The Two Works of Scripture, Part 1: Dead Works of the Old Man

[Study Aired April 28, 2026]

Introduction: The Apostolic Pattern and Its Witnesses

The doctrine of works stands at the center of Scripture’s testimony concerning God’s purpose — the redemption of the naturally captive creature, not from a lost perfection, but from the designed bondage of the natural order (Rom 8:20) — into the liberty of the life of the Spirit through the ransom of Christ. Few subjects have been more bitterly contested, more frequently distorted, or more desperately misunderstood. At first glance the sacred page appears to speak out of both sides of its mouth—commanding works while condemning them, judging by works while saving apart from them, declaring faith without works dead while declaring works of the law incapable of justifying. These apparent tensions are not contradictions to be resolved by choosing sides. They are differentiations to be discerned by the governing principle that orders all of God’s purpose: Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual (1 Co 15:46).

This article, the first of three parts, establishes the foundation of the doctrine by examining the nature of works under the old man—what Scripture terms “dead works.” Part 2 will treat the work of God (believing) and the spiritual reality of works wrought in God through the indwelling Spirit. Part 3 will address the judgment of works and the final vindication of the natural-first, spiritual-second pattern.

Before turning to the text, a word about the pattern itself. What follows is not a suggestive inference drawn from isolated verses — it is an apostolic doctrine, confirmed in the mouth of multiple witnesses across the New Testament. Paul contrasts works of the flesh with fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:19-23). The writer to the Hebrews contrasts dead works with serving the living God (Heb 9:14). Paul contrasts works of the law with the righteousness of faith (Rom 3:28; 4:4-5; Gal 2:16). Christ contrasts the multitude’s striving to work the works of God with the single work of believing (John 6:28-29). Paul contrasts man’s labor to establish righteousness with God’s own working within the believer (Phil 2:12-13). Where two or three witnesses establish a word (2Co 13:1), five apostolic witnesses establish a doctrine.

The pattern itself is one of apostolic contrast — the natural against the spiritual, the first against the second, the earthy against the heavenly. Paul does not merely demonstrate this contrast; he states it as the governing principle of all God’s purpose: Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual (1Co 15:46). The first man Adam was made a living soul; the Last Adam was made a quickening spirit (vs 45). The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven (vs 47). Every doctrine of works in Scripture moves on this line. The works of the first Adam and his posterity are the works of the natural — carnal and dead. The works wrought by the Last Adam in His people are the works of the spiritual — heavenly and living.

With this apostolic pattern in view, we turn to the Hebrew testimony of Scripture, where the terminology of works was first laid down.

The Hebrew Foundation: Ma’aseh, Pa’al, and ‘Avodah

The Old Testament employs three primary terms for what later Scripture will develop into the doctrine of works. Each contributes to the picture of the natural order, and each anticipates the resolution that belongs to the spiritual.

The most frequent is ma’aseh (Strong’s H4639), occurring over two hundred times. The word denotes a made thing, a deed, a work, an action. It is first used of God’s own works: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made (Gen 2:2). It describes the heavens as the work of thy fingers (Psa 8:3). The same word is applied to man’s works — Cain’s offering, Noah’s ark, Bezaleel’s labor on the tabernacle. Critically, ma’aseh is the word used for idolatry: the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell (Deut 4:28). Man’s works take the form of man’s gods, and man’s gods are as lifeless as man’s works. The lifelessness of the idol testifies to the lifelessness of the labor that produced it.

The second term is pa’al (Strong’s H6467, with verb H6466), “to do, to work, to make.” It carries a more personal, agential weight than ma’aseh. David prays, Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours; give them after the work of their hands (Psa 28:4). It describes the wicked who work iniquity (Psa 6:8; Psa 14:4), and the righteous whose work God remembers (Ruth 2:12). Isaiah indicts Israel for disregarding the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands (Isa 5:12). The human pa’al is the subject of God’s evaluation throughout the prophets; God’s own pa’al is the subject of human neglect.

The third term is ‘avodah (Strong’s H5656), “service, labor, bondage.” It carries the connotation of servile toil. It is first used of Israel’s hard bondage in Egypt: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour (Exo 1:14). The same word is later applied to the service of the tabernacle (Exo 35:24; 38:21) — cleansed and consecrated labor, yet still belonging to the natural order. God’s appropriation of ‘avodah from Egyptian bondage to tabernacle service is itself instructive: labor is redirected but not yet transformed; the servant serves a new Master but still serves in the flesh. The tabernacle ‘avodah was external worship by external men — a natural anticipation of the spiritual reality, pointing forward to that indwelling temple the believer has become (1Co 6:19).

The bondage that ‘avodah describes is also the bondage from which God redeems. The primary Hebrew terms for redemption — ga’al (H1350) and padah (H6299) — do not describe the recovery of a prior perfection. Ga’al is the right and obligation of the kinsman to buy back what poverty or captivity has forfeited, moving the redeemed not backward but forward into new standing (Ruth 4:4-10; Isa 43:14). Padah is ransom-release — the payment of a price that frees the captive from the condition holding them (Deut 7:8; Exo 13:13-15). Neither term presupposes a fall. Both presuppose designed captivity awaiting a Deliverer. The ‘avodah of Egypt was not an accident to be corrected; it was the natural order crying out for the ga’al of God — a cry answered first in Moses and finally and fully in Christ, who gave His life a ransom for many (Matt 20:28).

Two Old Testament passages deserve special notice as foreshadowings of the spiritual reality to come. Isaiah 26:12 prays, LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. Here the prophet sees what Paul will later expound in Philippians 2:13 — that the acceptable works of God’s people are works God Himself has wrought in them. Psalm 90:17 confirms the same anticipation: And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. The man of God does not boast that his hands have established a work; he pleads that God will establish it. Even in the Old Testament the confession is already forming: Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it (Psa 127:1). The Hebrew foundation announces the problem; the Greek New Testament declares the resolution.

Dead Works: What Scripture Means by the Term

When the writer to the Hebrews coins the phrase “dead works” he is not speaking exclusively of acts of sin. He is naming a whole category of human activity—the full body of labor performed by the old man, whether openly wicked or outwardly pious. The phrase appears twice, each time identifying the believer’s deliverance from such works as foundational to the gospel: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God (Heb 6:1). And more pointedly: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Heb 9:14).

The Greek term rendered “dead” is nekros (Strong’s G3498)—the same word used for physical corpses, for the spiritually unregenerate, and for faith without works. This term does not refer merely to the cessation of life; it signifies lifelessness as pervasive character, a quality belonging to the thing itself. A dead body is not a living body that has stopped working; it is a different kind of thing, belonging to a different category. So with dead works. They are not merely ineffective works that need greater effort; they are a different kind of works, produced by a different source, belonging to a different order of being.

The same nekros terminology converges across three New Testament books to confirm this reality. Paul declares to the Ephesians that they were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), describing the old man’s condition before the Spirit’s quickening. James declares that faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone (James 2:17), and again, faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The Hebrews passages already seen apply the same adjective to works themselves. Dead man, dead faith, dead works — all three share one source: the Adamic nature in which the quickening spirit has not yet come. The natural order cannot produce what belongs to the spiritual, for the Last Adam has not yet wrought His work within. The convergence across Hebrews, James, and Ephesians establishes the category with the full weight of apostolic testimony.

It is crucial to see that dead works include far more than moral evil. They include religious works performed without the indwelling Spirit. Our Lord Himself warned: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt 7:22-23). Prophesying in Christ’s name, casting out devils in Christ’s name, performing wonderful works in Christ’s name—religious works of the most impressive kind, invoking the name of the Son of God—and yet classified as iniquity, the work of those whom Christ never knew. The name on the label does not change the substance within. Works wrought by the old man in the flesh remain dead works, even when performed under Christian vocabulary. Sincerity of invocation does not sanctify the source; only the indwelling Worker does. We will return to this passage in Part 3; here it suffices to establish that the category “dead works” is larger than sinful works too narrowly understood.

Works of the Flesh

Paul’s catalog in Galatians 5 names the works of the flesh with unmistakable specificity: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (Gal 5:19-21). The catalog is deliberately mixed. It includes gross immorality (adultery, drunkenness, murder), occult religion (idolatry, witchcraft), and the internal works of pride and division (emulations, variance, heresies). The scope is the flesh as a whole — the natural Adamic nature in all its expressions, whether externally vile or internally respectable.

Observe how Paul concludes the catalog: they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:21). The works of the flesh do not merely fail to earn the kingdom; they bar it. But notice the contrast that follows: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Gal 5:22-23). The works of the flesh stand over against the fruit of the Spirit — and Paul does not say “works of the flesh / works of the Spirit.” He changes the word, and the change is deliberate.

The Greek word behind “works” is erga (G2041) — deeds, actions, labor produced by an agent through his own exertion. The Greek word behind “fruit” is karpos (G2590) — produce that grows organically from a living source. These are not synonyms. Erga describes what a man does; karpos describes what a living thing bears because of what it is. Paul’s choice to use karpos rather than a second erga is itself the apostolic testimony to the natural/spiritual distinction. What the old man produces belongs to one category; what the Spirit bears through the yielded believer belongs to another entirely. Old-man activity is mechanical production — the output of a laboring agent. New-man activity is organic bearing — the increase of an indwelling life. The Lord stated the principle directly: As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me (John 15:4). The branch does not labor to bear fruit; it bears fruit because it is alive in the vine. So with the fruit of the Spirit — it is not produced by effort but borne by union. The vocabulary shift from erga to karpos is not incidental. It is Paul’s own word for the difference between the natural and the spiritual.

Works of the Law

Of all the categories of works belonging to the natural order, the most deceptive is that which Paul names “the works of the law.” These are not evil works. They are commanded works — ordinances given by God through Moses, constituting the external shadow of what Christ would fulfill. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16). Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal 3:2).

The Greek phrase Paul uses throughout these passages is erga nomou (G2041 + G3551) — works of the law. The noun nomos (G3551) in Paul’s letters describes a binding legal system that makes external demands and pronounces legal verdicts. Erga (G2041) is the same word for labor and deed already established as the natural man’s mode of production. The compound therefore describes precisely what the natural order does: it labors externally to satisfy the demands of an external code. The law is outside the man; his works are produced outside the man; and the verdict the law returns is that no such external labor can reach what the law actually requires — a righteousness that must come from within. This is not a flaw in the law. It is the law’s design — to demonstrate by its own inexorable demands that the old man cannot satisfy them — and that what the law requires, only God Himself can supply.

Some interpreters have argued that Paul’s “works of the law” refers narrowly to the ceremonial boundary markers that distinguished Jew from Gentile — circumcision, dietary laws, Sabbaths and feast days — rather than law-keeping in general. There is a measure of truth to this observation: the conflict in Galatia revolved precisely around Judaizers who imposed circumcision and feast observance on Gentile believers, and the controversies of Paul’s ministry often turned on these ceremonial markers. The narrow reading cannot contain the whole force of Paul’s argument. Galatians 3:10 quotes Deuteronomy 27:26: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. The scope is the whole law, not merely its ceremonial portion. Romans 2:21-23 rebukes Jews for violating not ceremonial statutes but the plain moral commandments — stealing, adultery, sacrilege. Romans 3:19-20 concludes that by the law is the knowledge of sin — a principle that applies to the law’s moral function no less than its ceremonial function.

The erga nomou that cannot justify therefore include the law’s moral, ceremonial, and civil demands alike, precisely because the old man cannot produce the righteousness the law requires in any of its dimensions. The narrower reading captures the point of controversy; the broader reading captures the principle at stake. Both together give the full picture: the Judaizers pressed the ceremonial markers because they were the visible line dividing Jew from Gentile, but the principle Paul articulates applies universally to every work performed by the old man under any dimension of law.

The works of the law are the works of the natural order in their purest form. They are ordained of God, commanded by God, imposed upon the covenant people by God Himself, and yet they cannot accomplish the thing they point toward. This is because they were never designed to. They were designed as shadow, to testify that the substance must come. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God (Heb 7:19). For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect (Heb 10:1). The very inadequacy of the law’s works was the testimony; the ceaseless repetition of the sacrifices was the confession that a greater Worker must come.

Romans 7: The Old Man’s Crisis Laid Bare

No passage in all of Scripture so intimately depicts the futility of the old man’s attempt to produce righteousness as Romans 7. The apostle writes as one embodying the experience: For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I (Rom 7:14-15). And more pointedly: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not (Rom 7:18).

This is the Adamic condition placed under a microscope. The law commands; the man consents; the flesh cannot perform. The will is present; the power is absent. I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Rom 7:23). The cry that breaks forth from the crisis is not “Let me try harder” but O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom 7:24). The answer, when it comes, does not deliver by improved effort but by the replacement of the laboring agent: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 7:25), and in the next breath, For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Rom 8:3).

Romans 7 is therefore the hinge between the natural and the spiritual in personal experience. It is where the old man reaches the end of his striving and confesses that a different kind of Worker must come. The chapter is the personal testimony to what the apostolic epistles declare as doctrine. Paul’s confession strips away every illusion about what the natural man can produce — not because the flesh has failed, but because the flesh was never the appointed vessel for this work. The old man’s crisis reaches its conclusion here; the next chapter opens with no condemnation and proceeds to the full unfolding of life in the Spirit.

Much debate has centered on whether Paul speaks here as regenerate or unregenerate — but the witness of Scripture itself dissolves that question. The crisis of Romans 7 is not a narrative of fall and recovery; it is the disclosure of what the first Adam always was. Created a living soul, subject to vanity by God’s own purpose, never yet a quickening spirit — the old man’s incapacity is the very testimony that a Last Adam must come. The natural order was designed to fail as the basis of standing precisely in order that the spiritual might be received as a gift. Creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope (Rom 8:20). The hope was the spiritual all along.

Dead Works and the Living Worker to Come

In this first part we have laid the foundation. The Hebrew testimony shows that works are as ancient as creation and as varied as humankind, but that even the saints of old knew their works required God’s establishment. The New Testament declares that works performed by the natural man belong to a category Scripture names “dead works” — a category that includes moral evil, religious activity, and even ordinances commanded by God when performed by the old man in his own strength. The dead-works terminology converges across Hebrews, James, and Ephesians to confirm the doctrine with the full weight of apostolic testimony. The works of the flesh bar the kingdom; the works of the law cannot justify; and the crisis of Romans 7 discloses that the old man cannot perform the good he wills.

The apparent contradictions with which we began — Scripture commanding works while condemning them, judging by works while saving apart from them — are not contradictions at all. They are the two orders speaking in their own voices. The natural order produces what the natural order produces, and Scripture names it plainly: dead works. The spiritual order produces what only the indwelling Spirit can bear, and Scripture names that plainly too: fruit. The interpretive key is not a choice between the passages that command and the passages that condemn — it is the recognition that they are addressed to two different men.

The very inadequacy of the natural order testifies that the spiritual must come. The dead works of the old man cry out for a living Worker. In Part 2 we turn to that Worker — to the question Christ answered in John 6, to the Abrahamic pattern of faith accounted for righteousness, to the rest of Hebrews 4 where the believer ceases from his own works as God did from His, and to the works that are wrought in God through the indwelling Spirit.

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual (1 Cor 15:46).

1 Samuel 14:1–23 Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

[Study Aired April 6, 2026]

Our study for today looks at the faith and courage of Jonathan in attacking the guard post of the Philistines with his armor-bearer. Through faith in the Lord and courage, they were able to overcome the Philistines. 

Jos 1:6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 

This victory set the stage for Saul and his forces of six hundred men who had remained with him, together with the other Israelites who had fled the impending battle with the Philistines, to join Jonathan to fight and gain the victory over the Philistines.

To be able to understand the spiritual significance of today’s study, we need to look at the previous study to understand the context. As we saw in the previous study, it was only Saul and Jonathan, among the people of Israel, who were equipped to fight the Philistines. At that time, all the people of Israel did not have swords or spears to engage the Philistines in a battle, as they were deprived by the Philistines from possessing such weapons of war. 

1Sa 13:19  Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
1Sa 13:20  But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 
1Sa 13:21  Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 
1Sa 13:22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 

The smith in these verses above, represents the Lord’s elect or what every joint supplies in the body of Christ. The fact that there was no one in Israel with sword or spear except Saul and Jonathan, implies that the people of Israel at that time signify the church system of this world or Babylon, where we were not given the truth of the Lord’s word, to fight our flesh or the Philistines in our lives. 

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. 

Saul and Jonathan therefore denote our time in the churches of this world or Babylon as the Lord’s elect. It is in Babylon that we cannot sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, which means that we cannot worship the Lord acceptably during our time in Babylon as we do not have the truth of the word to combat our flesh. 

Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 
Psa 137:4  How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

Our situation in Babylon was such that it was impossible to have the weapons (the truth of the Lord’s word) needed to battle our flesh or the Philistines. This was because we were ruled by our flesh when we were in Babylon, and this dominion shows itself in the love of the world.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  

Jonathan’s Courageous Act

1Sa 14:1  Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.   

As indicated, Jonathan signifies the Lord’s elect while we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. It is important to note that while we were in Babylon, we did win some victories over the flesh or the Philistines as we see Jonathan ready to engage the Philistines. The armor-bearer denotes all those whom the Lord brings our way to help or encourage us with our walk with Christ. Saul, Jonathan’s father, being the king of Israel, here signifies the leadership of the church system of this world. Remember that Saul in the previous chapter, was rejected by the Lord for not waiting for Samuel as he chose to offer the burnt offering, which was the prerogative of Samuel, a priest of the Lord. 

1Sa 13:13  And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. 
1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 

Jonathan not telling Saul about his decision to attack the garrison of the Philistines is to let us know that the victories over the flesh that we won in Babylon were not because of the leadership of the church system of this world, but because of the leadings of the Lord, since He had chosen us in Him before the foundation of this world. 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

1Sa 14:2  And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; 
1Sa 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 

The six hundred men with Saul in verse 2 represent the Lord’s elect. We must remember that initially, the number of those who assembled to fight the Philistines were three thousand.

1Sa 13:2  Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 

However, many left because of the fear of the Philistines, and only six hundred remained. Those who left felt that they could not win the war with our flesh.

Jdg 18:11  And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. 

1Sa 27:2  And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 

It is instructive to note that the six hundred men were with Saul at Gibeah, which means ‘hill.’ As we have indicated in many previous studies, hills or mountains, on a positive note, represent a church. The fact that Saul and the six hundred men tarried at Migron, which means ‘precipice’, which is a steep or overhanging rock such as a high cliff. Migron, therefore, spiritually signifies a dangerous, perilous, or highly unstable situation, which is the description of the church system of this world or Babylon. Therefore, what we are being told is that we, at a certain point of our walk with Christ, were in Babylon. It is here in Babylon that we started engaging the flesh or the Philistines. 

The mention of Ahiab of the descendant of Eli, wearing an ephod as a priest, with the company of Saul and the six hundred men in verse 3, is to emphasize the point that the Lord’s elect, represented by the six hundred men, were in Babylonian captivity where the law of Moses still prevailed. As we are aware, it is when faith comes that we are no longer under the schoolmaster of the law of Moses which is still being practiced in the church system of this world.

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The fact that the people did not know that Jonathan was gone to confront the Philistines in verse 3, is to let us know that the church system of this world is not aware of the fact that the Lord has a special people or His elect, represented by Jonathan, who are overcoming the flesh in this age. 

Rom 11:4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Rom 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

1Sa 14:4  And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 
1Sa 14:5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. 

In order to confront or wage war successfully with our flesh, we need to overcome two things – the sharp rock on one side called Bozez and another sharp rock on the other side called Seneh. Bozez means ‘shining’ or ‘surpassing white.’ In the negative context, the color white means ‘leprous.’ 

2Ki 5:27  The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. 

Our flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of the Lord, and therefore when we are under the domain of our flesh, it is like having an incurable disease of leprosy, which makes our skin or flesh as white as snow. The first thing Jonathan did was to overcome this mentality that we cannot win the war against our flesh. 

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?   

The name of the other sharp rock was Seneh which means ‘thorny’, which spiritually signifies false doctrines. Our flesh is empowered by the false doctrines in our hearts and minds. If we are to wage a successful war with our flesh, then the false doctrines in our heavens must be removed. The more the false doctrines in our heavens are removed, the more successful we become in our engagement with the flesh. 

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their the sharp rock at words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

In verse 5, we are told that the sharp rock called Bozez was facing Michmash which means ‘hidden.’ This shows us that the leprous state of our flesh is hidden to many. The other rock, Seneh, facing Gibeah which means ‘hill’ shows us that it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that the false doctrines in our heavens are destroyed through what every joint supplies.

1Sa 14:6  And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. 
1Sa 14:7  And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. 

It is instructive in verse 6, to note that Jonathan referred to the Philistines as uncircumcised. This is to show us that when we are under the control of our flesh, then we are spiritually uncircumcised. Jonathan’s statement that there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few is to assure us that no matter the circumstance in which we find ourselves, the Lord is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can think or imagine. 

Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

As indicated earlier, the armor-bearer represents our brothers and sisters whom the Lord brings our way to help us with our walk with Christ. The armor-bearer’s statement in verse 7 that Jonathan should do all that is in his heart and that he was very supportive of Jonathan’s actions is to let us know how we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to reach for the prize of the Lord’s higher calling. Some of our brothers and sisters are given that gift of encouraging us to strive for mastery. In the Bible, Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement’, was very instrumental in helping establish Paul’s ministry – he welcomed Paul when other disciples were afraid of him and advocated for him. He encouraged John Mark after he failed in his missionary journey, showing a commitment to picking others up. He was a generous man, selling his field and bringing the money to the church.

Act 4:36  And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 
Act 4:37  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 

1Sa 14:8  Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 
1Sa 14:9  If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. 
1Sa 14:10  But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. 
1Sa 14:11  And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. 
1Sa 14:12  And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. 

These verses show us how we are to deal with our flesh denoted here as the Philistines. If we are to wait for our flesh to come to us, that means the flesh gradually is losing its hold on us over time as we continue to worship the Lord, we may never become the overcomers that we dream of. Many in the church system of this world think that by continuing doing good, the flesh just disappears. 

If we are to win the war against our flesh, then we must take the fight to our flesh, just as Jonathan realized that the Lord’s will was for him to engage the flesh (the Philistines) and that it is through this fight that victory is won. This does not mean that we have the strength of our own to win the war against the flesh. It is all the work of the Lord to make us overcomers over the flesh. However, we must constantly weigh our thoughts and motives in the light of the Lord’s word to see if we are falling short as we continue to cry to the Lord to change us. The Lord’s tool of destroying our flesh is through His judgment of our flesh. 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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

1Sa 14:13  And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. 
1Sa 14:14  And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
1Sa 14:15  And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.  

In verse 13, Jonathan and his armor-bearer climbed up the precipice with their hands and feet to confront the Philistines. Climbing up with our hands and feet means that the word of the Lord becomes a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path. In other words, we begin to order our lives according to the word of the Lord such that it permeates our walk with Christ (our feet) and the works of our hands (our hands).  

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  

As shown in verse 13, the Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor bearer’s drawn sword to slay them. This emphasizes the fact that our victory over the flesh is not by our strength. It is the work of the Lord as He judges us, such that our walk with Him and the works of our hands are in line with His word. 

Psa 91:9  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 
Psa 91:10  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 
Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

It is insightful to note that the first slaughter by Jonathan and his armor bearer against the Philistines consisted of twenty men in verse 14. This brings us to the negative application of the number twenty. In the negative sense, the number twenty means ‘being prepared for judgment.’ Our initial victory over the flesh is the Lord preparing us for His judgment to subdue our flesh as He causes our exit from Babylon. 

Gen 18:31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

The first strike by Jonathan and his armor bearer was within half an acre of land. In biblical times, an “acre” was not a fixed size but represented the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in one day. Half an acre therefore indicates a very small space. Killing twenty-armed men in such a restricted space therefore highlights the miraculous nature of our victory over the flesh. The sight of so many bodies in such a small area caused the rest of the Philistine army to believe they were being attacked by a much larger force, leading to massive panic as shown in verse 15. This implies that our initial victories over certain areas of our walk with Christ, makes it easier for us to win further victories over the flesh. On the other hand, when we are defeated, it empowers our flesh to overcome us. A Bible verse which supports this assertion is as follows:

1Sa 17:37  And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 

1Sa 14:16  And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
1Sa 14:17  Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.

The fact that the camp noticed that Jonathan and His armorbearer were absent and that they may have been responsible for the confusion among the Philistines is to let us know that in the fullness of time, our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world together with the whole of humanity will come to appreciate the victory that the Lord has wrought on our behalf as His elect. It is during this time that they will all come to know that their salvation is dependent upon our victory.

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. 

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  

1Sa 14:18  And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 
1Sa 14:19  And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

A better translation of verse 19 is as follows:

1Sa 14:19 Saul was talking to Ahijah the priest waiting for advice from God. But the noise and confusion in the Philistine camp was growing and growing. Saul was becoming impatient. Finally, he said to Ahijah the priest, “That’s enough. Put your hand down and stop praying.” (ERV) 

1 Sa 14:19 As Saul was speaking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp kept getting worse, so Saul said to him, “There’s no time to consult the LORD!” (GNB) 

When the church system of this world or Babylon come to see who really are the overcomers or the sons of the Lord, they will abandoned their way of worship as symbolized by Saul telling Ahiah, the priest in verse 19, to stop praying.  

1Sa 14:20  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 
1Sa 14:21  Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. 
1Sa 14:22  Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. 
1Sa 14:23  So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

Every man’s sword being against his fellow in the camp of the Philistines is to show us that the battle against our flesh is the work of the Lord who brought confusion among the Philistines to slaughter one another. In this battle against our flesh, we are to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord as He destroys our flesh through the sufferings that we go through.

Exo 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. 
Exo 14:14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Saul and the six hundred men with him, together with all the men of Israel which had hid themselves from the Philistines, joined the battle as they followed after the Philistines when they realized that the Philistines were fleeing. This is to let us know that in the fullness of time, during the lake of fire age, all humanity will have victory over the flesh, being led to victory by the overcomers in this age, the Lord’s elect, which are symbolized by Jonathan and his armourbearer. The elect are the saviors who will come and judge mount Esau or the people of the world, to bring salvation to all humanity.  

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

The battle being passed over to Bethaven is to let us know that the church system of this world or Babylon, will be the last on the line to be saved from their flesh or carnal mind. This is because Bethaven, which means ‘house of vanity’, represents the church system of this world or Babylon. 

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

We thank the Lord for this privilege to overcome the flesh in this age. Amen!!

1 Samuel 13:1–23  Saul Fights the Philistines

[Study Aired March 30, 2026]

Today’s study focuses on the rejection of Saul as king of Israel. When the Philistines gathered against the Israelites as a result of Jonathan’s preemptive strike against the guard post of the Philistines, they gathered to attack Israel. In preparing to face the Philistines, Saul acted illegally as a priest and failed to wait for Samuel, showcasing a lack of faith, which cost him the rulership. The study also highlights the misery of the defenseless and disarmed people of Israel.  

Saul Fights the Philistines

1Sa 13:1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 
1Sa 13:2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 

Saul reigning one year implies that He was in unity with the Lord at the beginning of his reign. This shows us that Saul is therefore a symbol of the Lord’s elect. The mention that he had reigned for two years is a negative application of the number two. This suggests that Saul’s subsequent reign as king was characterized by division, chaos and confusion which is the negative application of the number two. Verse 1 is therefore warning us that we can start our walk with the Lord as His elect, however, we have to be careful, lest we fall away and are not able to come back to repentance. Verse 1, therefore summarizes the study for today of how Saul was disqualified as the Lord’s elect.  

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 
Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. 
Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.  

Saul choosing three thousand men of Israel in verse 2 is to show us the state of the people of Israel at that time. The number three thousand in the negative context represents those who fall away in the heat of the battle against our flesh. 

Exo 32:28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

Jos 7:4  So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

What verse 2 therefore implies is that we must all fall away first, before we are given to become overcomers.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

This falling away first is confirmed by the fact that out of the three thousand men, two thousand were with Saul and one thousand was with Jonathan. The number two thousand on a negative note signifies being choked by the sea. That is to say being overwhelmed by our flesh.

Mar 5:13  And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

The number one thousand in the negative context also has to do with fleeing or running away from defeat. 

Isa 30:17  One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. 

Jos 23:10  One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

1Sa 13:3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
1Sa 13:4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

Jonathan smiting the garrison of the Philistines is the same as one of the heads of the beast being wounded in our lives, which, over time, this deadly wound gets healed as we wonder who can be able to make war with the beast or our flesh.

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Saul blowing the trumpet throughout all the land of Israel is the Lord calling us to war against the beast or our flesh. The fact that the Hebrews must hear this call to war implies that every elect of the Lord is called to wage war against the flesh. Israel being in abomination with the Philistines in verse 4 means that our flesh is always at war against the spirit the Lord has given to us.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

The people gathering after Saul at Gilgal is to show us the end result of this war against our flesh. We must take note that Gilgal was the place where the Israelites were circumcised when they crossed the Jordan river to begin the war against the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Gilgal therefore represents the taking away of the flesh, which in this case signifies the Philistines. This implies that the end result of this war against our flesh is the destruction of our flesh as we are called to be overcomers of our flesh.

Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
Jos 5:4  And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 
Jos 5:5  Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

Jos 5:8  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
Jos 5:9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 

1Sa 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven. 
1Sa 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 
1Sa 13:7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 

The Philistines who were going to fight the Israelites had thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and they were like the sand on the sea. This is to show us the formidable opponent we face in our walk with Christ – our flesh. In addition to the multi-faceted beast we face, this beast or our flesh is also empowered by the devil. That is why the beast from the sea has seven heads and ten horns, just like the devil who is described as having seven heads and ten horns.

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Michmash means ‘hidden’ and Bethaven represents the ‘house of vanity.’ This house of vanity is Babylon. The Philistines pitching at Michmash, eastward of Bethaven means that in the churches of this world or Babylon, the potential of our flesh to derail our pursuit of being crowned with Christ is hidden. 

The men of Israel in verse 6 represent the churches of this world or Babylon where our brothers and sisters think they cannot win the war against the flesh. We also had the same mentality at a certain stage of our walk with Christ in Babylon. As a result, the men of Israel hid themselves in caves, thickets, rocks, high places and pits. Others crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. These men of Israel are our brothers and sisters who give up the fight against the flesh because they think they cannot win the war against it. 

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Saul being at Gilgal with the people following him trembling, represent us, His elect, who are weighed down by the false doctrine of thinking that we cannot win the war against our flesh. As a result, we were fearful, yet we know that we have to war against the flesh.

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

1Sa 13:8  And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 
1Sa 13:9  And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 
1Sa 13:10  And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

Saul was ordered by Samuel to wait seven days for him at Gilgal. When Samuel comes, He would then offer the necessary sacrifice and show Saul what he has to do. However, Saul waited until the seventh day, yet he had no patience to wait until the end of the seventh day.

1Sa 10:8  And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do. 

In this walk with the Lord, we need to be patient for the Lord in spite of what we may be going through. Without patience, we shall miss the mark of receiving the promise.

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

Although Saul was neither priest nor prophet, he decided to offer the burnt offering. Maybe he thought that because he was a king, he could do anything. We cannot afford to be presumptuous in our walk with the Lord. This brings to mind the case of King Uzziah who paid dearly for his presumption. 

2Ch 26:16  But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 
2Ch 26:17  And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
2Ch 26:18  And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
2Ch 26:19  Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. 
2Ch 26:20  And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. 
2Ch 26:21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

These are all written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Samuel showing up just when Saul had completed the burnt offering is to let us know that we have need of patience that after we have done the will of the Lord, we might receive the promise.

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 

1Sa 13:11  And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 
1Sa 13:12  Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 
1Sa 13:13  And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. 
1Sa 13:14  But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

In Saul’s response for acting without waiting for Samuel, he did not show any remorse. Rather, he justified what he has done and blamed Samuel for not coming at the appointed time. There are many whom the Bibles describes as scoffers who think that the Lord has delayed in His coming just like Saul thought of Samuel. Although Saul waited until the seventh day, he could not wait for the end of the seventh day. There are many who are disillusioned about the coming of Christ.

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.  

Saul’s reaction to Samuel’s delay in coming is the same as the servants who thought that the master has delayed and therefore they could do whatever is appropriate to them. We are warned by the Lord to watch until He comes.

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

The Lord has warned us to keep watching until He comes, otherwise, we shall receive no reward. We can see that Saul lost His rulership or crown in verses 13 and 14 because he was not able to wait.

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.

It is important to note that Saul did not show any sign of repentance. Sinning and not coming to repentance is what destroys us.

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

What we can learn from Saul in these verses where he represents the Lord’s elect is that we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, lest we lose our crown or rulership in an age to come when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. The pressures that Saul faced were legitimate, but he did not walk by faith. There are many who were with us, who looked so promising, but got lost along the way, and have not been able to find repentance.

1Sa 13:15  And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
1Sa 13:16  And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 
1Sa 13:17  And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: 
1Sa 13:18 And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 

The six hundred men with Saul represent the Lord’s elect. We must remember that in verse 2, the number of those who assembled to fight the Philistines were three thousand. However, many left because of the fear of the Philistines and only six hundred remained. Those who left felt that they could not win the war with our flesh.

Jdg 18:11  And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

1Sa 27:2  And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 

It is instructive to note that the six hundred men were with Saul at Gibeah, which means ‘hill.’ As we have indicated in many previous studies, hills or mountains, on a positive note, represent the house of the Lord or the church of the Lord’s elect. The Philistines camping at Michmash, which means ‘hidden’, implies that many do not realize that our fleshly evil deeds are hidden until Christ reveals them to us. It is when the Lord reveals our flesh to us that we can say that we are beasts before Him. 

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 

The Philistines dividing themselves into three companies in verse 17 is to show us that it is through the process of judgment that the flesh is destroyed. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Where each of the three companies of the Philistines went shows us some of the characteristics of our flesh. The first group was on their way to Shaul, which means ‘a pit.’ It is from within men (pit) that smoke comes to darken the word of the Lord or the sun and the air.

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The second group was on their way to Beth-horon, which means ‘house of the hollow.’ The house of the hollow is the church system of this world or Babylon where the flesh reigns. The third group was on their way to the wilderness where there is no food or water, which is the word of the Lord. All of these is to show us that when we are under the domain of our flesh, we cannot worship the Lord in truth and in spirit.

There were no Sword or Spear for the Fighting Men of Israel

1Sa 13:19  Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 
1Sa 13:20  But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 
1Sa 13:21  Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 
1Sa 13:22  So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 
1Sa 13:23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. 

The sword or spear in these verse signifies the word of the Lord. When we are under the control of the flesh, it is impossible therefore, to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Being under the influence of the flesh and receiving the word of the Lord is like the word of the Lord being sown among thorns. They end up choking the word and as a result, we become unfruitful. That was the situation the Israelites found themselves except for Saul and Jonathan, who signifies the elect. This shows us that the six hundred men under Saul who represent the Lord’s elect, represent our time in the churches of this world or Babylon, where we did not have the truth of the word of the Lord (without sword or spear). However, even in this condition, the Lord wrought some victories against our flesh (Philistines) on our behalf as we shall see in the next study.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

We cannot thank the Lord enough for favoring us in this age. Amen!!

The Spiritual Significance of Numbers – The Number 40

[Study Aired March 29, 2026]

In this study we will see that the number forty in its positive application signifies periods of trials and testing, purification, and preparation, always leading up to and producing a more mature and fruitful place of service. This period of being tried, whether for forty days or forty years precedes a new and much better beginning. This positive application of the number forty is first demonstrated in the forty days of rain which brought in the world wide flood:

Gen 7:4  For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

The old world was completely destroyed in the flood, and out of that death and total destruction a new world was born signified by the number eight.

2Pe 2:5  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Noah also waited forty days after the tops of the mountains appeared before he sent out a raven:

Gen 8:5  And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
Gen 8:6  And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
Gen 8:7  And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

The number forty is the product of 5×8. Five signifies God’s chastening grace, through the faith of Jesus Christ, and eight signifies new beginnings or the new man. Therefore the number forty signifies the grace through faith, which is required to put our old man to death and to begin the birth of our new man, “Christ in [us] the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Our “fiery trials” should be seen as the chastening hand of the Lord in our lives. The Lord’s chastening is the work of His grace with which He favors His elect and chosen disciples:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [G3811: ‘paideuo’], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Paul also tells us that God’s grace chastens us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching [G3811: ‘paideuo’, Chastening] 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;

The number five signifies that work of grace through faith, and the number forty consists of  5X8=40. Grace through faith produces a new man who has endured forty days of afflicting his soul.

Lev 23:26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

The prophet Elijah spent forty days walking to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai), where he was given to know that he was about to enter into a new stage of his life after fleeing for fear of Jezebel’s threat to take his life:

1Ki 19:8  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
1Ki 19:9  And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
1Ki 19:10  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1Ki 19:13  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
1Ki 19:14  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
1Ki 19:15  And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
1Ki 19:16  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
1Ki 19:17  And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Again we see forty days of fasting preceding an epochal change in the life of Elijah as it was in the lives of Moses and the life of Christ.

The number forty eight times amplifies the significance of the number five. The number eight signifies a new beginning in which the flesh begins to be put off on the eighth day, and a new man begins to be formed on the eighth day. Expressed in another way the number forty is a five times amplification of the number eight. Since eight signifies new beginning or divine intervention, that concept is amplified five times signifying the function of grace through faith, which is the significance of the number five.

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/numbers_five/

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-spiritual-significance-of-numbers-the-number-eight/

The number forty therefore represents a time of trial which produces a spiritual transformation, where the old self begins to be stripped away and a new existence as a new man begins. Christ Himself began an entirely new life only after forty days of fasting and confronting the beast in the wilderness.

Mar 1:13  And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

As this story demonstrates, the number forty is associated with those times of adversity and spiritual combat. The worst ‘beast’ any of us will ever face is the ‘beast’ we look at in the mirror every morning. There is no worse enemy any of us will ever confront. Christ’s own flesh was the worst beast He ever faced yet, because He was given the spirit without measure, He never once succumbed to those fleshly desires. His subjection to a new and much better man is signified by the number forty. Christ spent forty days dying daily to the physical desires of His flesh, followed by a lifetime of dying daily to the pulls of the flesh of His old man.

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

On a national level Israel spent forty years waiting for the death of that generation which came out of Egypt. The carcasses of that unbelieving generation died in the wilderness typifying what must be done to our own old man:

1Co 10:5 But not in the majority of them does God delight, for they were strewn along in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things, (CLV)

Heb 3:17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

In the stories of the forty days of rain which brought on the worldwide flood of Noah, and in the forty years of wandering in the wilderness until the generation which came up out of Egypt had died, and Christ fasting forty days while dealing with wild beasts in the wilderness, these stories all admonish us that the Lord is in the process of purifying us for His service as “saviors” of “the rest of the dead” who do not come up out of their graves in “the resurrection of life.”

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [“The first resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘krisis’ judgment, “the great white throne judgment”].

Christ had to endure this time of forty days of afflicting His soul to prepare Him for the temptations of the adversary which He faced “afterward”.

Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Mat 4:3  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Being hungry ‘after forty days’ is not telling us that Christ was not hungry from day one. If that is not true, then Christ was not “in all ways tempted as we are” (Heb 4:15). The point being made is that it was after the forty days of fasting that the tempter came to tempt our Lord. However, Christ was given His Father’s spirit without measure and rebuffed every temptation of the adversary:

Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

Christ received of His Father an unlimited anointing. Christ was given “the fullness of the holy spirit”, which enabled Him to speak His Father’s Words perfectly and to do all His Father gave Him to do without any constraint.

Fasting forty days prepared Christ for the new life He would now live in His Father’s service during His ministry:

Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

‘The will of [His] Father’ was revealed in all of the ‘…but I say unto thee’ changes of the law made by Christ in His new “law of the spirit of Christ”, which He revealed in His teachings in Matthew 5-7. This new way of life began to be taught by Christ only after He fasted for forty days.

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

“Resist not evil” is the exact opposite of “an eye for an eye…” Here is another ‘But I say unto thee… change in the  law’ of Moses:

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

“Love your enemies” is the exact opposite of “hate your enemy”. Truly Christ has brought in “the times of reformation”:

Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Heb 7:12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

The law of Moses has indeed been changed to “the law of the spirit” (Rom 8:2). “The time of reformation” is now upon us, but it had to be preceded by Christ fasting forty days.

“The letter of the law… for the lawless” (2Co 3:6, 1Ti 1:9) which the Lord gave to Moses was also given to him only after Moses had fasted forty days:

1Ti 1:7  Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Christ enjoyed another forty days which he spent with His disciples preparing them for their new life which they would experience after His resurrection:

Act 1:1  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Act 1:2  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Act 1:3  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Such an incredible reformation from dying letter to living spirit had to be preceded by a forty-day fast. Even the “carnal commandments” of the law of Moses were given only after Moses had fasted for forty days.

Exo 34:28  And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Upon seeing the golden calf Aaron had made for the people, Moses broke the tables of stone on which the Lord had written the ten commandments, and Moses returned to the mount and fasted a second forty days:

Deu 9:9  When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
Deu 9:10  And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
Deu 9:11  And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
Deu 9:12  And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.

The second forty days are recorded in this same chapter:

Deu 9:18  And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

This was all done in preparation for entering into the promised land where all the mind of God was ideally to be put into practice in the lives of the Lord’s people. Moses fasting for forty days on Mount Sinai, and Christ spending forty days with His disciples after His resurrection were both in preparation for the new mission He had in store for His Israel.

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

Another observation we can make concerning this number forty is that whether it is the forty days of rain which brought on the flood of Noah or the forty days of fasting which Moses and Christ experienced, this number is used to separate two epochs of time in our lives. Those two times are the time we spend in the first natural realm and the time we begin to experience in the realm of the spirit:

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

Just as Abraham mourned over the loss of his own flesh, his first son, Ishmael, and just as King David mourned the death of King Saul, it is only natural and even Biblically proper that we mourn the loss of our own flesh, both through the forty days of those who are embalmed and the total of seventy days mourning of the loss of our old man, signified by the death of Israel in Egypt:

Gen 50:2  And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.
Gen 50:3  And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

2Sa 1:11  Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
2Sa 1:12  And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
2Sa 1:13  And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
2Sa 1:14  And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?
2Sa 1:15  And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
2Sa 1:16  And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.

One of the negative applications of the number forty is that King Saul’s reign was forty years:

Act 13:21  And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

Another entry which can be considered as a negative application is that Moses permitted a maximum of forty stripes for corporeal punishment:

Deu 25:2  And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.
Deu 25:3  Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

While we want to overcome the fear displayed by the ten spies who gave the land a bad report, yet it is good to take the time, to ‘spy out’ what we are going up against before we go where the Lord is leading us. Moses sent spies to spy out the land for forty days, and Christ Himself teaches us to “count the cost” before we begin building a tower or go to war:

Luk 14:25  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

The Lord is very honest and straightforward with us. If we put anything – wife, children, mother, father, or country – ahead of our love and devotion to Him, then we are not worthy to be His disciple. This admonition is telling us to be aware of this requirement before we commit to becoming a good soldier of Christ:

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Exactly how does a “good soldier of Jesus Christ do battle? Exactly what are his weapons of war?

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

Those are the weapons of our warfare, and the minute we take up physical and natural weapons we have at that moment lost all the protection that Christ and His Word afford.

As ‘soldiers’ and ‘spies’ we are employed by the same king, and that king is Christ, who tells us to spy out the land for forty days and become aware of the strength of the enemy, but at the same time realize that even our greatest enemy, even the greatest giant in our land, our own ‘old man’, is nothing more than a tool with which the Lord is forming a new child within the womb of His church.

Num 13:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 13:2  Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe [twelve men] of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
Num 13:25  And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

It takes forty years of a life preparing us to be worthy of beginning to enter into our new life. During that forty years we are sustained on physical manna, protected from the heat of the Sun by a cloud by day, and given light by night by a pillar of fire. In other words, at this stage we “come behind in no gift [and yet we] are still carnal babes in Christ, typified by the church at  Corinth:

1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

That may sound like a real blessing, and indeed it is a blessing for an immature babe in Christ who must be given everything needed to stay alive. But when we have everything handed to us on a silver platter we are not yet capable of accepting the concept of dying with, and being crucified with Christ. At this earlier state of our spiritual development we are simply thankful to learn that Christ died for us:

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

The fact that Christ did die for the sins of a repentant world is what the holy spirit calls ‘the milk of the word’ and none of us can begin life eating strong meat. Paul makes us all aware of this spiritual fact in the very next chapter of 1^st Corinthians:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The Lord has ordained that forty weeks followed by a short period of extreme pain are required for the normal birth of a healthy child. If indeed the invisible things of God are understood by the things that are made, the Lord is indeed demonstrating how His mind works to bring forth His firstfruit manchild with whom He will rule this world.

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

Christ tells us that “many are called but few are chosen” are the concluding words of the Lord’s parable of the wedding feast. That may sound disheartening to the natural man, but for those few who are chosen, nothing can come between them and their Lord:

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those verses are the epochal transformation for which our forty years in the wilderness and our forty days of fasting are preparing us to inherit, and nothing will rob us of that inheritance nor separate us from our Savior. Our lives are of Him, through Him and to Him:

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

Spiritual Significance of Numbers – The Number 16

[Study Aired February 27, 2027]

If the number eight signifies new beginnings as in the putting off of the flesh on the eighth day (Lev 12:3), Christ being resurrected on the eighth day (Mat 28:1-7), and Christ calling all men to Himself on “the eighth day, that great day of the feast”, signifying the great white throne judgment (Joh 7:37, Rev 20:11-15), then sixteen, 2×8, amplifies the putting off of, and the destruction of, our old man,  the birth and the new beginning of the new man, and the great white throne judgment with the assurance of salvation for all men of all time through the faith of Jesus Christ. The number sixteen simply amplifies and extends that all of those messages.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
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.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 list 16 qualities of love, demonstrating how this number amplifies the positive significance of the number 8:

1Co 13:4  1) Charity suffereth long, and 2) is kind; charity 3) envieth not; charity 4) vaunteth not itself, is 5) not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  6) Doth not behave itself unseemly, 7) seeketh not her own, 8) is not easily provoked, 9) thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6  10) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but 11) rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7  12) Beareth all things, 13) believeth all things, 14) hopeth all things, 15) endureth all things.
1Co 13:8  Charity 16) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Charity (love) is what God is, and the number sixteen amplifies that love by the putting off of the flesh on the eighth day (Lev 12:3), Christ being resurrected on the eighth day (Mat 28:1-7), and Christ calling all men to Himself on “the eighth day, that great day of the feast”, signifies the great white throne judgment (Joh 7:37, Rev 20:11-15).

Joh 7:37  In the last day [the eighth day], that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [By which all men will be dragged to Christ]

1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

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, so are we in this world [G2889: ‘kosmos’].

Mat 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week [the eighth day], came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

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

Sixteen is 4×4, which confirms and emphasizes the all-encompassing effect of circumcision on the eighth day, resurrection on the eighth day, and the salvation of all signified by the last great day, the eighth day of the feast of Tabernacles.

Sixteen is 15+1, fifteen signifying by its three fives the number of spiritual progression towards spiritual completion, the sixteen, being 15+1 is signifying the completion of that progression toward becoming a new spiritual body.

The Number Three

The Number Five

The completion of our progression from our rebellious, carnal-minded old man to the destruction of that old man and the birth of a repentant, submissive new man in the faith of Christ, requires sixteen days to cleanse the Lord’s temple, His house, which temple we are:

2Ch 29:17  Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. [Finished cleansing the Lord’s temple]

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 [our filthy, defiled, old man]; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The sixteen souls that Zilpah, the handmaid of the despised wife, Leah, “bare unto Jacob”, signify the whole of the church which Christ has chosen from the weak and despised of this earth:

Gen 46:18  These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

The eight boards, which formed the west end of the tabernacle, were supported by sixteen silver sockets. Two silver sockets under each board to hold it upright.

Exo 26:25  And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

Exo 36:30  And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.

It is instructive for us to notice that the west end of the tabernacle is as far as one can go into the tabernacle. The west end of the tabernacle is where the ark of the covenant and the cherubim were located, signifying the Lord and His Christ. That is where the sixteen silver sockets were located. Those sixteen sockets supported the eight boards which held up the curtain on the west end of the tabernacle.

There were thirty-two thousand female survivors of the war with Midian. It was the Midianites who had seduced Israel at Peor when the Lord would not permit the prophet Balaam to curse Israel for the king of Moab. Half of the thirty-two thousand were given to the people who had not gone to war, and the other half were kept by the men who had gone to the war and of that half the Lord took His tribute.

All the males of Midian were slain, and there were sixteen thousand women who were spared of the slaughter of the Midianites who had “had not known men” and had not participated in the seduction of Israel at Peor.

Num 31:40  And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD’S tribute was thirty and two persons.

The half of the virgins of Midian that went to the people who had not gone to war was another sixteen thousand:

Num 31:43  (Now the half [of the spoils of the war with Midian] that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
Num 31:44  And thirty and six thousand beeves,
Num 31:45  And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
Num 31:46  And sixteen thousand persons; )

Of course there is a negative use of the number sixteen. Both kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and kings of Judah who reigned sixteen years were both evil kings who did not fear the Lord

2Ki 13:10  In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
2Ki 13:11  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

Sixteen years returns to its positive application signifying one of the good kings of Judah who was sixteen when he began to reign:

2Ki 15:1  In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2Ki 15:2  Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
2Ki 15:3  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;

Azariah is another name for Uzziah, king of Judah. Azariah was sixteen when he began to reign. He was a good king, and his son Jotham was also called a good king of Judah whose reign lasted sixteen years:

2Ki 15:32  In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
2Ki 15:33  Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
2Ki 15:34  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

Ahaz was another evil king of Judah who reigned sixteen years:

2Ki 16:2  Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

Shimei, a descendant of Simeon, had sixteen sons and multiplied much more than his brothers:

1Ch 4:27  And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.

Sixteen signifies that there were more chief men of the sons of Eleazar than the sons of Ithamar of the families of the priests.

1Ch  24:4  And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

While Shimei, a descendant of Simeon, had sixteen sons, Abijah, king of Judah had fourteen sons and sixteen daughters:

2Ch 13:21  But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

We have already mentioned Uzziah, who is also called Azariah, who began his reign at sixteen years of age. What I failed to note was that Azariah’s reign was one of the longest in the history of the kings of Judah:

2Ch 26:3  Sixteen years old was Uzziah [Azariah] when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

Sixteen is 10+6 which signifies in its negative sense the perfection of our flesh. The flipside of that coin is the perfection of our new man.

The Number Six, Part 1

The Number Six, Part 2

The Number Six, Part 3

Ten is the Zenith of the Flesh

Sixteen is 12+4 signifying the whole of the foundation of the family of God and the city of God:

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 [12] tribes of the children of Israel [12x12x1000].

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.

Isa 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth [The whole world].

The Number Four

The Number Twelve

Sixteen is also 4×4. Any number multiplied by itself will always amplify the significance of that number. Just as the sixteen sockets supporting the eight boards at the farthest end of the tabernacle, so does this number sixteen, 4×4, signify the meaning of the whole work of the Lord’s whole creation.

Sixteen is 11+5 signifying the grace through faith (5) which brings a new man out of the destruction and dissolution of our old man:

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.

A single seed buried in the earth will ‘die’ and decompose. In the process of decomposition, it gives up its life, and in doing do it spouts into a plant which will produce many more seeds. A caterpillar goes through this same 11+5 process of wrapping itself in a coffin-like cocoon, literally dissolving, the spiritual significance of the number 11, and coming out of that cocoon as a beautiful butterfly now capable of ascending into the heavens, the spiritual significance of the number 5. That is the spiritual significance of 11+5 which equals 16.

The Number 5

The Number Eleven

Sixteen is 13+3, signifying the process of the judgment (3) of the rebellion of our carnal-minded old man, signified by the number 13.

The Number Three

The Number Thirteen

I will close this study of the number sixteen with its sum of nine plus seven. Sixteen is 9+7 signifying the completion, 7, of our judgment, 9.

The Number Seven

The Number Nine: The Number of God’s Judgment

While the religions of this world dread ‘the day of judgment’, the Lord’s elect are aware of the fruits of all of the Lord’s judgments. Look at Isaiah’s mindset when considering the fruits of the Lord’s judgment. Isaiah and Paul and Peter all express their great gratitude for the Lord’s judgments, and they all meditate on the outcome of His judgments:

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

Isaiah 26:8-9 is the product of 9+7. These two verses are that which the number sixteen signifies spiritually.

Here is how Paul thinks of the judgments of God:

1Co 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

I am that person who has eaten and drunk unworthily and have been weak and sickly among the Lord’s body. It is my desire to be judged in this present time and not be judged at a later time. It is the ‘desire of my soul’ to be found in the way of the Lord’s judgments and to learn righteousness… in this present time’ and not at a later judgment. It is much better to be chastened of the Lord in this life than to be chastened of the Lord at the great white throne judgment. Here are the advantages of judging ourselves in this present time, which in reality is the Lord’s chastening grace working in our lives:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [G3811: ‘paidueo’], 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?

Not one Christian in a thousand or more realizes that the Lord’s chastening and scourging IS the display and the work of His grace in our lives spoken of in:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching [G3811: ‘paideuo’, chastening and scourging] 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;

Knowing what ‘grace’, the Lord’s love, does in our lives, knowing that grace chastens us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust and to live Godly lives in this present world’ adds a whole new meaning to this verse of scripture:

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace [God’s ‘paideuo’ His chastening and scourging of Hebrews 12:6] did much more abound:

If the Lord chastens and scourges us in this present time then we are of all men most blessed as the apostle Paul reveals:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

It is “ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the spirit, groaning within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies”, living out the spiritual significance of the number 7 being completed, added to the spiritual significance of the number 9, being judged now, in this present time.

Peter was inspired by the same holy spirit of God and said the same thing about the number nine doing its spiritual work in our lives in this present time:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Paul tells us that all of our persecutions and all of our tribulations, are a token of our salvation:

2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

It is through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom of God, but the suffering is not worthy to be compared to the glory to be revealed in us if we are granted to have a part in the blessed and holy first resurrection and come out of our graves with a new spiritual body, which is the spiritual significance of 2×8 and 7+9… the number sixteen.

1 Samuel 6:1–21 The Philistines Return the Ark

[Study Aired February 9, 2026]

Introduction

Today, we shall look at how the Philistines sent back the ark with rich gifts to the Lord, to make an atonement for their sin. The study also looks at the reaction of the men of Beth shemesh in Israel when the ark came to them. Finally, the study focuses on the judgment of the Lord on the men of Beth shemesh for looking inside the ark. 

The Ark Returned to Israel

1Sa 6:1  And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 

The ark being in the possession of the Philistines for seven months indicates the time our flesh or the beast is given power over us to continue for forty-two months. This forty-two months is the complete period of time (significance of the number seven) in our lives when we are under the dominion of our flesh. In other words, it is the complete time that our flesh symbolized by the Philistines, sits in our hearts and minds claiming himself to be God.  

The number forty-two in the negative context signifies our spiritually dead state when we are under the dominion of our flesh, as shown in the following verses:

2Ki 2:24  And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

2Ki 10:14  And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 
Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

1Sa 6:2  And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. 
1Sa 6:3  And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. 

The Philistines calling for the Priests and Diviners means that when we are overcome by the flesh, during our time in Babylon, we tend to seek direction of how to worship the Lord from our leaders in Babylon. It is insightful to note that the response of priests and diviners is that being healed is through our giving to the Lord. This is the mantra of the church system of this world or Babylon, that is, we must always offer something to the Lord to be healed. However, we know from the word of the Lord that this is false doctrine. Rather, it is the Lord who first gave to us and is always giving to us. 

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

2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 
2Co 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth forever. 

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

The Lord is not our enemy, He is the enemy of sin in our lives and will stop at nothing to destroy the flesh within us His elect first, and the people of this world in an age to come.

Job 19:26  And after my skin (flesh) has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 
Job 19:27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! 

1Sa 6:4  Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. 
1Sa 6:5  Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. 

According to the word of the Lord, a trespass offering involves a sacrifice of a ram which represents Christ. It is the blood of Christ which cleanses us from our sins. 

Lev 5:14  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Lev 5:15  If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: 
Lev 5:16  And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. 

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

As we can see, the Philistines’ trespass offering was not in accordance to the word of the Lord, but according to their own intuition. For example, the Lord has stated categorically that mice are unclean, and therefore the golden mouse image created by the Philistines to appease the Lord is still abhorrent to Him.

Lev 11:29  “The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you-moles, mice, and all types of lizards: (GW)

Isa 66:17  People make themselves holy and prepare themselves for their garden rituals. They go into the garden and devour pork, disgusting things, and mice. “They will come to an end at the same time,” declares the LORD.

When we are full of the flesh, we do not do things according to the rules of the Lord. In our imagination, we think that giving is a substitute for a guilt or trespass offering. Many think that as long as they are giving to the church through the money they offer or the services they render to the church, the Lord will override their sins. It is the blood of Christ which cleanses us of sin. As Paul stated, if we are to compete, then we must compete according to the rules. We must come to see who we really are – that we are beasts before the Lord, before the Lord comes to cleanse us from all righteousness through His blood shed for our sake.

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 

2Ti 2:5  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 

1Sa 6:6  Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? 

A key indicator of our spiritually dead state in some time past is the stubbornness of our hearts and minds as portrayed by the Pharaoh and the Egyptians when they were oppressing the people of Israel and would not let them go. When we are under the dominion of our flesh as symbolized by the capture of the ark by the Philistines, it takes the Lord’s mighty hand to release us from our bondage. This mighty hand involves the judgment of the Lord on our flesh. 

Exo 3:20  And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. 
Exo 3:21  And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
Exo 3:22  But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

As shown in Exodus 3:21, through the suffering that we endure, we not only learn righteousness as our flesh dies, but we are spiritually enriched in Him as our eyes of understanding are enlightened, just as the Israelites left Egypt enriched with gold, silver and raiment. 

Deu 5:24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

1Sa 6:7  Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: 
1Sa 6:8  And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

When we are full of the flesh, symbolized by the Philistines in possession of the ark, we worship the Lord according to what our carnal minds say as we see the Philistines laying the ark of the covenant on a cart instead of the shoulders of Levite (Kohathite) men. However, when the Lord comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness into our lives, those times of ignorance, the Lord ignores.

Act 17:30  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 
Act 17:31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”  (ESV)

Exo 25:14  Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.
Exo 25:15  The poles must stay in the rings of the ark. Never remove them. 

It is important to note in verse 7 that the new cart to carry the ark was to be drawn by two young dairy cows that have never been yoked. These two young dairy cattle are beasts and since we are beasts, these two cattle represent false witnesses of Christ who parade in the church system of this world or Babylon, supposedly feeding the Lord’s flock with milk.

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 

A yoke is a wooden beam used to connect two oxen, allowing them to work together as a team to pull heavy agricultural loads like plows or carts. The fact that these young cows have never been yoked means that these supposed men of God are not given to working with one another. In other words, they work as individuals and do not work as a team. We see this in the churches of this world where their leaders work alone. Although some of these churches have elders, they only play an advisory role which these pastors override according to their whims. These men of God do not play according to the rules that the Lord has established in His word as seen in verse 8 where the Philistines take the ark and place it upon the cart drawn by the cattle. The Book of Joel gives a glimpse of the characteristics that these supposed men of God are capable of.

Joe 2:3  Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.
Joe 2:4  Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run.
Joe 2:5  As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. 
Joe 2:6  Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. 
Joe 2:7  Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. 
Joe 2:8  They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. 
Joe 2:9  They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. 
Joe 2:10 The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 

As we shall see later in this study, the ark on the cart, driven by the two young cattle was being taken to the people of Israel. This shows that everything is for our sake with the end result being for our good. 

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

The cart with the jewel of gold in it shows us that even in our deplorable state where we are overwhelmed by our flesh in which we are not playing according to the rules, are all ordained of the Lord for our sake. In other words, our flesh occupying the place of God in our hearts and minds is to give the Lord the occasion that He is seeking to come with His judgment, resulting in us learning righteousness and also being endowed with the keys of the kingdom of heaven symbolized by the jewels of gold accompanying the ark.

1Sa 6:9  And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us. 
1Sa 6:10  And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: 
1Sa 6:11  And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. 
1Sa 6:12  And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth shemesh.

Beth shemesh is a border town of Israel with its Philistine neighbors. The name means house of the sun. It therefore signifies the church of the firstborn. Being a border town with the Philistines, it means that it signifies our journey with Christ where we are still grappling with sin as we come to know Christ. It must be noted here in these verses that although the means of transporting the ark of the covenant was not according to the Lord’s prescribed method of carrying the ark, the ark went in the direction of where it belongs – to Israel or the Lord’s elect. This is to let us know that in our initial stages of our walk with Christ as His elect, our flesh, denoted by the Philistines, helps us. This is clearly demonstrated by Abraham, a symbol of the Lord’s elect, being brought close to the land of Canaan (Haran) by his father Terah, when the Lord first appeared to Abraham to leave Mesopotamia. 

Act 7:2  Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God who reveals his glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia. This happened before Abraham lived in Haran. 
Act 7:3  God told him, ‘Leave your land and your relatives. Go to the land that I will show you.’ 
Act 7:4 “Then Abraham left the country of Chaldea and lived in the city of Haran. After his father died, God made him move from there to this land where we now live. (GW)

Gen 11:31  Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, wife of his son Abram. They set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came as far as Haran, they stayed there. (GW) 

Another witness to this is the following verse:

Isa 60:16  Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. 

The Ark Returns to Israel

1Sa 6:13  And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 
1Sa 6:14  And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. 
1Sa 6:15  And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. 

It is significant to note that the people of Bethshemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley when the ark came to them. As indicated, the people of Bethshemesh represent our initial walk with the Lord when we were babies in Christ. The people of the Philistines being judged because of the ark of the covenant in their midst is to let us know that our judgment starts while we are full of the flesh in Babylon. However, when we come to the house of the sun or the church of the Lord’s elect, we are still grappling with sin. The time of the wheat harvest signifies the time for us to know our sins and be judged as our eyes are being opened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Num 32:23  “If you don’t do all these things, you will be sinning against the LORD. You can be sure that you will be punished (judged) for your sin. 

The following verses show us that the time of wheat harvest is the time of knowing our sins:

Jdg 15:1  But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.

1Sa 12:17  Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

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.

In Judges 15:1, Samson’s father-in-law’s refusal to let Samson see his wife brought about a chain of events which made Samson aware of the wickedness of the Philistines (our flesh), and this happened during the time of the wheat harvest.  In verse 13, the people of Beth Shemesh rejoiced when they saw the ark. It is a time of rejoicing, when the Lord comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to destroy our flesh. 

Isa 25:9  And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be and rejoice in his salvation. 
Isa 25:10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

Moab to be trodden down in Isaiah 25:10 means that when the Lord comes to us, our flesh shall be destroyed. Joshua means ‘Jehovah saved’ and therefore, the ark coming to rest in the field of Joshua implies that when the Lord comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness, that is the beginning of the process of us being saved. The people of Beth Shemesh offering a burnt offering and sacrifices unto the Lord in verses 14 and 15 means that when the Lord comes to us, our response is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord.

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.

1Sa 6:16  And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 
1Sa 6:17  And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; 
1Sa 6:18  And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite. 

The negative application of the number five means famine of the word of the Lord which brings us to spiritual poverty. Therefore, these five lords of the Philistines represent our domination by our flesh which brings us to spiritual poverty through the famine of the word of the Lord. 

Gen 45:11  And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

The names of the cities of these Philistines give us insight into what happens to our lives when we are dominated by our flesh. Ashdod means ‘a ravager’ or ‘a destroyer.’ We know that the devil is the destroyer. This implies that when we are overwhelmed by our flesh, we are under the control of the devil who powers our flesh.

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

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

Gaza means ‘strong.’ Our flesh is stronger than our will as he is empowered by the devil. This implies that even though we desire to do good, our flesh overpowers us to do the wrong things. 

Rom 7:18  I know that nothing good lives in me; that is, nothing good lives in my corrupt nature. Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don’t do it. 
Rom 7:19 I don’t do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don’t want to do. (GW) 

Askelon means ‘weighing place.’ When we are of the flesh, it is like coming to a weighing place and finding out that we do not measure up to the standard of the Lord. 

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 

Gath means ‘winepress.’ It stands for the Lord’s judgment. The Lord will not relent in dealing with our flesh until He has destroyed it. Because of our flesh, we face intense, multi-directional pressures as the Lord’s hand of judgment becomes heavy on us. However, through the grace of the Lord, we are sustained by His power to endure without being completely destroyed. All of these pressures are to bring us to learn righteousness so that we will be in Him.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  

Ekron means ‘eradication.’ The purpose of the ark becoming possessed by the Philistines is to give the Lord the occasion for Him to come and judge our flesh with the purpose of eradicating or completely destroying our flesh. 

The Lord Smote the Men of Bethshemesh

1Sa 6:19  And he smote the men of Beth shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. 
1Sa 6:20  And the men of Beth shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? 
1Sa 6:21  And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. 

As indicated earlier, the men of Beth shemesh represent our early walk with Christ. The men of Beth shemesh looking into the ark signifies our inclination to validate the presence of the Lord instead of walking by faith, at this point in our walk. This is to give the Lord the occasion He is seeking to come and judge us, with the view of destroying our old man or flesh. Most versions of the Bible record seventy men as those killed by the Lord’s judgment. The number seventy in the negative context signifies the Lord’s judgment which leads to the destruction of our flesh.

Jdg 9:56  Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 

2Ki 10:7  And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.

The sending to Kirjath-jearim for them to come and fetch the ark is an indication of our inability to see that the Lord’s judgment brings righteousness. Therefore we want to avoid the Lord’s judgment just like our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who shun the Lord’s judgment. When we have this mentality, we suffer in vain. 

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 
Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 
Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 
Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 

May the Lord grant us the grace not to suffer in vain. Amen!

1 Samuel 5:1–12 The Philistines and the Ark 

[Study Aired February 2, 2026]

Introduction

Today’s study is about the spiritual significance of having the ark of God in the possession of the Philistines. Before we can understand the study for today, let’s take a look at what the ark represents spiritually. 

The first time the word “ark” appeared in the Bible was when the Lord commanded Noah to build an ark. 

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. 
Gen 6:14  Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

This ark was a prototype of the ark Moses was required by the Lord to build. There are many similarities between these two arks. The following verses of scriptures bring out what the ark stands for spiritually:

Num 10:33  And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. 

Num 10:35  And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.

2Sa 6:2  And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. 

Jdg 20:27  And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days), 

From these verses, it becomes obvious that the ark of the covenant represents our Lord Jesus Christ, just like the ark the Lord commanded Noah to build is also Christ. When we are in Him, we are delivered from the flood waters of false doctrines, carnality, traditions, human wisdom, etc. 

Gen 6:17  And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die. 
Gen 6:18  But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. 

Noah, his wife and sons, and his son’s wives represent the elect who have fled to take refuge in our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to note that it is through the Lord’s judgment of the flood that Noah and all those saved took refuge in the ark. Our Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh is what facilitates our being found in Christ. Noah’s ark resting on the seventh month is another way of saying that the Lord rested on the seventh day from all His work. All of these are to confirm to us that the ark represents the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Gen 8:4  And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 

Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Now let’s take a look inside the ark of the covenant. There are three items – the golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded and the tables of the covenant. 

Heb 9:3  And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
Heb 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Heb 9:5  And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. 

On a positive note, the golden pot containing the manna represents the Lord’s words. It is through the word that we know that we are in Him as He is in us. The Lord commanding Noah to bring food into the ark emphasizes the point that it is through the word of the Lord that we find ourselves in Him. 

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

The next item in the ark was Aaron’s rod. As we are aware, a rod signifies discipline or judgement. Thus, Aaron’s rod refers to the judgment we must go through in order to be found in Christ. As we know, the flood was the catalyst that resulted in Noah and his family being found in the ark or in Christ. It is therefore through the Lord’s judgment that we are found in Him. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

The third item in the ark is the tables of stones on which were written the commandments of the Lord. The tables of stones remind us of our spiritual poverty state as we were not able to obey the Lord’s commandments as our hearts were hardened like the tables of stones. To be in Christ therefore, we must first acknowledge that we are spiritually bankrupt as our hearts are hardened like stones. However, through the grace of God, we now have a heart of flesh.

2Co 3:3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

With this as the basis of our study for today, the lesson will be more understandable in its application to our lives. It is important to note that when Jesus revealed Himself to John at the island of Patmos, John turned to see the voice of the Lord. This means that part of the scriptures deal with what has happened to us in the past. 

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

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

Today’s study is about looking behind us to see how the Lord had dealt with us in the past when we passed through the valley of the shadow of death.    

The Ark is Brought to Ashdod

1Sa 5:1  When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 

The Philistines capturing the ark of God signifies our old man or flesh opposing and exalting himself above God as he sits in the temple of God, showing himself as God. 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

Ebenezer means ‘stone of help’ which is Christ. Ashdod denotes a ravager, who is a person that causes extensive destruction, devastation or ruin. The devil is the ravager. Therefore, the ark of God being moved from Ebenezer to Ashdod implies that when our flesh is sitting in the throne of our hearts and minds, then it means that we have left our first love of Christ and are under the sway of our flesh, powered by the devil. In other words, the devil becomes our father. As a result, we become worse off. This situation is what Paul described as follows:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

When we are ruled by our flesh, we are no longer in Christ. This happened to us during our time in the churches of this world due to the great swelling words of vanity we imbibed which were propagated by the leaders of the church system of this world or Babylon. 

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. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

As indicated in Romans 1:25, in our worse state we end up serving the creature instead of the creator. That means that our attention is turned to the things of this world instead of Christ. 

We must understand that the ark being captured by the Philistines is therefore the occasion the Lord is seeking to come to us with His judgment when we are full of the flesh so that we will learn righteousness.

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

Isa 26:8  In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. 
Isa 26:9 My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. 

1Sa 5:2  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 

As indicated, the Philistines taking the ark of God means that our flesh is the one ruling our hearts and minds, thinking that he is God in the sense that we think that we make our own decisions. 

Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

2Th 2:3  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

The name Dagon means ‘a fish’ and was a Philistine deity of fertility represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish. Dagon therefore represents the devil who empowers our flesh. The ark being brought into the house of Dagon and being set beside Dagon therefore means that we are controlled by the god of this world, the devil, as our minds are blinded by him.  

2Co 4:3  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
2Co 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

1Sa 5:3  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 
1Sa 5:4  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 

As the Lord’s elect, we were overwhelmed by the flesh during our time in the churches of this world, but the Lord did not forget us.

Rom 11:2  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? (ESV) 

In the fullness of time, He will come to us to start the process of delivering us from ourselves (our flesh). The early morning in verse 3 signifies the rising of the morning star in our hearts as the Lord comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. In other words, as we are judged by the Lord through His coming, the flesh is being destroyed. It implies that the influence of the devil over our flesh is reduced. This is what it means for the idol Dagon to fall with its face on the earth before the ark. 

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

The fact that the people set up Dagon in his place again is to make us aware that the Lord’s judgment is a process as our flesh is gradually incapacitated by the Lord’s judgment of our flesh. The cutting off of the head and palms of Dagon’s hands means that the devil’s influence over our flesh is subdued over time as we learn righteousness. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

The Inhabitants of Ashdod Smitten with Emerods

1Sa 5:5  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. 

Verse 5 shows us another area which had kept us in the dark before Christ came to deliver us, that is, the traditions of men. The mention of the priests of Dagon together with the people of Ashdod not treading on the threshold of Dagon to date is to remind us of the idols of the heart which relate to our belief in the false doctrines of traditions. Our flesh is steep in traditions which robbed us of our ability to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord when we were in Babylon. Our Lord Jesus pointed this out during His ministry here on earth.

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 
Mar 7:9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 
Mar 7:10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 
Mar 7:11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 
Mar 7:12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 
Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  

1Sa 5:6  But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. 
1Sa 5:7  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

When we are ruled by our flesh, we become like the people of Ashdod. However, as the Lord’s elect, the Lord comes to judge us. The hand of the Lord being heavy upon the people of Ashdod in verse 6 refers to the judgment of the Lord overwhelming our flesh. The Lord destroying the people of Ashdod with emerods signifies the Lord destroying our old man or flesh through His judgment.

Deu 28:27  The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. 

As shown here in Deuteronomy 28:27, the flesh cannot be healed. It has to be destroyed. It is insightful to note that when the men of Ashdod saw that the Lord was judging them, they refused to have the ark of the Lord abiding with them. This implies that our flesh will always try to avoid judgment. The hand of the Lord being sore upon the people of Ashdod and upon Dagon their god means the Lord will continue to judge our old man and, in the fullness of time, will judge the devil who empowers the flesh represented by Dagon, the god of Ashdod. 

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. 

1Sa 5:8  They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. 

In 1 Samuel 6:4, the number of the Lords of the Philistines is given as five. 

1Sa 6:4  Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. 

The negative application of the number five means famine of the word of the Lord which brings us to spiritual poverty. These five lords represent the various stages of our domination by our flesh which brings us to spiritual poverty through the famine of the word of the Lord. 

Gen 45:11  And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

Gath means ‘winepress.’ Therefore, the ark being taken to Gath implies that we face intense, multi-directional pressures as the Lord’s hand of judgment becomes heavy on us. However, through the grace of the Lord, we are sustained by His power to endure without being completely destroyed. The Lord will not relent in dealing with our flesh until He has destroyed it. All of these pressures are to bring us to learn righteousness so that we will be in Him.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  

1Sa 5:9  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. 

The Lord continues judging us until our flesh is destroyed. It is important to note that here in verse 9, both small and great were judged with emerods in their secret parts. That is another way of saying that we never graduate from the Lord’s judgment. The small and the great being judged implies that at every stage of our walk with Christ, we are being judged.

Rev 19:18  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 

The Ark of God Brought to Ekron

1Sa 5:10  Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. 
1Sa 5:11  So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 
1Sa 5:12  And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven. 

The name Ekron, according to Brown-Drivers-Briggs, means to be torn up by the roots. The people of Ekron crying out because the ark of God of Israel has been brought in their midst to slay them is to let us know that the presence of the Lord (the ark) and judgment go together with the purpose of destroying our flesh by the roots. The fact that there were three cities of the Philistines that were judged by the Lord because of the ark – Ashdod, Gath and Ekron, means that our spiritual maturity is through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh (significance of the number three). 

The great destruction that took place in the city of Ekron is to remind us that the Lord as the lion of the tribe of Judah will not relent until He has destroyed our flesh through His judgment. The men of Ekron’s cry going up to heaven means that the Lord was going to take action in Ekron. The same thing happened to the Israelites in Egypt when they cried to the Lord because of their oppression. The Lord took action and came to their aid.

Exo 2:23  And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
Exo 2:24  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 
Exo 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

In a similar vein, when we cry to the Lord during our fiery trials, the Lord comes to our aid as He provides a way of escape for us to be able to bear the suffering.  

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

We give thanks to the Lord for His unwavering love towards us. Amen!

The Spiritual Significance of the Color Yellow

[Study Aired December 7, 2025]

“The holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual with spiritual” (1Co 2:13).

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

We are going through colors in scripture, and we are seeing that colors, when mentioned in the scriptures, all have behind them a spiritual message and meaning. Our color we will examine today is the color yellow. There are two words which are translated as yellow in scripture. The first word is found three times in Leviticus 13:

Lev 13:30  Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow [H6669, ‘tsahob’, yellow] thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

Lev 13:32  And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow [H6669, ‘tsahob’, yellow] hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;

Lev 13:36  Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow [H6669, ‘tsahob’, yellow] hair; he is unclean.

Here is Strong’s definition of this Hebrew word:

H6669
צָהֹב
tsâhôb
tsaw-obe’
From H6668; golden in color: – yellow.

Total KJV occurrences: 3

Here is the verse in Psalms where the other Hebrew word which is translated as ‘yellow’ appears:

Psa 68:13  Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow [H34:22 ‘yaraqraq’- yellowish green] gold.

It is instructive to note that in the three primary colors of a glass prism, the colors which signify the Lord’s work in the spirit realm, the combination of green and red produces yellow.

As with every word in scripture, this word ‘yellow’ has both a positive and a negative application. Today we will concern ourselves mainly with its negative application in the Word of God. The reason for this is that the positive application for this word translated as ‘yellow’ has as its root the Hebrew word for gold. We all know that ‘gold’ is generally given a positive connotation in God’s Word.

Exo 25:17  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold [H2091, ‘gold or yellow’]: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Yellow is one of the three primary colors which signify the Lord’s work in the material realm. Those three primary colors are blue, red and yellow.

Here is Strong’s number and definition of the Hebrew word, H6669, ‘tsahob ‘yellow.’

H6669
tsa ho b
tsaw- obe’
From H6668; golden in color: – yellow.

How ‘Yellow’ Is Used In Scripture

Yellow is found in only four verses in scripture. The first three are in Leviticus where yellow is first found in reference to our spiritually dead and dying condition:

Lev 13:29 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard;
Lev 13:30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow [H6669 – tsa hob tsaw- obe’] thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it [is] a dry scall, [even] a leprosy upon the head or beard.

Lev 13:32 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow [H6669 – tsa hob tsaw- obe’] hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin;
Lev 13:33 He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up [him that hath] the scall seven days more:
Lev 13:34 And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, [if] the scall be not spread in the skin, nor [be] in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
Lev 13:35 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing;
Lev 13:36 Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he [is] unclean.
Lev 13:37 But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

Who does ‘the priest’ signify, and what does this scall signify? Here is Webster’s definition of the old English word ‘scall’ which my google spell-check does not even recognize as a word:

Scall
SCALL, n. [See Scald and Scaldhead.]
Scab; scabbiness; leprosy.
It is a dry scall, even a leprosy on the head. Lev 13:30

The priest obviously signifies Christ and His Christ, and the ‘scall’ being a disease obviously signifies sin in the midst of the Lord’s body which must be taken out of His body.

The Spiritual Application of the Color Yellow

Here is the spiritual application of these verses in Leviticus 13 concerning the spread of leprosy in the camp of Israel:

1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6 Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  [Just as leprosy spreads through out the entire camp]
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth.
1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1Co 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

What Is “The Spirit of Truth?”

“The spirit of Truth” is the serum that protects us from the poison of this spiritual leprosy. This phrase ‘spirit of truth’ appears four times in the New Testament. Those four times are very revealing in their connection with our subject, the color yellow and its spiritual meaning:

Joh 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

How Can We Know Whether We Have This “Spirit of Truth?”

1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

“Us” is not just anyone who says that this “us” is their group. The only way you can know who this “us” is, is to realize that this “us” is speaking of those who are faithful to and abide in “the doctrine of Christ”:

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

Now if “the words of our Lord Jesus Christ” to you means words which are “above what is written” then you are a ship adrift on a raging sea full of dangerous and destructive rocks and mountains just below the surface. You are there without the benefit of the rudder of “that which is written”:

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

It is those who do “that which is written” who can say:

1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

We must never play mind games with God. Either we lay down our lives in obedience to Him or we ignore the things He says:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

 If you are not scripturally oriented then you are at the mercy of anyone who points to the heavens and proclaims “Thus saith the Lord” because you have no way to “try that spirit to see whether it is of the Lord.”

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the [“same as the children – Heb 2:14] flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the [“same as the children”] flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. [That Christ “was made sin” was denied from the days of the apostle John.]
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We [Who do the things Christ says] are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

If we ‘do the things Christ says to do’ and if we are grounded only in “that which is written”, then we, too, can say with the apostle John that “he that knows God hears us.”

So the yellow and deadly doctrine of “the immaculate conception” in its many and varied forms continues and is accepted by the church world to this day. What we are admonished to do to avoid deception is about as popular with the church world as any of the other “doctrines of Christ.”

2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house [spiritual “holy place”- priests are not to eat with Levites who are not chosen of God as priests], neither bid him God speed:

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

How little understood and much despised is this doctrine in the churches of Babylon which teach that today is the only day of salvation through a ten-second sinner’s prayer. All doctrines which conflict both with each other, and with the Word of God, are ‘yellow… leprous… leavened’ deadly false doctrine of “false prophets gone out into the world” and have spread like leaven and leprosy throughout all the camp of Israel. (1Jn 4:1).

The word ‘yellow’ appears one other time in the Bible outside of the book of Leviticus in the book of Psalms:

Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain [His Words and doctrines], whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it [we] was weary.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein [“that which is written”, (1Co 6:4)]: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great [was] the company of those that published [it].
Psa 68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Psa 68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots, [yet shall ye be as] the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
Psa 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.

This is, of course, a positive application of the color yellow, but this is an entirely different Hebrew word. The word translated ‘yellow’ here is:

H3422
yeraqraq
yer- ak- rak’
From the same as H3418; yellowishness: – greenish, yellow.

Here is how this word is translated in the King James Version:

Lev 13:49 And if the plague be greenish [yeraqraq -3422] or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it [is] a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest:

Lev 14:37 And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, [if] the plague [be] in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish [yeraqraq] or reddish, which in sight [are] lower than the wall;

The third and last time this word appears in the Old Testament is the verse in Psalms we have referenced above:

Psa 68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots, [yet shall ye be as] the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow [yeraqraq – 3422] gold.

H3422, yeraqraq, which is translated “greenish” two out of three times, comes from the same as H3418. Here is Strong’s definition of H3418:

H3418
yereq
yeh’- rek
From H3417 (in the sense of vacuity of color); properly pallor, that is, hence the yellowish green of young and sickly vegetation; concretely verdure, that is, grass or vegetation: – grass, green (thing).

Here is how this word is translated in scripture:

Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green [Hebrew: 3418 – yereq] herb for meat: and it was so.

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

We covered this color ‘green’ in detail in our last three studies, but suffice this verse to indicate the significance of the color green at this time:

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

Seeing this connection between the Hebrew root of the words for yellow, greenish yellow and gold has given me a new appreciation for the old saying that “all that glitters is not gold.”

The Purpose for “Greenish Yellow” in our Lives”

Before the flood mankind was not baptized and therefore could eat only green herbs and survive. Now, after baptism, “every moving thing that lives…” the meat of God’s word, even our enemies, can now be eaten and dealt with as nourishment which just yesterday would have choked us to death.

Num 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [which were] of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Num 14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, [is] an exceeding good land.
Num 14:8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Num 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear them not.
Num 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.

Greenish Yellow is our Trials and Tests in This Life

Our greatest trials ought to be our most nourishing moments.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh [being “under the law], but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: [not by the works of the law].

1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God [“That which is written” (1Co 4:6)] ; if any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:17 For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Yereq, Strong’s number 3418, comes from 3417 – yarak – which is:

Num 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam [became] leprous, [white] as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
Num 12:11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
Num 12:12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
Num 12:13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
Num 12:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit [yarak-3417] in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
Num 12:15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

Deu 25:9 Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face [yarak-3417], and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.

This is what happens to all who rebel against God’s Word and who seek to bring their brothers linage to an end. It has the same end as eating with the Levites; both end up dying. That, again is the negative significance of the color yellow.

Lev 7:6 Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it [is] most holy.

Num 4:15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear [it]: but they shall not touch [any] holy thing, lest they die. These [things are] the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

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

How is this applied in our world today?

Col 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The ‘destruction of the flesh’ is a spiritual statement having to do with the destruction of the “mind of the flesh.”

1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1Co 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;  with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

“With such an one no not to eat” is the same as “let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again:”

2Co 2:6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
2Co 2:7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
2Co 2:8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

“Punishment… sorrow… love toward him.” That is God’s formula for keeping “the leaven of the Pharisees” out of His church. It is right here in this same chapter of 1 Corinthians:

1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6 Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

This is not even talking about what we today call ‘the Lord’s supper.” Neither is it talking about keeping the ‘Passover and the days of unleavened bread.’ ‘This is, rather, speaking of keeping fornication (primarily spiritual fornication) out of the midst of the people in whom God dwells.

Conclusion

Yellow signifies the dying condition of our flesh.

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

This is the negative application of this word describing this primary color.

By following this word back to it very root, we arrive right back at a leprous condition where there is no spiritual growth, and the camp cannot move while ‘Miriam’ is in this incurable, deadly, diseased condition.

What is this deadly, “yellow”, incurable condition?

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

We are totally unaware that Adam was created into a “body of this death,” and we all come into this world in “the body of this death,” in a dying condition. We are all, at first, the living dead:

Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Luk 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Luk 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Remember that there is another word translated as yellow which has a positive application. I repeat: The word ‘yellow’ appears one other time in the Bible outside of the book of Leviticus in the book of Psalms:

Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great [was] the company of those that published [it].
Psa 68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Psa 68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots, [yet shall ye be as] the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
Psa 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.

What is Christ’s inheritance?

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his [Christ’s] calling, and what the riches of the glory of his [Christ’s] inheritance in the saints,

That is what the scriptures teach. “Christ’s inheritance [is] in the saints.”

Who are these “poor” of Psalm 68:10?

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

This is, of course, a positive application of the color yellow, but this is an entirely different Hebrew word. The word translated ‘yellow’ here is:

H3422
yeraqraq
yer- ak- rak’
From the same as H3418; yellowishness: – greenish, yellow.

H3422, yeraqraq, comes from the same as 3418. Here is Strong’s definition of 3418:

H3418
yereq
yeh’- rek
From H3417 (in the sense of vacuity of color); properly pallor, that is, hence the yellowish green of young and sickly vegetation; concretely verdure, that is, grass or vegetation: – grass, green (thing).

So we conclude this study noticing that yellow is closely associated with the color green. As any professional painter can tell you, green is the result of the mixing of blue (the things of heaven and of life) and yellow (our dying vessel of clay).

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen; [yellow – dying) vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God (heavenly – blue), and not of us.

Next study we will see the importance of the color black.

The Biblical Overview of The Plan of God – Part 7

The Feast of Tabernacles-A

“The Kingdoms of This World are Become The Kingdoms of Our Lord and His Christ”

[Study Aired September 19, 2025]

Introduction

Thus far we have covered the spiritual meaning and the spiritual functions of the first five of the seven festivals which God gave to ancient Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles is the sixth of the seven holy days the Lord ordained to be observed by ancient Israel. In our last study we saw that the three annual holy days that follow the Passover and the days of unleavened bread… Pentecost, Trumpets, and Atonement all foreshadow the next three steps in the overview of the plan of God as well as revealing the three functions which are being performed by Christ’s ‘firstfruits’. These firstfruits, unlike Christ our sinless Savior, are repentant sinners and as such are symbolized by a firstfruit-offering that is leavened, a Biblical symbol which in its negative application typifies sin. Christ’s firstfruits are also symbolized by the scapegoat which is another symbol for sin.

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

Unlike Christ, who is signified by “the Lord’s goat”, which is a slain sacrifice, Christ’s firstfruits are symbolized as “a living sacrifice” which is accepted as such only upon the sacrifice of the passover lamb Himself. So the passover Lamb symbolizing the first of the firstfruits, is the same in symbol, and in type as “the Lord’s goat”, which is first slain and offered to God on the day of atonement, before the scapegoat, which is “let go in the wilderness. Both are “for a sin offering”. (Rom 12:1)

Lev 16:5  And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

We are told both goats are part of “a sin offering…. [to] make an atonement [for] all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins”:

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

The first goat signifies Christ in His not  yet perfected, corruptible, yet not corrupted, flesh, while the “living sacrifice” signifies us as the scapegoat of the day of atonement and as the two leavened loaves of the feast of firstfruits.

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. 

“The third day” symbolizes the completion of the process of judgment which had to be completed in Christ’s Adamic flesh, which is indeed traced all the way back to Adam through His mother. The connection of Christ’s flesh to the flesh of Adam is the very purpose for giving us His long genealogy which ends with these words:

Luk 3:38  Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

That is also the reason Christ is symbolized by a goat in the sacrifices of the day of Atonement. So there we have it. The first Adam is as much a “son of God” as is the last Adam. Both had bodies of sinful flesh, and there is no other way Christ could possibly offer Himself up to His Father as a “sin offering.”

The negative symbolism of goats in scripture is the flesh and the carnal mind of the flesh, which is unworthy to be part of the kingdom of God (1Co 15:50):

Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

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

Making an atonement for sin is the purpose for offering both goats. The two goats symbolize two separate functions of that atonement process, and those differences are qualified and delineated for us. The first, “the Lord’s goat”, is slain, and then, after and upon the blood of the first goat, the second goat is released alive in the wilderness. This second goat also symbolizes the sin offering, but this second goat is capable of also being a trespass offering, which our sinless Savior could not be because though He was in a body of sinful flesh He had never sinned nor trespassed His Fathers will:

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we [we who have trespassed, are therefore, through Christ, now becoming a living trespass offering which] might be made the righteousness of God in him.

That is why these two goats are sacrificed on the day of atonement, when God’s elect as a living sacrifice, must afflict their souls, “to make and atonement… for His body which is the church.”

Lev 16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 16:30  For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 

2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

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: 

The priest “mak[ing] an atonement for you” typifies Christ as our high priest, and if we are in Him and He is in us, then we, too, are now priests who are also making an atonement for others:

Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. [God has glorified Christ to be our high priest].

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect [“on the third day”], he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Heb 5:10  Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. 
Heb 5:11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

Heb 6:20  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec

What made “the order of Melchisedec” different from the Aaronic order? The two differences we are given is that Melchisedec was before Aaron, and therefore not of Aaron, and Melchisedec was both a king and a priest as Christ is:

Gen 14:18  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

Heb 7:1  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Heb 7:2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 

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;

If we fail to see ourselves as also being kings and priests in the Lord’s service, then we will never completely understand how we can serve as kings and priests during the thousand year reign which is signified by the feast of Tabernacles.

One of those “many things [which are] hard to be uttered” (Heb 5:11) about Christ as our high priest is that in Him we, too, become “saviors” who are also kings and priests. Paul could not utter that fact to the Hebrews at the time of this writing of Hebrews 5:11, but as we have noted, he did tell the Colossians that we are to “fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of the Christ for His body’s sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24), and as we just noted, he also told the Corinthians that our afflictions are ‘for the salvation of others.’

2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

Paul wants us to know that we are expected  to “endure the same suffering which [he] also suffers”.

It was given to the apostle John, in the book of Revelation, to come right out and tell us that we, too, are priests who, like Melchisedec, are now both “kings and priests… unto our God.”

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

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

These spiritual positions are not just some distant spiritual promise, though they certainly are not yet ours in their fullness. Nevertheless all these promises are already ours in what the scriptures call “the earnest of our inheritance”:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first [as in “firstfruits”] 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 [Greek: down-payment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [meaning our resurrection to rule and reign with Him], unto the praise of his glory.

So Christ has already given to us a down-payment of our inheritance by giving us His Father’s spirit. In that position we can and must claim and confess who we are in Him and where we stand as His emissaries on this earth. If we deny who we are in Christ, He will deny us before His Father:

Mat 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Because that is true here are six verses which bear repetition. These verses tell us why our heavenly Father sent Christ into this world as His emissary, and they also tell us what is the commission which Christ, in turn, has placed upon us as His emissaries.

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

Our old man cannot receive the depth of what Christ means when He tells us that He has sent us into the world “as [His] father has sent [Him].” We cannot, in our flesh, comprehend the depth of “as He is, so are we in this world.” What is Christ “in this world”? The answer is, “He is the propitiation for our sins, not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” It is as spiritual kings and priests, in “earnest” meaning in down-payment form, that we as the anointed of Christ fulfill the functions of the three steps that follow the passover which we have covered thus far. In Christ as our passover we are 1) the feast of weeks (Pentecost), also called the feast of firstfruits. We are the two leavened loaves offered to God at Pentecost. If there were any difference in these two loaves, we would have been told so as we were with the two goats at atonement. But we are not told that ‘one loaf is Christ and the other is us’ as so many claim. Those two loaves are both Christ within His “two witnesses”, witnessing to and lying dead in the streets of Babylon (Rev 11). In Christ it is we who are the “seven priests” (Jos 6, and Rev 8-11) who fulfill  2) the day of blowing of trumpets, and in Christ, it is we who fill up in our bodies what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ as portrayed in 3) the fasting and afflicting of our souls, as the living scapegoat sin offering on the day of atonement.

The last two steps in the overview of the plan of God

There are yet two more annual holy days that fill out and finish the overview of God’s plan for all mankind of all time. These last two holy days continue to be “types of us”, and they continue to reveal how Christ through us, as “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, will effectuate the salvation of all men of all time.

Num 28:26  Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your [seven] weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:

This study does not deny that mankind must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Mat 4:4). Rather this study confirms that ‘living by every word’ means believing and teaching every word. That is why in these studies we are declaring that there is an order to God’s plan for the salvation of all and the destruction of death, and that we are focusing on that order in this overview of that plan.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: (1^st harvest) Christ the firstfruits; (2^nd  harvest) afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.[The 2^nd harvest and yet it is called “the firstfruits of your (summer) harvest”, signifying the “first resurrection”, (Rev 14:4, Rev 20:6)]
1Co 15:24  Then [after the first two harvests] cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
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.

These last two holy days are the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, and “the eighth day, the last great day of the feast” are shadows and types of how we will be used by Christ to bring the ages to their predestined consummation via the agency of “the church, which is His body, [becoming] the fulness of Him that fills all in all”, by bringing all men to Christ (Eph 1:22-23).

Here we read of the work of those two leavened loaves as they are revealed to us again, in the book of Daniel:

Dan 2:34  Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.  [“God… all in all”]

Here is this same message concerning God becoming all in all in the New Testament:

Luk 13:20  And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 
Luk 13:21  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. [“God… all in all”]

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. 

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;  that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world [G165: ‘aion’, age], but also in that [world, aion] which is to come: [“Ye shall rule the world… and angels”, (1Co 6:2-3)]
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 

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. [All men, God “all in all”]

Christ has been granted by His Father to be the head of the church, which is His body, [which church is] “the fulness of Him that fills all in all”. God being “all in all” is the goal, the ‘telos‘, of His plan. That which “fills [God]” and brings about the goal of God’s plan for all men is Christ and the church. It is we who are the firstfruit fullness of Him that fills all in all.”

Before this can be accomplished, Christ and His body must first destroy death because we are informed that death is “the last enemy to be destroyed.”

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 

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

This brings us to a revelation from which our old man recoils in utter disgust. I have yet to find a commentary which understands the meaning of:

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them [“The nations in the four quarters of the earth”].

The simple fact is that to destroy death, you simply must annihilate all flesh that is upon the earth, and it is with the destruction of death in view that we are given to rule the nations of this world for a thousand years. That is the spiritual significance of the feast of tabernacles and the last great day. The seven days of the feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the millennium, and the last great day symbolizes the “short season” which follows the millennium, in which Satan is released from his prison and is sent out “to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth”, leading to the destruction of all flesh.

Here is the holy spirit itself giving us the correct order of events as they are preordained to take place  after “the marriage supper of the Lamb” which takes place at the beginning of the thousand year reign (Rev 19:7):

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead [who were not reigning with Christ for a thousand years] lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [reigning with Christ for a thousand years] is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

We will pause at this point and resume our study of the Overview of The Plan of God in our next study on the spiritual significance of the Feast of Tabernacles-B.

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Matthew 13:1–30 The Parable of the Sower and That of the Weeds

[Study Aired June 16, 2025]

The study today is about the parable of the Sower and of the weeds. In the study we shall come to understand why Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes. The study also highlights Jesus’ interpretation of the parable of the Sower to guide us, His elect, in understanding all His parables.  

Mar 4:13  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 

The study ends with the parable of the weeds and its interpretation. 

The Parable of the Sower

Mat 13:1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 
Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 
Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 

The use of the phrase “the same day” is to let us know how our Lord Jesus worked hard like an ox during the three and half years of His ministry here on earth. The Greek word for ‘ox’ is ’shore’, and it is translated in English as bullock, bull, cow, ox and oxen. A key characteristic of an ox is its service or production and increase in wealth during the Biblical days.

Pro 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. 

It is through the work of Christ, described as an ox during His time here on earth, that has made us spiritually rich.

As we have indicated in previous studies, the great multitude that followed Jesus represents those who are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. They signify our brothers and sisters in the physical churches of this world who are not given to understand the spiritual reality of the word of the Lord. At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we were part of the multitude when we were in the churches of this world. It is significant to note that the multitude stood on the shore while Jesus got up from the shore and went into a ship to speak to the multitude. 

In the Book of Revelation, it was while we were standing at the shore of the sea that we saw the beast coming out of the sea. Standing on the shore signifies our time in the churches of Babylon, since the shore represents the earth, but its closeness to the sea means that it is influenced by the sea of flesh as the raging waves of the sea foams out their own shame on the corridors of Babylon (shore). It is in Babylon that the Lord starts to show us what we really are – a beast! 

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 

Jud 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 

The fact that Jesus was sitting on the shore before He went into a ship is to demonstrate to us that to know our Lord Jesus Christ, we must first be in Babylon before we are given to be in a ship of fellow elect, plowing through the sea of flesh. 

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (Babylon), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

As we are aware, the sea represents the flesh of man, and being in a ship on the sea signifies overcoming the pulls of the flesh. In other words, being in a ship on the sea means being delivered from the pulls of the flesh. It is when the Lord comes to us with His judgment that we are gradually delivered from the pulls of the flesh and are given to hear Him speak to us.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 

In verse 3, the Lord spoke to the great multitude in a ship while they were standing on the shore of the sea, which represents the churches of this world or Babylon. In this age, the Lord speaks in parables to our brothers and sisters in Babylon so that they cannot understand. The reason they cannot understand is that they are of their father the devil. In times past, we were also of our father the devil, and therefore we could not understand what the Lord was saying to us. 

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Mat 13:4  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 
Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 
Mat 13:6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 
Mat 13:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 
Mat 13:8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 
Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  

Without Jesus explaining what the parable of the sower means, it would have been impossible for us to understand what He was saying to us who were part of the multitude at a certain stage of our walk with Christ. From verses 4 to 7, the parable shows us our responses when we heard the word of the Lord in our time in Babylon. We did not appreciate the truth of the word of the Lord because we were spiritually blind and deaf. In the fullness of time, when the Lord opened our hearts and minds to understand His words, we started to produce fruit. This is the Lord’s explanation of the parable of the Sower: 

Mat 13:18  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 
Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 
Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 
Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

The Lord’s explanation of the parable of the sower is to teach us, His elect, how to rightly divide the word of truth.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

In Matthew 13:23, it is the good ground that received the seed or the word of the Lord sown, and as a result was able to bear fruits. The good ground refers to the heart and mind of an elect. As we are aware, it takes time for a farmer to prepare the soil for planting. In a similar way, it takes time for our hearts and minds to be prepared to be recipients of the word of the Lord. 

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

The preparation of our hearts and minds is the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh, which we are going through to prepare us to receive the word of the Lord and to bear fruits of the spirit. These are the fruits of the spirit which we are to bear:

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

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

The Purpose of the Parables

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

These verses show us that in this age, the Lord is saving a few people known as His elect. In verse 11, the elect who are privileged to be saved in this age are represented by the Lord’s disciples. What verse 11 also means is that it is a privilege in this age to be given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven and not a right. We are called and chosen before the foundation of the world by God to be saved in this age. 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Those who are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven are the people of this world and our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world or Babylon. Their bondage to corruption is all part of the design by the Lord to prevent them from understanding the mysteries of the kingdom in this age. In Romans 8:20, we are told that it is not that people choose to sin willingly, but that their subjection to vanity is according to the counsel of God with the aim of liberating them at the right time to become the sons of God. That is why the whole of creation are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, His elect, who will be the agents of liberation of the people of the world including our brothers and sisters in Babylon.

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

We are therefore the source of salvation or saviors to the whole of humanity. 

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

The verses following show us how the Lord is making the people of this world, including our brothers and sisters in Babylon, blind, so that they do not know Him in this age.  

Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 

The Lord is taking away from our brothers and sisters in Babylon even the little knowledge they have of the Lord and giving it to us, His elect. In other words, the Lord is making blind our brothers and sisters in Babylon including the people of the world, so that they do not come to know the truth in this age. As a result, the word of the Lord has become a parable to them to keep them in blindness, as shown in verse 13.

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

Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

The blindness of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world is due to the smoke that comes out of the bottomless pit, which represents our hearts and minds. The smoke is the false doctrines in their hearts and minds that eclipse the truth of the word of the Lord such that hearing they will hear and not understand, and seeing they will see and not perceive. 

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 
Rev 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 

The propagators of these false doctrines are the false prophets who are described as locusts in the verses above. They come as angels of light but inwardly, they are grievous wolves. 

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

The works of these false prophets show themselves by people’s hearts becoming gross as their ears become dull of hearing and their eyes are blinded to the truth of the word of the Lord, as shown in verse 15. We must remember that at a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we were also in such condition, as our eyes were blinded and our ears could not hear the truth.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

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

It is indeed a privilege to be counted as children of the Lord in this age. Not that we deserved it, but in His mercy, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to become saviors with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

The prophets and righteous men of old were not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. All the work they did was for our sake, as shown in the following verses:

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.

As verses 18 to 23 highlight the explanation of the parable of the Sower, which we have addressed, we shall proceed to the parable of the weeds as follows:

The Parable of the Weeds

Mat 13:24  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 
Mat 13:25  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 
Mat 13:26  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 

The man who sowed good seed in his field represents Christ and His Christ. The good seed signifies the word of the Lord. The field represents our hearts and minds. Christ came to us when we were part of the people of the world to deliver us so that we shall no longer conform to the standards of this world, but live as children of Christ. In our zeal, we unsuspectingly entered the churches of this world thinking we shall grow in the knowledge of Christ and His grace. However, as the parable suggests, this is the period of our walk when we were spiritually sleeping, just like the ten virgins who fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom.  In other words, it is while we were in the churches of this world that we fell asleep and the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat that is sown in our hearts and minds. The enemy here represents the devil who works through his false prophets to sow false doctrines of man’s wisdom and traditions in our hearts and minds while we were in the corridors of the churches of this world. These false doctrines are the tares.

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.  

It is the fruits which are born by the wheat and the tares that serves to distinguish between them. If false doctrines of man’s wisdom and tradition (tares) are sown in our hearts, we shall end up producing the fruits of the flesh. On the other hand, if the truth of the word of the Lord (wheat) is sown in our hearts, the result shall be the fruits of the spirit. 

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 
Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

As Jesus said, by our fruits, we shall know whether we are of Christ or the evil one. 

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 
Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

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. 

In verse 28, the servants of the householder wanted to go and gather up the tares, but he stopped them by saying that they should let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest, since in gathering up the tares, the wheat may also be rooted up. The fact that it is until the harvest that the tares will be gathered together and burnt means that it takes time for us effectively distinguish between the truth of the word of the Lord and false doctrines. It is as we are maturing spiritually that we can discern clearly between the truth of the Lord’s words and the false doctrines of the devil. The time of the harvest is therefore the period in our lives when our senses are exercised to discern the truth from false doctrines which are destroyed in our lives by the hail of the truth of His words. In other words, it is the time of the harvest that we are able to test the spirit to see if it is of the Lord.     

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 

Eze 44:15  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 

Eze 44:23  And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 
Eze 44:24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 

We are grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ for favoring us to be called and chosen in this age, to the praise of His glory. Amen!!