

So then, those who our natural man considers to be alive without Christ, are spiritually dead, and those who our self-righteous, Babylonian brothers count as dead in the street of their great city, are spiritually alive to Christ. Here is how Christ frames His perspective towards what is and what is not ‘life’.

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

How do we go about “losing our life for Christ’s sake?” Does “losing our life for Christ’s sake” have anything to do with physical death? Well, if we “endure to the end” the answer is yes. However, Christ considers Himself and all who are “in Christ” to being “crucified with [Him]” (Gal 2:20), and to be “dying daily” for Him (1Co 15:31) while we are yet physically living. Christ considers us to be living only if we are in Him.

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

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

Here is what the Lord Himself tells us:

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, [Be crucified with Him] and follow me.

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 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.

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

1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

So while physical death is certainly included as the subject of Revelation 14:13, so is spiritual death to the things of this world. “The hour of His judgment” of Revelation 14:7 follows the death, crucifixion and losing of life spoken of in all of these verses. All the saints who have “endured to the end” in all the generations since Christ, considered themselves to have died with Christ long before the end of their physical life, and now they are simply “sleeping” and waiting for Christ to raise them up from that temporary condition. So we are told:

Ecc 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

Psa 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Ecc 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
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.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Who is Jesus answering in John 12:25, and what is the request to which He is responding?

Joh 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
Joh 12:21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Joh 12:22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.” That is how we “see Jesus”. That is the only way we will ever ‘see’ Him. It is not for the benefit of those “certain Greeks” only, but for our benefit also that Christ tells Andrew and Philip:

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.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

In other words, no man can see Christ at any time but those who have first died to “life in this world.” Only then does the true revelation of Jesus Christ begin to come into our spiritual vision.

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

Our ‘death’ to “life in this world” must precede our judgment. That is what the scriptures teach, and those are words which we must keep. Here is a very healthy spiritual view of this whole subject of life and death:

Php 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

When that becomes our true perspective on the subject of life and death, then we are ready and prepared to be reaped and judged and to “see Christ.” Then after we have been reaped, we can and will be used by God to reap others with and for our Lord.

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… by the church” is what Christ in and through “His Christ” (Act 4:26; Rev 11:15; Rev 12:10) is “now” in this life doing within those whom the holy spirit is ‘dragging’ to the Christ, revealing to them “by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [G1670: ‘helkuo’, drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Here in the “Son of Man with a sharp sickle”, and “another angel with a sharp sickle” is part of this manifold wisdom of God, which is “now… being made known by the church… to all men”. Here is how those who are “crucified with Christ” are reaped by Christ:

Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

This obviously is Christ. It is Christ who will “return with the cloud of witnesses”, and that ‘cloud’ on which He sits is “His Christ… His body… His witnesses”:

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.

Daniel saw Christ “coming with the clouds of heaven”:

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

‘A cloud received [Christ] out of the sight’ of His apostles:

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

What do these clouds symbolize? The apostles were far too spiritually immature to understand that the cloud which received Him out of their sight signified them as “His body” and His “witnesses”:

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:

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

Clouds in scripture are the symbol of those in whom Christ dwells and who are faithful to the Word, and witness of the Truths of God’s Words, and with whom the Lord will rule this world for a thousand years:

Job 36:29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

Christ is “the Son of man.” It is Christ who has “a golden crown on His head”, and it is Christ who has “a sharp sickle in His hand” and is told by “the angel out of the temple… to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” You and I are that temple (1Co 3:16-17). You and I are that “angel [messenger]” out of that temple.

Rev 21:17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

If for one moment we forget that we are to keep these words written in these verses, we will lose our focus on where and when this harvest is taking place, and we will fail to realize that “the hour of God’s judgment is come” within us.

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

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

“The hour of His judgment is come” mentioned in verse 14 is the same as “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” in 1 Peter 4:17. This “hour of His judgment” is the same as this “harvest of the earth” within us here in verse 15. It is all one and the same event, which takes place within each and every believer before he can enter into the temple of God. If we lose this inward focus, we will forget that 2,000 years ago “the time was [also] at hand to keep the things written in this book”, and we, too, will fall into the damning doctrine of placing all of the things written in this book out there in the future, upon the last generation of mankind which happens to be left standing on this earth when our Lord makes His appearance to resurrect His firstfruits and to give them the rulership of this earth for a symbolic “one thousand years.”

On the other hand, if it is given to us to maintain this focus, then these following verses, which all “proceed out of the mouth” of our Lord, will take on a new and wonderful and personal application:

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven [within us: Luk 17:20-21] is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field [Our lives in this world], Mat 13:38 “… the field is the world” [or damnable false doctrines]:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [damnable false doctrines] among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The “good seed” in this and all parables, are the good words of the kingdom and “the children of the kingdom” who bring that good word:

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it] not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

“The wicked one… catches away the good seed” by planting tares [lies] in with the good seed. The lying doctrines are tolerated in our lives “until the harvest” or until the “hour of His judgment is come.” That is why we have “the hour of His judgment” and “the harvest of the earth” in the same few verses here in Revelation 14. Here are these two verses side by side:

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

Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

Who keeps all these things? Where is all of this to happen? When is this all to take place? When is the day of our judgment? When do we begin to ‘die’ so the hour of His judgment will begin? We are not left to guess:

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 [that is who and where these things are all to be kept]: for the time is at hand [Right now is when these things are to be kept].

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?

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 [judgment] is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Let’s remember that “the Son of Man” told us that He was sending us “as My Father hath sent me”, and let us realize just how monumental was the purpose for which His Father Christ sent into this world:

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

Is that what Christ has sent us to do also? Is it? Here are His own words:

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

There were “many things” the apostles were not mature enough to receive until long after Christ had been crucified and was resurrected, and our part in the fiery sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the salvation of all men is one of those “many things”:

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.

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

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:

We will pause here and continue to seek to know what all is involved in accomplishing what Christ has sent us to accomplish Him in our next study.

Study of the Book of Kings – 1Ki 18:1-46 The God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

Tony Cullen — Thu, 12 May 2022 23:05:46 +0000

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m1evglkv1q3r5ns/20220512-Study_TonyC-GodAnsweredbyFire.m4a?raw=1

1Ki 18:1-46 “The God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken”

[Study Aired May 12, 2022

1Ki 18:1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
1Ki 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
1Ki 18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
1Ki 18:4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
1Ki 18:5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
1Ki 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
1Ki 18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
1Ki 18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
1Ki 18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
1Ki 18:10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
1Ki 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
1Ki 18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.
1Ki 18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
1Ki 18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
1Ki 18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
1Ki 18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
1Ki 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
1Ki 18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
1Ki 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
1Ki 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1Ki 18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
1Ki 18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
1Ki 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1Ki 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
1Ki 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
1Ki 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
1Ki 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
1Ki 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
1Ki 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
1Ki 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
1Ki 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
1Ki 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
1Ki 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
1Ki 18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
1Ki 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
1Ki 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
1Ki 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
1Ki 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
1Ki 18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
1Ki 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

This section of the book of Kings is a type and shadow story of how the elect, represented by Elijah, are going to put an end to Baal worship in the earth. It is through the judgments of God which must occur in our earth today (1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 4:17) that God’s elect will be made ready as the bride of Christ to rule and reign under our Lord after we go on to perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32). All of Adam must experience being “born of water and of the Spirit” in order to go on to perfection and there is a specific time for every human who has ever lived to have these words of Christ fulfilled in their lives that represent these two stages of baptisms. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:22-24, 1Co 15:46-58, Rev 11:15, Joh 3:5). That is not to say that there aren’t many baptisms, seeing we die daily and are baptized into Christ’s death every day (Rom 6:3).

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 [“born of water and of the Spirit” Eph 1:14].

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?

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.

[This verse (Luk 13:32) explains the active, ongoing way (Php 2:12-13) that God’s people come out of Babylon through Christ in this life (2Co 6:17).]

The overall lesson for all of mankind is that without Christ’s spirit within, we cannot be obedient to His word and are “none of his” as a result (Rom 8:9). Even if the earth is filled with God’s truth and God’s judgments, as it will be during the thousand year reign (Hab 2:14), this will not be the time when people are born again and living out lives which are going on to perfection on the third day. That process is reserved for the great white throne judgment (1Co 13:2, 1Jn 5:2-5, 1Co 10:11).

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

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

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.

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith [Luk 22:32, Joh 6:28-29, Rom 3:27].
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

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

[All these things: including, “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.” We really are ‘unprofitable servants’ and are ‘nothing’ without Christ in us, our hope of glory (Luk 17:10, Col 1:27, Rom 11:19-21).]

God is teaching the elect in this age that we have been called to learn obedience by the things we suffer as we fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ through the power of God that makes it possible for us to acknowledge and keep the commandments of our Lord (1Pe 4:12, Col 1:24, 1Co 14:37). If God’s spirit is within us today, it will bear witness to this truth (Rom 8:16), and these words, “The God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken”, will be words that are a comfort to us knowing that God is able to purify our heavens with His word that is likened unto fire. Christ has been given power over all heaven and earth as our hope of glory and author and finisher of our faith (Jer 5:14, Mat 28:18, Mat 6:10, Col 1:27, Heb 12:2, Php 1:6, Rom 5:10).

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.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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

Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Obadiah’s name means “serving Jehovah“, and we are told that he “feared the Lord greatly“. We are Christ’s flesh and bones (Eph 5:30) and as such, if we are as He is in this world, we, too, will fear God greatly (Heb 5:8-9) as a result of Christ our hope of glory within (Col 1:27), even as we are in “Ahab’s house” (typifying the world), as his ‘governor’.

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

God gives His spirit to those who obey him, also typified by Elijah going where he is told to go so that “I will send rain upon the earth” (Luk 22:32, Act 5:32). That obedience was not something that Elijah generated outside of God’s will (Eph 1:11) but rather was a type of those who experience the liberty of being set free by the truth (Joh 8:36) as we are dragged to Christ who is the way, the truth and the life within, our hope of glory (Col 1:27) who gives us the ability (Joh 14:6) to continue in the truth as His disciples indeed (Joh 8:31-32, Rom 8:14-16, 2Co 3:17).

Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The symbolism is clear. The sore famine in Samaria where our man of sin resides, represented by Ahab, is going to have Elijah come to him in the third year, representing “the process of spiritual completion through judgment”. We are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) through God’s judgments which chasten and scourge us so that we forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts (Tit 2:12-13, Heb 12:6), which truth is witnessed in type by “Obadiah [who] took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.” Christ is the true witness within us doing the works (Joh 14:10), and it is by grace through faith, represented by the 2×50 prophets hidden in the cave who are fed by Obadiah (“serving Jehovah”) with “bread and water“, that we will overcome, also symbolized in last week’s study with the cruse of oil and the bread that was given to the widow by Elijah.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

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

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

1Ki 18:5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
1Ki 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
1Ki 18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
1Ki 18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

There are only two men in the bible being discussed, and one is trying to preserve the flesh and the other is being dragged to Christ by the Father (Joh 6:44). In this instance, we see Ahab looking for grass in order “to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts“, which symbolizes our natural desire to want to hold onto our life and preserve it. Ahab and Obadiah go their separate ways in this endeavor to find “fountains of water” that represent God’s holy spirit, and it is the man who fears God greatly, Obadiah, who meets the Lord’s prophet, Elijah, who typifies Christ, who has the whole stay of bread and water at His disposal (Isa 1:3).

1Ki 18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
1Ki 18:10 As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
1Ki 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
1Ki 18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.
1Ki 18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
1Ki 18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

Verse 10 is a witness to our flesh (Ahab) that we can be ever searching and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Ti 3:7) if God does not drag us to Christ (Joh 6:44): “there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.”

2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Obadiah is not demonstrating any faith in God here (“What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?“), even in knowing the miracle that Elijah had been hidden from Ahab all these three years, pointing to his righteousnesses and declaring his many good works in hiding the prophets, so as to avoid doing what Elijah demands of him to, “Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.“

Like Jacob and Joseph’s brothers in the book of Genesis, they also both had reason to be concerned because of the way Benjamin was being asked to be used as a bargaining chip by Joseph. Joseph’s brothers are being told by their father Jacob that if he lets Benjamin go and mischief befall him “then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave” (Gen 42:38). Likewise, Obadiah continues to plead with Elijah to understand or else, he believes, Ahab will slay him. Well, we know no such thing will happen to Obadiah, and Elijah assures him that he will go see Ahab the same day. In all of this, Obadiah is learning of his own lack of faith and his need to cry out to God to help him in his unbelief, which is the main lesson for us today (1Co 10:11, Mar 9:24). Jacob likewise comes to accept the fate put before him regarding his youngest son, Benjamin, and says, “And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” (Gen 43:14)

Gen 42:32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
Gen 42:33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
Gen 42:34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
Gen 42:35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
Gen 42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. [These three sons – Joseph, Simeon, and Benjamin – show “the process of spiritual completion through judgment” on our old man, represented by Jacob.]
Gen 42:37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
Gen 42:38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Gen 43:13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
Gen 43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

1Ki 18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
1Ki 18:16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
1Ki 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
1Ki 18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
1Ki 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

The truth is that we do trouble the Israel of God who takes away our peace when we forsake “the commandments of the LORD“. Also, when we forsake the commands of the LORD, we are “thou [who] hast followed Baalim“. It is also the accuser of the brethren who says to us, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” Elijah doesn’t just stop at this point and walk away from Ahab’s false accusations, but rather, by the grace of God, is used as ‘an instrument of righteousness unto God’ (Rom 6:13) to reveal who is right and who is wrong, showing us that we should never leave any doubt to our adversaries what our stance is in the Lord (Gal 6:14-16).

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

The contrast is drawn for us as God reveals the difference between Obadiah who “took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water“, as opposed to this ungodly gathering of “the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table“. These numbers reveal to us that the whole world (4x10x10) lies in sin (1Jn 5:19) and is in need of judgment (450) which will occur in the lake of fire, typified by the events that are going to unfold to these false prophets. The 450 represents the judgment that is needed and will occur at the hand of God’s prophet Elijah, and the 400 reveals that it is the whole of Babylon, the entire world that is deceived at this time by their father the devil (Rev 12:9). Inwardly this is true as well: we can only see because of Christ who has opened up our eyes and taken away the spiritual blindness that is always there without God’s grace and faith working in our lives (Joh 9:41).

1Jn 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

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.

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.

There is hope held out for all the world represented by Israel and all the false prophets of the world who are gathered to “mount Carmel” which is a fearful place for the flesh to be brought to but a glorious place of plenty and fruitfulness that will come about as a result of God’s judgements upon all of humanity being typified for us in this story (Rev 19:20, Rev 20:10).

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^{G1519 G165 G165}

H3760
karmel
kar-mel’
The same as H3759; Karmel, the name of a hill and of a town in Palestine: – Carmel, fruitful (plentiful) field, (place). Total KJV occurrences: 25

H3759
karmel
kar-mel’
From H3754; a planted field (garden, orchard, vineyard or park); by implication garden produce: – full (green) ears (of corn), fruitful field (place), plentiful (field). Total KJV occurrences: 14

1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
1Ki 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
1Ki 18:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
1Ki 18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

There is both a negative way “to answer by fire” and a positive way. One represents the false doctrines, the powers and principalities that Christ is far higher than (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:21), that first fill our heavens until Christ comes into those heavens and destroys those lies with the brightness of His coming (Rev 20:9, Luk 9:54, Rev 13:14-15). Those false doctrines are also likened to ‘strange fire’ in God’s word that represents the lies of the devil that deceives the world (Lev 10:1).

The two opinions we ‘halt between’ that Elijah talks about are the truth of God’s word and the lies of the devil, the powers and principalities that we wrestle against, and so Elijah asks the question, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.“

Both sacrifices in this story are going to be prepared like the lamps of the foolish and wise virgins in this parable in Matthew 25:6-7. Both sacrifices come from the prophets of Baal “Let them therefore give us two bullocks” which tells us we come out of Babylon and then Christ who is typified by Elijah gives us the wisdom to know how to prepare the sacrifice to the glory of God. The preparation of the sacrifice is of no value to God if it is not offered with an obedient spirit, which the prophets of Baal did not have, and therefore when they called upon their god nothing happened, as opposed to Elijah who feared God and was heard in that he feared him.

1Ki 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1Ki 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

This section really defines Babylon that is ever searching and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Ti 3:7). There is no stay of bread or water being given to them (Isa 3:1), so their pursuit of truth is in vain and manifests in all sorts of ungodly ways as they try to take the kingdom by violent force in their flesh (Mat 11:12), showing us what we did before we were called out of Babylon and given eyes to see and ears to hear which make it possible for us to worship God in spirit and in truth (Joh 4:23). We all, at first, dress and prepare that sacrifice according to the idol of our own hearts, which is being shown in this story. The end result is that our man of sin must be destroyed in order to become that new creature that can worship God in holiness, in spirit and in truth (Gal 6:14-16, Joh 4:23).

The fruit of all our efforts in Babylon is where the wisdom of man is manifest rather than the power of God (1Co 2:5): “And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.” The ‘time of the offering’ means the appointed time that we are heard by God, the day of visitation, and there is no recognizing that visitation happening here, described for us with the words: “neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded” simply because “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Jas 4:6).

1Ki 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
1Ki 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
1Ki 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
1Ki 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
1Ki 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
1Ki 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

These actions of Elijah are typical of what the body of Christ is going to show the world through our relationship with Christ where we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice on the altar, which is the cross (Heb 12:1-2, Gal 2:20). Our discipleship is witnessed to the world through our obedience and the orderly way by which we conduct ourselves in the house of God, which is “the pillar and ground of the truth”. That spirit of submitting to God even as we resist the devil so he will flee from us, is what demonstrates God’s love is being shed abroad in our hearts (1Ti 3:15, Jas 4:7, Rom 5:5, Joh 13:35).

The language used in all that takes place in offering this sacrifice is for our sakes and is typical of how the body of Christ is offered to God through Christ through whom we are accepted (Eph 1:6) as He works in us both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure, which is to give us the kingdom (Luk 12:32). The order consists of putting “the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.” This is repeated three times as it represents “the process of spiritual completion through judgment” through which we are progressing.

God’s elect, like Elijah in type, are going to restore true worship to this world symbolized by: “And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.” Verse 31 shows us the Israel of God who we are that is going to do this through Christ, “Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name“. The trench that is made around the altar symbolizes our deeply dug foundation in the word of God accomplished to the glory of God and is needful in order to see the Abrahamic promises of all nations becoming ours through Christ (Gen 17:4, Gal 4:30-31) and so it is worded this way as a witness to that fact: “he made a trench^H8585 about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed“.

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

H8585 Trench te‛âlâh teh-aw-law’ From H5927; a channel (into which water is raised for irrigation); also a bandage or plaster (as placed upon a wound): – conduit, cured, healing, little river, trench, watercourse. Total KJV occurrences: 11

conduit, 4 2Ki_18:17, 2Ki_20:20, Isa_7:3, Isa_36:2

trench, 3 1Ki_18:32, 1Ki_18:35, 1Ki_18:38

cured, 1 Jer_46:11

healing, 1 Jer_30:13

little rivers, 1 Eze_31:4

watercourse, 1 Job_38:25

1Ki 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
1Ki 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

The big moment has arrived, and Elijah gives all glory to God and brings to our remembrance that everything we have given to God was received from Him and must be done obediently and in order because of His mercy toward him and us (Rev 4:10-11). These words tell us just that: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.“

Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship 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.

As a result of that obedience and doing all things decently and in order (1Co 14:40), Elijah is heard, and he is not drawing the attention to himself but pleading with God that Israel may see that He is God who is greatly to be feared and worshiped. “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.“

Everything is consumed by the ‘fire of the LORD’ (1Ki 18:38), leaving us no doubt that God is going to burn every idol of our heart up and finish the work of faith within us with great heat that will consume our old man as we go without the camp with our Lord where these things occur (Mal 4:1, 2Pe 3:11, Heb 13:13-14). The fire is symbolic of God’s word, and it is when we are granted the faith and obedient spirit to follow Christ that this statement, which is the title of the study, will apply to us: “and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.” (1Ki 18:39)

Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

1Ki 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
1Ki 18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
1Ki 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

All the people fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God“, which is what the world will do when Christ and His Christ come on the scene in the first resurrection (Rev 11:15), and when God’s judgments are in the earth, men will learn righteousness, which is symbolized by Elijah telling Ahab, “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” Our commission will be to “make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias” (Joh 1:23), and the start of that process will be the putting away of all the false doctrines of mankind symbolized by the slaying of the prophets of Baal at the brook Kishon ^H7028 H6983 that means ‘winding’, ‘crooked’, and ‘to set a trap’. ‘Let not one of them escape‘ means that not one false doctrine is going to be allowed to be propagated during the thousand-year reign. This is all a ‘baptism with water’ and a ‘rule of iron’ situation that does not bring about conversion, but it is the natural events that must precede the spiritual cleansing which will take place in the lake of fire (1Co 15:46-54).

1Ki 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
1Ki 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
1Ki 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
1Ki 18:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
1Ki 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

This last section is just glorious! Listen to the promise and the complete process which must happen and will happen by the hand of God Who will bring truth to each man in his order. Elijah is again on Mount Carmel which means ‘fruitful’. He represents Christ telling us to look toward the sea, the world, and recognize this is the other fold (Rom 11:16) that will be saved after we have gone through this complete process of seven times which will conclude in the great white throne judgment that we will have been made ready to administer because of our interaction with the world: “And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.“

The bride will be made ready to do this, and we are told to not let the trials and tribulations, which must be many (Act 14:22), stop us from reaching this goal. “Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” We start off running with men, but God says as the elect we will run with horses and so we are learning that it is God alone who gives the body of Christ the strength (Php 4:13) in order to get the job done as we ride through this life and overcome through Christ all the storms He raises and brings our way. “The heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.^H3157“

We truly are unprofitable servants who have done merely what was expected of us (Luk 17:10, Php 2:12-13), and we have great reason to rejoice, and again I say rejoice, as God fills us with an earnest expectation of better things to come (Rom 8:19, Eph 1:14, 1Co 2:9, Rom 5:5). We praise and thank our great Father now for giving us the vision we need through the body of Christ to hold onto the blessing that we’ve been called unto to enter into Jezreel^H3157 before Ahab, who represents all the world who will be saved at an appointed time after the elect are first saved.

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

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

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

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

H3157 yizre‛ê’l yiz-reh-ale’ From H2232 and H410; God will sow; Jizreel, the name of two places in Palestine and of two Israelites: – Jezreel. Total KJV occurrences: 36

H2232 zâra‛ zaw-rah’ A primitive root; to sow; figuratively to disseminate, plant, fructify: – bear, conceive seed, set with, sow (-er), yield. Total KJV occurrences: 56

Are We Living in the Time of the End?

Mike Vinson — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 14:47:05 +0000

Are We Living in the Time of the End?

Posted February 28, 2022]

Hi Mike,

I hope this email finds you well. I have a question I don’t want to bring anywhere else except to the people at IWWB. I know you always admonish us to focus on the inward kingdom within us, and I do my best not to give too much attention to the affairs of the outward world, but this is just too big for me to ignore.

With the world still in the grips of a deadly pandemic, experts warning us of a possible global economic crisis coming soon, and now with these recent events unfolding in eastern Europe which could possibly lead to a third world war, do you believe we could be witnessing the beginnings of the cataclysm that is spoken of in Matthew 24 which occurs just before Christ makes His visible return to this earth? I can’t recall a time in history when so many large scale events were all happening at the same time all over the earth.

Once again, I know we should be concerned with “the kingdom within” at this time, but I can’t help but feel a little anxious with what is happening outwardly right now. I know we should not “think above what is written” but I would like to hear your thoughts about this. Thank you always for your help and I’ll look forward to your reply.

your brother in Christ,

C____

Hi C____

Thank you for asking for my thoughts on what is happening right now as of February 27th, 2022.

You and I are in complete agreement in thinking that everything is pointing to the imminent return of our Lord. However, I hope to give you some encouragement and peace of mind even in the face of all the outward turmoil we see in the world around us.

I have been told that people have been predicting the return of Christ since the day He ascended into the heavens:

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Christ’s ascension into the clouds of heaven symbolizes Him entering into His elect who are even called “a great cloud of witnesses… by [whom] He judges the people”:

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

Job 36:28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
Job 36:29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?
Job 36:30 Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.
Job 36:31 For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

Those who are “in Christ” also have Christ in them:

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

Therefore we should not be anxious about His appearing because He is already here protecting us, providing for us and professing us before His Father. That is the very definition of ‘life eternal’:

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

In answer to your question, yes, I do indeed expect that Christ’s appearing is imminent, and the scriptures declare that we are all to have such a mindset:

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

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [G165: ’aion‘, age] are come.

Verse 34 of Matthew 24 makes it clear that our primary application of these words should be inward and spiritual, but verse 34 in no way denies the truth of these words of the apostle Paul:

1Th 4:15 What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. We who are living now might still be living when the Lord comes again. We who are living at that time will be with the Lord, but not before those people who have already died.
1Th 4:16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven. There will be a loud command. That command will be given with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. And the people who have died and were in Christ will rise first.
1Th 4:17 After that, we people who are still alive at that time will be gathered up with those people who have died. We will be taken up in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.
1Th 4:18 So encourage each other with these words. (ERV)

The holy spirit adds to these words this message through the apostle Peter:

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

So, yes, indeed, men have been expecting the appearing of Christ since the day He ascended, and that should also be our mindset. Notice, we are told to “be found in Him in peace…” so “be anxious for nothing.”

Php 4:6 Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thankfulness make your requests known to God. (ACV)

We are living in the most exciting times in the history of mankind. This era is far more exciting than “the days that were before the flood” to which these days are likened by Christ.

Continuing on from where we left of in Matthew 24:

Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Verse 39 is true both inwardly and outwardly. It is our old man who is being carried away and destroyed in the flood of the Lord’s words, while our new man remains to inherit a kingdom.

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Reading further in Matthew 24:

Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

These words are not a prophecy that 50% of mankind will be in the first resurrection, rather it is a statement that our old man will be “taken and destroyed” and our new man will remain to “inherit the earth”. It is also an admonition to be expecting the Lord’s appearing all the time.

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

Psa 37:22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

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

For those of us who are granted to believe these words they are both encouraging and exciting as we wait for the redemption of the purchased possession, which is the first resurrection:

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

I hope this answers your question concerning my thoughts about the times we are living, and I pray you are as excited and as encouraged as I am.

YbiC, Mike

Psalms 77:10-20 “In The Day of My Trouble I Sought The Lord”, Part 2

Tony Cullen — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 02:03:32 +0000

Psa 77:10-20 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord” – Part 2

Psa 77:10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
Psa 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
Psa 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
Psa 77:14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
Psa 77:15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
Psa 77:16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
Psa 77:17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
Psa 77:18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
Psa 77:19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
Psa 77:20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The next few verses will look at proceed from a “Selah”, a pause in verse nine, after the question is asked “Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? …Selah.”

God knows that we need to meditate and to take stock every day, to be reminded of His mercy, love and faithfulness in the quietness of pausing or meditating on His greatness.

Psa 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

Psa 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Psa 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
Psa 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

1Ti 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

This meditation/Selah/remembrance is part of the dying daily process that brings us into His communion with the saints who learn that God will not forget “to be gracious” and will not “shut up his tender mercies” as stated in verse nine.

This exercise of meditating that we are drawn into is given by the grace and faith of our Lord and is a critical part of how God is preparing the hearts and minds of His people for those things which are going to come upon the earth (Luk 21:25 , Act 1:8). Notice how after we have done all so we can stand as a result of meditating on His promises and faithfulness to clothe us spiritually (Eph 6:10-18), then we are told to not give any thought to “Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: “

Luk 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Luk 21:12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
Luk 21:13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
Luk 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

We know these things are true (His ‘graciousness’, His ‘tender mercies’), and yet we must needs be put in remembrance of them, as God has also made us to need one another, a body fitly framed that comes together to be reminded of how God is faithful and never forgets the workmanship of His hand, which we are. He shows us through one another His favor and mercy along with truth that we pray He will continue to ‘bind‘ around the hearts of His people.

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.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Isa 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Eze 5:3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.

Dan 3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Dan 3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Psa 77:10 And I said, This is my infirmity^H2470: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
Psa 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
Psa 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

The “infirmity^H2470” is what is burned out of us while bound in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, which is a type and shadow of the process that God’s workmanship has to go through to go unto perfection on the third day, as we are purified in the fire of our infirmities^H2470 (Luk 13:32, Luk 5:31).

H2470
חלה
chalah
Total KJV Occurrences: 78
sick, 34
Gen_48:1, 1Sa_19:14, 1Sa_30:13, 2Sa_13:2, 2Sa_13:5-6 (2), 1Ki_14:1, 1Ki_14:5, 1Ki_17:17, 2Ki_1:2, 2Ki_8:7, 2Ki_8:29, 2Ki_13:14, 2Ki_20:1, 2Ki_20:12, 2Ch_22:6, 2Ch_32:24, Neh_2:2, Psa_35:13, Pro_13:12, Pro_23:35, Son_2:5, Son_5:8, Isa_33:24, Isa_38:1, Isa_38:9, Isa_39:1, Eze_34:4, Eze_34:16, Dan_8:27, Hos_7:5, Mic_6:13, Mal_1:8, Mal_1:13
besought, 5
Exo_32:11, 1Ki_13:6, 2Ki_13:4, 2Ch_33:12, Jer_26:19
grievous, 4
Jer_10:19 (2), Jer_14:17, Jer_30:12, Nah_3:19
weak, 4
Jdg_16:7, Jdg_16:11, Jdg_16:17, Isa_14:10
entreat, 3
1Ki_13:6, Psa_45:12, Pro_19:6
pray, 3
Zec_7:2, Zec_8:21-22 (2)
wounded, 3
1Ki_22:34, 2Ch_18:33, 2Ch_35:23
become, 2
Jdg_16:17, Isa_14:10
diseased, 2
1Ki_15:23, 2Ch_16:12
grief, 2
Isa_17:11, Isa_53:10
grieved, 2
Isa_57:10 (2), Amo_6:6
sore, 2
Ecc_5:13, Ecc_5:16
beseech, 1
Mal_1:9
carefully, 1
Mic_1:12
entreated, 1
Psa_119:58
infirmity, 1
Psa_77:10
laid, 1
Deu_29:22
pain, 1
Jer_12:13
prayer, 1
Dan_9:13 (2)
sorry, 1
1Sa_22:8
suit, 1
Job_11:19
suits, 1
Isa_3:22
supplication, 1
1Sa_13:12
travail, 1
Jer_4:31

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 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

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.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin [no infirmity], we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

It is through this process of being in the fire (is, was and will be) that we will be brought into remembrance of the works of our LORD, brought in remembrance of how He had begun this purifying work within us so many “days of old” ago.

Psa 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

That is our hope, that we will not forget, as the disciples in their yet carnal state forgot to bring bread when they got to the “other side”, which typifies not having that extra oil needed at the end of this age (Heb 12:5, 1Jn 3:3, 1Jn 1:7, Joh 14:26, Mat 16:5, Mat 25:8-9).

If that oil is in our lives, then we will “talk of thy doings” and talk often of this testimony that God is laying up in the lives of His people, to demonstrate to the world that He is our redeemer who is dragging us through the fiery trials (Joh 6:44) and giving witness to all the world of His power and might as His love is being perfected within His disciples.

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

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

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Act 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Isa 46:8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

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:

Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
Psa 77:14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

Christ is ‘the way’ who is in His people who are the temple of God who are blessed to glorify God today in that temple with even greater works than those which Christ did as we go from glory to glory.

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

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

Joh 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

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.

This is where God has and is declaring His strength “among the people” where He does wonders in His temple which we are.

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Luk 17:18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 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.

Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Psa 77:15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
Psa 77:16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

God’s arm redeems the people, and we are that arm or part of the temple that God uses to save the world all in due season.

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.

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.

There is no part of humanity or our flesh that will not be troubled, even “the depths also were troubled” because we know that flesh does not inherit the kingdom of God and as we become a new creation at the expense of losing our life, our water, sees God doing this marvellous work, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Almighty.

Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Psa 33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

Psa 79:3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Psa 77:17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
Psa 77:18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

The elect, “the clouds”, will pour “out water” and send out a sound, that sound being God’s judgments going into the ends of the earth and into the depths of the sea where our nephesh souls are judged and give an accounting for the works that God has caused in our lives, the good and the evil.

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

Eze 24:3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:

God is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure as we examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith (Php 2:13, 2Co 13:5). His word goes forth and is poured out of the elect in this age and every age that He has worked in where He has “sent out a sound” a trumpet, also symbolized by the arrows in these verses that “went abroad”.

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

1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

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.

If we are indeed moving with fear and reverence the way Noah did building the ark in troublesome times, just like the road we talked about last week that was build again in troublesome times in Daniel’s day, we will understand that those events represent the much tribulation or troublesome events that we must go through as the body of Christ as “the earth trembled and shook”. This trembling will be occurring in the hearts and minds of God’s people today as opposed to the rest of the world who are meant to be caught off guard at our Lord’s return.

Gen 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand,that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

The arrows being sent abroad in this verse are also a reminder that it is God’s word that goes forth, his truth, which will slay the first man Adam who may be afar off but never outside of the reach of God’s judgment (Isa 58:7).

Hab 3:11 The sun and moon stood still [Selah] in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.

Zec 9:13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons [Oba 1:21], O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
Zec 9:14 And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

Act 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Jer 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

These verses together (Psa 77:15-18) remind us again that all of the work being done in the “the sons of Jacob and Joseph” who typify God’s elect are works that trouble our waters and shake our earth and light up the sky of our minds with lightnings as we behold Satan falling from our heavens. This work of redemption is accompanied with that “Selah”, that reflection/meditation upon these wonderful works unto the children of men that God is performing within his people today for the purpose of redeeming the rest of humanity.

Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

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.

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

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

Psa 77:19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
Psa 77:20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

These closing verses speak very loudly to us when we consider that God is sovereign over the light and darkness, over the earth, over the sea, over the sky, over the wind, over the day, over the night.

Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isa 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

He is “in the sea” of humanity that “live and move and has our being” in Him without even knowing this (Act 17:28). He has-is-will lead his people like a flock, and this work which God through Christ has-is-will do is typified in this last verse as the “hand of Moses and Aaron”. This hand^H3027 of Moses and Aaron is the means of bringing that comfort while “thy footsteps are not known”. This brings us back to verse 2 and last week’s reflection:

“We are seeking the Lord even while our hand^H3027 is outstretched^H5064 (literal translations of “sore^H3027 ran^H5064“– see Rotherham, YLT, CLV or LITV) in the night,

and our own souls [H5315 = nephesh] refuse to be comforted. This happens to demonstrate that it is only God who can soften or harden the heart of Pharaoh within us.

Exo 9:35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

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

As stated last week and reiterated this week, it is only when the Lord grants that growth will our soul take comfort. We are truly being blessed in this age indeed!

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

Psalms 68:24-35 “Ascribe Ye Strength Unto God” – Part 4

Tony Cullen — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 01:57:16 +0000

“Ascribe ye strength unto God” – Part 4

Psa 68:24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
Psa 68:25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
Psa 68:26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
Psa 68:27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
Psa 68:28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Psa 68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
Psa 68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
Psa 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
Psa 68:32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
Psa 68:33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
Psa 68:34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
Psa 68:35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

Psa 68:24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

What a blessing and miracle to confess that we have seen the goings of God; “even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.” That is what happens when we know “at that day” we are in Christ, and Christ is in the Father. That is what it means to be “in the sanctuary” where we are being sanctified together as the body of Christ.

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

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.

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

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;

Our discipleship is witnessed through this unity discussed in the following scriptures and is unfolding for the express purpose of doing this “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” This unity of spirit is happening not just so the world will believe that the Father has sent Christ but also that the Father has dragged us to the Son and is sending us into the world as he sent Christ to do even greater works than Christ.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

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.

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

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

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

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

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

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

The greater works as we know now have to do with giving spiritual healing to the ears and eyes of those who Christ has already prayed for “Neither pray I for these alone” and we are simply trusting and waiting on the Lord to unfold these wonderful works through the Church that He alone gives the increase to in the order and time that He has ordained (1Co 3:6, 1Co 15:23).

These greater works that we see today (Mat 13:16) are being expressed in type and shadow in our first verse this evening with these words “They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.“

Psa 68:25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
Psa 68:26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

“The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after” reminds us that there is an order to this sanctuary where all thing are done decently and in order, and within that order God reveals to us that voice or word of God represented by “the singers went before” which is first or preeminent as Christ the Word is in all things.

1Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

That order is in His ministry as well, where we defer to our elders and teachers as instructed in God’s word, being persuaded by the fruit being borne in the life of our teachers that they are being used of God to bring forth living waters for the body of Christ through Christ who supplies all our need.

1Ti 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
1Ti 5:2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

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

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

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,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

The elect are represented by all that is spoken of in this verse and the players on instruments and the damsels playing timbrels are spoken of to remind us that it takes the many members of Christ’s body to make us a “whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth”.

Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

We are Christ’s instrument given to this world, the elect are that instrument spoken of over and over in the Psalms that is played by the chief musician who is Christ in us fulfilling God’s purpose within us, both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.

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.

Psa 76:1 To the chief Musician on NeginothH5058, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.

H5058
נגינת   נגינה
negı̂ynâh negı̂ynath
neg-ee-naw’, neg-ee-nath’

From H5059; properly instrumental music; by implication a stringed instrument; by extension a poem set to music; specifically an epigram: – stringed instrument, musick, Neginoth [plural], song.

instruments, 2

Isa 38:20; Hab 3:19

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

We bless God because we have those living waters springing forth “from the fountain of Israel”, Jesus Christ, and we rest in the Lord knowing that he is able to manifest what the body of Christ needs and knows what we need before we even ask Him.

Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

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

Isa 41:18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Psa 68:27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler , the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

This next verse carries on with the same theme of order, and as we learn to ascribe strength unto God we will be able to see and be convinced of that order more and more and where it is that he is making His strenght perfect.

God uses “little Benjamin with their ruler” and “the princes of Judah and their council” and ” the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali” to reveal something to us about the order in which He is workingHis great work for all of humanity according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11).

Benjamin is a type of the elect being the youngest brother of the twelve and is called “The beloved of the Lord” in (Deu 33:12, Gen 43:29).

Princes come out of ZebulunH2074 and NaphtaliH5321 and are princes by the grace of God, signifying in type and shadow that we are given our inheritance in Christ, our ‘habitation’ which we are gaining dominion over within and through Christ as we ‘wrestle’ through the night with our Lord.

H2074
זבוּלן   זבלוּן   זבוּלוּן
zebûlûn zebûlûn zebûlûn
zeb-oo-loon’, zeb-oo-loon’, zeb-oo-loon’From H2082; habitation; Zebulon, a son of Jacob; also his territory and tribe: – Zebulun.

H5321
נפתּלי
naphtâlı̂y
naf-taw-lee’

From H6617; my wrestling; Naphtali, a son of Jacob, with the tribe descended from him, and its territory: – Naphtali.

Deu 33:12 And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

Gen 43:29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

“The princes of Judah and their council” are a shadow of the elect of God who are used to bring forth His counsel which is all being accomplished according to His will (Eph 1:11).

As these verses below demonstrate, Judah and Benjamin witness (2) to the elect body of Christ who are being fashioned and formed in advance of the rest of the world and are spoken of in scripture as being blessed with that extra portion. None of these types and shadows will make sense unless we are given to believe that he is not a Jew which is one outwardly.

Gen 43:34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

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

Psa 68:28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Psa 68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

With the foundational order in the temple of God that God is fashioning or has “wrought for us”, we hear another way of saying “Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Because God is doing this foundational work today in the elect in Jerusalem, which is above where we are raised in heavenly places, it is laying the way for all nations to come and learn what true worship is, where kings will bring presents unto God, which ‘presents’ represent the spiritual life of worshipping God in “spirit and in truth”.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

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

Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

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.

Psa 68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen [see Rotherham version], the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

God will continue to use the body of Christ throughout the millenium to condition the earth to one day receive the living waters of God’s spirit and so we read the underlined process of how rebuking:

the company of spearmen [“the wild beasts of the reeds”-Rotherham = Egypt]

the multitude of bulls [bulls of Bashan Psa 22], and

the calves of the people [golden calf Exo 32:35]

…leads to ‘submit himself with pieces of silver’:

“till every one submit himself with pieces of silver:”

This verse is speaking to the truth that all men will be saved as God leads us unto repentance represented by “pieces of silver” (1Co 15:22). In order for this to happen the “people that delight in war” must be “scattered” which is spoken of in the very first verse of this Psalm and in the book of Numbers (Psa 68:1, Num 10:35).

Psa 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
Psa 68:32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
Psa 68:33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
Psa 68:34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

We are that voice of God that is being sent out, we are those princes that “come out of Egypt” and “Ethiopia” who stretch forth our hands unto God. We are praising God now for we can clearly see by His grace and faith given that God’s “excellency is over Israel” and “his strength is in the clouds”.

Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

Princes come out of a place where they were held captive and the captivity of Egypt and Ethiopia is spoken of in Ezekiel 16. We understand that spiritually we are all first Sodom and Egypt, and we must live by every word of God and go by the way of Samaria, which represents our Gentile hearts as does Ethiopia which we must come out of by growing and maturing and progressing through.

Eze 16:53 When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Joh 4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

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.

God rides upon”the heavens of heavens” and is sovereign over all His creation that is being brought unto perfection by working in the heavens of all men whose heavens are found to have both light and darkness.

[For more detail, see the article on the three heavens: What Are The Three Heavens?]

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

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.

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Psa 68:35 O God, thou art terrible(H3372) out of thy holy places(H4720): the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

This last verse which will conclude our study speaks of yaw-ray’ or the reverence that God is going to bring to everyman to have on earth, using his elect, “thy holy places” (1Co 6:19). There is an ‘is, was and will be’ application to these verses, and our focus on this particular verse is how God will give “strength and power unto his people” which will come forth from “thy holy places” which is where “the God of Israel” is giving His strength and making His power known and perfected within His people! “Blessed be God“.

H3372
ירא
yârê’
yaw-ray’A primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten: – affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end), X see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

Psa 102:15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
Psa 102:16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

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.

Deu 2:25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

Gen 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
Gen 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
Gen 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

With God’s blessing upon Noah, who is a type of the elect, we see in shadow and type what God is going to do and is doing in earnest today through the church; and because it is His blessing and His decree that says these things will be so we ought to always “Ascribe ye strength unto God: [as] his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.“

Awesome Hands – part 87

Steven Crook — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 23:59:16 +0000

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Awesome Hands – part 87

September 30, 2015

The mystery of the kingdom of God is contained within all of the scripture.

Jesus told us that we do not need to look here nor there but to look inside because the kingdom of God is within you.

The study for this evening is going to cover the start of the complete judgment of the flesh as passed down by God to Moses and the Israelites.

This is all a type and shadow of the plan of God and how He plans to bring about His judgment on us all, but that judgment leads to salvation of us all.

Isa 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Come Nigh

Like Jesus, Moses was a reformer. Like Moses, Jesus is a reformer. After passing down all of the judgments that we have been reading in Exodus, the Lord reveals to us not only the commands that Moses and the elders of Israel were to immediately follow, but the commands that we all keep spiritually as the people of God.

Exo 24:1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
Exo 24:2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.

Notice that there are 4 individuals mentioned and then the 70 elders. Moses, his brother and his brother’s children.

Most of Christendom recognizes that Moses typifies Christ in a lot of ways. While all these men represent a family in the flesh, they also show us that Christ is called alone to “come near the Lord” while Aaron and his children are told to worship afar off with the elders.

This is important to recognize because it is Jesus Christ who alone has ascended that mountain and has come near to God. It is Jesus Christ who has descended to bring us the law of liberty from the mountain of God, but what does that look like in our lives as Christians?

I realize that Moses only brings Israel the 10 commandments and eventually the Mosaic Law which is for a lawless and disobedient people, but so too is the law of liberty given to us to bring us out of death into the glorious like of Jesus Christ and communion with God the Father.

What does it mean to be in liberty to have freedom?

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.
Luk 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
Luk 17:23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Luk 17:24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

Have you ever considered that the judgments of God are to judge those things in your heavens that need to be cast down and out of heaven?

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.
Luk 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Lest we forget, the judgments we have been studying in Exodus all started with this:

Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Judgment and the judgments being given to us are not for some future time or time period where we can execute God’s commandments then. God’s judgments are for us to learn from and be JUDGED with NOW, but again I ask what does that look like today for us as Christians?

While you consider that question, hear what Moses was given to speak to the people.

Exo 24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Exo 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
Exo 24:5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
Exo 24:6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Exo 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exo 24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

Isn’t it amazing that while there is lightning and thundering we are afraid and answer the Lord in one voice with, “we will hear…. we will do”, but if we turn our back, close our eyes and clasp our ears we are able to pretend the Lord isn’t ever present with us.

The strong delusion the Lord has created in us all initially is to be in a position in our Christian walks where we think we are walking, talking and eating with God the Father when in fact we are just doing so with His Son so that we can later be converted and truly serve Him.

It is right after the covenant is made with blood, both on the altar (that is to say the cross) and half of it on the people (ONE sacrifice’s blood was used – that would be Jesus Christ) that Moses, Aaron Nadab, Abihu and all the elders believed fully that were partaking of EATING and DRINKING with God.

They did experience this event, but what they THOUGHT it represented was far from what it really was.

Exo 24:9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
Exo 24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
Exo 24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Jesus Christ walked, talked, ate and drank with the disciples yet none of them were converted. Does that discount that they walked, talked, ate and drank with Jesus Christ in the flesh? No, it doesn’t.

The same Jesus that they walked with said this:

Joh 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Joh 5:37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

So, if they were not “seeing God” in a true sense of the meaning, who or what were they seeing? This is an important question and one that directly applies to us today right now in our lives.

They were seeing someone and experiencing these things yet Jesus told us that they and no one else has seen God nor heard His voice.

This question is one that beckons to be answered and the answer is one of are we seeing “within or without”.

See, if we hear or see someone saying “lo here” or “lo there” is Jesus Christ, we are to NOT follow them, but what does that mean? What does any of this have to do with the study today?

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:

Our daily lives are constantly being judged. In fact, we are dying daily and a part of the dying process is judging the things the Lord has set in motion in our lives.

Most of the time it seems we fail miserably at being and living the example of being like Christ in this world. At least it appears that way to me as I evaluate my life and living as a Christian daily.

It seems to me that as I am at the foot of this mount, waiting for Moses to tell me what to do and how to obey God, that I often fail to obey and fall while I wait.

But, the Lord has given as set of armor and a weapon in our hand to combat this FALSE judgment.

We have been given communion with God through prayer to recognize that we ARE seeing God when we look within and realize that this failing and falling IS the judgment we often times talk about.

Isa 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Isa 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Isa 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
Isa 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Isa 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Isa 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

As we live our lives daily we should be evaluating which altar we are making sacrifices on. Are we making physical sacrifices to wash the outside of the cup or are we DOING what is pleasing unto the Lord upon the altar and cross of Christ?

You might be thinking, “Steven stop speaking mumbo jumbo”.

Pro 21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

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.

Php 4:17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
Php 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Hos 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The living sacrifice and acceptable to God is a renewed MIND which tells us these words of Christ are true.

Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Contrast all of these verses with what you see the children of Israel do in the flesh. Of course it was given to them to do these things at this appointed time, but they are admonishments for us today to learn from and to apply spiritually.

Exo 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Exo 24:13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
Exo 24:14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

There is a season for everything including a time to be taught. However, there always comes a time to put into action and DO the things we’ve been taught.

Notice what happens when Moses “ascends” the mount. What happened once Jesus ascended into heaven? Where did He go?

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Exo 24:15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
Exo 24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

It is the day of rest, the Sabbath, which is when Jesus is called out of the midst of the cloud into someone’s life.

For us, as the clouds, we abide with the REST DAILY. In other words, for 6 days the clouds cover the mount and this is a mountain of prayer where we have communion with our Lord and Saviour.

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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.

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

Mar 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Mar 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mar 14:63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
Mar 14:64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

What does this look like to even those who are simple onlookers? After all, we have heard all our lives that FIRE is BAD. Fire represents hell and no one can stand the flame that consumes.

The Pharisees and high priest that question “WHO WE ARE” look on and condemn us to death!

Here is why that happens.

Exo 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Exo 24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Who possibly could survive such a DEVOURING FIRE? The answer is NO ONE can unless the Lord causes them to be able to dwell in the fire. Fire consumes anything it comes in contact with especially when talking about the fire of the Word of God.

Those that are brought through the fire are those that walk and dwell comfortably in it, and they walk comfortably in it because they know what the fiery judgment of the Lord is all about. It is for our good and it is so that we learn obedience just like Jesus Christ. As He is so are we in this world.

Isa 33:13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Isa 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

Awesome Hands – part 86: “The judgments” – Part Q

Steven Crook — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 00:22:03 +0000

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Awesome Hands – part 86

“The judgments” Part Q

September 2, 2015

The Lord is ever present in our lives causing good and evil to come about so that He can lead us to our ultimate goal of being with Him.

Obedience is very hard to hold on to when things are not going so well. Whether we are high on the mountain or low in the valley, obedience seems to be our mortal enemy. We tend to strain to keep His commandments at every turn of our lives, but I believe the Lord knows this is exactly how He has made us all to be.

In the study today, we are going to continue in Exodus 23 while focusing on the repeated admonitions of the Lord to “keep His commandments”.

An Angel before thee

In several of the last studies, we have focused on the Truth that we are God’s people but also that all of humanity is being brought in Him according to His timing.
All must go through the water of separation before they can be brought to the fire of God’s word to be purged with it.

Num 31:23 Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

More often than not, we see ourselves as the recipients of God’s mercy, love, grace, chastisement or insert whatever verb you would like to use.
However, what we should be focused on is how the Lord is using us for His purposes and not what He is doing to us.

Exo 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Exo 23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
Exo 23:22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

We all know that the Angel being spoken about here is Jesus Christ. There is also a connection to these verses that we should directly link in our minds.

When we read these verses we tend to apply them to us individually and “obeying His voice, provoking Him not”. They certainly DO apply to us and the Angel is Jesus Christ, but the Angel is also anyone the Lord uses to bring another lost sheep into the fold.

I am going to list some verses that are probably familiar but that are also confirmations of what I just stated.

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Exo 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

As I read the next verses, I ask you to consider if God’s people meet the qualifications of being sent as an Angel to those God is working with now and all of which He will eventually be working with.

Listen to and read these very important verses telling YOU who YOU are in Jesus Christ!

Clouds:

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

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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.

Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be THE CHRIST, the Son of God.
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

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

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Are you hearing the voice of your Lord in these verses today?

We are compassed by a great cloud of witnesses. We run with patience the race of looking toward Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith.

Notice that the high priest adjures and forces Jesus to answer if He is the Son of God. Jesus’ answer is YOU have said it and then He goes on to say, “you shall see the SON OF MAN sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds”.

This is significant if you want to know the meaning of your Christian life! Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of man. If you are given to see it, and hear the words being spoken to you via the Holy Spirit, it is YOU who are walking to and fro INTO HEAVEN via Jacob’s ladder.

Gen 28:10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
Gen 28:11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
Gen 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Are these same angels the angels mentioned in John?

Joh 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
Joh 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Why is it Jesus mentioned “greater things than these” and then immediately mention heaven being opened and the angels of God ascending and descending?

If you read the entire story where Jacob has the dream of the ladder there are some key points that are often over looked.

Jacob was fleeing his brother who wanted to KILL him. The SUN was set and it was night. Jacob rests his head on STONE. He awakens out of his sleep and says something that still applies to us today.

Gen 28:16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
Gen 28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the HOUSE OF GOD, and this is the GATE OF HEAVEN.
Gen 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

If you want to know who you are in the Lord, then listen to what the Lord has prepared for you and has orchestrated over THOUSANDS of years. If you desire to know the purpose of your life, then know that you’ve been BASPTISED into His death and resurrection.

The night is representative of sleep and death and the day of being awakened and life.

Luz, are you listening? Bethel, do you hear? Son of man do you hear, Son of God do you know?

H3870
lûz
BDB Definition:
Luz = “almond tree”
1) the early name of Bethel and probably the name of the town in close proximity to the actual location of the altar and pillar of Jacob
2) the name of a town in the land of the Hittites; site unknown
Part of Speech: noun proper locative
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: probably from H3869 (as growing there)

Here is who you are thou prophet and prophetess:

Jer 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Jer 1:2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Jer 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jer 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Jer 1:7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Jer 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond(H3870) tree.
Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

The Lord knows us before we were ever born and we were sanctified before we ever took our first breath. Our sanctification is to start off as Luz and be renamed Bethel, the house of God.

Being the house of God is being the angel the Lord says He will send to “keep the way” to the place He has prepared.

Exo 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Being the light is not just speaking the “good” things and good news. It’s living it as the “pillar of fire” and having the “fire of the Word of God” upon your mouths.

Being the light of the world is much more than just applying the Word of God to ourselves. We must BE the example of Jesus Christ Himself as we interact with those around us and as the Lord gives us the victory to do so.

It is not easy nor are we alone. The Lord is with us and does the battle for us, both in us and around us in others. Our victories do NOT come overnight and we are given victory day by day so that we are not overthrown.

Fire burns until the work is complete.

Fire:

Exo 23:23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exo 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Exo 23:25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
Exo 23:26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
Exo 23:27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

Those the Lord sends us to, whom He has purposed to be worked with now for the purposes of His Kingdom of heaven, will be destroyed with the words that proceed out of mouth.

For those clouds who are without rain, they too will have their reward and we must be DILIGENT to pray that the Lord causes us to remain “faithful clouds”.

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.

2Pe 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

The Lord will send hornets before us to both slay the enemy of the Lord WITHIN us and also without us in OTHERS.

Exo 23:28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
Exo 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
Exo 23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
Exo 23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
Exo 23:32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
Exo 23:33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

The hornets represent an act which is not of sword or bow but one of a direct act of the Lord Himself, just like the freeing of God’s people from Egypt.

The root word of hornet is leprosy. The warning to us is that we are to obey the commandments of the Lord and we are NOT to serve nor worship the gods of the people who God clears out of the land on our behalf. If we do worship other gods, then the Lord can just as easily send the plagues of Egypt upon us again.

Deu 7:18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
Deu 7:19 The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
Deu 7:20 Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

Jos 24:12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
Jos 24:13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
Jos 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

It should be abundantly clear that before we are brought to the water of separation, representing baptism, we served others gods.

The gods we serve are always gods which come forth from our own hearts. Sure, there may be names given to them, they may represent the sun, moon or stars or they may represent fertility, death, life, the ground, the rain, etc.

What is abundantly clear is that those “gods” are formed from the worship that is not of Spirit and Truth, but is of self-worship in some way. We all want health, food in our bellies, a roof on our head and peace around us therefore we worship the means of gaining these things.

I am not saying that these “gods” do not have names, but they are names given to worship the “idol” instead of the one name above all names.

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

A good example of this is when Jesus cast out the unclean spirit, and asked for its name first.

Mar 5:7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
Mar 5:8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
Mar 5:9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Many are contrasted to One. The Father and Christ are One, we are One with Christ, therefore we are One with the Father. Unclean spirits can give themselves all sorts of names to worship, but that is for mankind to be able to “name” their god or idol and to NOT worship the One True Holy God.

Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

Eze 39:6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

The flood and the parting of the Red Sea both represent the baptism God’s people must go through. After that, we BECOME the clouds made of WATER by day leading to the Way, Truth and Life.

At night, we become FIRE to bring to naught anything that needs to be purified. It should be spiritually clear that we are the pillars of cloud and fire because we are also pillars in the temple of God.

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Exo 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Exo 23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: FOR MY NAME IS IN HIM.

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

The patience of the race set before us is that we are in a marathon and not a sprint and the things the Lord is working in us and in others through us are happening each and every day of our lives.

The Spiritual Significance of Biblical Locations – Part 3

Mike Vinson — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 20:54:38 +0000

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The Spiritual Significance of Biblical Locations – Part 3

Heaven

2Ch 6:18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

Isa 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Psa 132:13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Psa 132:14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Introduction

Here we have God himself telling us “Heaven is my throne… the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. So exactly what is it that God desires for His habitation? That is what we are seeking to understand and to ‘see’ with spiritual eyes in this study.

Here is how Strong’s Concordance defines the word ‘heaven’:

H8064
שׁמה שׁמים
shâmayim shâmeh
shaw-mah’-yim, shaw-meh’

The second form being dual of an unused singular; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve): – air, X astrologer, heaven (-s).

Here are the various English words used by the King James translators for this Hebrew word ‘shawmayim’:

H8064
שׁמה / שׁמים
shâmayim / shâmeh
Total KJV Occurrences: 420
heaven, 289
Gen_1:1, Gen_1:8-9 (2), Gen_1:14-15 (2), Gen_1:17, Gen_1:20, Gen_6:17, Gen_7:11, Gen_7:19, Gen_7:23, Gen_8:2 (2), Gen_11:4, Gen_14:19, Gen_14:22, Gen_15:5, Gen_19:24, Gen_21:17, Gen_22:11, Gen_22:15, Gen_22:17, Gen_24:3, Gen_24:7, Gen_26:4, Gen_27:28, Gen_27:39, Gen_28:12, Gen_28:17, Gen_49:25, Exo_9:8, Exo_9:10, Exo_9:22-23 (2), Exo_10:21-22 (2), Exo_16:4, Exo_17:14, Exo_20:4, Exo_20:11, Exo_20:22, Exo_24:10, Exo_31:17, Exo_32:13, Lev_26:19, Deu_1:10, Deu_1:28, Deu_2:25, Deu_3:24, Deu_4:11, Deu_4:19 (3), Deu_4:26, Deu_4:32, Deu_4:36, Deu_4:39, Deu_5:8, Deu_7:24, Deu_9:1, Deu_10:14 (3), Deu_10:22, Deu_11:11, Deu_11:17, Deu_11:21, Deu_17:3, Deu_25:19, Deu_26:15, Deu_28:12, Deu_28:23-24 (2), Deu_28:62, Deu_29:20, Deu_30:4, Deu_30:12 (2), Deu_30:19, Deu_31:28, Deu_32:40, Deu_33:13, Deu_33:26, Jos_2:11, Jos_8:20, Jos_10:11, Jos_10:13, Jdg_13:20 (2), Jdg_20:40, 1Sa_2:10, 1Sa_5:12, 2Sa_21:9-10 (2), 2Sa_22:8, 2Sa_22:14, 1 Kin 8 (14), 1Ki_18:45, 1Ki_22:19, 2Ki_1:10 (2), 2Ki_1:12 (2), 2Ki_1:14, 2Ki_2:1, 2Ki_2:11, 2Ki_7:2, 2Ki_7:19, 2Ki_14:27, 2Ki_17:16, 2Ki_19:15, 2Ki_21:3, 2Ki_21:5, 2Ki_23:4-5 (2), 1Ch_21:16, 1Ch_21:26, 1Ch_29:11, 2Ch_2:6 (2), 2Ch_6:12-14 (3), 2Ch_6:18 (2), 2Ch_6:21, 2Ch_6:23, 2Ch_6:26-27 (2), 2Ch_6:30, 2Ch_7:1, 2Ch_7:13-14 (2), 2Ch_18:18, 2Ch_20:6, 2Ch_28:9, 2Ch_30:27, 2Ch_32:20, 2Ch_33:3, 2Ch_33:5, 2Ch_36:23, Ezr_1:2, Neh_1:4-5 (2), Neh_1:9, Neh_2:4, Neh_2:20, Neh_9:6 (3), Neh_9:13, Neh_9:15, Neh_9:23, Neh_9:27-28 (2), Job_1:16, Job_2:12, Job_11:8, Job_16:19, Job_20:27, Job_22:12, Job_22:14, Job_26:11, Job_28:24, Job_35:11, Job_37:3, Job_38:29, Job_38:33, Job_38:37, Job_41:11, Psa_11:4, Psa_14:2, Psa_20:6 (2), Psa_33:13, Psa_57:2-3 (2), Psa_69:34, Psa_73:25, Psa_76:8, Psa_78:23-24 (2), Psa_78:26, Psa_79:2, Psa_80:14, Psa_85:11, Psa_89:29, Psa_102:19, Psa_104:11-12 (2), Psa_105:40, Psa_107:26, Psa_113:6, Psa_115:15-16 (2), Psa_119:89, Psa_121:2, Psa_124:8, Psa_134:3, Psa_135:6, Psa_136:26, Psa_139:8, Psa_146:6, Psa_147:8, Psa_148:13, Pro_23:5, Pro_30:3-4 (2), Ecc_1:13, Ecc_2:3, Ecc_5:1-2 (2), Isa_13:5, Isa_13:10, Isa_14:12-13 (2), Isa_34:4-5 (2), Isa_37:16, Isa_40:12, Isa_55:10, Isa_63:15, Isa_66:1, Jer_7:18, Jer_7:33, Jer_8:2, Jer_8:7, Jer_16:2-4 (3), Jer_19:7, Jer_19:13, Jer_23:24, Jer_31:37, Jer_32:17, Jer_33:22, Jer_33:25, Jer_34:20, Jer_44:17-19 (3), Jer_44:25, Jer_49:36, Jer_51:9, Jer_51:15, Jer_51:48, Jer_51:53, Lam_2:1, Lam_3:50, Lam_4:19, Eze_8:3, Eze_31:5-6 (2), Eze_31:13, Eze_32:4, Eze_32:7-8 (2), Eze_38:20, Dan_8:8, Dan_8:10, Dan_9:12, Dan_11:4, Dan_12:7, Hos_2:18, Hos_4:3, Hos_7:12, Amo_9:2, Amo_9:6, Jon_1:9, Nah_3:16, Zep_1:3, Zep_1:5, Hag_1:10, Zec_2:6, Mal_3:9-10 (2)
heavens, 109
Gen_2:1, Gen_2:4 (2), Deu_10:14, Deu_32:1, Deu_33:28, Jdg_5:4, 2Sa_22:10, 1Ki_8:27, 1Ch_16:26, 1Ch_16:31, 1Ch_27:23, 2Ch_2:6, 2Ch_6:18, 2Ch_6:25, 2Ch_6:33, 2Ch_6:35, 2Ch_6:39, Neh_9:6 (2), Job_9:8, Job_14:12, Job_15:15, Job_20:6, Job_26:13, Job_35:5, Psa_2:4, Psa_8:1, Psa_8:3, Psa_18:9, Psa_18:13, Psa_19:1, Psa_33:6, Psa_36:5, Psa_50:4, Psa_50:6, Psa_57:5, Psa_57:10-11 (2), Psa_68:8, Psa_68:33 (2), Psa_73:9, Psa_89:2, Psa_89:5, Psa_89:11, Psa_96:5, Psa_96:11, Psa_97:6, Psa_102:25, Psa_103:19, Psa_104:2, Psa_108:4-5 (2), Psa_113:4, Psa_115:3, Psa_115:16, Psa_123:1, Psa_144:5 (2), Psa_148:1, Psa_148:4 (3), Pro_3:19, Pro_8:27, Isa_1:2, Isa_13:13, Isa_34:4, Isa_40:22, Isa_42:5, Isa_44:23-24 (2), Isa_45:8, Isa_45:12, Isa_45:18, Isa_49:13 (2), Isa_50:3, Isa_51:6 (2), Isa_51:13, Isa_51:16, Isa_55:9, Isa_64:1, Isa_65:17, Isa_66:22, Jer_2:12, Jer_4:23, Jer_4:25, Jer_4:28, Jer_9:10, Jer_10:12-13 (2), Jer_14:22, Jer_51:16, Lam_3:41, Lam_3:66, Eze_1:1, Hos_2:21, Joe_2:10, Joe_2:30, Joe_3:16, Hab_3:3, Hag_2:6, Hag_2:21, Zec_6:5, Zec_8:12, Zec_12:1
air, 21
Gen_1:26, Gen_1:28, Gen_1:30, Gen_2:19-20 (2), Gen_6:7, Gen_7:3, Gen_9:2, Deu_4:17, Deu_28:26, 1Sa_17:44, 1Sa_17:46, 2Sa_21:10, 1Ki_14:11, 1Ki_16:4, 1Ki_21:24, Job_12:7, Job_28:21, Psa_8:8, Ecc_10:19-20 (2)
astrologers, 1
Isa_47:13

Of the 420 times this Hebrew word appears in the Old Testament, it is translated as ‘heaven’ or ‘heavens’ 398 times. Of the remaining 22 entries it is translated as ‘air’, and the remaining one entry is translated as ‘astrologers’.

When I worked for the World Wide Church of God, if I did something for my boss, his way of saying ‘Thank you’ was to say, “Great is your reward in heaven…where you can’t get to it.” Like most Christians, we actually believed that heaven was a physical planet somewhere out there beyond the peering eyes of the Hubble telescope. I remember well how excited I was when one of our ministers pointed out that God held the secret of “instantaneous travel” which he proved by pointing out that Christ, right after His resurrection told the women who had come to the tomb:

Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Then just minutes later, He lets them touch Him:

Mat 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Mat 28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
Mat 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

We were told by that minister that Christ had gone all the way to heaven, many light years away, and back between these two events.

The point is that we obviously believed that heaven was a physical planet with a physical place to house “the kingdom of God”.

There is no end to the songs about the mansions and the pearly gates and the streets of gold where God sits on His throne, and which, after all, we are plainly told is in ‘heaven’:

And where is heaven? Is it not very clear that ‘heaven’ is somewhere up “high above the earth?:

Job 35:5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

2Sa 22:10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

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

We are told that God dwells in the heavens:

2Ch 6:39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

Psa 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Psa 123:1 A Song of degrees. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Through His spirit God beautifies the heavens:

Job 26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished [Hebrew: made fair] the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

God judges the earth from the heavens:

Psa 2:4 He that sitteth [meaning ‘sits to judge’] in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Exo 18:13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit [judging as kings and priests – Mat 19:28] 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 [as judges, kings and priests] through Christ Jesus.

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The heavens proclaim God’s glory and demonstrate His works:

Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [the heavens, Gen 1:8] sheweth his handywork.

Gen 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

The heavens praise God:

Psa 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

God dwells “in the heavens”, and yet we are told that the heavens are not clean and are in need of being purified:

Job 15:15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

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

It is “by understanding” that God “establish[es] the heavens”:

Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

We are told that God shows His mercy “in the heavens”, and notice how ‘the clouds’ are always associated with the heavens:

Psa 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Psa 57:10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

We are also told that it is the heavens which “shall declare His righteousness”.

Psa 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

Psa 97:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

The heavens rejoice that God judges righteously:

Psa 96:10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
Psa 96:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

God “rides upon the heavens”:

Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

Psa 68:33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

The foolish and the wicked speak against the heavens:

Psa 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psa 73:9 They [the wicked] set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

The heavens are contrasted with the gods of the nations and their idols:

Psa 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols [false doctrines]: but the LORD made the heavens.

It is the declaration of the righteousness of God by the heavens which causes “all the people [to] see [God’s] glory”.

Psa 97:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

It is by wisdom that God makes the heavens:

Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

Pro 8:1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

Pro 8:27 When he prepared the heavens, I [wisdom, Christ] was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

Finally, we are told that heaven is where God “has prepared His throne”:

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Isa 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

What God is doing in the heavens

When we get to the prophets, Isaiah begins to reveal to us the mighty work God is doing in the heavens and what He will do in “the heavens”:

The light is darkened in the heavens:

Isa 5:30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

God is, was and will be shaking the heavens… in His wrath and in the day of His fierce anger:

Isa 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

All the host of heaven will be dissolved, shall be rolled together as a scroll and fall down. The heavens shall be changed, shall pass away and shall perish:

Isa 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Heb 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Heb 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
Heb 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

God’s work in the heavens is for the purpose of stretching them out for a tent in which to dwell:

Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

God calls to the heavens, and He commands their host:

Isa 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
Isa 48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

It is God who clothes the heavens with blackness, and it is also God who will cause the heavens to vanish away like smoke.

Isa 50:3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

It is with His word in our mouths that He plants the heavens, and calls us His people.

Isa 51:16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

Hosea tells us that God hears the heavens:

Hos 2:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth.

Zechariah tells us the heavens give their dew, and through the heavens, God causes His people to possess all things.

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

What does all of this mean?

Having considered all we are told about heaven being higher than the earth, being the place of God’s dwelling, and being the place of His throne; Being told heaven is that by which God is glorified, and praised, that it is the place which He beautifies by His spirit, the place from which He judges the earth, the place from which His glory is proclaimed, and that it is by the heavens that His works are demonstrated; Knowing all of this I ask, “What is ‘heaven’ and where is ‘heaven’?”

Now that we know that the things of the heavens themselves must be purified by better sacrifices than the blood of bulls and goats, that these heavens are “established by understanding”; Now that we know that God’s “mercy is great unto the heavens”, that it is the heavens which declare His righteousness, that the heavens rejoice that God judges righteously, that God rides upon the heavens, that the foolish and the wicked speak against the heavens, and that the heavens are contrasted with the gods of the nations and their idols; I ask, what are we talking about, and where are ‘the heavens’ which receive all this attention from God and which serve him in all these ways?

We have just read that it is by the heavens that God’s righteousness is declared, and the whole world is caused to see His glory; We were told that wisdom was in the heavens when the heavens were first prepared, and that the heavens are God’s throne as well as the place where God has prepared His throne because He has desired to dwell there, and to place His throne there. So I ask, what and where is God’s throne, and where are these ‘heavens’ in which He has placed His throne?

Can we be in heaven while we are still on the earth?

In the New Testament, Christ increases exponentially our knowledge and understanding of this thing called ‘heaven’. We will begin with Christ’s instructions about “heavenly things” to Nicodemus, through whom He tells us:

Joh 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
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.

In the book of Hebrews, we are told that Christ has now passed into the heavens, and as we saw earlier, Christ came to this earth and died so the heavens could be purified:

Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

The next chapter tells us more about “the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched”:

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

We are informed that even while we are on this earth, there are times when the heavens open up to us:

Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he [Christ] saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Stephen also “saw the heavens opened”:

Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I [Stephen as he was being stoned to death] see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The heavens were opened to John when he was on the Isle of Patmos, and a throne was set in heaven:

Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

When the heavens were opened to John, he was told to “come up here”, and he was shown “things which must be hereafter”, and he saw a throne with a king on that throne.

The discovery of what and where the scriptures reveal ‘heaven’ to be

The reason the Hubble telescope has not yet located ‘heaven’ is that it is focused in the wrong direction and in the wrong place. The fact is that as long as mankind continues to seek to discover ‘heaven’ through the lens of any telescope, even one a thousand times more powerful than the Hubble telescope and capable of going a thousand times further into space than Hubble has gone, mankind will never discover the location or even the meaning of “the heavens” of the scriptures, simply because of this fact:

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

“Behold, the kingdom of God is within you”; it is not “here or… there” because it is not a physical location. Rather “heaven” is a spiritual realm which is “far above” this physical realm we refer to as ‘the earth’. That is what all those verses from the Old Testament were telling us even though those patriarchs and prophets were not ministering to themselves and did not understand the depth of their own prophecies:

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the [spiritual] salvation of your souls [“The kingdom of God… within you”].
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Physical eyes cannot see, and physical ears cannot hear, what God has prepared for those who serve Him. Those incredible blessings will come only through the rending of our spiritual heavens, and through the melting and burning up of our old man and all of his works in his physical kingdom.

Isa 64:1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
Isa 64:2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
Isa 64:3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou comest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Paul repeats this prophecy in:

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

This is what the spirit has revealed to us about the deep things of God:

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.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The fire of God is His word (Jer 5:14). God’s word is the ‘fire’ of our trials in this age (1Pet 4:12) as well as the fires of “the lake of fire” of which Paul tells us “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire“. But as we have just learned, God rules over all things, and He does so from His throne “in the heavens”:

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Psa 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Psa 103:21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

Now we can understand the true meaning of Christ’s words:

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions [Greek: abodes]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Now we know what these words really mean:

Psa 132:13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Psa 132:14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Christ is preparing us a place in the new heavens which will encompass a new earth:

Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

You and I are called “the temple of God… if so be that the spirit of God dwell in [us]”:

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

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

Where are we told the temple of God is located?

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, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

“The ark of His testament” is the “keeping of the words of this prophecy” of His testament, which is in the lives and in the mouths of all who are “the heavens”, where the ark of His testament is seen by all who know the Christ who has come down from heaven and is at the same time “seated in heaven” in all of His saints:

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.

Eph 2:6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms – all because we are one with Christ Jesus. (NLT)

Job speaks of the destruction of the first heavens, but he also speaks of being raised up from the dead, without physical flesh, into a new heavens and a new earth:

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Job 19:26 And, though, after my skin is struck off, this followeth , yet, apart from my flesh, shall I see GOD: (REV)

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

Heaven comes “down to earth”, and heaven is “high above the earth” only because the spirit realm is superior to the physical realm. The fact is that just as the earth is merely a part of the heavens, so also the new earth is but part of the heavens, and the fact is that when Christ ascended into the clouds, those ‘clouds’ were nothing more than a symbol of His disciples whom He told He would “never leave or forsake”. God is both omnipotent and omnipresent, and Christ did not move one inch to “enter into the heavens” because those very ‘heavens’ are His disciples.

All of mankind lies down and rises not “till the heavens be no more”. It is in this age for God’s firstfruit elect, and it will be at the great white throne judgment for all the rest of mankind, but the earth and the heavens flee away, and there is found no place for them. When that event takes place, then it is time for the dead to awake and be raised out of their sleep to this glorious end product of the work God is performing on “all in Adam”, and on all who have ever been “in Adam” (1Co 15:22):

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

[The next study in this series is here.]

Awesome Hands – part 61: “The Sanctuary”

Steven Crook — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 23:53:38 +0000

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Awesome Hands – part 61

“The Sanctuary”

July 23, 2014

Often times, it is immediately after being given a victory that we become discontented with the Lord.

We become anxious children who want what we want and do not at all recognize the blessing.s we have been given by our loving Father.

In the study today, we are going to see how we are exactly like the Israelites as they complain again against what the Lord is doing with them in their walk with Him.

“All things mean all”

Exo 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Exo 15:18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
Exo 15:19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

As we live out each and every day, the Lord uses all we experience, think, hear and see as teaching tools to bring us closer to Himself.

Unlike earthly parents, the Lord does not tire in His ability to correct us and teach us in order to bring us to Himself.

Deu 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

Pro 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. (means quickly or right away)

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

In this example of the Israelites today, we will see one of those teaching methods on full display.

The Lord has just delivered the Israelites from an almost certain death and this miracle of deliverance works two fold.

On the one hand, you have the Israelites celebrating this victory in the Lord.

Exo 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Exo 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

On the other hand, and as we will discover, the Lord often times brings a trial to us quickly after delivering us from a trial or temptation which has given us more Faith in Him. He builds our Faith up just to have it tried in the next fiery trial.

Jacob received a blessing of Isaac only to have Esau pursue him to kill him.

Gen 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
Gen 27:42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
Moses was found floating in the river and would have certainly died but instead he was rescued and taken in as one of the Pharaoh’s sons.

Exo 2:9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
Exo 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt, only to have the Egyptians follow them to the edge of sea.

Yes, it is true that Jacob stole Esau’s blessing. Yes, it is true that after all that Moses was blessed with by the Egyptians, he then looks on his brethren and their burdens and kills an Egyptian because he smote one of Moses’ people.

Yes, it is true that the Israelites after all they have seen in the form of miracles, STILL cry out to the Lord in disbelief and doubt.

I ask you frankly, WHY did any of these people do these things?

Jacob was and is used MIGHTILY by the Lord. Moses was USED to deliver God’s people with the ROD that was placed in his hand by the Lord Himself. The tribes of Israel are used all throughout the Old Testament to exact God’s judgment on the inhabitants of the lands they are sent to.

The Lord works with His servants, His people, His shephards, His teachers, His apostles, His evangelists in a very similar process of revealing what is flesh and then purging that natural mind form them.

Why then do any of these people the Lord is working with do things which “on the surface” cause us to buck at the idea of “stealing our brothers birth right,” murder, and cause war with just about everyone we come in contact with?

The answer is found here in the story of Exodus 15, and the answer is that the LORD has caused these things to be so.

The Lord is working ALL THINGS after the counsel of His own will and those “all things” always, ALWAYS include using His people to do things that we naturally question.

Why would someone God is working with be CAUSED to sin against Him and His people, their brothers and sisters?

“Three days in the wilderness”

So, we find ourselves walking among the Israelites in the wilderness.

Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Exo 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
Exo 15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

We find ourselves here in the wilderness with the doubting Israelites. How could the Israelites being led by Moses and Aaron, be so stupid as to murmur against the Lord and His servant? I speak as a fool.

See, it is the Lord alone who has brought us up against His wall, the wilderness of Shur (meaning wall), where we find no water.

Then it is the Lord who sends us to Marah (meaning bitter), to the bitter/brackish water. This water is bitter because it is roughly 1/10th salt according to current day filtering of the waters of the Sinai Peninsula.

The result of this process of deliverance and then guidance through the wilderness is:

Exo 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

This process is none other than the water of life being given to us by the Tree of life.

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.

How can I state that this is the process of the water of life being given to us by the Tree of Life and then use Revelation 10:8-11 as an example of that since it is talking about a “little book”?

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.

What is this mystery of God and who are these prophets?

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 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 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

What then does this whole story of the Israelites coming to the wall, finding bitter water, having it sweetened and then being proved, have to do with the verses we just read?

There are some scholars that say this “tree” which was showed to Moses was used as a sort of filtering process to filter out the salt of this water in order to make it sweet.

Yet still, there are others who say that it is what it sounds like and there was a tree that was used somehow to be cast into the water to make it sweet similar to taking tea leaves and putting them in water to get the benefits of the leaves.

Regardless of what the physical process was for this sweetening, what we are admonished with is that Jesus Christ Himself is cast “into the water” causing it to become water which springs up water of everlasting Life and this is done both to and VIA HIS CHURCH.

We are called out of Babylon. In order to be called out, we must be IN HER first. Once called out of her, we are given our ordinances, our statues and our “provings”.

We are given His commandments and His statutes so that the DISEASES which were sent to the Egyptians do not come upon us to UTTER DESTRUCTION in this age. We are HEALED of THEM.

We are shown mercy, a redeemed and peculiar people.

Exo 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Exo 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

Let us see if we hear the voice of our True Shepherd.

Joh 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Joh 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
Joh 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Joh 4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Joh 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water (Jacob’s well) shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be IN HIM a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Joh 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

After all that Jesus tells this woman at the well, who we see typified in you and I and also in the Israelites who are brought to this same place spiritually, He then poses a “proving” to her.

He tells her, “whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again,” which is the water from Jacob’s well.

She then is told she can have water which will never leave her thirsty and she ASKS for it.

What then is Jesus’ ANSWER to her? He “proves” her.

Joh 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
Joh 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
Joh 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
Joh 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Jesus answers this woman with Truth because she has answered Jesus in Truth. It takes a humble and meek spirit, one that realizes just who it is we are talking to (she is talking to a prophet), which is able to ADMIT their faults, their nakedness, their short comings and failings.

“Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet”.

I asked earlier, “Who is it that is a prophet?” Jesus is certainly a prophet as well as many other things.

I quoted from Revelation what the Spirit of prophecy is.

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.
So who has the TESTIMONY of Jesus? Who is able to say, “I have the water of Life springing up from WITHIN me and here it is!?”

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.

Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The Lord feeds “them” and leads them to à fountains of waters ß. We are led to His body where He dwells.

Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Rev 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

His prophets have fire in their mouths and when they prophecy they have power of the waters of free flowing life to turn them to blood!

Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

Sounds like the singing that happens when the Israelites are freed from the destruction of the red sea.

Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

This is all the judgment of the Lord.

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

Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Yes indeed, we are the PILLARS in the temple of God, the temple of Truth, and Jesus comes on a cloud.

Judgment begins at His house, at His pillars, which lead to the Holy of Holies.

1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

Jesus Christ comes sitting on a white cloud, a cloud of great witnesses. That cloud of great witnesses has been taught how they “should behave thyself in the house of God”.

How are they and we to act?

Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Exo 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

When we put on the armor of God, when we go to the field of war to make war while having the living waters flow within us, we do so to ANNIALATE and utterly destroy the false doctrines, the “half” truths, and anything that is NOT the mind of Christ contained within the entire sum of the Word.

When we are soldiers of Christ, soldiers of the anointing, we take no prisoners and make no compromises. We hearken diligently to the VOICE of the Lord … which is the VOICE OF MANY WATERS.

Just as was done to Israel, so too will we see the twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. This is the moment the Lord is setting up His foundation, Himself which has been laid, into our hearts and minds and brings His judgment to us.

The water which is bitter, which God makes sweet for us to swallow, is one which will work the judgments of God on the inside (of the cup) and produce the death of the old and newness of Life of the new man … day by day.

Cloud(s) – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word

Rev 14:13-20 Part 2, The Angel Thrust in His Sickle into The Earth

Study Audio Download

Rev 14:13-20 Part 2, The Angel Thrust in His Sickle into The Earth

[Study Aired February 23, 2025]

Rev 14:13-20 Part 1, The Angel Thrust His Sickle Into The Earth

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Rev 14:13-20 Part 1, The Angel Thrust His Sickle Into The Earth

[Study Aired February 21, 2025]

Introduction

Study of the Book of Kings – 1Ki 18:1-46 The God that answereth by fire, let him be God.

1Ki 18:1-46 “The God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken”

[Study Aired May 12, 2022

Are We Living in the Time of the End?

Are We Living in the Time of the End?

Posted February 28, 2022]

Psalms 77:10-20 “In The Day of My Trouble I Sought The Lord”, Part 2

Psa 77:10-20 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord” – Part 2

Psalms 68:24-35 “Ascribe Ye Strength Unto God” – Part 4

“Ascribe ye strength unto God” – Part 4

Psa 68:24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

Psa 68:25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. Psa 68:26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

Psa 68:27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler , the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

Psa 68:28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. Psa 68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

Psa 68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen [see Rotherham version], the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

Psa 68:35 O God, thou art terrible(H3372) out of thy holy places(H4720): the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

Awesome Hands – part 87

Awesome Hands – part 87

September 30, 2015

Come Nigh

Awesome Hands – part 86: “The judgments” – Part Q

Awesome Hands – part 86

“The judgments” Part Q

September 2, 2015

An Angel before thee

The Spiritual Significance of Biblical Locations – Part 3

The Spiritual Significance of Biblical Locations – Part 3

Heaven

Introduction

What God is doing in the heavens

What does all of this mean?

Can we be in heaven while we are still on the earth?

The discovery of what and where the scriptures reveal ‘heaven’ to be

Awesome Hands – part 61: “The Sanctuary”

Psa 68:25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
Psa 68:26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

Psa 68:28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Psa 68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

Psa 68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen [see Rotherham version]**, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.**