Gemstones: The Stones that Don’t Transfer, Part 1

Introduction: The Pattern of God’s Refinement

The Pattern Stated

[Study Aired January 27, 2026]

Throughout Scripture, God reveals His purposes through discernible patterns that testify across covenant and context. These patterns are not imposed upon the text but arise through repeated witness, allowing spiritual realities to emerge as Scripture interprets Scripture. Among these patterns, the progression of gemstones across three biblical contexts—the high priest’s breastplate, the covering of the anointed cherub, and the foundations of New Jerusalem—reveals a consistent truth concerning what belongs to the present order and what abides into the age to come.

The Old Testament establishes the transient nature of the Adamic order itself. David declares before the congregation of Israel:

“For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.” (1 Chronicles 29:15)

This testimony reaches beyond individual mortality to describe the condition of life under the present creation. What belongs to this order is characterized by shadow rather than permanence. Though appointed by God for a time and purpose, it does not abide.

Within this shadowed framework, God instituted visible arrangements that testified to deeper realities. Exodus 28:17–20 describes twelve stones set in gold upon the high priest’s breastplate, each bearing the name of a tribe of Israel. These stones functioned as a memorial before the Lord, representing the people within the ceremonial order established under the Law.

Ezekiel 28:13 presents a different arrangement: nine stones forming the covering of the anointed cherub in Eden. The reduction from twelve to nine appears within a context of judgment and exposure, signaling a refining of what belonged to the Adamic realm. What was once complete in ceremonial representation is now reduced under divine scrutiny, revealing that not all elements appointed for earthly ministry remain intact when judgment is brought to bear.

Revelation 21:19–20 reveals twelve foundation stones of New Jerusalem. While the number twelve reappears, the composition is not identical to either earlier arrangement. This reconstitution declares that restoration does not occur through repetition of the former order, but through transformation. What abides into the age to come is not a return to ceremonial representation, but a perfected reality suited to eternal dwelling.

The sequence—twelve, nine, twelve—draws attention to a governing principle: not everything present within the shadowed order transfers unchanged into what abides. The reduction from twelve to nine, followed by a reconstitution to twelve with altered composition, testifies to God’s refining work. Elements suited only for earthly ministry are removed or replaced, while what fulfills His eternal purpose is brought to completion.

The Governing Principle: Shadow and Substance

Paul articulates this principle plainly:

“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:17)

Shadow exists for the sake of substance, not alongside it. What functions as shadow testifies to what is real, yet cannot itself become reality. When substance appears, the shadow fulfills its appointed role by yielding its place. This yielding is not failure, but completion.

Read together, these two witnesses, 1 Chronicles 29:15 and Colossians 2:17, establish the framework for this study. The Old Testament declares that what belongs to this present order does not abide. The New Testament reveals where abiding substance is found—in Christ. All structures, arrangements, and representations given within the shadow must therefore be understood according to whether they remain external testimony or find fulfillment in spiritual reality.

It is within this framework that the pattern of precious stones must be examined. Certain stones appear within the priestly order and the Edenic covering because they accurately represent aspects of the external system in which they were placed. Their presence served God’s purpose within the present order marked by shadow. Yet their appearance—or absence—when the eternal city, New Jerusalem, is revealed must be interpreted according to the same principle of shadow giving way to substance.

The Stones Under Examination

Four stones warrant focused attention. Each appears within at least one of the earlier scriptural contexts, yet none stands independently among the foundations of New Jerusalem. Their absence is neither incidental nor arbitrary. Rather, each reveals a specific aspect of the natural order that cannot remain in its original form when what abides is fully revealed.

In Part 1, we examine the carbuncle and the diamond. Together, they reveal two aspects of refinement: external attachment replaced by internal union, and hardness of heart removed while truth finds fulfillment in Christ.

The Carbuncle: External Attachment Superseded by Internal Union

The Carbuncle’s Positions

In Exodus 28:17, the carbuncle appears as the third stone in the first row of the high priest’s breastplate, set alongside sardius and topaz. The Hebrew term bareqeth (Strong’s H1304) conveys the sense of flashing brilliance, likened to lightning. This outward radiance belongs to the realm of visible distinction rather than inward reality, for the kingdom of God does not come with observation.

Jesus Himself warned against locating God’s kingdom in outward signs:

(Luke 17:20–23) “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” 

The carbuncle’s brilliance thus frames its testimony: external radiance without internal transformation cannot constitute eternal foundation. What shines outwardly may still lack inward habitation.

This stone bore the name of Levi, whose designation Leviy (Strong’s H3878) derives from a root meaning “joined” or “attached.” The origin of Levi’s name reveals the nature of this joining:

“And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.” (Genesis 29:34)

From its inception, Levi’s identity was defined by attachment. Yet this joining operated entirely within the natural realm—a wife’s longing for affection, a mother’s hope for relational security through childbearing. The attachment was real, but it was circumstantial, external, and bound to the flesh.

When we turn to Ezekiel 28:13, the carbuncle appears again—now as the ninth and final stone in the covering of the anointed cherub. Its movement from the third position in Exodus to the ninth position under judgment signals completion rather than advancement. The carbuncle stands both at the outset of priestly service under the Law and at the culmination of the Adamic order as it is exposed. In both settings, it bears the same testimony: joining within the natural order remains external and provisional.

Yet when John beholds the foundations of New Jerusalem, the carbuncle is absent entirely (Revelation 21:19–20). Its omission declares that what once functioned through outward attachment finds no independent place in the eternal structure.

External Joining Under the Levitical Order

Though the tribe of Levi was separated for tabernacle service, only the lineage of Aaron was appointed to the priesthood. This distinction itself testified to the nature of external joining under the Law. Priestly identity was determined by physical descent and ceremonial appointment rather than inward transformation. One became a priest by birth, not by regeneration.

As a result, death continually interrupted the priesthood:

“And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.” (Hebrews 7:23)

Though set apart for sacred service, the Levites possessed no inheritance among the tribes. The Lord Himself became their portion:

“Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20)

This arrangement testified to a profound truth: the priesthood pointed toward an inheritance in God Himself. Yet under the Law, this reality remained external. The Levites served God in sacred duty but did not enter beyond the veil—joined to holy service, yet separated from the holiest place.

Internal Union Through Spiritual Birth

What the Levitical order could only prefigure, the new covenant provides through internal union. Natural descent gives way to spiritual rebirth. Jesus declared to Nicodemus:

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

Priestly identity is no longer inherited through lineage but imparted through regeneration: 

“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)

Paul describes this union plainly:

“But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)

This joining operates at the level of spirit, not ceremony. Believers are not merely associated with Christ; they are incorporated into Him:

“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” (Ephesians 5:30)

Why the Carbuncle Does Not Transfer

The verdict is clear: external attachment has been surpassed by internal union.

The carbuncle represented joining through natural descent, visible ordinance, and mediated service—each necessary within the shadowed order, yet none sufficient for eternal foundation. When substance arrives, shadow yields its place. External attachment gives way to inward participation. Ceremonial joining is fulfilled through shared life.

The carbuncle does not transfer because what it signified has been fulfilled in Christ—not refined, but transformed. Life is now joined to life, spirit to spirit, the many made one in Him.

The Diamond: Hardness Removed, Truth Fulfilled

The Diamond’s Positions

In Exodus 28:18, the diamond occupies the sixth position, appearing as the third stone of the second row, bearing the name of Zebulun. The Hebrew yāhălōm (Strong’s H3095) derives from a root meaning “to strike” or “to hammer,” an apt description of the gem long associated with extreme hardness. This stone represented Zebulun, whose name Zebûlûn (Strong’s H2074) carries the sense of “dwelling” or “habitation.”

The juxtaposition is instructive. A dwelling is intended to receive, contain, and give rest. Yet hardness defines the diamond’s essential character—unyielding, resistant, impervious. When hardness governs habitation, what should receive instead resists. The dwelling becomes fortified rather than indwelt.

In Ezekiel 28:13, the diamond appears again, now third among the nine stones covering the anointed cherub. Its movement from the sixth position in Exodus to a prominent position under judgment does not signify advancement, but exposure. Hardness is brought fully into view, carried through the Adamic order and set before divine scrutiny. The placement reveals not endurance, but manifestation—resistance exposed rather than preserved.

Revelation 21 confirms the verdict. When the twelve foundations of New Jerusalem are revealed, the diamond is absent (Revelation 21:19–20). What once bore testimony within the shadowed order finds no independent place in the eternal structure.

The Dual Witness of Diamond

Diamond’s defining characteristic—its hardness—bears a twofold testimony. This dual witness explains why the diamond does not transfer into the eternal foundations. What must be removed cannot remain; what it pointed toward finds fulfillment elsewhere.

Hardness as Resistance: The Stony Heart Removed

Scripture identifies hardness as resistance to inward inscription. Through Jeremiah, the Lord declares:

“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars.” (Jeremiah 17:1)

The image is decisive. What is hard enough to engrave transgression permanently is also too hard to receive righteousness. Stone bears record, but not life.

God’s solution is not refinement of hardness, but its removal:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

What the Law engraved externally upon stone is replaced by what God writes inwardly:

“I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33)

Paul confirms the transformation:

“Not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” (2 Corinthians 3:3)

This transformation was promised under the old covenant but could not be accomplished through it:

“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” (Deuteronomy 30:6)

“But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:29)

The removal of hardness is not refinement but replacement. Stone gives way to flesh, external commandment to internal life, resistance to reception.

Hardness and the Word: Resistance Without Root

Hardness also manifests as resistance to the Word itself. Jesus declared:

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:15)

In the parable of the sower, the consequence is made plain:

“But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended” (Matthew 13:20–21)

Stony ground allows surface reception but prevents depth. The Word may be heard, yet it cannot take root where hardness limits penetration. What should be a dwelling becomes a barrier. Reception without transformation yields no abiding fruit.

Permanence Fulfilled: Truth in Christ

Yet to halt at hardness’s negative witness would truncate the testimony. The diamond’s impervious nature also speaks of permanence. What cannot be broken testifies, in shadow, to what cannot be destroyed.

Scripture attributes such permanence not to stone, but to God’s Word:

“The word of our God shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

What the diamond symbolized, Christ embodies:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Thus the positive witness of diamond—unchanging permanence—is not preserved in stone, but fulfilled in a Person.

Why the Diamond Does Not Transfer

The verdict is complete and twofold.

Negatively, hardness of heart must be removed. What resists God’s inscription cannot remain where His law is written within. The stony heart yields to a heart of flesh.

Positively, what diamond testified to in shadow—unchanging truth—is fulfilled perfectly in Christ. Permanence is no longer represented; it is embodied.

The stone yields to the Person. External hardness gives way to inward life. Shadow fulfills its purpose by yielding to substance.

Looking Toward Part 2

Through the carbuncle and the diamond, we have witnessed two necessary acts of refinement. External attachment, once expressed through lineage and ceremony, has been surpassed by internal union in Christ. Hardness of heart, which bore the record of sin and resisted God’s inscription, has been removed, while the permanence it symbolized finds fulfillment in Him who is the Truth.

These two stones establish a decisive pattern: elements that belong solely to the natural order—however purposeful within the shadow—cannot constitute eternal foundation. When substance arrives, such representations must either give way entirely or be fulfilled beyond themselves.

Yet not every stone resolves in the same manner. Some aspects of the former order are not merely removed, but transformed. Others mark a condition that reaches its appointed end and does not recur.

In Part 2, we will examine the onyx and the agate. Onyx, which once bore names externally upon stone, does not transfer independently into the foundations of New Jerusalem, yet reappears transformed within sardonyx—testifying that what was once borne outwardly is now written inwardly. Agate, associated with wrestling under the natural order, appears only within the Law’s testimony and then vanishes, declaring that striving reaches its terminus when rest is entered.

Together, these stones will complete the witness begun in Part 1, showing that God’s refining work does not merely remove what cannot abide, but also transforms what He intends to carry forward into eternal reality.

— To Be Continued in Part 2 —

Gemstones: Foundations of New Jerusalem, Part 1

Introduction

[Study Aired January 13, 2026]

When the apostle John received the revelation of New Jerusalem descending from heaven, he witnessed the culmination of God’s eternal purpose—a city whose very foundation stones declared the completed work of redemption. God showed him that great city: “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst” (Revelation 21:14, 19-20).

These twelve foundations constitute the final major context where gemstones appear in Scripture. The High Priest’s breastplate displayed twelve jewels bearing the names of Israel’s twelve tribes (Exodus 28:15-21), symbolizing Christ bearing His people before the Father. The anointed cherub in Eden was covered with nine precious stones (Ezekiel 28:13), representing natural humanity’s created carnal state facing judgement. Now, in New Jerusalem’s foundations, we witness the eternal fulfillment: not the old covenant’s twelve tribes, not the natural man’s covering and judgement, but the twelve apostles of the Lamb upon whom Christ builds His church.

As we know, the number twelve consistently marks divine government and foundational authority—a pattern we will examine more fully later in this study. Christ promised His disciples, “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28), establishing their governmental authority as foundational to His kingdom. Paul confirmed this spiritual architecture: “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

Understanding these foundations requires recognizing the progression from natural to spiritual that pervades all Scripture. Paul declares, “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46). The natural came first—Aaron bearing Israel’s tribes upon his heart. The spiritual follows—Christ and His apostles forming the eternal base of God’s true temple, the church of the living God.

The Apostolic Foundation

When God revealed New Jerusalem’s structure to John, He emphasized that its wall possessed twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. This detail establishes the apostolic testimony as the permanent, unchanging bedrock upon which Christ builds His church. The Greek word for foundation (themelios, G2310) denotes that upon which a structure rests—the substructure supporting everything above. The word precious (timios, G5093) means valuable, honored, esteemed—revealing that these foundational gemstones possess both material worth and spiritual significance.

Paul uses complementary architectural language when instructing Timothy: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The church functions as the pillar and foundation of truth—not creating truth, but supporting and upholding it through apostolic testimony.

Christ established this truth when He declared to Peter: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The context reveals what rock Christ meant. Peter had confessed, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Christ responded, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). The rock is not Peter himself but the revelation Peter received—the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Paul explicitly confirms: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The foundation is Christ—yet the apostles proclaim Him, testify of Him, reveal Him. Their testimony becomes the essential bedrock because it declares Christ.

The Testimony of the Twelve

The twelve apostles of the Lamb received direct appointment from Christ during His earthly ministry. Their unique position as eyewitnesses to His resurrection qualified them to establish the church’s doctrinal foundation. Peter explains the criteria when selecting Matthias to replace Judas: “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22). This unique qualification could never be repeated, making the twelve apostles an unrepeatable foundation.

Their testimony possesses absolute authority because it derives from direct revelation. Paul declared, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). The apostles received their doctrine directly from the Lord, establishing it as our unchanging standard.

John emphasizes the physical, tangible nature of their witness: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). They testified to what they heard, saw, examined, and touched—the incarnate Word made flesh.

The permanence of their testimony finds expression in the twelve foundation layers. Jesus promised, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The apostles’ words, being Christ’s words communicated through them, possess the same enduring quality. Peter declares, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (1 Peter 1:23). The apostolic word lives and abides forever, serving as the incorruptible seed producing new birth in every generation.

The Spiritual Significance of Twelve

The number twelve appears throughout Scripture as the number of governmental foundation and divine administration. God’s sovereign purpose operates through established numerical patterns, and twelve consistently represents complete government under His authority.

The pattern begins with Israel’s twelve tribes, descended from Jacob’s twelve sons. When Christ established the new covenant, He chose twelve apostles to form the governmental base of His church. Matthew records, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). The twelve received authority to extend Christ’s ministry, representing complete delegation of His power.

New Jerusalem’s structure reinforces this governmental significance through multiple instances of twelve: twelve gates named for the twelve tribes, twelve angels at the gates, twelve foundations bearing the twelve apostles’ names, walls measuring twelve thousand furlongs, and the tree of life yielding twelve manner of fruits. This comprehensive use demonstrates that God’s eternal city operates under perfect government—nothing lacking, nothing excessive, all things ordered according to His wisdom.

The multiplication within twelve carries additional significance. Twelve equals three times four, combining these spiritually significant numbers. Three represents process, witness, and resurrection—Christ rising on the third day, Jonah in the fish’s belly three days and nights. Four represents universality and wholeness—the four corners of the earth, the four winds. When three (transformative process) multiplies by four (whole manifestation), the result is twelve (complete government through transformative process).

Christ as the Chief Cornerstone

While New Jerusalem’s wall possesses twelve foundations bearing the apostles’ names, Scripture emphasizes that Jesus Christ Himself functions as the chief cornerstone—the primary stone upon which all other stones rest and align. Paul declares, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:20-21). The apostolic foundation supports believers, yet Christ as cornerstone supports the apostolic foundation itself.

The cornerstone in ancient building practice served multiple critical functions. First, it established the structure’s precise location and orientation. Second, it joined two walls at a critical junction, binding them into one unified whole. Third, it bore extraordinary weight, supporting both walls simultaneously. Fourth, it determined the entire edifice’s shape.

Christ fulfills each aspect perfectly. He establishes the church’s location and orientation—positioned in heavenly places, oriented toward eternal realities. He joins disparate elements into one unified whole. Paul explains, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-15). Christ as cornerstone joins believing Jews and believing Gentiles into one temple, one body, one new man.

He bears the full weight of God’s judgment and humanity’s sin. Isaiah prophesied, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). The cornerstone bears what no other stone could support.

He determines the building’s perfect form. Believers are being “conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Christ’s perfection establishes the pattern; the church’s transformation consists in being shaped according to His image.

Peter references the prophecy concerning this cornerstone: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner” (1 Peter 2:6-7). Those who build upon Christ find stability; those who reject Him encounter destruction.

This supreme position explains why Christ alone can save. Peter proclaimed, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). If Christ is the cornerstone—the foundation upon which all else rests—then removing Him collapses the entire structure.

The Twelve Precious Stones

The twelve foundations, garnished with gemstones of extraordinary beauty and value, declare specific spiritual realities concerning Christ’s redemptive work. God specified the precise order: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, and amethyst. While each stone receives comprehensive individual examination in separate articles within this series, their collective significance illuminates the complete picture of salvation.

The first foundation stone, jasper (iaspis, G2393), appears elsewhere in Revelation describing God’s appearance: “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (Revelation 4:3). Jasper appears as both the first foundation stone and the stone describing God Himself, demonstrating that the foundation of all things is God’s own nature and character.

The second foundation, sapphire (sappheiros, G4552), recalls the pavement under God’s feet: “And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness” (Exodus 24:10). The sapphire’s heavenly blue represents divine authority and submission to God’s sovereign rule.

The complete sequence reveals a comprehensive gospel message. Beginning with jasper (God’s glory) and concluding with amethyst (royal priesthood), the progression reveals how God transforms carnal beings into glorified saints. The emerald’s vivid green testifies to resurrection power and new creation. The sardius, deep red as blood, points to the sacrifice that purchases redemption. The chrysolite’s golden-yellow speaks of divine light and illumination. Each stone contributes essential truth, and together they form an unbreakable foundation supporting God’s eternal purpose.

These stones differ from those on the High Priest’s breastplate—examined thoroughly in our two-part study ‘The High Priest’s Breastplate’—demonstrating the transition from old covenant to new. The breastplate’s stones bore the names of Israel’s twelve tribes, representing God’s people according to natural descent. New Jerusalem’s foundations bear the twelve apostles’ names, representing God’s people according to spiritual birth.

Conclusion

The twelve foundations of New Jerusalem, garnished with precious stones and bearing the names of the Lamb’s twelve apostles, declare God’s completed redemptive work. These foundations represent the culmination of a pattern established from creation—God’s purpose to transform natural humanity into spiritual maturity.

Though New Jerusalem descends from heaven as a future reality, its foundational truths apply immediately to us. The apostolic testimony supports our present standing, governs our current doctrine, and stabilizes our ongoing walk with God. Living according to apostolic teaching means submitting to Scripture’s authority in all matters of faith and practice. This future hope of the city’s complete manifestation sustains us through present trials, for Paul explains, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Christ Himself functions as the chief cornerstone upon which these foundations rest. The apostolic testimony derives its authority from Him, points exclusively to Him, and exists to reveal Him. No other foundation can be laid than that which is laid—Jesus Christ.

For us living in this present age, these foundations provide both immediate application and future hope. We stand currently upon the apostolic testimony, submitting to Scripture’s authority, maintaining doctrinal purity, and growing in grace through revealed truth. Simultaneously, we anticipate the city’s complete manifestation when we shall see God face to face and dwell in His presence forever.

The transformation God accomplishes operates through the foundation of apostolic teaching. This foundation cannot fail, for it rests upon Christ the cornerstone. It cannot change, for God’s word endures forever. It cannot prove insufficient, for it contains all things necessary for life and godliness.

In Part 2 of this article, we will examine how these foundations fulfill what the High Priest’s breastplate foreshadowed, explore the relationship between the twelve gates and twelve foundations, and discover how God’s glory fills this eternal city. Each precious stone will reveal additional layers of spiritual meaning, deeper appreciation for God’s wisdom, and fuller understanding of His redemptive purpose.

The foundations bearing the apostles’ names support the gracious invitation: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). May we, by His grace, be found standing upon this unshakeable foundation when New Jerusalem descends from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

(Key verses: Gen 10:21-31; Gen 11:10-28; 1Ch 1:17-27)

[Study Aired June 19, 2014]

The spiritual meaning of the number three in Scripture relates to spiritual progression to maturity. Natural life on earth is a shadow of that process because the natural reflects a parable of the spiritual (Rom 1:20; Heb 11:3). For those interested in natural things, the spiritual things of God are foolishness and not worth spending much time and effort on (1Co 2:14). The natural is indeed applicable in its own time and context, and is a very important first step in us becoming the spiritual image of God eventually (Gen 1:26; Jer 18:4; 1Co 15:22-28). The three sons of Noah are indeed the progenitors of all people living on the earth today, and the Scriptures are clear about that (Gen 6:7-10; Gen 9:1). However, these three sons of Noah and their offspring also represent our own growth process to fill and rule the whole earth, meaning we are to overcome every evil in our own lives by the indwelling Christ – and that is a lifelong war (Isa 45:7; Rom 8:20; 1Jn 2:16; Rev 17:14; Rev 12:10-11). God’s covenant after the flood also conveys His commitment with all flesh through these three sons of Noah that all in the first Adam will be made new through a work of grace by the spirit of God in Christ (Gen 9:9-17; 1Co 15:22-28; Tit 2:11-12; 1Co 3:13-15). Noah’s prophecy regarding his sons is also very insightful as through those words the continual interrelatedness between these sons and their offspring are indicative, even as they typify our own inward spiritual realms:

Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son [Ham] had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
Gen 9:26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Although Canaan, the youngest son of Ham, was particularly mentioned here with regards to his servant role, Ham’s offspring were in general also part of these symbiotic relationships between these families as the building of the tower of Babel also proves. It was actually only after God brought confusion to the “one language” which they all spoke at that time, that division and separation took place for the first time. According to the Word of God it is indeed languages, more than anything else, which was used by God to bring division on earth:

Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Gen 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Gen 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Gen 10:5 By these [Japheth’s offspring] were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue [language], after their families, in their nations [Hebrew: “gôy”/Greek: “ethnos”].

Nowhere in the Scriptures are the sons of Noah and their offspring classified in terms of outward features, including skin color, as some believe. The division of nations and families was based on language primarily. There are many unscriptural and unscientific divisions of nations propagated by those who advocate the theory of evolution or racial segregation on the grounds of certain specific physical features. These fleshly divisions are types of what the scriptures call “sensual” and carnal divisions which are always seen as immature and sinful as they are all contrary to the doctrine of Christ (Num 12:1; 1Co 3:4; Jas 3:14-16; Jud 1:17-19). For the spiritual mature the only true division God ordained “from the beginning” is the separation from sin and disobedience to His commandments (2Jn 1:5-6; Luk 12:1; 1Co 5:6-8; 2Co 7:1; Tit 3:10; 1Jn 2:15-17; 1Jn 5:21; 1Pe 1:15-16):

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

That is the golden line of division that threads right through the Scriptures since the beginning when light and darkness were divided (Gen 1:1-5):

2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

All barriers of flesh that we put up in our spiritual ignorance against those we naturally “have no dealings with”, are coming down by the effectual work of the indwelling Christ:

Joh 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Joh 4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Joh 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Although God has ordained an elect to be few and separate from their earthly brethren, they are still in this world and are the salt and the light to those around them. This is typified by Joseph and king David, among other examples, who were effectual workers in their own generations – to give others the “living water” in type (Mat 5:13-16):

Gen 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

Act 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

The theme of being effectual workers in our generation is foundational to the elect of God that helps to see how the three sons of Noah and their offspring spiritually apply in our lives. Even outwardly we should be known as the servants of God, as we also are not to resist God’s work through the evil and the many adversaries He created for His purposes in us (Mat 5:38-39; Phm 1:6; 1Co 16:9). This is also what all those names and long lists of genealogies in Scripture, even here in Genesis 10, want to make clear to us. Everyone God places in our lives serves an important purpose to bring forth His holy generation in Christ:

Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Japheth and his offspring are first mentioned in the genealogies we find in Genesis 10. The role of Japheth and his offspring in the prophecy of Noah was that of much growth and expansion, but more so especially in his relationship to Shem. The “enlargement” to different parts of the world of Japheth’s offspring, for example, were connected to the “tents of Shem”:

Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

We all first believe we have a free will as we grow and expand in fleshly terms and are isolated in our own ambitions and islands surrounded and engulfed by the restless sea of mankind. This also relates to our initial way of understanding ourselves and things around us which is what is known as our first heaven in spiritual terms (Hab 1:14; Rev 17:15; Rev 21:1). The delusions of growth or expansion in the flesh with all its limitations help us to understand our own fleshliness in all its vastness and earthly glory which was never to be the ultimate habitation and glory for all in the generation of Adam (2Co 3:7-11). We recognize, God willing, that our old barren tent of flesh is our biggest hindrance to obtain spirit life as we give up the earthy wells over which the Gentiles strive (2Co 5:1-5; Gen 26:22):

Gen 10:5a By these [Japheth’s offspring] were the isles [Hebrew: “ı̂y”; Greek: “nēsos”] of the Gentiles divided in their lands…

Ham and his offspring are the second to be mentioned in the genealogies in Genesis 10 (Gen 10:6-20). Through this family of Ham we learn how we grow and expand more in an upward manner as selfish pride and haughtiness cause us to build strong cities and fortresses of flesh in our dry land. This also links with our second heaven when our own understanding is elevated with strongholds of religious delusion and we are blinded to our own self-righteousness and immaturity when we think spiritual completion is perfection of the flesh (Gen 10:8-12; Rev 13). We are hunters against the Lord and His elect. This is when we are destroyed for lack of spiritual knowledge, and we play the role of the spiritual harlot (Hos 4:1-19). This is our man of sin within the strong city of his own conceit which is spiritual Babylon – rich in false doctrines and deceit in us (Rev 16:19; Rev 17:1-6):

Pro 18:11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

Here is a link to our discussion on Ham and his offspring: https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/foundational-themes-in-genesis-study-50/

The third son of Noah, Shem and his offspring, are mentioned last in this list of the generations of the sons of Noah in Genesis 10. The Scriptures give more importance to Shem and his offspring for a very good reason as the prophecy of Noah also reminds us:

Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Gen 10:21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

From this relationship between Japheth, “the elder”, and Shem it is clear that Shem is a type of the latter born which through several examples in Scripture, points to the new spirit man from heaven, Jesus Christ. In this respect we can reiterate a few examples in certain family relationships where the younger is chosen by God above the older; for example, Cain and Abel, Cain and Seth, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob; Leah and Rachel (Gen 5:3; Gen 17:16-19). Of Jacob’s twelve sons, Joseph and Benjamin were born from his favourite wife, Rachel, whom he married after her older sister Leah, and Rachel was initially barren (Gen 29:16-17; Gen 30:22-24; Gen 25:16-19; Rom 9:11-16). The last Adam, Christ, was before the first Adam in God’s creation, but appeared only afterwards to mankind (Joh 1:1-14; Rev 3:14; Col 1:15-17; Mar 10:31). This all helps us to see that this new spirit man comes afterwards in our lives after we went through the full process of maturity, even the three sons of Noah and their spiritual application in our lives:

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

The new spirit man is only brought forward through a judgment process on the old man of sin through which we are exercised by much tribulations and chastening to acquire the spiritual skills in the Word of righteousness (Act 14:22; 1Pe 4:12-13; 2Th 2:3-8; Heb 5:14). This “second man…from heaven” opens up our sealed book as we are given “an open door, [which] no man can shut” to enter into “the third heaven” when we take our seat with Him in “the paradise of God”, even in “earnest” while we are still here on earth (Rev 5:1-7; Rev 3:8; 2Co 12:1-4; Rev 2:7; Eph 1:13-14):

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

The first thing mentioned here about the “effectual working” of Shem and his offspring is very significant to note, which will help us to see why Shem was chosen and favoured by God (Luk 3:35):

Gen 10:21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

Our attention is firstly drawn to “the children of Eber” in relation to Shem although Eber was actually a great-grandson of Shem. The name “Eber” has an important connection with the word “Hebrew”:

Gen 40:15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews [Hebrew: “ibrı̂y” from “êber” = an Eberite]: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

An Eberite is a Hebrew person in the line of Shem’s offspring. Why are the children of Eber mentioned here even before the immediate sons of Shem are mentioned? Here are the five sons of Shem mentioned in the next verse which will help us:

Gen 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

The son of Shem that links with Eber is Arphaxad, the third son mentioned in that list. In Genesis 11 we see that this generational line through Arphaxad is the only one mentioned in terms of the sons of Shem, again emphasizing the importance of this family:

Gen 11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood [this makes Shem about 97 years old when he entered the ark]:
Gen 11:11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

Here is a shortened version of this generational line of Shem through Arphaxad to derive at the very person who will bring in the focus of all Old Testament generations from this point onwards:

1Ch 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
1Ch 1:25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,
1Ch 1:26 Serug, Nahor, Terah,
1Ch 1:27 Abram; the same is Abraham.

The name Eber in Hebrew means “the region beyond”, “to cross over” or “transition”, and that is what Abraham did when he and his family left the land of Ur of the Chaldees to cross over the river Euphrates to enter the land of Canaan across the Jordan River (Gen 11:28-32; Gen 12:1-5). The focus on Abraham and the Hebrew nation is God’s way of telling us the long route through many nations and people we will have to go to get to His spiritual elect in Christ. In these long lists of genealogies so many people and places must take up their ordained functions (many for evil purposes) to set the stage for spiritual maturity in our lives. None of these people and nations mentioned will ever be permanently discarded by God – they will also be saved eventually (Rom 11:30-32). Nevertheles, they are all relevant to the spiritual process of God’s elect first as per God’s design. All the names mentioned in these lists of genealogies serve their effectual purpose which forms an important route to bring us to Abraham through the generation of Shem. God indeed uses all people in His one plan to bring His purposes to fruition:

Gen 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Gen 10:23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
Gen 10:24 And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
Gen 10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

Eber had two sons, namely Peleg and Joktan. Peleg’s name in Hebrew means “division”, and here again an emphasis is placed on his generational line because God is narrowing the focus as mentioned earlier. The other son of Eber, Joktan and his offspring, are mentioned here – but not Peleg or his offspring:

Gen 10:26 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
Gen 10:27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
Gen 10:28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
Gen 10:29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
Gen 10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.

Peleg’s offspring are not mentioned here in Genesis 10 but left until after the division of languages at Babel in Genesis 11 (Gen 11:10-27). It is only after God confounded the languages at Babel that Peleg and his generation were highlighted. It was indeed through Peleg that the generations of Abraham were brought forward. The stage is now set for one of God’s prominent types of Christ and His elected ones to appear from all that confusion and darkness (Gen 1:2-5). It is indeed the singleness of the faith and doctrine of Christ that stands out from the confusion all around (2Co 11:3). Abraham is the type of what the faith of Christ is all about and how we can please God only through that faith (Gal 3:16: Gal 3:29):

Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

———-

Detailed studies and emails relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the www.iswasandwillbe.com website, including these topics and links:

http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/numbers-in-scripture-three-the-process-of-spiritual-completion/

What Are The Three Heavens?

Genealogies

Who Is The Israel Of God?

Audio Links

Video Links

Teach Us To Number Our Days – Part 2

Steve Crook

In our last study, we hopefully saw a connection between the progress in the numbers of the days of Genesis and the spiritual walk we must all endure as we walk daily with the Lord. In this study, I hope that we can further learn of the Lord just what connects each day to one another; thus, opening up our eyes and ears to the understanding and knowledge that only the Lord can provide to us.

Recap

Day 1: On day one we learned that there is a dividing of day and night, but that that day and night is alike to the Lord. We also saw that we are both that night and day. Christ is the light of the world, and we are only that light if Christ allows us to be that light by being in us and shining forth.

Day 2: On day two we have yet another dividing only this time it is a dividing of waters from waters. These two distinct waters were together but were dividing by a firmament called heaven. This heaven, another way to say the spirit of God, is what gives us insight into the mind of Christ and direct connection to the Father via the spirit of God. God’s spirit touches everything; thus, the two distinct bodies of water are connected to one another.

If the Lord allows, we can see that it is Christ who first come into our life and makes a change happen so that we can see the contrast in night and day. The night is first, but then the day comes. We can also see in Joh 12:36–40 that all we need to believe this Light, Jesus Christ, to make the necessary steps in our walk to being that same light… Christ in us a GREAT MYSTERY.

Day two is a great testimony to and against the flesh. Day two builds upon day one in more detail by showing us, among other things, that first Christ comes into our lives but we still know him after what He first shows Himself to be to us, something that we can understand as flesh. Paul clearly states in 2Co 5:16 that we NO LONGER know Christ after the flesh:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

It is the first dividing in day one which shows us a contrast to the only thing we had known up until then, the night and death. In day one we learn of the Light and Day. It the second dividing that teaches us much more than this if we are spiritually given the ability to see and hear that it is the Spirit which brings about the dividing of the waters so that we can see Christ in spirit.

Day 3: On day three we come to see a new development in our walk, and that is show to us in type and shadow by the revealing of the earth to us as it is, DRY LAND. It is dry because it has had its whole stay of water and whole stay of bread taken from it. We also learn that the dry land is a result of the Lord dividing the waters so that the dry land appears in the stead of the divide.

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

This is another way to see that “you shall know them by their fruits”. The seas of humanity are gathered together and the waters in heaven are gathered together unto themselves, according to the spirit which they are of. The only fruit that can be produced by the things that grow out of the ground of the earth are those things which were already placed there from the beginning; thus, Eve was able to have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life simply by coming from Adam who was formed from the dust of the ground.

Progression

Before we delve into day four, I wanted to share with you all a revelation that the Lord shared with me shortly after writing part one of this bible study series. When we travel a little further into the book of Genesis we have the interesting story of Moses and the children of Israel, as well as, Eqypt, the pharaoh and the Egyptian army.

What was revealed to me was hidden in the story of the first time that the bonds were lifted from Israel as the were finally freed form their Egyptian oppressors. The story can be found in Exodus of course.

First, we have a man named Moses (drawn from the water) of HIS PEOPLE Israel who they knew NOT, but yet he comes in this type and shadow as Jesus Christ. He comes to free Israel from their enslavers. An interesting point to how Israel was lead is made by acknowledging that they were initially led both through DAY and NIGHT by a cloud.

So, we have the plagues happen and eventually after this part of the walk has been endured we see Moses (remember the type and shadow here is Jesus Christ) bring the children of Israel to the waters via having to first be lead through day and night. So, we are at the waters of the red sea and Moses raises the rod, the type and shadow of ONLY THE POWER THE GOD POSSESSES, and divides the waters from the waters. What do you suppose happens next? Let’s read it straight from the Word of God.

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 to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Exo 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Exo 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exo 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exo 14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Exo 14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Exo 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exo 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

“That they go forward”, in verse 15 should how us exactly what the Lord is doing here. He is moving us forward but notice that in verse 19 that the angel of God “stood behind them”. Christ starts out by us reaching forth to him, but we end up needing to be pushed and protected from behind. Moses goes on to divide the waters from the water and we now continue our walk on the dry land. I just think this is simply astounding as a second witness to the first three days of Genesis that we have already covered.

Day Four

Day 4: On day four, we have a further explanation of what we are to expect when we are taught to number our days. I want to start this day off with the same admonition that Paul gives us in Galatians.

Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

There is a huge difference between knowing God and being known of God. Before Christ came into our lives, we were only in death, but being forgiven and dressed upon with Christ we are now know of God, but what results in the beast having i’s deadly wound healed? Well, it loses its first love and goes right back into the beggarly things that it came from. This is one type and shadow which is played out in day four.

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Recall that the firmament called heaven is BETWEEN the waters which are below and above it. There is one body of water called seas which is typified by DEATH, and there is another body of water which is free flowing and gives life. The lights that are presented to us on day four are in the firmament to divide once again but they do so by deceiving us.

We are now a part of the earth which our walk is typified as being in at this stage of our walk with Christ. We are actively doing things like looking for signs, as a Christian, that our walk is righteous and that the kingdom can be won for Christ, etc. We are now the Pharisees that are constantly asking Christ “what will be the sign of the coming of your kingdom?” This is all wonderful when you consider that “God saw that it was good” for the purpose that He has made the lights of the heavens to do for us. All men look at the heavens and are witnessed to, but Christians as especially witnessed to by the lights in the firmament which “give light upon the earth’” with the earth representing that church.

We, as Christians should be the light, but in this stage of our walk we are much less mature than we could ever imagine. In fact, we are babes in Christ, yet we think we are much more than that. Just ask my 4 year old daughter, she knows everything J.

Day Five

Gen 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Gen 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Gen 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Now that we have seen Christ working in our lives for the first time; now that we have seen Him no longer being known only in the flesh, now that our “church life” as been given its full dominion in our lives, and now that we have been given eyes to see and ears to hear that we always lose our first love and go back to our own filthy ways once our deadly wound is healed; that is if the Lord is working with us, we now come to our spiritual day five.

Day 5: On day five, we see God letting loose all that he has created so that it has dominion over the sea of humanity and over the earth, the church that He has created. Day five shows an interesting progression of our walk because it now presents to us just what our battles will be against. We will be battling the “moving creature that hath life” and we will be battling the “fowl that flies above the earth in the open firmament of heaven”. We will also be battling the great whales, and we know by our earthly knowledge that whales are one of the biggest aquatic mammals known to man and they live in the sea.

We not only see that we will be battling against them, but that God himself has blessed them in their endeavors. Truly, the rain falls on the just and unjust alike. What happens to one happens to the other. In verse 20, we see the fowl flying ABOVE the earth in heaven, but just a few verses later in verse 22 we see the fowls making their abode and multiplication happen IN THE EARTH. We not only fight that which is without, but the larger struggle comes a little later when we are given the knowledge and wisdom that what we are really fighting and LOSING to is that which is WITHIN! We are losing in day five because if something is multiplying we surely are not depleting its resources now are we?

Just what is it that we are fighting though? What are these fowls that multiply within us? What are the moving creatures and whales that are brought forth abundantly after their kind? Let’s see what the scriptures have to say. This topic is so vast that I could make a study just on the fowl of the air, the beasts of the land and the creatures of the sea, but the scripture is clear enough to those who are given the ability to see it.

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

And then we see this:

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

But what else do they eat?

Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

The fowls of the air are those spirits which are placed in battle with us so that we WILL LOSE AGAINST THEM. Yes, you heard me correctly, we will LOSE THE BATTLE each and every time. We were just told in Revelation that this is because the supper of the great God is to allow the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven to come devour our flesh. He is the one that is FEEDING THEM WITH US. Not only that, the Lord places enough seed in our life so that it too, gets devoured and presents to us the one undeniable fact of the Lord, that HE IS SOVERIGN in our LIVES. He will do with us WHAT HE WANTS. Check this out:

Hos 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Hos 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
Hos 2:3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

Can we not see that this is the VERY church, the very MOTHER OF HARLETS, the DRY LAND that we are now battling with? It is only a couple of verses later that we read what the Lord does for us, as it is He that can do anything:

Hos 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

Do not be distraught my brothers and sisters! We will have our dominion, and that is what day six is all about!

Day Six

Gen 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Gen 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Day 6: At this point in our study, we should be familiar enough with the process that we will know that day six just builds upon the previous days and presents us with our next progression in our walk with the Lord. This day is truly exciting!

In this study let us try to build upon what it is we have learned throughout our whole Christian life. We do not need to discard what we have learned, but we do need to do allow the spiritual to take preference over what we know to be physically true. We know man was is being created on the six day and man is being created in the image of God.

This spiritual image is what is given dominion over those things which in day five had dominion over us. We see this in verse 26:

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

We should all understand that Christ came from God, and thus Christ is the mind, will and very image of His Father in the spiritual. So, with Christ being our spiritual Father we are made in “our image” as it is worded in this verse and it is this image that is given dominion. This is the only way there is and that is why Christ is the way, truth and life.

What’s more amazing to me is that it takes both God and Christ, Christ and the church, the man and the woman to multiply that which is both good and evil. Let me clarify this.

We all know that Christ is the firstborn of all creation, right? Well, Rev 3 tells us this, as well as many other scriptures that bare this truth out. No matter what Christendom tries to deceive the masses with on this topic, here is what is said about the topic in the Word of God:

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;

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

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

In verse 27 we see that God made man and woman and then the next verse we see that this IMAGE is now told that “they are blessed, be fruitful and multiply”. So, no only are we blessed but we are to be fruitful. We are told that this is a great mystery and this very mystery happened from the foundation of the world, from the very creation that God the Father and Christ the mother, in type, shows us happened. All the days were a result of God the Father and Christ having everything else of creation come through Christ.

That is how I can say that the “good and evil” were a result of what God the Father created through Christ. It is through the typified man and woman that this is all done… the VERY IMAGE OF GOD. You want to see His image? Well, that is IT! This sums up what the days are all about!

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

And after all of Paul’s admonitions in Ephesians about the proper GODLY relationship of mand and woman, husband and wife, he goes on to tell us that what he is really describing is what we are talking about in the days of Genesis.

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

We saw earlier that after the dividing of the waters, the earth/ dry land appears. This is a RESULT of the power of God, the rod in Moses hand, right? Well, take that one step forward and we now see the walk of the Christian in relation to Christ and the church and what happens to us in days 5 and six. Christ and the church are presented to us and parent us through it all; thus, we see this story being told in a very basic form in the days of creation. For me, one of the greatest two verses and strengths in all of the Word of God is Gen 1:29 and 30 because it sums up just what God is doing with me in this age and anyone He is working with in this age:

Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

All that was created through Christ is given to us FOR MEAT, all the good and evil because as Joesph says to his brothers, God meant it for good and God says SO!

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Conclusion

I wish I had more time to expound on these days, but I am content with whatever it is the Lord wants to do with me and whatever time, understand, knowledge and wisdom He wants to bestow onto me and to you all. I hope we have learned something more about our Lord and Father by the first two parts of this study on numbering our days.

In the next part of “Teach Us To Number Our Days”, I pray we will be able to finish up the days of creation with day seven, the day of rest, as instituted by the Father, as well as, delving into just what “to day, yester day and to morrow” have in realtion to the, “Is, Was and Will Be” aspect of Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

Mike,

I was pondering over Joh 21:15-17 and seeking understanding on why the switch Jesus made after using agape two times, he ends using phileo. 

In the KJV the last two say “feed my sheep”, but I noticed the following switch in Young’s Literal Translation. 

Joh 21:15 When, therefore, they dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, ` Simon, [ son] of Jonas, dost thou love me more than these?’ he saith to him, ` Yes, Lord; thou hast known that I dearly love thee;’ he saith to him, ` Feed my lambs.’
Joh 21:16 He saith to him again, a second time, ` Simon, [ son] of Jonas, dost thou love me?’ he saith to him, ` Yes, Lord; thou hast known that I dearly love thee;’ he saith to him, `Tend my sheep.’
Joh 21:17 He saith to him the third time, ` Simon, [ son] of Jonas, dost thou dearly love me?’ Peter was grieved that he said to him the third time, ` Dost thou dearly love me?’ and he said to him, ` Lord, thou hast known all things; thou dost know that I dearly love thee.’ Jesus saith to him, ` Feed my sheep;

It dawned on me that this could mean that Jesus said if you love me from afar, impersonally then you can feed my lambs milk, and as they grow in questions and understanding you can tend them. But only when you love Jesus because you personally love him does he want you to feed his sheep the meat of the word. You can get a worldly knowledge of Jesus in seminary schools and from other literature and even the bible, but until you come to an intimate knowledge of who Jesus really is are you going to even know the true truth to feed to the sheep.
Kind of like you go to Bablyon or Egypt to get the corn or to know about God, but you have to leave and get out into the wilderness depending completely on God in order to really know him and help others in the word.
I look forward to your understanding of these verses.
D____

Hi D____,

When I consider that Christ used the Greek word ‘agape’ the first two times, and the word ‘phileo’ the third time, I think you are right on target with the progression in maturity you are seeing in this story. 1) feed lambs- agape, 2) tend sheep- agape, 3) feed my sheep- phileo.
It is one thing to show agape, unconditional love for all men; it is quite another thing to have a personal love for someone you know personally and admire in every way and love to be around.

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

Here is the difference in these two words:

G5368
φιλεÌω
phileō
fil- eh’- o
From G5384; to be a friend to (fond of [ an individual or an object]), that is, have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while G25 (agapao) is wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: 

“Principle, duty and propriety” are fine for your enemies and even for brothers you don’t really know. But Christ wants and insists upon a very intimate, unconditional and personal fondness of Himself. He will not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. He is a “jealous God.”

1Co 16:22  If any man love [ phileo] not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

Now what makes this especially applicable is that “the lord Jesus Christ” is your brother and sister “whom you see.”

1Jn 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Thank you for sharing with me your thoughts on this very revealing section of God’s Word.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I really have no one here I can fellowship with about these truths, and I am looking forward to seeing all of you again.

My comments and question revolve around this word wrath. There are two Greek words that are translated “wrath” in the New Testament scriptures:

1) orge (Strongs #3709) also translated anger and indignation
2) thumos (Strongs #2372) – also translated indignation and fierceness

I’ve read from several people that these two words essentially mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. To which I would ask, if they essentially mean the same thing, why then does Paul in two instances use them as two separate qualities of those that obey not the truth?

Rom 2:8 – But to them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation [thumos], and wrath [orge]….
Col 3:8 – But now you also put off all these: anger [orge], wrath [thumos], malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

John also uses the two words in the same sentence twice in Revelation:

Rev 14:10 – The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath [thumos] of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation [orge]…
Rev 16:19 – And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness [thumos] of his wrath [orge].

If they both mean the same thing, why did the Spirit inspire both Paul and John to use two different words for the same thing in the same sentence?

After searching a little more, I actually did find a couple of websites that did actually distinguish the two. Here are their basic deliniations:

thumos – sudden passionate anger; anger boiling up and subsiding again
orge – deliberate anger; hostile vengeance

Taking these definitions into account makes it easier for me to understand how we are not appointed to wrath…

1Th 5:9 For we are not appointed to wrath [orge]

… meaning we are not appointed to God’s deliberate hostile vengeance. Yes, at one time, we were “children of wrath (orge)”, but that was by nature. Everyone by our very nature, by the way God made us are children of wrath, but God has appointed the elect from the foundation of the world that they should overcome their beastly nature therefore not being appointed to wrath (orge).

What is this orge? Quite possibly it is the lake of fire. Joseph, typifying Christ, surely exhibited this deliberate anger and hostile vengeance towards his brothers for what they did to him.

Thumos, on the other hand, is the word used in Revelation when talking about the seven bowl judgments.

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

If the elect are not appointed to wrath (orge), but they are all to keep the sayings of the prophecy of Revelation, then it makes sense that the elect go through the seven last plagues, because the wrath spoken of there is not that of deliberate anger, but that of a sudden passionate anger that boils up and subsides again – just like the chastening and scourging spoken of in Hebrews 12:6. I picture it much like when I was a child how my mother, when I did something wrong, would get out the belt and in her anger spank my little bottom silly, but once I got my licks, it was over – sudden, passionate anger. I remember from one of your talks how you said that it seems like every time you tried to go through the HOV lane with just yourself in the car, God gave immediate sudden punishment for you, while others who were doing the same thing got to speed on by without being caught. That is how I see thumos.
The lake of fire, however, will not be a sudden passionate chastening (thumos). It is deliberate (orge) and will last as long as needs to to burn out the wood, hay and stubble of all those whom God has before ordained to go through it.

Does this make sense to you? Or am I way off base on this?

Hope you and your family are doing well. I am constantly on the website and always look forward to all the updates.

God bless,
E____

Hi E____,

Thank you for sharing your study on this subject with me. I am truly blessed of God to receive the benefits of the studies of so many who are seeking only to know the mind of God.

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

That is a powerful and revealing verse of scripture right out of the mouth of our Lord.
You ask:

Does this make sense to you? Or am I way off base on this?

You certainly are not “way off base.” I would point out that the “last plagues” are the plagues which are experienced by those who experience the seven plagues “last.” So that it is true that “he that overcomes will not be hurt of the second [last] death.”

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

While it is true that “no man can enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled,” it is not true that ‘no man enters the temple until the seven last plagues of the seven angels are 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 .

So God’s elect avoid the wages of sin which is death, but the way they do so is by dying. Even so God’s elect also avoid the second death by being the first to die. They also avoid the seven last plagues, by being the first to fulfill the seven plagues of God against all unrighteousness and ungodliness in their lives and by being “by nature the children of wrath” first.

Take a closer look at the ‘We’ and the ‘us’ of 1 Thesaalonians 5 and notice that when Paul says “we are not appointed to wrath,” that he has shifted his subject from God’s elect to the subject of ‘all in Adam,’ “whether we wake or sleep.”

I have looked at these verses you have here, and there is no doubt there is a distinction between these words. It appears that ‘thumos’ – 2372 is the emotion we call anger, while ‘orge’ – 3709 is the implementation of that emotion which produces the flames needed to purge and burn out all the wood, hay and stubble.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [orge] of God abideth on him.

This verse never said ‘he will never see life,’ but only that so long as he is not a believer he “shall not see life; but the wrath [ orge] of God abideth on him.”

Let’s start by looking more closely at what we find in 1Thessalonians 5:

A close look at 1Thessalonians 5 shows that the ‘we’ of verse nine is a reference to all of mankind instead of God’s elect. “God’s wrath (orge) is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”

Rom 1:18 For the wrath [orge] of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

This is saying the same thing that John 3 says:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [orge] of God abideth on him.

So, in reality there is no one who is not going to experience God’s wrath on their unrighteousness and ungodliness. We will all “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” and we will all “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book” in our appointed time. What Paul means when he says “we are not appointed to wrath” is that mankind, whether awake or asleep, elect or not, are appointed to salvation as a whole:

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

If we are going to insist that the phrase “we are not appointed to wrath” refers only to God’s elect, then we are insisting that “we were all children of wrath by nature” in Ephesians 2 is a contradiction of 1 Thessalonians 5:9. We are thus insisting that God’s word is not consistent and is unreliable. Here is what we are told in Ephesian 2:

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

“We all… in times past… were by nature the children of wrath, even as others [who will not experience that purging wrath first, but will experience it last]. Why is it that we can see the ‘as in Adam’ but we cannot see “even as others” when it comes to this subject of God’s wrath. The reason is the false doctrines of the rapture and the false doctrine that God’s elect were never the “children of wrath even as others.” The reason why is that we want God’s word to conform to our doctrine instead of making God’s Word our doctrine.

Let’s look at 1 Thessalonians 5 and the verses around verse 9:

1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8 But let us , who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

“Ye are not in darkness… we are not of the night… us who are of the day..,” all of these phrases are contrasted with “others who sleep… they that sleep in the night… they that be drunken in the night… have no hope:”

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

These “others which have no hope” are the same as the “others that sleep, sleep in the night… and are drunken in the night.”

Here we have God’s elect contrasted with “others which have no hope.” Notice what verses eight and nine say:

1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Here we have the same word ‘us’ used in both of these verses, and it appears that they are speaking of the same ‘us’ until you consider that all of mankind is “appointed to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ:”

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
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 of those that believe.
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.

To settle this question with all certainty, all we need to do is to look at the next verse which makes it clear that the second ‘us’ is not the same as the first ‘us:’

1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

In verses 4-8 these pronouns ‘us’ and ‘we’ were used to distinguish those who were “awake [and] of the day” from those who were “sleeping in the night.” Here in verses 9 and 10 Paul is no longer making this distinction. Paul had dealt with the death of those who had died “in Christ” in chapter 4. In Chapter 5 he goes to great lengths to separate believers from non-believers and concludes with “Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

“Whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” means whether we are elect or not, “as in Adam all die, so in Christ we will all be made alive.” And why is that? Here is what verses 9 and 10 of 1 Thessalonians 5 are all about:

Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

For God hath not appointed us [the spiritually dead, “all in Adam”] to wrath [the wages of sin – death], but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not believe on Christ, the wrath [orge] of God continues to abide on us, and we may be burying a loved one, but God’s wrath is still on us, and we are spiritually dead:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

When we believe on Christ we “have passed from death unto live and the wrath of God no longer abides on us:

Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Paul has now dealt with the fate of those who have died not knowing Christ:

1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

In chapter 4 Paul had told the believers about their loved ones who had died in Christ:

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Here in chapter 5 he has now dealt with those who died not knowing Christ:…

1Th 5:10 Who [Christ] died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

… and his conclusion, just as with those who are dead in Christ is:

1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

I hope this helps you to see that the ‘we’ of verse nine is not the ‘we’ and ‘us’ of verses 4-8 of chapter 5. The New Testament is written just like the Old insofar as it is designed to blind and cover “the mysteries of the kingdom of God.”

I will close with an example of this point right there in John 3 where we were told that God’s wrath abides on non-believers:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Just a few verses earlier we are told that ‘no man believes His testimony’:

Joh 3:32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

Followed immediately by this statement:

Joh 3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

There are those who would insist; “You can’t say we are not appointed to wrath and we must endure God’s wrath.’ You cannot have it both ways.”

Those are the reasonings of a “babe in Christ… carnal mind (1Co 3:1-4) who understands nothing at all about the Is, Was and Will Be nature of Christ and His word. Such people cannot understand what “each in his own order” means. Such a person doesn’t believe that “there is a time for all things…” or that we must “live by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God” and “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

The words of our Lord are True and are not at all affected by our lack of understanding or our lack of faith. The Truth still remains:

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

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Man will indeed “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Mike

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Printer Friendly Page The number of spiritual progress and spiritual progression

Fourteen tells us that we have not attained but we definitely are attaining:

Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

That verse 13 is the spiritual significance of the number 14.
#14 In The Old Testament

Gen 31:41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

The unloved wife is given for labors already rendered. But we receive her while still in deception. The second wife is the truly loved wife, given in advance of expected labor which must and does follow.

Gen 46:22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

“Fourteen” at what stage?

Gen 45:24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
Gen 45:25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
Gen 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph [ is] yet alive, and he [ is] governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
Gen 45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
Gen 45:28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

And so we read:

Gen 46:19 The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
Gen 46:20 And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
Gen 46:21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
Gen 46:22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

We are to maintain a constant sacrifice of 14 lambs every day at the feast of tabernacles: (We plan to do a series of studies on the spiritual significance of the holy days which God gave to Israel. It will be very revealing).

Num 29:13 And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks [ rebellion of the flesh], two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:

But look at what is offered on the last day:

Num 29:32 And on the seventh day seven bullocks [ complete submission], two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

But just look at what happens on the day of new beginnings when the eighth is of the seven:

Num 29:35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:
Num 29:36 But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock [ God is all in all], one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish: [ The progression is now complete]

The bullocks have progressed from rebellion to unity with God and the progression of our sacrifice portrayed in the lambs is completed.

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

New Testament

Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Three (spiritually maturing) fourteens (spiritual progressions) bring us to the New Man, brings us to Christ. It is “after fourteen years” that we are ready to witness for and to be of service to God:

2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
2Co 12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
2Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
2Co 12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
2Co 12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but [ now] I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me [ to be], or [ that] he heareth of me.
2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul’s service for God began in earnest in his fourteenth year:

Gal 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

“Fourteen years after” what?

Gal 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called [ me] by his grace,
Gal 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Gal 1:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Gal 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Gal 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
Gal 1:20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Joseph’s rule began in his fourteenth year:

Gen 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, [ It is] not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Gen 41:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
Gen 41:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
Gen 41:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
Gen 41:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
Gen 41:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [ were] still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
Gen 41:22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
Gen 41:23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [ and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
Gen 41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told [ this] unto the magicians; but [ there was] none that could declare [ it] to me.
Gen 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh [ is] one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he [ is] about to do.
Gen 41:26 The seven good kine [ are] seven years; and the seven good ears [ are] seven years: the dream [ is] one.
Gen 41:27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them [ are] seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
Gen 41:28 This [ is] the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God [ is] about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
Gen 41:29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
Gen 41:30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
Gen 41:31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it [ shall be] very grievous.
Gen 41:32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; [ it is] because the thing [ is] established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
Gen 41:33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:34 Let Pharaoh do [ this], and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
Gen 41:35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
Gen 41:36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
Gen 41:37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
Gen 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find [ such a one] as this [ is], a man in whom the Spirit of God [ is]?
Gen 41:39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, [ there is] none so discreet and wise as thou [ art]:
Gen 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Gen 41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
Gen 41:43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him [ ruler] over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I [ am] Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over [ all] the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

What are we to do when our fourteen years are up?

Gen 41:48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
Gen 41:49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

What does this mean for us?

Gen 41:53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
Gen 41:54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Gen 41:55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
Gen 41:56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

What is the spiritual significance of all of these things which begin in our 14th year?

Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five [ were] foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that [ were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

What does “I know ye not” mean?

Gen 42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Gen 42:6 And Joseph [ was] the governor over the land, [ and] he [ it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [ with] their faces to the earth.
Gen 42:7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
Gen 42:8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
Gen 42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

What Judas and Peter did were mere shadows and types of what we do when we know Christ, when we know His Word, when we know to do good and do it not. That is to blaspheme the name of God among the heathen.

Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Rom 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Rom 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law [ are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [ their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Rom 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
Rom 2:18 And knowest [ his] will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
Rom 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Rom 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Our fourteen years of spiritual progression Is, Has Been and Will Be being lived out in our lives. Have plenty of grain stored up for the famine. Have plenty of oil and be ready for the bridegroom’s coming. “Be careful” to receive a “full reward:”

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
Tit 3:8 [ This is] a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.