Rev 15:1-4 Part 2, The Seven Angels With The Seven Last Plagues

[Study Aired March 7, 2025]

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

We concluded our last study looking at Job as an Old Testament type of ourselves while we are being judged in these clay vessels.

Job had declared himself righteous and could not understand why God would treat him as His enemy. Job, typifying us to a T, was completely blinded to His egregious sin of self-righteousness, and the Lord let him know how little He appreciated Job’s self-righteous iniquity:

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

It is nothing less than “the pride of life” which leads us to think that for some reason we ought to escape the “rage of God’s wrath” and “the indignation [thumos] or God’s wrath [orge]” (Rom 2:8-9). Are we better and less deserving of God’s wrath than Christ?

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

Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Are we better and less deserving of God’s wrath than the apostle Paul?

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;

The apostle Paul had persecuted the church and was first as guilty of “ungodliness and unrighteousness”. In fact this is his own spiritual assessment of himself:

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

Is this verse teaching us that no one has ever been as sinful as the apostle Paul? No, of course we are not. Paul is setting us an example of how we are to spiritually assess ourselves before we start pointing our finger at others as Job’s “miserable comforters” did. For those who think they are far less sinful than the apostle Paul and don’t  deserve to experience the Lord’s wrath, here is another warning from God, which we can add to Rev 22:18-19:

Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
Jer 25:30  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

If God’s own Son was “foresaken… in little wrath… for a small moment” who are we to declare that we will never know the wrath of God? We will all “certainly drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism” and be tread out as “the grapes of the earth.”

Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared of my Father.

We are all first the generation of Israel that comes up out of Egypt before we die in the wilderness and become those who enter into God’s rest. So this is what we are told about our old man who refuses to drink the cup of God’s wrath of which Christ drank.

Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

“God’s rest” is in “His habitation” spoken of in Jeremiah 25:30. We are God’s temple and His habitation, and no man will enter into God’s rest or His habitation or His temple “until the seven plagues of the seven angels have been fulfilled.”

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

This last verse takes us back to the first verse. No man can enter the temple until the seven last plagues which “fill up the wrath of God… is fulfilled” in that man’s life.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Verse 2 ties in perfectly with the seven last plagues as it speaks of the “sea of glass mingled with fire.”

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

What is this “sea of glass mingled with fire”? We read about this same ‘sea’ in Revelation 4:6.

Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

If we fail to understand the symbolism of the “sea” which was part of the temple court, then we will never understand why we are speaking here in Revelation 15:2 of “a sea of glass mingled with fire” in this vision of the heavenly temple and its throne and its court. So let’s take a quick look at the ‘sea’ that was between the altar and the tabernacle or the altar and the temple in ancient Israel. In the case of the tabernacle, it is called “a laver”.

Exo 30:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 30:18  Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
Exo 30:19  For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
Exo 30:20  When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
Exo 30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

Exo 38:8  And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Exo 40:7  And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

The word brass is really copper, and being copper, we know this part of our walk is all outside the temple, before any man “can enter the temple”.  Everything inside the tabernacle or the temple was all of gold. That this ‘laver’, or ‘sea’, is copper and is ‘without’ or outside of the temple, tells us that this part of our walk is not to be thought of as being within the tabernacle or temple. This is made clear by this, and many other verses:

Lev 8:11  And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

So the ‘sea’, or ‘laver’, is to be considered as part of the court of the temple, where the Levites, who were not the sons of Aaron, and who could not enter into the temple, performed their duties of ministering to the people, and where the priests themselves were to wash and cleanse themselves before entering into the temple “lest they die”, or “until the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled”. That is the spiritual significance of “lest they die”.

It is at the construction of the temple to replace the tabernacle, that we first see this laver, greatly  increased, and in a “line upon line” fashion, we learn that it is now called a “molten sea”.

1Ki 7:23  And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
1Ki 7:24  And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
1Ki 7:25  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
1Ki 7:26  And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.

Here are more very important details given us in the account of the construction of the “molten sea”, in the book of 2Chronicles:

2Ch 4:2  Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
2Ch 4:3  And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.
2Ch 4:4  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
2Ch 4:5  And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.
2Ch 4:6  He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.
2Ch 4:10  And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

A cubit is said to be 18 inches in length. So this molten sea was 15 feet in diameter, “from brim to brim”. It was 7 and 1/2 feet high, and it was 45 feet in circumference. “And the thickness of  it was a handbreadth.” It stood between the temple and the brasen altar, and only the priests were permitted to wash in this “molten sea”.

“But the sea was for the priests to wash in” tells us why those who are on this “sea of glass mingled with fire” are God’s “kings and priest”, His very elect, who have overcome the image, name, number and mark of the beast. The Levites, who served the temple but were not the sons of Aaron the high priest, were never permitted to wash in this “molten sea” which is the shadow and type of this “sea of glass, mingled with fire” in the heavens here in Revelation 15.

Why is this sea called a sea of glass? The Greek word here is ‘hualinos’, and it means clear or transparent. So those who are on this sea of glass know who they are, from whence they have come and how they have been placed where they are by the sovereign hand of their Lord and Savior. They themselves, like the sea on which they stand at this time in their walk, are completely transparent and have nothing to hide. While it is argued that glass, as we know it today, did not exist when the book of Revelation was written, it is interesting to note that this sea of glass is “like crystal” which was transparent and which did exist when the book of Revelation was written. It is also instructive to note that the glass of today is made of sand which has been melted, unified and purified and made transparent by means of the heat into which it is placed. That is the significance of the fire here as it is the significance of fire throughout God’s Word. Whether we are speaking of crystal or glass, both are made clear and purified by pressure and heat. God’s fiery Word is the fire mingled which provides the pressure and heat signified by this “sea of glass”. It is God’s Word which has purified and made transparent everyone who stands upon this sea of glass. It is through God’s Word, “Christ in us”, that any of us are given the victory over the beast, his image, his number, his name and his mark. Christ is the fire that is mingled with those who are standing on this clear and transparent “sea of glass”.

The only thing left to inquire of is the fact that everyone on this sea of glass has been given a harp. The verse ends with these words: “… having the harps of God”. Who have we already been told has “the harps of God?” That is right, once again, this is but a symbol which is peculiar to those who are overcomers and who are Christ’s own “nation of kings and priests”, and who are worthy as Christ’s priests to “wash themselves” in this “sea of glass mingled with fire, before the temple in heaven”. Here is why we are told that these people on this “sea of glass” are given harps:

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Who are these “four beasts and four and twenty elders”? We are not left to wonder or guess about who these four beasts and four and twenty elders signify. In the next two verses, they themselves tell us who they symbolize, and we find that they are the symbols of the very ” redeemed… priests” who are worthy to wash themselves in the sea which is between the altar and the temple:

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

This same group of overcomers was mentioned in chapter 14, and are again called “redeemed… firstfruits… harping with harps.”

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.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

It is God’s elect who are symbolized by these four beasts and four and twenty elders, who are symbolized by virgins who have not been defiled by women, who bow down to the Lamb and tell us that they are kings and priests. It is God’s chosen few elect who are the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, who were redeemed from among men, who stand on the sea of  glass mingled with fire, and who have the harps of God.

We are also told that they sing while “harping with their harps”. Here is what they are singing:

Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

The “song of Moses” is “the song of the Lamb”, because both sing about the victory of the obedience of the spirit over the rebellion of our flesh. It is a song about the wrath of God being poured out upon the armies of Egypt within us. Here is the song of Moses:

Exo 15:1  Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Exo 15:3  The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
Exo 15:4  Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
Exo 15:5  The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
Exo 15:6  Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Exo 15:7  And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
Exo 15:8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, [ and] the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
Exo 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
Exo 15:10  Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
Exo 15:11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Exo 15:12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Exo 15:13  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
Exo 15:14  The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
Exo 15:15  Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
Exo 15:16  Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
Exo 15:17  Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
Exo 15:18  The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
Exo 15:19  For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

These two verses in Revelation 15, summarize all of these first 19 verses of Exodus 15:

Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

The seven plagues of the seven angels are “Thy judgments… made manifest”, and until the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled in our lives, “no man is able to enter into the temple of God in heaven” (Rev 15:8).

Summary

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

In this verse we are reminded of the Truth that this is a book of signs and symbols of heavenly realities, and that the angels that bring us to see these heavenly realities are “in heaven” which is the realm of the spirit within our own hearts and minds. We saw that being seven in number, signifies their completion, and that there is no way of separating the first six plagues from the seventh, and that just as we live all seven trumpets, we must also fulfill all seven vials or bowls of “the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” within each of us (Rom 1:18).

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

In this verse we saw that the only people who are given to wash themselves in the ‘sea’ of God’s fiery words, are His priests. This fiery ‘sea’, is not that different from “the devouring fire, and the everlasting burnings” of “the lake of fire” where the elect dwell as they “judge angels:

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

In any case, those who stand on this “sea of glass, mingled with fire”, are certainly the same as “He that walks righteously and speaks uprightly…”

We also saw, that the four beasts, and the four and twenty elders, are also given “the harps of God” and are said to be “harping with their harps”, and they also tell us that they are symbols of God’s very elect.

Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before the for thy judgments are made manifest.

In these two verses we saw that the song of Moses, celebrates the victory of the obedience of the spirit over the disobedience of the flesh. What is so often missed and what is so often denied is that God’s judgments are said to be “great and marvelous”, both here in verse three, as well as in verse one.  We are also told that “God’s judgments are made manifest” through the seven angels with these seven last plagues of God’s wrath upon all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of the lives of those who are found standing on this “sea of glass mingled with fire”.

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;

Next week, Lord willing, we will cover these last four verses of this chapter, and we will be reminded of what the word “opened” means in this, the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

Rev 15:5  And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

“Whirlwind” in the Bible

[Study Aired Oct 15, 2024]

The term “whirlwind” in the physical world typically refers to a tornado, associated with storm clouds. The Hebrew word “suphah” (סוּפָה) is primarily used, which can be translated as whirlwind, storm, or tempest. This natural phenomenon is employed in Scripture to convey various spiritual truths and godly actions. The concept of the whirlwind appears numerous times in the Old Testament, often in contexts related to God’s power, presence, or judgment. Notable occurrences include God speaking to Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1, 40:6), Elijah being taken up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11), the nature of God’s judgment against the wicked in (Proverbs 1:27) and (Proverbs 10:25), as an instrument of God’s judgment (Jeremiah 23:19, 30:23), and judgement against Israel in (Hosea 8:7).

While the exact term “whirlwind” doesn’t appear in the King James Version of the New Testament, there are related concepts expressed through two key Greek words. “Thyella” (θύελλα) appears once in the New Testament (Hebrews 12:18) and is translated as “tempest,” referring to a violent storm or whirlwind. “Elaunō” (ἐλαύνω), meaning “to drive” or “to carry away,” is used in various contexts, often relating to the concept of being driven or carried. In (Mark 6:48) and (John 6:19), it describes disciples struggling against the wind while rowing, which can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual struggles. (Luke 8:29) uses elaunō to describe a man being driven by an unclean spirit, (James 3:4) includes being driven by the wind and (2 Peter 2:17) has clouds carried by a tempest. These terms and concepts in both the Old and New Testaments provide a foundation for understanding the spiritual significance of the whirlwind throughout Scripture.

As we dive deeper into this study, we will explore how the whirlwind and its related concepts serve as powerful spiritual metaphors throughout the scriptures. We’ll examine how these physical phenomena reveal spiritual truths about God’s nature, His interactions with mankind, and the spiritual realities that shape our lives.

In the book of Job, we see the whirlwind as a medium through which God reveals Himself. After Job’s intense suffering, lengthy dialogues with his friends, and Elihu’s speeches, God finally speaks to Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1, 40:6).

Job 38:1-2 “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?”

Job 40:6-9 “Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?”

In God’s speech from the whirlwind, He challenges Job with a series of questions and statements that underscore the immense gap between God’s and mankind’s knowledge. God asks Job about the foundations of the earth, the boundaries of the sea, the origins of light and darkness, and the scattering of the east wind in (Job 38). He then questions Job about his knowledge and control over various animals, from the lion and raven to the ostrich and horse (Job 38 and 39). God’s inquiries extend to mighty creatures like the Behemoth and Leviathan. These impressive beasts serve as examples of God’s creative power and His sovereignty over all creation, from the smallest to the most formidable. By presenting these creatures that are beyond human control or full understanding, God further emphasizes the vast gulf between His knowledge and capability and that of man’s. Throughout this discourse, God’s questions serve to humble Job and to remind him of the vastness of God’s wisdom and the limitations of man’s understanding. This powerful revelation from the whirlwind ultimately leads Job to a place of humility and renewed trust in God’s sovereignty, illustrating how encounters with the Almighty’s power can transform our perspective on life’s trials and deepen our faith.

Proverbs uses the whirlwind to symbolize the swift and overwhelming nature of God’s judgment against the wicked.

(Proverbs 1:27) “When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.”

It also emphasizes the temporary nature of wickedness in contrast to the enduring quality of righteousness:

(Proverbs 10:25) “As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.”

Jeremiah employs the whirlwind as a metaphor for God’s furious judgment against wickedness.

(Jeremiah 23:19) “Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.”

He reiterates this imagery in Jeremiah 30:23, conveying the intensity and continuation of divine retribution.

(Jer 30:23) “Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.”

Ezekiel’s vision presents the whirlwind as part of an appearance of the Lord:

(Ezekiel 1:3-4) ” The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”

This vivid description associates the whirlwind with the north, and other elements like fire and brightness, creating a powerful picture of God’s glory and serving as a vehicle for divine revelation. The north is also associated with judgement.

The prophet Hosea uses the whirlwind to illustrate the principle of sowing and reaping:

(Hosea 8:7) “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.”

This imagery suggests that small actions can lead to disproportionately large consequences, emphasizing the serious outcomes of Israel’s unfaithfulness.

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

Finally, Nahum portrays the whirlwind as an element under God’s control, emphasizing His sovereignty:

(Nahum 1:3) “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”

This passage illustrates how God’s power extends over all creation.

These Old Testament depictions of the whirlwind provide a foundation for understanding its spiritual significance, revealing it as a symbol of God’s presence, power, and judgment.

In (Hebrews 12:18-24), we see a stark contrast between the Old Covenant experience at Mount Sinai and the New Covenant in Christ, with the concept of judgment playing a central role. The passage begins by describing Mount Sinai, associated with the giving of the Law, as a place of fearsome forces of nature, including a “tempest” (thyella in Greek, reminiscent of the Old Testament whirlwind). This mountain was unapproachable, symbolizing the distance between sinful man and a holy God under the Old Covenant. The scene was so terrifying that even Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant, trembled with fear.

Hebrews 12:18-24 “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 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, 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, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

In contrast, we as believers under the New Covenant are said to come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. Here, instead of fear and trembling, there is joyful assembly. Notably, God is still presented as “the Judge of all,” but the context is radically different. As believers we approach not in terror, but as part of the “church of the firstborn”, with our names written in heaven. We come to Jesus, “the mediator of the new covenant,” whose sprinkled blood “speaks better things than that of Abel”.

This comparison highlights a transformation in how judgment is perceived. Under the Old Covenant, judgment was associated with fear and the impossibility of approaching God. Under the New Covenant, while God remains the Judge, His people can approach Him freely through Christ. The terrifying tempest of Sinai gives way to the welcoming assembly of Zion, illustrating how the New Covenant changes our relationship to divine judgment without negating God’s role as Judge.

The Greek word “elaunō” is used in various contexts, often relating to the concept of being driven or carried. In (Mark 6:45-48) and (John 6:16-21), it describes disciples struggling against the wind while rowing, which can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual struggles.

Mark 6:45-51 “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.”

In Mark 6:45-51, we see a sequence of events that illustrates the disciples’ struggle in Jesus’ physical absence, followed by His intervention. After feeding the five thousand, Jesus sends His disciples ahead by boat while He retreats to a mountain to pray. The disciples find themselves in the midst of the sea, struggling against a contrary wind. The Greek word “elaunō” is used here to describe their toilsome rowing.

This scenario can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual struggles we face when we feel distant from Christ. Just as Jesus had departed to the mountain, leaving the disciples to face the storm alone, there may be times when we feel isolated in our spiritual battles.

However, the passage doesn’t end with the disciples’ struggle. Jesus, seeing their difficulty, comes to them, walking on the water. Initially, His appearance terrifies them, but He immediately reassures them: “Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” Upon joining them in the boat, the wind ceases.

This narrative illustrates that even when Christ seems distant, He is aware of our struggles. It demonstrates His commitment to come to His followers in their time of need. The disciples’ amazement at the end underscores the renewing power of Christ’s presence in the midst of life’s storms.

This account serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual struggles, though real and often intense, are temporary. Christ’s presence and power ultimately overcome these challenges, often in ways that exceed our expectations and leave us in awe of His majesty.

The passage in (Luke 8:26-33) provides a vivid illustration of spiritual warfare and the power of unclean spirits over an individual. The use of “elaunō” in this context emphasizes the forceful control these spirits had over the man.

Luke 8:26-33 “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven (elaunō) of the devil into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.”

The man’s condition is described in stark terms: he had been possessed by devils for a long time, wore no clothes, and lived in tombs rather than in a house. These details highlight the complete devastation of his life by the unclean spirits, stripping him of dignity, social connection, and normalcy.

The phrase “was driven (elaunō) of the devil into the wilderness” is particularly significant. It suggests that the unclean spirits not only inhabited the man but actively controlled his movements, forcing him into isolated and desolate places. This “driving” parallels the whirlwind imagery we’ve seen elsewhere, depicting an overwhelming force that the man was powerless to resist.

The severity of the possession is further emphasized by the spirits’ self-identification as “Legion,” indicating a vast number of demons inhabiting one individual. Their plea not to be sent “into the deep” (referring to the abyss, a place of confinement for evil spirits) reveals their fear of judgment and their desperate attempt to remain active in the world.

Jesus’ authority over these spirits is absolute. With a command, He drives them out of the man and permits them to enter a herd of swine. The violent reaction of the swine, running down a steep place and drowning, graphically illustrates the destructive nature of these spirits.

This passage serves as a powerful example of Christ’s authority over spiritual forces and His power to liberate those oppressed by evil. It also provides a sobering picture of the reality and intensity of spiritual warfare, showing how unclean spirits can “drive” or compel individuals, much like a whirlwind in the physical realm can drive objects before it.

In (2 Peter 2:17), the imagery of clouds carried by a tempest is used to describe false teachers:

“These (false prophets 2 Peter 2:1) are wells without water, clouds that are carried (elaunō) with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.”

To understand the phrase “clouds that are carried (elaunō) with a tempest,” let’s examine its context and related scriptures:

This verse uses clouds that are carried (elaunō) with a tempest as a metaphor to describe false teachers. To interpret this, we can look at other scriptures that use similar imagery:

Jude 1:12-13 provides a parallel description:

“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

Ephesians 4:14 uses similar imagery to warn against instability in faith:

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

Proverbs 25:14 also uses cloud imagery:

“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.”

These passages suggest that “clouds carried with a tempest” represent instability, lack of substance, and unfulfilled promises. Just as clouds driven by a storm bring no rain and provide no benefit, false teachers may appear impressive but offer no spiritual nourishment. The use of “elaunō” (carried or driven) emphasizes their lack of control and submission to external forces rather than to God’s truth.

Interestingly, elaunō is used positively in Revelation 7:17 to describe Christ leading His people:

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead (elaunō) them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

This usage contrasts with the negative “driving” in other contexts.

These New Testament uses, while not directly employing the term “whirlwind,” carry forward similar themes of God’s power, judgment, and guidance. They demonstrate how the spiritual concepts associated with the whirlwind in the Old Testament find new expression in the New Testament, fulfilling the principle that “the law having a shadow of good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1).

The whirlwind serves as a powerful metaphor across both Testaments, illustrating various aspects of God’s nature and His interactions with mankind. In the Old Testament, revelations of the Lord often feature the whirlwind, as seen in Job 38:1 and Ezekiel 1:4, where it accompanies God’s direct communication or revelation. The New Testament, while not using the exact term “whirlwind,” presents similar powerful manifestations of God’s presence, such as the rushing wind at Pentecost (Acts 2:2):

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.”

This parallel suggests a continuity in how God reveals His presence, moving from the physical whirlwind to the spiritual wind of the holy spirit.

The whirlwind often represents God’s judgment in the Old Testament, as seen in Jeremiah 23:19 and 30:23. While the New Testament doesn’t use whirlwind imagery directly for judgment, it continues the theme of God’s overwhelming power in judgment, as in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8:

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Both Testaments use storm imagery to represent life’s trials and spiritual battles. Isaiah 17:13 describes the whirlwind as transient troubles:

“The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.”

Similarly, James 3:4 speaks of being driven by contrary forces:

“Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.”

The concept of scattering also evolves across the Testaments. In the Old Testament, scattering by whirlwind often represents judgment, as in Zechariah 7:14:

“But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not.”

The New Testament transforms this concept, showing how God uses scattering to spread the gospel, as seen in Acts 8:4:

“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.”

This harmonization demonstrates how the spiritual significance of the whirlwind develops across Scripture. The New Testament carries forward and often deepens the spiritual concepts associated with the whirlwind in the Old Testament. This aligns with Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:17,

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

The whirlwind imagery throughout Scripture serves as a multifaceted spiritual symbol, consistently representing God’s overwhelming presence, supreme power, and righteous judgment. This symbol reminds us of God’s sovereignty and dwelling with us, His ability to both create and destroy, and His perfect justice. It also acts as a potent metaphor for life’s trials and spiritual battles we face. Just as a whirlwind can uproot and scatter, life’s challenges and spiritual opposition can disrupt our lives. However, God’s sovereignty over the whirlwind reminds us of His control over our circumstances. Additionally, the whirlwind can represent life-changing spiritual experiences, often marking moments of profound change or revelation, as seen in Job’s encounter with God and Elijah’s ascension.

These insights offer practical applications for Christian life. When facing “whirlwinds” in our lives, we can remember that God often reveals Himself in these moments. Our trials can become opportunities for deeper encounters with God, aligning with James 1:2-3:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

The imagery of being driven by winds warns us against instability in our faith, as Ephesians 4:14 cautions:

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

We’re called to stand firm in Christ, our unshakeable foundation.

While negative forces can drive us astray, Revelation 7:17 shows that the Lamb leads His people to living waters. We can apply this by submitting to God’s guidance, acknowledging Him to direct our paths as Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages:

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” 

The whirlwind as a symbol of God’s judgment reminds us to live in light of giving an account, as Christ exhorts in (Matthew 12:36):

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

These applications demonstrate how the spiritual significance of the whirlwind can inform and transform our daily walk with God, offering deeper insight into His nature, His workings in our lives, and our call to faithful discipleship.

Throughout our study, we’ve seen how the whirlwind serves as a powerful and multifaceted symbol in Scripture. From the Old Testament to the New, it represents God’s overwhelming presence and power, divine judgment and intervention, life’s trials and spiritual warfare, and reforming spiritual experiences. We’ve observed how these themes, while rooted in Old Testament imagery, find continued expression in the New Testament through related concepts and terms like “thyella” and “elaunō”.

This study exemplifies the richness of Scripture and the importance of digging deeper into its symbolic language. As Proverbs 25:2 states,

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”

We are encouraged to continue exploring the depths of God’s Word, always seeking to uncover the spiritual truths hidden within.

As we conclude, let us remember that true spiritual understanding comes not from man’s wisdom, but from the holy spirit. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 reminds us,

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

As we move forward from this study, let’s carry with us a renewed appreciation for the symbolic language of Scripture and its relevance to our spiritual lives. May we be like the Bereans, who “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Let us continue to grow in our understanding of God’s Word, the whirlwind, having it to transform our lives and deepen our relationship with Him.

Conscience – An Answering Conscience, Part 9

[Study Aired December 9, 2023]

The only place an ‘answering conscience’ is mentioned is in parentheses in 1 Peter 3:21, indicating the translator’s attempt to clarify the scripture ~ and it does, to the spiritual eye. 

1Pe 3:21  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh [thinking that our works save us], but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 
1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers [the Elect with that knowledge] being made subject unto him.

So, of the possible seventeen exhaustive nuances of one’s “conscience” for study,  I planned on skipping the prospective ‘answering conscience’ study since the spirit and intent of the heart before God without uttering a word is inherently an “answer” of all versions of the underlying conscience. However, on closer inspection, Proverbs 16:1-2 changed my mind, particularly since all scripture, including the translator’s inclusions, is of the Lord:

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Pro 16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

The mind of man is unconsciously flooded with a million vain thoughts a day, most of which are, thankfully, spontaneously washed out in a millisecond.

Pro 30:12  There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their own filth. 

Since Christ on the cross, we are that generation in Babylon, pure in our own eyes. Our Lord has chosen his minimal Elect since before the foundation of the world and has placed each of them in a particular age and generation in contemporary Babylon to be dragged to himself and washed of their spiritual uncleanliness.

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? 
Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The entire Bible is effectively a “secret”, and the Lord surely is revealing the secrets of His word through the collective Body of Christ and its teachers. The many called in this world can hear His trumpet blast, but it is only the ‘Sauls’ (who became Paul), the budding Elect of God, who are struck down blind before they are given eyes that see (Act 9:3-18). It takes an earthquake to shake us to our core to get our attention, and it is a profound preparation of our hearts to cause us to fearfully whimper, “Who art thou, Lord?”

Yet, those million vain and often evil thoughts a day flit through our minds, with some being more lustfully titillating than others held constant and likely repeated that guarantee an answer from the Lord via our tongue. 

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

A rash utterance is extracted from a multitude of probably worse thoughts from which the ‘rash’ best of a bad bunch is carelessly declared. It all sounds pretty hopeless, and to our former Babylonian selves, it was when we relied on being saved by our illusory self-will for being accountable for our sins. We are not accountable; our Lord is accountable for the workmanship He has engaged to bring us eventually, through much trial and suffering, into the fullness of the Father as experienced by Job and narrated by Elihu, the Lord’s spokesman. ‘Righteous Job’, representing you and me, is incited by Elihu with the most profound thud back to earth with the inescapable truth and concurrence of an “answering conscience” recorded for our mutual fiery benefit. Elihu, upon listening to both Job and Job’s other three ‘miserable comforter’ friends, is the foil, the inescapable answer of Job’s conscience:

Job 33:12 [God through Elihu says…] Behold, in this you [Job] are not right; I will answer you, for God is greater than man. 
Job 33:13  Why do you fight against Him? For He does not give account for any of His matters.
Job 33:14  For God speaks once, yea, twice, but not one takes notice. (Joh 8:43  Why do you not know My speech? Because you cannot hear My Word. [… why, because God has blinded everybody in their time, and their conscience is not convicted to answer with the truth])
Job 33:15  In a dream, a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men; while they slumber on the bed; 
Job 33:16  then He opens the ear of men and seals their teaching,
Job 33:17  so that He may turn man from his act, that He might hide pride from man.

Hidden pride is a thoroughly humiliated pride that even stops the mouths of the powerful lions we depict as we slink into the bushes, savaged and naked. Elihu narrates the devastation of our withering shame for our unaccountable blindness for our predestined and guaranteed account for our God-given nakedness. Job, with an inescapable truthful answering conscience, gives that account upon contemplating Elihu’s lengthy speech and God’s still small voice, both of which left Job inwardly stoned, ground to powder in Job 40:4. But first, we will continue with Job 33 and Elihu’s reproach forecasting our Lord’s severe trials before the cross.

Job 33:18  He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
Job 33:19  He is also chastened with pain on his bed, and enduring strife in his bones;
Job 33:20  so that his life is sick of bread, and his soul desirable food. 
Job 33:21  His flesh wastes away, not seen; and his bones laid bare; they were not seen. 
Job 33:22  Yea, his soul draws near to the Pit, and his life to the dealers of death. 
Job 33:23  If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to declare for man his uprightness, 
Job 33:24  then He [the Father] is gracious to him and says, Deliver him from going down to the Pit; for I have found a ransom [Christ!].
Job 33:25  His flesh shall be fresher than in vigor [bloom of youthfulness]; he shall return to the days of his youth; 
Job 33:26  he shall pray to God, and He will be gracious to him; and he shall see His face with joy, for He will restore to man his righteousness (Col 1:27 “…Christ in you, the hope of glory”).
Job 33:27  He will observe to men, and say, I have sinned and perverted righteousness; and it was not equally repaid to me, [Not equally paid since Christ didn’t deserve death for not sinning; thus there is a seeming disparity of justice between Him and man.] 
Job 33:28  He has redeemed my soul from passing over into the Pit, and my life shall see the light.
Job 33:29  Lo, all these things God does two or three times with a man, 
Job 33:30  to bring back his soul from the Pit, to be lighted with the light of the living. 
Job 33:31  Hear this, Job, listen to me; be silent and I will speak. 
Job 33:32  If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I [Christ] desire to justify you. [… incredible hope amid devastation to be retrieved from death]
Job 33:33  If not, listen to me; be silent, [stop ‘answering with an “accusing and excusing conscience”!] and I will teach you wisdom. 

Job 35:16, [Elihu says ~] Therefore doth Job [you and Grant Squelch] open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Job’s deeply wounded pride endures four more chapters of Elihu’s devastating speech, and while raw from Elihu’s address, the Lord performs a series of natural phenomenons to tremble Job by God’s sovereign power. Job’s pride, in 40:4, is backed into a corner, and he finally submits in (temporarily dichotic) joyful humiliation to a righteously ‘answering conscience’ when he says:

Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further”.

The Lord continues to thoroughly grind Job’s stony pride to powder with 52 additional verses until he is like water spilled on the ground that cannot be recollected. Job is compelled to answer with his conscience by saying:

Job 42:1  And Job answered Jehovah and said, 
Job 42:2  I know that You can do all, and not any purpose is withheld from You. 
Job 42:3  Who is he who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken what I did not understand; things too wonderful for me; yea, I did not know.

How can we be accountable for something we didn’t know? We, rather, give an account of what the Lord has done and is doing and will complete in every man’s life.

Job 42:4  Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You will cause me to know.
Job 42:5  I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye has seen You.
Job 42:6  Therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Job’s vivid story is every man’s inescapable experience in his own time and order to be ground to powder and compelled to answer with a good conscience, knowing who God is, either man (the Beast on His throne) or God.

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ [today, if you hear his voice!], and by our gathering together unto him, 
2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 

Like Job, we most assuredly “Is Was and Will Be” shaken to our core but are now joyful for the subtle meaning in parentheses of 1 Peter 3:21 as we shall continue to see.  

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. 

… in continuing to interpret 1 Peter 3:15, and,

1Pe 3:14  But if you also suffer [while in the “filth of the flesh”] for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not fear their fear, nor be troubled, [since we know the glorious truth!]
1Pe 3:15  but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope [an answering conscience of deep belief] in you, with meekness and fear; 
1Pe 3:16  having a good conscience, that while they speak against you as evildoers they may be shamed, those falsely accusing your good behavior in Christ. 
1Pe 3:17  For it is better, if the will of God wills it, to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. 
1Pe 3:18  For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 
1Pe 3:19  in which also He went  and preached to the spirits in prison, [symbolically, and particularly us while being dragged to Christ. How can He preach to dead people under the Flood since the dead know nothing?]

(Ecc 9:4  For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living [faithful spiritual Caleb realising his sins…] dog is better than a dead [our former pompous Babylonian Christian] lion.
Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 
Ecc 9:6  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.)

Continuing…

1Pe 3:20  to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared (in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water); 
1Pe 3:21  which figure now also saves us, baptism; (not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; [a live Lion!]
1Pe 3:22  who is at the right hand of God, having gone into Heaven, where the angels and authorities and powers are being subjected to Him.

KJV translators used parentheses in the case of 1 Peter 3:21 to enclose additional or supplemental information that supposedly clarifies the verse. This is always the KJV’s rationale. The NKJV removed them.

What comes out of a man, him being made of evil flesh, defiles him; however, his spirit within formulates that answer that is from his heart. Thus, an “Answering Conscience” residing in his heart has already commended or condemned him before he opens his mouth. The Lord knew the machinations of the individual’s heart over six thousand years ago before his conception. And since all things, both good and evil, are for our sakes, our Lord sometimes answers our God-given good or evil conscience ahead of our thoughts, words or actions. So, the eight souls in the Ark to which 1 Peter 3:21 refers, emphatically believed their Lord that the new and confusing concept of an overwhelming flood was to come upon the world, unwittingly heralding the future Savior by a likewise all-consuming fire. John the baptist says,

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 
Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. [A wind, the spirit of God, powerfully blows upon our wood, hay and stubble unstoppably]

The following verses in Isaiah 65:23-24 are the future result of Christ completing His workmanship within His Elect today since He has laid the axe to our self-righteous roots and made His righteousness an ultimate default in His very small group of people. The Elect’s conscience is made clean ahead of time, even though their sins decreasingly are/were scarlet (Isa 1:18); thereupon, they are in unity in Him and able to answer with a good conscience, having been given only a downpayment of the (predestinated) purchased possession (Rom 8:30).

Isa 65:23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring [all whom he gives his Elect to teach] with them.
Isa 65:24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God [as did the 8 souls in the Ark answering in good conscience in obedience by discounting the filth of the flesh]. 
1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us [before we ask since he gives us our thoughts and words]:
1Jn 5:15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

The above scriptures substantiate our Lord’s predestination of us, that is, answered beforehand with His good “answering conscience” in which He perpetually exists without ever bringing to mind Him questioning His conscience. While we exist in evil flesh, as did our ancestors in the flood, we will always be subject to questioning our conscience to check that we are in unity with our Lord and Father. He answers us with the assurance of life “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” following the flood of baptismal water and, finally, the baptismal fire that laps up the water, leaving only refined gold.

2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days [in our individual timely age, when our Lord’s refining fire laps up the Old Man born of water upon having our Saul-like (Paul) eyes opened] 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 [Unwittingly remaining at Mt Sinai and Babylon and not moving on to perfection]. 
2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth [you and I, the Beast coming out of the sea] standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water [Noah’s flood and still the world remaining dead in the deep], perished: 
2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men [ALL, evey man, small and great having received the mark of the Beast]. 
2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 
2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 
2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the shall melt with fervent heat [1Ki 18:38].

Christ was created in the very image of the spirit of the Father. He became dust, that is, made of the elements of the earth as we are, and He, too, figuratively melted in the furnace of the cross and brought forth metaphorical pure spiritual gold of His former self.

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

The Lord’s very Elect looks forward with “the answer of a good conscience” to that fiery event happening daily in their lives, bringing forth pure gold. They, like the eight souls on the Ark, are now the figurative same eight souls (new beginnings of the new man in and of Christ) resting paradoxically as lively fiery stones in the fiery ‘Ark’ (chariot) that is Christ, the “chariot of Israel” (2Ki 13:14). 

The answer of a good conscience Christ guarantees will result in the structure of the New Jerusalem within composed symbolically of pure gold, representing the spiritual purity of God, even though the rest of the city is embedded with precious stones, the overall clarity of crystal and twelve gates, each made of a single pearl (Rev 21:9-27).

Rev 21:17  And he measured the wall [the heavenly Jerusalem within, the Lamb’s Wife] thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel [The Bride of Christ].
Rev 21:18  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 

God’s spirit is represented as pure gold, and the precious stones, crystal and the like, symbolise the literal spiritual mass of former humanity who bow down in honor and glorify Christ and His Christs, all highlighting our Father.  

Upon the end of the Eighth Day, the billions of stars, representing the spiritually changed humanity, will all, in trembling delight, gladly “answer” in the Resurrection to Judgment with an immutably “good conscience” just which of them is the God of gods.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 

Joh 10:34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 
Joh 10:35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 
Joh 10:36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 

Anything other than answering with a pure conscience is defiled by a lie.

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 

[Study Aired August 14, 2022]

Jer 48:16  The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
Jer 48:17  All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!
Jer 48:18  Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.
Jer 48:19  O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?
Jer 48:20  Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
Jer 48:21  And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
Jer 48:22  And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,
Jer 48:23  And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,
Jer 48:24  And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
Jer 48:25  The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.
Jer 48:26  Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
Jer 48:27  For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
Jer 48:28  O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.
Jer 48:29  We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
Jer 48:30  I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.
Jer 48:31  Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

Both Moab and Ammon are the sons of Lot, and Lot is Abraham’s brother’s son. Abraham fought several eastern kings for the purpose of rescuing his nephew Lot when those kings fought with and conquered Sodom. Notice how scripture refers to Lot’s relationship to Abraham:

Gen 14:14  And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
Gen 14:15  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
Gen 14:16  And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Abraham risked life and limb to save ‘his brother Lot’. It was only because of Lot that Abraham later attempted to bargain with the Lord to spare Sodom if He found at least ten righteous men in the city. The point being made is that Lot signifies Abraham’s own flesh, just as much as Ishmael was his own flesh when Abraham was informed of the Lord that Sarah would have a son:

Gen 17:15  And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
Gen 17:16  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
Gen 17:17  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Gen 17:18  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Gen 17:20  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Gen 17:21  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Ishmael was Abraham’s own son by a bondwoman. The Lord promised to make of him ‘a great nation [of] 12 princes”. Look at what we are told of this ‘great nation [of] twelve princes’:

Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Notice how the holy spirit went from physical Sarah to spiritual Sarah, “Jerusalem above”, without as much as a pause or explanation. The holy spirit even likens “Jerusalem which now is” with Hagar and her son, “the son of the bondwoman”. The mind of the natural man cannot follow the mind of the spirit in making that transition.

This fourth chapter of Galatians reveals that there is little spiritual difference between Ishmael and Moab. Both signify the rejected seed of Abraham, and neither Ishmael nor Moab will be made heir with the son who is born of promise.

Lot separated from Abraham and moved into Sodom. Ishmael was cast out of Abraham’s house and will not be made heir with the son of the freewoman. Both Lot and Ishmael typify our dying flesh whose kingdom of twelve princes are “in bondage with [their] children” and will not be made heir with the son of the freewoman, “Jerusalem above”.

‘All flesh is as grass’ and, like grass, flesh is very short-lived.

Isa 40:6  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Moab, as a type of our flesh, is ‘as grass’ which withers, fades and falls away. Moab signifies our carnal mind which is enmity with God’s mind:

Jer 48:16  The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.

Everyone upon whom the judgment of the house of God has come knows that the calamity of Moab is near and ‘hasteth fast’. Peter tells us the same thing in these words:

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.

Jer 48:17  All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

‘Knowing Moab’s name’, like knowing the name of the Lord, is to have Moab’s mind. Moab’s name is one of opposition to everything that reflects the mind of the Lord. Moab’s name is associated with a carnal mind:

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Jer 48:18  Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

Here is how Strong deals with the name ‘Dibon’:

H1769
דִּיבֹן    דִּיבוֹן
dı̂ybôn    dı̂ybôn
dee-bone’, dee-bone’

From H1727; pining; Dibon, the name of three places in Palestine. Dibon, the name of three places in Palestine – Dibon.

The name means “pining” which indicates grieving. “Thou daughter” reveals that our flesh thinks of itself as being in the Lord’s service as His church. Moab is called ‘daughter’ to let us know there is such a thing as a carnal-minded church, which is full of “carnal babes in Christ”.

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, [40,000 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 ‘thirst’ of the daughter of Moab… “And sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee”, signifies the drought of the Word we suffer as carnal babes in Christ:

Deu 28:48  Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

It does not seem possible to be so blind, but this is what our own flesh, our ‘Moab’ within us, is capable of:

Deu 29:19  And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:

Isa 5:13  Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Jer 48:19  O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?

‘Aroer’ is a city of Moab, and the instruction is to enquire what has the Lord done to Moab. Verse 20 is the answer to that question.

Jer 48:20  Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
Jer 48:21  And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
Jer 48:22  And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,
Jer 48:23  And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

Nebo is already “spoiled”, and Kiriathaim is already confounded and taken by the Chaldeans according to verse one:

Jer 48:1  Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

Jer 48:24  And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

These are all cities of Moab. Not one small village is exempt from the Lord’s judgments upon the kingdom of our rebellious carnal-minded old man.

Jer 48:25  The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.

A horn in scripture signifies power, and our arm indicates our strength. The power of our flesh is cut off, and our carnal strength is literally broken.

Jer 48:26  Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

This is very graphic language which simply reveals our stubborn old man for who he is and of what he is capable. A dog returns to his vomit, and the sow returns to her wallow in the mire:

Pro 26:11  As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Our flesh, proud Moab within us, is capable of being insanely foolish and stubborn to the extent of combining the dog and the sow, and wallowing in his own vomit. It is not natural or possible for either a dog or a sow to be anything but what they are, and so it is with each of our stubborn, rebellious, old first man Adam, until Christ comes and cuts off Moab’s horn and breaks his arm. If the Lord is merciful in this present time, we are actually brought to the realization that we are given to wallow in our own vomit. If we have been made to see just how self-righteous we are, then we can say with Job:

Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Job at this stage of his experience has been made to “wallow in his own vomit” before coming to see just how vile he was. Long before Moab, Job had also “magnified himself against the Lord”. The spirit of ‘Moab’ and the spirit of ‘the daughter Moab’ convinces us that our own righteousness is a gift to the Lord for which the Lord should be grateful to us:

Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Job 27:7  Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Oh, how foolish and how fateful is such nonsense! Nothing is further from the Truth. The Truth is that we of ourselves can do nothing and much less place our Lord in our debt. Such mental gymnastics is truly ‘our own vomit’, and the Lord makes us wallow therein until He knows we are brought to say, “Behold I am vile… I will lay my hand upon my mouth”.

Here is what we do while wallowing in our own vomit:

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Job had said, “Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous”. Job had already acknowledged to his wife that it was the Lord who had risen up against him, and yet he made that statement:

Job 1:21  And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job 1:22  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly [yet].

Job 2:9  Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job 2:10  But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips [yet].

Later Job did “charge God foolishly [and] sin with his lips” when he accuses God of taking away his judgment even as the Lord was in the process of judging Job.

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

While we wallow in our own vomit, we do not think that is what we are doing. We think we are making ourselves even more righteous than God. Wow! That is indeed “vile”. We 1) contend with the Almighty. We have the temerity to question why He would afflict such a righteous person as we think ourselves to be. Then we actually 2) reprove God for afflicting such a righteous person as ourselves, and when we do that, we 3) disannul His judgment and 4) we condemn the Lord Himself rather than acknowledge that we are wallowing in our own vomit. That is the extent of the pride of our rebellious old man.

Our old man hates and despises our new man and takes great joy in assisting in the death of the new man within us. Israel had attempted to befriend the king of Moab and buy bread and water from the Moabites when they came up out of Egypt.

Deu 2:28  Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;
Deu 2:29  (As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.

Nevertheless, Balak, the king of Moab, hired Balaam the prophet to curse Israel, and the Lord turned the curse into a blessing:

Deu 23:5  Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

Jer 48:27  For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
Jer 48:28  O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.

This is just another version of:

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

This admonition is repeated in:

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

We are admonished to help even our enemies:

Pro 25:21  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Pro 25:22  For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

Moab rejoiced when Assyria carried the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity, and now they rejoice that Judah is being carried into captivity by Babylon. Moab’s heart was glad when Israel stumbled, and the Lord now has Moab in the queue to be carried away captive of the same Babylonians. We just naturally love it when our enemy gets what we see as his comeuppance, his just deserts. Moab has no fear of these words of the Lord:

Pro 24:17  Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Pro 24:18  Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

Jer 48:29  We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
Jer 48:30  I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.

Nothing changed in over 70 years because Isaiah had earlier made the same observation concerning Moab’s extreme pride and self-righteousness:

Isa 16:6  We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

“His lies shall not so affect it” is demonstrated by how little Job’s lies against the Lord affected the Lord’s judgment of Job’s pride and self-righteousness:

Job 27:5  God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Job is each of us before we come to see just how vile and self-righteous we just naturally are.

Job 27:7  Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

The enemy of Job’s self-righteousness was the Lord Himself, and Job is condemning his own Maker with his proud, self-righteous words. However, Job’s pride does not keep the Lord from His work in Job’s life, and our pride and our lies do not restrain the destruction of our self-righteous proud old man with “the brightness of His coming”:

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:

Jer 48:31  Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

As a type of our flesh, Moab is a necessary evil which “cannot inherit the kingdom of God” and was made to be taken and destroyed:

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

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

It is all part of ‘plan A’. The first man Adam was designed to be temporary and to be dispensed with:

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘unto’ in this verse is ‘el’ and it is translated as ‘against‘ in the very next verse:

Gen 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against [H413: el] Abel his brother, and slew him.

‘Sin’ is personified, and we are told its desire will be ‘against’ us, but then we are assured right here in the book of Genesis “thou shalt rule over him”.

Immediately after telling us…

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

… we are given these very encouraging words:

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

This promise of the destruction of death will not be kept until the last person who ever died is made alive. This promise Paul references in:

Hos 13:14  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Christ Himself made the same statement:

Joh 5:21  For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Joh 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
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; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. [G2920: krisis, judgment]

In the end it is the Lord’s judgments which will bring life to all who are in Adam:

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.

This is not the time for “the inhabitants of the world” to be judged. When the time does arrive for the Lord’s judgments to be “in the earth, [then] the inhabitants world will learn righteousness”, and death will not claim one single soul of all who are in Adam.

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

[Posted February 6, 2022]

Hi Mike,

Hope you are well, I was hoping I could get your feedback on something.

Ezekiel 7:19 tells us when disaster strikes the land of Israel, the people will be “casting their silver in the streets” because it has become worthless to them.

I was reading your study on the “Negative Application of Silver, Part 1”, and silver in the negative connotation represents our self-righteousness.

So, when we read of the Israelites “casting their silver in the streets” the spiritual application for us is the people had come to realize their own efforts, own works, and their self-righteousness were all worthless as far as salvation is concerned.

They had given up on their so-called “free-will” and realized their complete and total dependence on God for their deliverance and salvation.

Am I on the right track? I really would like to hear your interpretation of this highly misunderstood verse in God’s Word. Thanks Mike for all your help and for everything you do for us.

Your brother in Christ,
C​____

Hello C____,

You are on the right track!​ The day is coming when every religion on earth will “cast their silver into the streets… because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity”.

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD : they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

I wondered for many years about the exact meaning of that phrase “the stumbling block of their iniquity”. This phrase, which establishes a connection between ‘iniquity’ and a ‘stumblingblock’, is peculiar to the book of Ezekiel, and that connection is made in Ezekiel in five different verses. Here are those five verses:

Eze 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:7  For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

I had always considered ‘iniquity’ to simply be another word for ‘sin’. Indeed ‘iniquity’ is a sin, but it is more than just another word for sin. The thought of searching for the Biblical definition of the word ‘iniquity’ never occurred to me, but that is why the Lord has made us a ‘body’ with many parts. A dear brother finally showed me the verse which defines the meaning of the word ‘iniquity’. When you read this verse you, too, will understand the meaning of “the stumbling block of their iniquity” and you will know that your understanding expressed in this email is spot on. Here is the Biblical definition of the word ‘iniquity’. It is defined in this very same prophet. This is the holy spirit’s definition of what the Lord Himself means when He uses this word ‘iniquity’:

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity [“trusting in his own righteousness”] that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Let’s read again the verse ​about which ​you inquire​d​:

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD : they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Self-righteousness is “the stumblingblock of [our] iniquity”, and that is the most insidious of all sins. That is true because we take credit to ourselves for that which the Lord has performed in  us:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For [G1063: ‘gar‘, because] it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The iniquity of self-righteousness will come upon every Christian who wants Christ’s name but not His food or His apparel.

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

Self-righteousness is also common to every Muslem, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew and atheist. “The stumblingblock of [our] iniquity” is inherent in the flesh of every man.

Job speaks for all men when he declares shortly before he comes to see just how “vile” he is:

Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Job 35:2  Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

Read our studies in the book of Job.

Job had appeared before the Lord with “the stumblingblock of his iniquity before His face.”  This was the Lord’s reaction to such a presumptuous spirit:

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

There are many commentaries on the book of Job, and they almost always dwell on how good men must suffer in this life. Very few recognize that Job typifies all of mankind and was suffering from the most insidious of all sins, “the stumblingblock of his iniquity”. Job thought his righteousness was of himself, and that is what we all just naturally think.

The tribulation, within and dispensationally, precedes the return of Christ and the resurrection of those who “first trusted in Christ”. Christ’s return strikes “great fear” in the minds of every man and woman on earth at that time of His unexpected appearing to us:

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Inwardly we fear the Lord as Job did and want to serve Him. Outwardly and dispensationally the world will also in time want to submit to our Lord and His Christ. Christ and His Christ are coming with great power which will instantly make every military device of mankind obsolete and ineffective against the Lord and His Christ.

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It is my fervent prayer that you realize y​ou and I must have this experience within first and be judged first or we will be in the resurrection of damnation/great white throne judgement/lake of fire/second death. We must be judged now, at this present time, or we will not take part in the blessed and holy first resurrection:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

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?

There are great blessings in being counted worthy to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection:

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 lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Your brother in Christ, Mike

[Study aired August 11, 2019]

Isa 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
Isa 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Isa 44:23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
Isa 44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
Isa 44:26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
Isa 44:27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
Isa 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

In this study we will see how the Lord uses a Gentile king as a “shepherd” to care for His people while He delivers them from their Babylonian captivity and has this Gentile King to help His people to begin to build His Temple. This is not the first time the Lord has used a pagan king to work His will.  The fact is that Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who carried the Lord’s people away into captivity is also called by the Lord, “Nebuchadnezzar, My servant”, when the Lord uses Nebuchadnezzar to carry His spiritually adulterous people into Babylonian captivity for their apostasy.

In other words, our own flesh is the Lord’s servant to make us to err (Isa 63:17), just as Nebuchadnezzar symbolizes our old man, “the beast” who rules over all men (Rev 13:16-18):

Jer 27:6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
Jer 27:7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
Jer 27:8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD , with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Babylonian captivity is not optional. She rules over all the kings of all the world… “all nations shall serve” Babylon (Jer 27:7). Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of the earth, also rules over all kings and all kingdoms:

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

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

Hosea tells us the same thing:

Hos 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian [Babylon] shall be his king, because they refused to return.

When the Jews which Nebuchadnezzar had left in the land refused to obey the Lord’s commandment to submit themselves to the king of Babylon, they instead fled into Egypt. When they rebelled and did so then the Lord simply gave Egypt as a gift to the king of Babylon. The Lord sent Nebuchadnezzar “[His] servant” down into Egypt to destroy them right there in Egypt.

Jer 42:7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

Jer 42:11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD : for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
Jer 42:12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
Jer 42:13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,
Jer 42:14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:
Jer 42:15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;
Jer 42:16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

When “[we] say, We will not… obey the voice of the Lord [then the very things we] feared shall overtake [us]…” When our own will becomes our God and we do what we want rather than trusting the Lord to protect us, at that point all of our protection has been removed, and we are a sitting duck for the adversary. When we trust in the Lord in spite of all the outward circumstances which make us want to lean to our own strength, then the Lord promises to keep and to save us:

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD , and depart from evil.
Pro 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

The whole world was against the Lord and His Christ, but He, and they in Him, were given to remain faithful to the end, and because of that gift for those who remain faithful to the end will be given a part in the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Exactly what that “bless[ing]” is, and what the phrase “marriage supper” means is explained for us in the very next chapter:

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.

The “marriage supper of the Lamb” is the first resurrection. The point being made in every Old Testament story of how the Lord delivers His people is that because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”, and because Babylon must be destroyed before the Lord’s kingdom can be establish, it is therefore in the destruction of Babylon we are told, “You shall go… to Babylon: there shall you be delivered”.

Mic 4:10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

There really is an order in which the Lord is working His plan in the lives of every one of His elect “in this present time” (Rom 8:18). So it is counter-productive for us to get weary in well doing and just give up and return to Egypt. Our lives will follow the Lord’s order of events which He has laid out, and the idols of our hearts will not subvert that order. It is in Babylon that we will be delivered, and it is there the Lord will redeem us from the hand of our enemies:

Hos 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian [Babylon] shall be his king, because they refused to return.

Mic 4:10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

Those who depend on the Lord for their deliverance do so with no regard whatsoever for their physical lives. Whether it was Isaiah, Jeremiah, the three Hebrew children, or Daniel, or any other Old Testament type of those who are faithful to Christ, they one and all demonstrated that their fidelity and fear was toward the Lord and not toward men.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego expressed this mindset eloquently with these words before a furious king Nebuchadnezzar when he demanded they worship his golden image:

Dan 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Dan 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Dan 3:15  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

These men are types of us if we remain faithful to the Lord to the end. As with us, this part of the “cloud of witnesses” of the Old Testament knew there was to be a resurrection, and they were given the desire of “a better resurrection”, even if they are ordained to come up in the great white throne judgment

Heb 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The “better thing” was not provided for those who were the symbols of the true men of faith. The true men of faith are those who place the words of Christ above all the words of all the ministers of all the religions of Babylon.

It is very little understood, but the fact is that both Hebrews and 1st Peter teach us that this “better thing for us” is “not unto them… but unto us” as Peter so clearly tells us:

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired 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.

“The angels desire to look into… the glory that should follow… the sufferings of Christ”.

This is how our last study ended:

Isa 44:19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
Isa 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Everything that will burn up is the same as “ashes”. When all of our doctrines are false lies, then all of our spiritual nourishment is “ashes”. The Lord would have us to ask ourselves if we would be so foolish as to craft our own doctrines, and He poses the question for us:  “Is there not a lie in my right hand”.

But He tells us “a deceived heart has turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul”, and He also tells us:

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

Then He tells us:

Isa 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

He tells us “remember these, O Jacob and Israel” because we just naturally forget that our thoughts are not His thoughts, and that is exactly what we have all done, and yet, in spite of our sins against Him, He still informs us of what He is doing with us. [We] are [His] servant [simply because that is what He] has formed [us] to be. We may indeed forget Him but “[We] will not be forgotten of [Him]”.

Paul says the same thing in these verses:

2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
2Ti 2:14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.

Look at the harmony of Isaiah with Paul. Through Isaiah the Lord tells us:

Isa 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

Through the apostle Paul the message is the same:

2Ti 2:14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers…

2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

This being true, we will indeed deny the Lord just as Peter did. Peter typifies all of the Lord’s elect in that he denied the Lord, and the Lord denied Peter’s fearful, unfaithful, old man, but Peter himself was not forgotten by the Lord, and the Lord abode faithful. He could not deny Himself, He could not deny His entire body, which is what Peter’s denial typifies. Peter typifies all of us:

Luk 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
Luk 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
Luk 22:56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
Luk 22:57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
Luk 22:58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
Luk 22:59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan.
Luk 22:60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
Luk 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

The bitter tears of repentance are the fire which will try every man’s works:

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Works which are burned up have an application to us in this present time as well as those whose works are destined to burned up in the lake of fire. But “in this present time”, Christ will not forget His elect, and we will be made to know that our salvation is completely His work in spite of us, and we will be made to know that we accomplish nothing of ourselves:

Isa 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Isa 44:23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

Where is our righteousnesses in those verses?

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Where are any of our “idols of [our] hearts”? It is the Lord who redeems us, and we will “hold [our] peace”:

Exo 14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Exo 14:12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
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.

The Lord does all of our fighting for us, and the least we can do is to shut up and watch Him work His work. But even the ability to do that must be given to us.

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

That is right. The very thoughts in our ‘heavens’ as well as our words and works on this earth “are of the Lord”:

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

The Lord “knows our thoughts” because He gives them to us. The preparations of our heart takes place in our thoughts, and those thoughts, good and evil, are a work of the Lord.

So, it behooves us to know that these next words also apply to the Lord’s elect as well as all the rest of mankind:

Isa 44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

The Lord delights in making our old man, and mankind as a whole, to be manifested for the ignorant fools we are by nature:

Psa 53:1 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Pro 1:25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

These words here in Isaiah 44:25 are just filling in some of the details of what we are made to know by these words which were written several generations prior to Isaiah:

Pro 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

The liars and diviners of verse 25 are the so-called wise men whose supposed wisdom is revealed by the Lord for the foolishness it really is.

These words are addressed to us first and foremost. It is the Lord who makes our old man ‘wicked’ for our own “day of evil”, and there is no way to short circuit the way in which He is working inside each of us. When He makes us to err from His ways, we will err from His ways:

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Isaiah 63:17 confirms:

Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
Isa 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

“That they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken” is also confirmed by:

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

This next verse explains why we must first be deceived and be made to err from the Lord’s ways and fall backward and be snared:

Eze 14:11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

If we don’t even “think above that which is written” (1Co 4:6), the Lord’s word will always confirm itself, as the Lord assures us:

Isa 44:26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

The Lord “confirms the word of His servant, and [He] performs the counsel of His messengers” simply because:

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.

“His messengers” do the same because we are very careful never to think above 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)

We are as Christ is in this world (1Jo 4:17). Therefore, like Him we can never “think above that which is written”. We are very careful to speak only His “words [and His] counsel”. If we never “think above that which is written”, then like Christ we will “of [our] own selves do nothing” and we will never “seek… [our] own will”. It is our own will and our own idolatrous words to which “the deep” and “[our] rivers” refer in our next verse:

Isa 44:27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

The Hebrew word translated ‘deep’ in this verse is:

H6683
צוּלָה
tsûlâh
tsoo-law’

From an unused root meaning to sink; an abyss (of the sea): – deep.
Total KJV occurrences: 1

‘Tsulah’ is one of those few words which is a root word but is not used anywhere else in scripture. But considering the negative context this word, it has very much in common with the ‘deep’ found in these two verses in Proverbs:

Pro 22:14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

Pro 23:27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

“Strange women [and] a whore” are both types of false religions with false doctrines. So when the Lord tells us:

Isa 44:27 [He] saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

Right after telling us:

Isa 44:25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

It is obvious that the Lord is telling us that any false doctrines within us, and even the religions of this world, will in His timing be subdued by those who are serving Him and His purpose.

Just as our old man is used by the Lord as the man of sin who sits in the temple of God saying he is God, and is even now being judged, so the Lord uses the wicked of this world to work as His servants to rule over the nations of this world and to do and to work His purpose in the kingdoms of this world:

Dan 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

In Job 1 and 2, Satan is called “Thy hand”, meaning the Lord’s hand:

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD , and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD , and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

In the second chapter this whole process is repeated, and the Lord sends Satan to afflict Job with boils “from the sole of his foot unto his crown”:

Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD , and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

The Lord simply uses the Devil, and those who are “of [their] father the Devil”, to work out His plans for us and for all of mankind.

The Lord plainly tells us that “even the wicked” men are the work of His hand:

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

He tells us that “the wicked [are His] sword”:

Psa 17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

He calls wicked King Nebuchadnezzar “My servant”:

Jer 27:6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

And here He calls another pagan king “[His] shepherd [who] shall perform all [His] pleasure”:

Isa 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

So Nebuchadnezzar was used to punish the Lord’s people for their sins, and when that was accomplished, He used another wicked man to punish Nebuchadnezzar and rebuild His temple. All these wicked men are one wicked man, the man of sin, whom the Lord uses both to destroy our old man, and in that destructive process He uses our corruptible flesh to begin the process of rebuilding and producing in us, our new man, a rebuilt temple, “another vessel”, conformed to the image of Christ.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

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.

But it all begins much earlier in our lives than we tend to think. The fact is, God knows each of us before we are ever born:

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

What an all powerful, loving, heavenly Father we serve! Nothing is left to chance; not the hairs of our head, not the sparrows that fall (Luk 12:4-7).

Our God is love, and He has devised means that even His banished be not forever expelled from Him:

2Sa 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

That “means… He has devised… that His banished be not expelled from Him” is you and me, and the mercy we will show to all who are cast into the lake of fire if indeed we are His “very elect”:

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

In our next study, we will continue to see how the Lord works with our corruptible flesh to bring us to His mind. We will see how He, and He alone, can “create evil” and bring good out of evil and light out of darkness. We will see how He forms “the mind of Christ” and conforms us to the image of Christ, via our own flesh, our own Cyrus:

Here are the verses for our next study:

Isa 45:1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
Isa 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Isa 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD , which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
Isa 45:4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD , and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD , and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

The Prophecy of Isaiah - Part 72 Discussion

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Isa 19: 8-10 The Fishers... Shall Mourn

Isa 19:8  The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.
Isa 19:9  Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.
Isa 19:10  And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

It is very important that you and I remember that we, too, are called "fishers of men":

Mar 1:17  And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

So rest assured that when this judgment is fulfilled upon the 'fishers' of Egypt and of Babylon, God's elect will be caught up in the hatred of the ten horns on the beast which 'will hate the whore and will burn her with fire and will eat her flesh':

Dan 2:13  And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

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

As we often do for the purpose of supplying context, we need to begin our study by repeating the last few verses of our last study:

Isa 19:5  And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
Isa 19:6  And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.
Isa 19:7  The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

"The water... the river... and the brooks [of Egypt] shall [all] be emptied and dried up... and everything sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more", and now we continue to be shown the dreadful results of the Lord's judgments against the great harlot within us when He begins to dry up the waters of Egypt. These 'waters of Egypt' are as nourishing to those who love Egypt as the "rivers of living waters" are to those who believe on Christ.

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

Christ's fiery words are "rivers of living water" which nourish and feed our new man, while at the same time those words and doctrines of Christ burn up all the "wood, hay and stubble" which are the doctrines of our old man. But the doctrines of our old man nourish and feed our old man's kingdom with all of its lies and falsehoods, and it is the rejection of all the lies of Egypt and Babylon which are the emptying and drying up of the waters of Egypt and the Euphrates River.

Here is the New Testament version of the message Isaiah is delivering to us when he tells us that the waters of Egypt and everything that depends upon those waters "shall wither and be driven away and be no more". This prophecy here is Isaiah 19 is that very same message we are given in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ which we must "read... hear and keep" (Rev 1:3):

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

I have said many times, "Every time the harlot butts heads with the beast, she, the harlot (all the religions of mankind), will come out on the short end of the stick", and I base that statement upon these verses in Isaiah 19 and these verses here in Revelation 17:15-17.

Just last Tuesday we saw this prophecy outwardly play out once again before our very eyes. The senatorial race in the state of Alabama was between a fundamentalist Christian and a very secular man who places the health of a fabled sick physical planet above the needs of the people who live on this planet. The secular candidate is pro-abortion, and manifestly anti-Biblical.

Alabama is considered a religious state, and yet, by God's design, its people elected a secular, anti-Christian as its senator. That race was being watched all around the world, and the whole world saw the harlot once again being rejected by those who only yesterday were her lovers and were partakers of the waters of Egypt which give Egypt her nourishment. There were many reasons given for why things happened as they did, the number one reason being the sexual harassment charges against the fundamentalist Christian in the race. Those charges no doubt contributed to the outcome, but one thing that has not been given the credit it deserves for why fundamental Christianity always fails is the fact that those in that camp teach that a loving heavenly Father will burn you in eternal flames of hell if you do not believe on their version of Jesus Christ.

Notice that the secular media will always ask a Christian political candidate if he believes that Jews and Muslims are going to hell if they do not believe on Christ. Pointing out that the Christian candidate's doctrine teaches that, and getting that candidate to admit it, is enough to destroy the candidacy of most Christian politicians, never mind the fact that the Jews and Muslims feel the very same way about Christians. In a secular world, secular candidates for public office have the advantage. The concept of "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" through fiery judgment is never even spoken by any of the principles who make up this harlot system, which is coming to be hated by the "ten kings" who represent the perfection of our flesh, and who are beginning to "hate the whore and... make her desolate and naked, and [to] eat her flesh, and burn her with fire". The 'fire' of these ten carnal kings is not the fire of God's Word. Rather it is the words and laws which are the 'law for the lawless', all of which teaches an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. These ten kings symbolize the secular world which hates those who "cast angle into the brooks and they that spread nets upon the [unsuspecting] waters" of mankind. The ten kings of Revelation 17 represent the multitudes who are beginning to see through the hypocrisy of their favorite whore, and they are given by Christ Himself the work of rejecting her lies and turning on her and destroying her. That is the meaning of the drying up of both the waters of Egypt and the drying up of the Euphrates.

So now we will continue with the revelation of how this will all go down before we turn our backs on the great harlot:

Isa 19:8  The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.
Isa 19:9  Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.
Isa 19:10  And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

The "waters of Egypt" are what gives Egypt its life, just as "the rivers of Babylon" give life to Babylon. But Christ revealed to us that when we live in darkness and blindness, we don't know we are blind, and when we are living and thriving on the waters of Egypt and "by the rivers of Babylon" (Psa 137:1), according to the scriptures, we actually believe at that time that we have been and are drinking of the waters of life, just as the spiritually blind are totally unaware of their spiritually poor, blind and naked condition:

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

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

All these phrases: "the fishers... all they that cast angle into the brooks... they that spread nets upon the waters... and... all that make sluices and ponds for fish", are one and all speaking of all the ministers of Babylon who are 'fishing for men', as Christ reveals when He told His own disciples:

Mar 1:17  And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

However, the rivers of Babylon and the waters of Egypt are not the words of Christ. The rivers of Babylon and the waters of Egypt are the doctrines of the kingdom of our rebellious old man. Those doctrines defy the doctrines of Christ while making a loving heavenly Father, who chastens those He loves for the purpose of improving them and bringing to Himself, into a monster who intends to torment His own creatures in unspeakable, excruciating flames of literal fire for all eternity with no purpose or end in sight. While painting our heavenly Father as such a monster, the "fishers and those that cast angle and spread nets" for the unsuspecting masses of mankind speak "smooth things" like the doctrine of a ten-second sinner's prayer to avoid those eternal flames which will ensnare only those who do not believe all their lies, with which they are constantly feeding their unsuspecting victims. We were all there at one time, and it is only by the sovereign work of God within our lives that our eyes were opened through His fiery judgments, and He made us to understand that it is He who has taken "the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water" away from all those whom He has caused to turn their backs on Christ and His Words. We learned the exact same lesson of this 19th chapter back in:

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
Isa 3:2  The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
Isa 3:3  The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
Isa 3:5  And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Apparently the removing of the waters of the Lord's Words and 'the people being oppressed, everyone by... his neighbor' come together as a package deal and cannot be separated the one from the other. The reason for this action is that when we turn our back on our heavenly Father, His judgments are certain to come upon us. When we reject His counsel and lean on our own counsel, we simply do not know the way of peace, and inevitably we refuse to discipline our children and we refuse to love our neighbors, much less our enemies.

Lev 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

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

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;

They that cast angle and spread nets against us are our enemies, and we will and we do resent them when we become aware of how deceived we were by these men. To a greater or lesser degree we all hate her (the whore of Babylon) and burn her with fire simply because we are "yet carnal... babes in Christ" (1Co 3:1-4).

We must get past that resentment because we come to know that none of us are free to do the things we do (Rom 7: 17-23). Knowing that our deception was actually a work of God for our good makes all the difference in the world, and it helps us love those who hate us and those who have taken advantage of our ignorance. Christ even tells us that He spoke in parables "because it is not given [to the multitudes of Christianity] to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God":

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.

Just this week we saw how true those words of our Lord are: "To them it is not given... to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven". This was graphically demonstrated for us when we read that the Pope, the leader of the largest single Christian church on earth, wants to change the wording of 'the Lord's prayer' to make the Lord's words to comport with the Pope's false doctrine that God does not "lead us... into temptation", [He does not] "make us to err", [He does not] "create evil" [and He does not] "work all things after the counsel of His own will".

The Pope and most of those who 'cast their nets upon the waters' want us to believe what they tell us and simply ignore what the inspired Word of God tells us:

Luk 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

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

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

The Pope and most of the harlot daughters of Babylon want you to believe that Satan, the tempter, operates completely independently of the will of God, and that it is Satan who leads us into temptation, not God. That doctrine makes Ephesians 1:11 to be a lie. It makes Matthew 13:11 to be a lie. If Christ does not give to the multitudes the ability to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, then all Satan does in blinding the masses is what God intended for Satan to do, and that is exactly how we see Satan being used of God in Job chapters one and two:

Job 1:9  Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10  Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11  But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Who is calling the shots in this story? Satan says, "Put forth your hand", and the Lord tells Satan, "Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand."

Satan comes when he is called, and then he does exactly what he is sent by God to do, and he goes not one inch further than what he is sent to accomplish. So who is it who is really tempting Job? Yes, it is true that it is not God Himself, but it is God's messenger who does exactly what he is given to do for God. This whole scene is repeated in chapter two where Satan is commanded to "put forth his hand upon [Job]", but is again told to go no further:

Job 2:4  And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Job 2:5  But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:6  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

God works His will through Satan. Satan is nothing more than the Lord's hand, as Satan himself acknowledges.  God works His will through Satan just as He tells us He works His will within us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure:"

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

Yet we see the leader of the largest Christian church on earth apparently completely unaware of any of this story in Job. Neither can he see these verses of scripture:

Gen 22:1  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2Sa 24:1  And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

It was against the law of Moses to number the people without taking a tax of them at the same time.

Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 30:12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
Exo 30:13  This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.

Again we are told exactly how the Lord went about "mov[ing] David" to number the people without requiring a ransom for their souls:

1Ch 21:1  And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

The pattern given to us in the story of Job is how God "works all things after the counsel of His own will". Evil spirits are always themselves sent "from God". They do nothing of themselves, as the Pope and all the daughter harlots of Babylon would have us believe. Notice how clearly this is demonstrated for us in the scriptures:

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

1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Will the Pope and all the ministers of Babylon have us to change all these words of God to make them conform to the lying spirit the Lord has placed within their mouths? Like the three Hebrew children, we must make it known that we fear God far more than we fear men or what men can do to us. We must be willing to die for these words:

Deu 4:2  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Deu 12:32  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

These are the ministers in whose mouths the Lord has placed a lying spirit.

1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

The Pope and all those who cast angle and spread nets for unsuspecting men will no doubt want to change those words, too, but let's take their lying spirit on directly so we will be able to convict those who deny the words of God.

These ministers will always point to this verse to deceive the vulnerable babes who are not yet given to try the spirits to see whether they are of God (1Jo 4:1):

Jas 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he [Greek: hautou, Himself] any man:

We just saw several examples of how the Lord sent evil spirits to trouble King Saul and King Ahab and pronounced evil against both kings. We are even told that it was the Lord who sent Joseph as a slave into Egypt:

Gen 45:5  Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Gen 45:7  And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8  So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

If thirteen years as a slave in Egypt were not a trial for Joseph, then nothing is a trial. So we need to understand that the KJV translation of James 1:13 is not a correct translation, because the translators mistranslated the Greek word 'hautou' as "He" instead of "Himself". Here is what that Greek word means:

G848
αὑτοῦ
hautou
how-too'
Contraction for G1438; self (in some oblique case or reflexive relation): - her (own), (of) him (-self), his (own), of it, thee, their (own), them (-selves), they.

So when God sent Joseph as a slave into Egypt by the hand of his own ten brothers, He did so by sending an evil spirit to tempt them to do that evil deed. When the Lord sent all of Job's trials upon him, He did so via Satan. He sent an evil spirit to trouble King Saul, and He sent a lying spirit into the mouths of all of King Ahab's prophets, and He sent Satan to move King David to number the people.

But the key to understanding the Word of God is through "the sum of [His] Word":

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

What this means is that we must read everything the Lord says about any subject before we formulate doctrine. For example, concerning the offerings made to the Lord, we read this:

Lev 2:11  No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

This commandment is reiterated two other times in the law of the offerings.

Lev 6:16  And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.
Lev 6:17  It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.

Exo 34:25  Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

But when we read the sum of His Word we find that there is an exception to "no leaven... in any offering of the Lord made by fire" when we read of the firstfruits offering on the day of Pentecost:

Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Lev 23:18  And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.

"Ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire". Yet the offering made by fire for the firstfruits unto the Lord "shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord." This offering typifies us if we are given to endure to the end:

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

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.

We are the firstfruits to God and the Lamb, and as such we are also what the scriptures call "the Lord['s] ...Christ":

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

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

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

Christ as our Passover is the first of the firstfruits. He was a spotless sheep "who knew no sin".

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

He was never afflicted with the "the leaven of the Pharisees", unlike His body, His Christ, we who have all known sin and have been corrupted by the leaven of the Pharisees. As His firstfruits, we are His witnesses who have known sin and are therefore represented by two loaves offered by fire baked with leaven, unlike any other offering.

The reason I have taken the time to point out this exception is that there is also an exception to the statement that "neither does God himself tempt any man":

Jas 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God is without temptation of evils, and he himself tempts no man.

We saw how God sent evil spirits and Satan himself to serve as "[His] hand" in Job 1 and 2, and in many other situations where He "made the wicked for the day of evil" (Pro 16:4), and He created and used evil to work "all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph 1:11). However, there is one exception to that rule, just as there was with the commandment:

Lev 2:11  No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

Here is that one exception to the Lord Himself tempting no man:

Gen 22:1  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
Gen 22:2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

This trial which the Lord Himself placed upon Abraham was the commandment to offer up his only son as an offering to God, and we are clearly told in this one instance "God did tempt Abraham" to offer up his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering to God.

This is the only exception to the truth of James 1:13, but it is an exception which is used by those who are not given faith to conclude that the scriptures contradict themselves, which is no more true than the Lord telling Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice and then telling Abraham, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad":

Gen 22:10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Gen 22:11  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Gen 22:12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Gen 22:13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

God has given those who 'cast angle and spread nets for men' the opportunity to twist His words and to reject them, but He brings us all to see the double-tongued hypocrisy that is the waters of Egypt and Babylon, and in the end the fishers in those waters shall mourn, and they "shall be broken in the purposes thereof".

In our next study we will see that the Lord truly is working all things after the counsel of His own will. We will see that He tells us it is "the Lord [who] has mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of... Egypt":

Isa 19:11  Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?
Isa 19:12  Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.
Isa 19:13  The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.
Isa 19:14  The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
Isa 19:15  Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

Our title this week comes from the first verse which is a prayer of Asaph^H623 (Asaph meaning ‘collector’ or ‘gatherer’, and his sons name Joah which means ‘recorder'(Isa 36:3). God has called us to be His witnesses who both sow and gather together and bear witness of His mercy working in our lives. God’s mercy is revealed in giving us a hunger and thirst for the words of eternal life that are judging us today, in this day of judgment or visitation.

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.

Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman^H2790 shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

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

Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Asaph is moved of the holy spirit to ask God to not keep silent, and to hold not His peace, and be not still. These three spiritual attributes are needful and necessary in order to be a witness in this world whose words are becoming less and less his own because the words of the Lord that are judging us “in the day of judgment” and “in the last day”today!

We must keep not silent, we must hold not our peace, and we must not be still be neglecting so great a salvation by not stirring up the living waters within us that enable us to be ready to give an answer for the hope within us to every man. The living waters of God’s word are being purified so that we are no longer speaking by the wisdom of man but by the power of the holy spirit.

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify^G37 the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (Isa 8:6)

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

Jas 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
Jas 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom (Isa 8:6).

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

God has called us to not just be a silent witness lying dead in the street of Jerusalem (Rev 11:8, but rather both a silent and living and active witness to the world, letting our light shine that we may glorify our Father in heaven by both lying dead “in the street of the great city”, which is typical of being on the cross (Gal 2:20), and letting our light shine (Mat 5:16) in this world which is what we are doing when we carry our cross and follow Christ (Mat 16:24). It is by enduring through the judgements in our life that God provides so we can learn obedience (Heb 5:8, Pro 3:11) that we can go from glory to glory (2Co 3:18) as we become more and more comfortable in the fiery process of maturing in the Lord which will produce “the waters of Shiloah that go softly” (Rev 11:5-6, 1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17).

Revelation 11 verse 5 tells us “if any man will hurt them” “fire proceedeth out of their mouth” (Heb 1:7), and that life-long process that we are going through as the body of Christ is the only way we can become those whose words are fire (Jer 5:14) that are able to destroy the wood, hay and stubble within primarily at first, so that we can be used by the Lord in His perfect time to judge all the world – the “if any man will hurt them” of Rev 11:5.

Before we start looking at the verses in Psalm 83 tonight, I want to illustrate with the following verses (Zec 1:11-21, Job 1:7-19) how this fire that judges us is both within and without and how God uses Satan as a tool to walk to and fro in our earth to purify us through the sword that Satan is in God’s hand (Psa 17:13), along with the witness of the angel that goes to and fro in the earth and tells us “Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy”, which is what Christ was lamenting in these verses.

Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

It takes both angels, the light and the darkness that are the same unto God (Isa 45:7, Psa 139:12), to form the new man, and as we will see there is a positive and negative ‘rest of the land’. If God is working with us in this age to bring us unto perfection on the third day, our rest will be in the Lord and something that comes about because of the judgment which He brings into our heavens by those means which He has ordained. An example of a negative rest would be how Babylon equates popularity, large congregations, and health and wealth as a sign that God is blessing a person and that one has found favor with Him spiritually, to which Christ responds in Luk 6:26-27 and Luk 12:15).

Two angels doing the work of the Lord

Zec 1:11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
Zec 1:12 Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? [Luk 19:41-42, Rev 15:8]
Zec 1:13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
Zec 1:14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
Zec 1:15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.[2Ti 3:13]
Zec 1:16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. [Mat 24:2, Zec 4:9]
Zec 1:17 Cry yet [“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God”], saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities [not the cities of Psa 83:6-11] through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
Zec 1:18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
Zec 1:19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. [The four horns represent the power of God that goes forth to scatter the whole head and heart that is sick and represented by Judah, Israel and the capital Jerusalem, which is the heart of man’s religion and where God’s elect lie dead in the street of the great city (Isa 1:3-5, Rev 11:8]
Zec 1:20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
Zec 1:21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. [Again the message is the same, but this time we are reminded that we are as Christ in this world (1Jn 4:17, Mat 13:55) and God has purposed that it will take the whole, or all “four carpenters”, to accomplish this work of casting out the “horns of the Gentiles” both within and eventually without (Rev 5:10, Rev 11:15)]

Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face (1Pe 4:12).
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house [there eldest brothers house is a type of Christ where we break the true break of life and drink his blood or wine which is all symbollic of God’s word]:
Job 1:14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: [notice it is when the “oxen were plowing” and “the asses feeding beside them” when this most severe trial came upon Job and his family]
Job 1:15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 1:16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee [once again what sounds dire, and it is for the flesh, is a shadow for us of how we are God’s servants and sheep who are consumed at the altar of God, which is the cross, by “the fire of God is fallen from heaven”].
Job 1:17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. [In both instances of “I only am escaped alone to tell thee” we are being reminded that we are saved yet so as by fire so that we can be the true witnesses of God whether we live or die (Rom 14:8).]
Job 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: [again these things happen in our eldest brother’s house (Christ) and the intensity and crescendo of events is a reminder for God’s elect of the wars and rumors of wars that are upon us and going to amplify at the end of the age (2Ti 3:13, Mat 24:6)]
Job 1:19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. [Judgment is upon the house of God, and we are promised to escape through death that will destroy the “young men” who represent the carnal fleshly mind that must lie dead in the street of the great city (1Co 10:13, Rev 11:8)]

Everything said up to this point is hopefully good ground work to help us understand the following verses of this Psalm 83 that apply to how God is destroying the man of perdition within each of our own heavens in this age as His people who are being judged (2Th 2:3-4).

Psa 83:1 A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence^{H408 H1824}, O God: hold not thy peace^H2790, and be not still^H8252, O God.

H408 silence
אל
‘al
al

H1824 quiet
דּמי   דּמי
demı̂y dŏmı̂y
dem-ee’, dom-ee’

From H1820; quiet: – cutting off, rest, silence.

A negative particle (akin to H3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job_24:25) as a noun, nothing: – nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing [worth], rather than.

Job, who represents our carnal rebellious old man, says “who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?” and as we know the answer is God’s word, which is a fiery sword that will judge Job and take away his wisdom, and the idols of his heart and he will be purified once he comes into this rest which he does symbolically for our sakes (1Co 10:11).

“Hold not thy peace”^H2790 is really another way of saying don’t stop working with the clay (Php 1:6, Jer 18:4), or keep working in us both to will and to do of your good pleasure (Php 2:13), or keep us zealous and with our hands on the plow (Luk 9:62).

H2790 peace
חרשׁ
chârash
khaw-rash’

A primitive root; to scratch, that is, (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness): – X altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow (-er, -man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.

And when Asaph prays “and be not still^H8252, O God” we are being reminded and admonished that unless the Lord builds the house the weary laborers toil in vain, because He alone is the one who determines on whom he will have mercy and who will remain a vessel of dishonor and for what period of time (Psa 127:1, Rom 11:22).

H8252 still
שׁקט
shâqaṭ
shaw-kat’

A primitive root; to repose (usually figuratively): – appease, idleness, (at, be at, be in, give) quiet (-ness), (be at, be in, give, have, take) rest, settle, be still.

Psa 83:2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
Psa 83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.
Psa 83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

Now Asaph begins to describe what God’s elect are up against after acknowledging, at least in type and shadow, that it is only God who can overcome our enemies within and without by not keeping silent but by witnessing to every man and by not holding back but letting the light of Christ shine in this world.

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

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

The enemy makes a loud noise, a tumult, and these verses apply both inwardly and outwardly that Christ spoke many years ago and yet we know that they are ‘is, was and will be aorist words that will not pass away’.

Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

It is the highminded who have lifted up the head against God’s elect.

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. [why perilous times?the following verses answer this question]
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

It is as the scripture says “crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones” not knowing that God is sovereign over all that counsel, the light and dark counsel which He is working according to His will.

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

This strong delusion that God brings upon the world is something that the Psalmist echos in these verses “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” so we can learn how God allows our enemies both within and without to come up at us only to “flee before thee seven ways”.

Deu 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Psa 83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

This spirit of being “confederate” is something that happened against Christ at this moment of his life which reminds us that the religious world and they of our own household are going to and have “consulted together with one consent” against God’s elect, but we must remember this was all according to the counsel of God’s will and has been purposed from the foundation of the world.

Luk 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the conclusion of our two part study entitled “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God” where we will look more closely at the symbolism of all those gentile cities that must be destroyed and how God is faithful to start and finish that which He has promised He will accomplish in the remnant who are called and chosen to be witnesses of His great mercy, faithfulness and love.

Alleged Contradictions in Scripture – Part 6

“The Lord Is Good To All” Versus “The Wicked His Soul Hateth”

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Introduction

The most effective tool the adversary has in attacking his own Creator is his attack upon our Creator’s character. Twice in Ezekiel 18 the Lord relates to us this false accusation against His character:

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

Then again just four verses later the Lord reiterates this false accusation:

Eze 18:29  Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

Notice who the Lord has given to the adversary to make this false accusation against God: “Yet saith the house of Israel”. In other words, it is those who are called by His name who have been recruited by the adversary to slander the name and the very character of our loving heavenly Father who really is “good to all”.

Here is a cut and paste from the web site entitled ‘infidels.org‘. This is their entire entry on this particular alleged contradiction:

“God good to all, or just a few?

“Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

“Jer 13:14  And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

“Editor’s note: Some readers have raised an objection to this alleged contradiction. They point out that PSA 145:20 states that The Lord keep all who love Him, but that He will destroy the wicked. In other words, some see no contradiction between “The Lord is good to all” and JER 13:14. Others contend, however, that even if the Lord destroys the wicked he could do so with compassion, pity, and mercy. Further, there are biblical examples that indicate that the Lord is not necessarily “good” or merciful– even to those who are not wicked. One such example is Job. As one reader points out, “If Psalm 145:9 was not a contradiction of Psa 145: 20 or Jeremiah 13:14, it would read something like this: The LORD is good to all, except the wicked: and his tender mercies are over all his works, except when He is punishing the wicked.” In any case, the idea that the Lord is good and merciful is contradicted by countless example in the Bible where God orders the destruction of infants, personally kills David’s infant child, etc.” (End quote)

To this naturally-minded infidel, this is an obvious open and shut case that hardly warrants his time because, as he just told us, “the idea that the Lord is good and merciful is contradicted by countless examples in the Bible where God orders the destruction of infants, personally kills David’s infant child, etc.”

There is no denying that Psa 11:5 appears to contradict Psa 145:9.

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

If God hates the wicked and him that  loves violence, then how can He, with the same mouth, proclaim He is “good to all”? Should He not have at least have said, ‘The Lord is good to all but the wicked’?

The answer of course is, no, He should not have said ‘The Lord is good to all but the wicked’, because if He had, then He would be good to no one since He Himself tells us that all men are wicked:

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

But does this statement really mean what it says? Is “every imagination of the thoughts of His heart only evil continually”? Is there really “none that doth good, no, not one?” This atheist writer and many others think that the story of Job proves that God is not even good to good people like Job. Such a blatant challenge of the Creator’s own words serves only to demonstrate the depth of the truth of Gen 6:5. The Truth is that God created mankind out of the dust of the ground, which in itself accounts for how true are His words “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”, because the very opposite of being heavenly and pure is not the fires of a fabled hell, buy rather the very opposite – being earthy, corrupt and evil:

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

Job was “a good man who feared God and eschewed evil”:

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

Yet Job himself, the very person this infidel quotes to condemn God, tells us that a man who sees himself as righteous apart from God is most despised by God for ascribing righteousness to mere flesh.

Here are Job’s own words:

Job 9:20  If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
Job 9:21  Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
Job 9:22  This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 
Job 9:23  If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
Job 9:24  The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?
Job 9:25  Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
Job 9:26  They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
Job 9:27  If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
Job 9:28  I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. 
Job 9:29  If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? 
Job 9:30  If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
Job 9:31  Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. 
Job 9:32  For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
Job 9:33  Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
Job 9:34  Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: 
Job 9:35  Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

If God is not sovereign over the good and the wicked, if He has not given the earth to the wicked, “where, and who is He?” At least this infidel has seen the scriptural doctrine that the good and the wise of this world are destined to be destroyed together. What neither the infidels nor the believers of Babylonian Christianity understand is that God’s plan all along was to create a clay model which would demonstrate only one thing, and that is that clay, even in its best state, is still clay and is altogether vanity and corruption:

Psa 39:5  Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

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

Just like Job, who typifies you and me, he “would… not fear him [if He] took away his rod from [our old man]”. Fortunately, with Job we can say “it is not so with me”. Job is the Old Testament type of those whom God loves, and this is what we know about “every son whom He receives”.

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

In the end this infidel I have quoted, along with all men, will appreciate the Truth that is these words:

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 
1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 
1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

It is God who makes Christ “wisdom… unto us”. Without that work of the spirit of God working within us we, too, have asked:

Rom 9:14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

“You will say unto me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?” is the question we all ask when we first contemplate the sovereignty of God, and without the faith of Jesus Christ we, too, can so easily be swept away with the thoughts of the infidels and agnostics who have no fear of God and think nothing of denying Him or challenging Him as Job did in his desperation:

Job 9:34  Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Job 9:35  Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

It is in the book of Job that we find an answer to this alleged contradiction which the infidels are so quick to throw in the face of their own Creator. We are told in the first verse of the first chapter that Job was a “perfect man, one who feared God and eschewed [hated] evil”:

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

But just like the infidels, Job [a type of you and me] could not understand why God would want to destroy him:

Job 9:20  If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect [Job 1:1], it shall also prove me perverse. 
Job 9:21  Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
Job 9:22  This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

“Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul” is a confession that in bodies of sinful flesh and blood we cannot know the meaning of spiritual perfection. “Though I were perfect” is a hypothetical reference to physical, carnal “man at his best state”, of whom we are told:

Psa 39:5  Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

As the Old Testament type of each of us when we are deceived by God (Eze 14:9), Job thought he had of his own free will chosen to be the “perfect man who feared God and hated evil” (Job 1:1). He steadfastly “maintained his own integrity:

Job 27:4  My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
Job 27:5  God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

He went as far as to inform us of “[his] integrity” filling an entire chapter of which I will quote but a few verses:

Job 29:1  Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Job 29:2  Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; 
Job 29:3  When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
Job 29:4  As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
Job 29:5  When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
Job 29:6  When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
Job 29:7  When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! 
Job 29:8  The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
Job 29:9  The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Job 29:10  The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Job 29:11  When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 
Job 29:12  Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

Job appears to give God credit when he confesses that “God preserved me… by His light… I walked”. But the adversary is very subtle in using his forked tongue and ‘maintaining his own integrity with his dying breath’, and ‘condemning God while declaring himself to be righteous’.

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Of all the spirits that are hated by God, it is a self-righteous spirit which presumes to condemn him and dares to contend with and reprove him in the name of its own righteousness. That is what this infidel is. This atheist is like Job, the Old Testament time of you and me, who considered himself to be a “perfect man [who] feared God and hated evil”.  Job thought he “feared God”, yet he ended up accusing God exactly as this atheist does:

“If Psalm 145:9 was not a contradiction of Psa 145: 20 or Jeremiah 13:14, it would read something like this: The LORD is good to all, except the wicked: and his tender mercies are over all his works, except when He is punishing the wicked.” In any case, the idea that the Lord is good and merciful is contradicted by countless example in the Bible where God orders the destruction of infants, personally kills David’s infant child, etc.”

I have chosen Psa 11:5 to make this man’s false accusation more precise:

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

The story of Job does not demonstrate, as this infidel says:

“…the Lord is not necessarily “good” or merciful– even to those who are not wicked. One…example…is [the story of] Job…”

You and I, as carnal men typified by Job, make this same accusation against our Creator:

Job 9:22  This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

The mind of the Christ understands without any contradiction, that “the new man” is born only through the death and the destruction of “the old man”. Jesus Himself explained this dilemma:

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

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.

To the infidel and to the natural mind those verses only add to the number of blatant contradictions in the scriptures.

The first, self-righteous Job, typifying our old man, thinks he is of himself so righteous that He can presume to contend with, reprove and condemn his own Creator for the suffering his Creator has placed upon him. That “first man Adam” had to be destroyed and replaced with an entirely new, different, humiliated and repentant Job, whose new humble viewpoint was born out of the very trials which serve to destroy the old self-righteous, first man Job. The New Testament calls this destruction of our old man a ‘fiery trial’.

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:

Paul explains that it is through this fiery destruction of our old self-righteous, rebellious, carnal “first man Adam” that “every man…shall be saved.”

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

It is that destruction of our old, carnal man which the natural man and the infidel so hate. It is that destruction of the carnal mind which is actually used by God to cause our old man to “suffer loss: but he himself … [is to] be saved; yet so as by fire“.

If indeed God were not in the process of saving “all in Adam”; if He lost even this one infidel to death, then it could rightly be argued that God is not “good to all”. But such is not the case:

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

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.

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

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and [even infidels] to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth [“all men to be saved”], even that he doeth.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [not exclusively] of those that believe.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Lest there be any doubt about whether God intends to save all men of all time through His “first fruits” harvest we are told:

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.

Finally, we are told this about whose salvation is included in His propitiation for our sins:

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.

The salvation of all come at the expense of God’s hatred of our old man, but there can be no doubt that “The Lord is good to all”:

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

What keeps modern day Jobs and infidels from seeing how God’s hatred of, and destruction of, our “wicked… old man” complements and explains how “The Lord [really] is good to all” is a total blindness, given them by God, to “the things of the spirit”, and that is exactly what we are told is the case with all natural-minded men, whether they are those who, as Job typifies, are in the many false churches of Christendom or whether they are just rank infidels.

1Co 2:13  Which things [“freely given to us of God”, vs. 12]… we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

“The holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual” while both historical Christianity and infidels believe in the damnable false doctrine of “free moral agency”, which doctrine has no concept of the meaning of spiritual words:

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

Both historical Christians and infidels want to stone anyone who dares to quote any of these scriptures:

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. 

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Pro 20:24  Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

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

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Where is the damnable doctrine of ‘free moral agency’ in any of those verses of scripture? The Truth is that there is no such Biblical doctrine. Rather, this is the truth of the scriptures:

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

If God has not “devised means, that his banished be not expelled from him” then He would indeed be the monster which this infidel, and the first Job in us, makes Him out to be. But God has devised means, that His banished be not expelled from Him”, and all who must “die… in Adam”, will in the same manner, completely independent of our own will “be saved… in Christ”.

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam [independent of our will] all die, even so in Christ [independent of our will] shall all be made alive.

These verses accord with all those above them. God is working all things, “yes, even the wicked… after the counsel of His own will”, and it is His will for Him to be “good to … the new man… [in] all” which He will bring about through His destruction of the old man whom “His soul hates” in all men of all time .

So there is no contradiction at all for the man who has been given to understand “the things of the spirit”, when he reads:

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to [“the new man” in] all: and his tender mercies are over all his [finished] works.

Psa 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous [“new man” in “all in Adam”]: but [our “old man”] the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.