Ezekiel 22:1-31  We Must Know Our Sins

[Study Aired July 1, 2024]

Introduction

Today’s study is about our lives in the churches of this world before Christ came to us to bring us out as He judges us. We must understand that the revelation of the Lord shows us our past, present and future. Our past shows us our lives in Babylon or the churches of this world. A good understanding of our unfaithfulness when we were in the churches of this world is essential to understand what the Lord is currently doing in our lives (judgment) to guide our walk with Him to guarantee our future reward. That is why when the Lord revealed Himself to us through Apostle John on the island of Patmos, He started by letting him know about the depraved condition of the seven churches, which represent the complete church system of this world which we were part of until the Lord came to deliver us. 

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 
Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 
Rev 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Today’s study principally shows us our sins during our time in Babylon and the imminent judgment of the Lord. The Book of Revelation begins with our sins in the churches of this world before we go through the Lord’s judgment to become saviors of the world. 

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

We Must be Shown Our Sins

Eze 22:1  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 22:2  Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations. 
Eze 22:3  Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself. 
Eze 22:4  Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries. 
Eze 22:5  Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed. 

Here in verse 2, the Lord is asking Ezekiel a rhetorical question about whether he will judge the people of Israel. Of course, the answer is, “Yes.” Ezekiel represents the Lord’s elect who are going to judge the world. 

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

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

As we indicated in the previous study, as a prerequisite to being judged, we are required to know our sins. Thus, in verse 3, Ezekiel was required to show the inhabitants of Jerusalem their abominations. This Jerusalem refers to the physical churches of this world or Babylon, of which we were part of during a certain stage of our walk with Christ until the Lord came to deliver us and bring us to the New Jerusalem.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Our sins are what the Lord is seeking as an occasion to come into our lives to judge us.  

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

In verses 3 to 4, the Lord was showing us our sins which are symbolized by the sins of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Our sins specified here involve shedding blood and defiling ourselves with our idols. The verses below show us how we have shed blood and therefore are equally responsible for the death of Christ and His saints. 

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

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

We may not have physically killed anybody, but shedding blood means hating our brothers and sisters who were sent by the Lord. It also means putting to spiritual death the Lord’s people through false doctrines.

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

Another sin that we were guilty of is defiling ourselves with idols. This involves serving another Jesus which we did while we were in Babylon.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Apart from serving another Jesus, we defile ourselves with idols when we cherish our false doctrines in our heavens more than the truth of the word of the Lord. In this case, our false doctrines become idols of our hearts which prevent us from hearing from the Lord.

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

In verse 4, we are told that our sins have caused our days and years to draw near. That is another way of saying that our sins have given the Lord the opportunity to come and judge us. Again, in verse 4, the Lord is showing us that He has made us a reproach and mocking among the heathens and the countries of the world. As a result, everyone is mocking us, and therefore we are filled with confusion. Indeed, the churches of this world or Babylon of which we were part of have become a reproach and mocking among the nations of this world as a result of their abominations. It is only when Christ comes to us and teaches us to walk in the fear of the Lord that this reproach goes away. 

Neh 5:9  Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

Eze 22:6  Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone were in thee to their power to shed blood. 
Eze 22:7  In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. 
Eze 22:8  Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Eze 22:9  In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness. 
Eze 22:10  In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. 
Eze 22:11  And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. 

The princes of Israel mentioned in verse 6 refer to us as the Lord’s elect who were guilty of shedding blood during our time in Babylon or Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children. A simplified version of verses 7 to 11 makes the sins we have committed in Babylon clearer:

Eze 22:7  Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. 
Eze 22:8  You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. 
Eze 22:9  There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. 
Eze 22:10  In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. 
Eze 22:11  One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. (ESV)

These verses catalog the sins we were guilty of in Babylon as a way of showing us our abominations with the objective of giving the Lord the occasion to intervene in our circumstances through judgment. In verse 7, we are told that we treated our father and mother with contempt. Our father is our Lord Jesus Christ whom we disobeyed by not adhering to the simplicity that is in Christ. Our mother is the church of the firstborns, but we refused to be part of it in favor of the harlot woman. As a result, we became widows and orphans, giving the opportunity for us to be oppressed by the devil through his agents, the false apostles. As shown in verse 8, we end up despising the truth of the words of the Lord (holy things) and do not enter into the Lord’s rest.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

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

In verse 9, we are told that in Babylon, we slandered to shed blood and we worshiped idols on every mountain. We therefore became sexually immoral. The slander refers to our false doctrines which cause us to hate the Lord’s elect as we regard them as enemies rather than helpers of our walk with Christ. As we are aware, hating our brothers and sisters means murdering them or shedding blood.

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 

Our worship of another Jesus during our time in Babylon is the same as worshiping idols on every mountain. Being sexually immoral means that we had been seduced by the harlot woman or Babylon. Discovering our father’s nakedness in verse 9 means sleeping with our father’s wife which signifies being in bed with the harlot woman. Sleeping with a woman in her menstrual cycle in verse 9 spiritually means to be an accomplice of the death of the Lord’s elect through the harlot woman or the churches of this world which are in bondage to sin. 

Pro 7:9  In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: 
Pro 7:10  And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
Pro 7:11  (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 
Pro 7:12  Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 
Pro 7:13  So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 

Pro 7:18  Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 
Pro 7:19  For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 

In verse 11, one of our sins is that we committed sexual sins with our neighbor’s wife, our father’s daughter and daughter-in-law. As Jesus Christ made us aware, our neighbor signifies anyone who has received the mercy of the Lord; in other words, our brothers and sisters who have started their walk with Christ.

Luk 10:36  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 
Luk 10:37  And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Committing sexual sins with our neighbors wife or our father’s daughter or our daughter in law are spiritually the same. A father’s daughter is one whom the Lord has shown mercy to and a daughter-in-law is one who belongs to the family of Christ through marriage to Christ. Spiritually, committing sexual sins with any of them amounts to defiling them through false doctrines. As we are aware, it was through the evil words (false doctrines) spoken by Jonadab to Amnon, David’s son that gave him the courage to rape David’s daughter, Tamar. In our time in Babylon, we were like Amnon who defiled our father’s daughter. 

2Sa 13:1  Now Absalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her.
2Sa 13:2  And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 
2Sa 13:3  But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 
2Sa 13:4  And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 
2Sa 13:5  Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” 
2Sa 13:6  So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” 
2Sa 13:11  But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 
2Sa 13:12  She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. 
2Sa 13:13  As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 
2Sa 13:14  But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.  (ESV)

Eze 22:12  In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. 
Eze 22:13  Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.
Eze 22:14  Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it. 
Eze 22:15  And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. 
Eze 22:16  And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

Verses 12 to 16 continue with the sins we had committed when we were in Babylon. As stated in verse 12, we took gifts to murder the Lord’s people. Murdering the Lord’s people means making them spiritually dead. This comes about in this case through false teachings which cause us to focus on the things of this world such as the love of money and therefore err from the faith.

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  

As if that is not enough, we made excessive profits through extortion, and as a result, we forgot about our Lord Jesus. 

2Pe 2:3  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 

In verses 13 to 15, the Lord is saying that He judges us because of our dishonest gains, which refers to the gains we have made because of our love for money. In verse 14, the Lord is asking us whether our old man will remain strong after His judgment. He answers in the next verse (15) that the Lord’s judgment of our old man shall bring an end to our uncleanness, that is, our old man shall be destroyed. As part of the Lord’s judgment of our old man, we are told in verse 16 that we shall be dishonored in the eyes of the nations (heathen). As we are aware, nobody wants to hear that the Lord has special chosen people. In the eyes of this world, we are dishonored or disregarded as the Lord’s elect. Paul says that we are a fragrance of death to the people of the world or the heathen. This is all part of the judgment of our old man so that we shall not embrace the world. However, to those who know Christ, we are a fragrance of life!

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 
2Co 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

The House of Israel has Become Dross

Eze 22:17  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 22:18  Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. 
Eze 22:19  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 
Eze 22:20  As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. 
Eze 22:21  Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. 
Eze 22:22  As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.  

Verse 18 shows us that the house of Israel has become dross which means refuse according to Strong’s Dictionary. The BDB definition says that dross means moving back or away. What this implies that the house of Israel has moved back or away from the Lord. This house of Israel represents the churches of this world or Babylon of which we were part of until the Lord came to us with His brightness. This is how the Prophet Isaiah was given to describe our situation during our time in the house of Israel:

Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 
Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken anymore? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Here in the verses under consideration, our lives are compared to metals which have to be refined to remove the dross or the earthen materials attached to the metals. Refining metals is done through the furnace where the fire of the furnace melts the metal and in the process separates the dirt from the metal. In the liquid state, the melted metal can then be shaped into the required specification of the processor. These verses therefore show us the need to be judged which is represented by the furnace of fire. Just as the furnace of fire destroys the earthen material attached to a metal, the Lord’s judgment or the fire of His wrath or His fury destroys the flesh so that the Lord can make us into another vessel fit for His purpose. 

Isa 54:16  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Jer 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 
Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Eze 22:23  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 22:24  Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 
Eze 22:25  There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

Verse 24 tells us that before we are judged, that is, before the day of the Lord’s indignation, we were like land that is not cleansed or watered. What this implies is that being given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven is dependent on being judged. This is consistent with what the Lord told us regarding the fire of the word. Once we are given to know about Christ, we have to face the fire of the word, which is the tribulations and persecutions we go through because of the word we have received. 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Being like a land that is not cleansed means that although we receive the word of the Lord with joy, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and therefore we become unfruitful. Cleansing of our land is the same as the destruction of our old man which is achieved through the Lord’s judgment. That is when we become fruitful.

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

In verse 25, we are told that the prophets in the midst of the Lord’s people are like roaring lions devouring their prey, which is the people of the Lord. They devour their prey by taking away the treasure and precious things of the Lord and making them widows. The leaders in the physical churches of this world are like roaring lions devouring the church members. They do so by means of their false doctrines which result in the taking away of the treasure and precious things, which is the truth of the word of the Lord. When you have a wife who does not care about what her husband wants but does whatever she wants because of the false doctrines she has heard, then the husband is technically dead and the wife is a widow. That is what happened to us during our time in Babylon. We were swayed away from the truth of the word of the Lord and therefore ended up becoming disobedient to our husband, Christ. Spiritually, we were like widows as we became worse off through the false teachings we had received. What happened to us is the same as taking the gold and silver or the truth of the word of the Lord that we have received to make images of men with them.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, 

Eze 22:26  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 
Eze 22:27  Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. 
Eze 22:28  And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.

As priests of the Lord, we violate the Lord’s teachings because we do not teach the difference between what is holy and unholy, that is, between what is clean and unclean. In other words, the teaching of false doctrines deprives us of the truth, and therefore we see both truth and falsehood alike. As a result, we desecrate the name of the Lord in our midst. These false doctrines prevent us from resting in the Lord as they teach us that we have our own free will and therefore we are responsible for our own actions.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  

In verse 27, we are likened to wolves hungry for the prey. Apostle Paul warned us that if we do not pay heed to the counsel of the Lord, then we are like wolves who do not spare the flock as we destroy the souls of many who have come to take refuge in Christ for dishonest gains. 

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

In verse 28, we cover our sins by seeing false visions and prophesying lies. Our lifestyle in the churches of this world was characterized by lies as we are deceived by the Lord.  

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Eze 22:29  The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
Eze 22:30  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 
Eze 22:31  Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

In summary, we were given over to the spirit of oppression during our time in Babylon, and as a result, we were robbed of our crowns as princes of the Lord. All throughout history, the Lord is seeking for those who can stand in the gap to deliver His people from destruction. As shown in verse 30, it is impossible to find such a one in the churches of this world or Babylon. That means that we were found wanting during our time in Babylon, and since we are called and chosen, the Lord has to come to us with His judgment (His indignation or the fire of His wrath) to deliver us to be able to stand in the gap in the fullness of time to deliver all humanity during the lake of fire age. 

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

Amen!!

Growing in Grace and Knowledge Through Obedience to Christ - Discussion

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Growing In Grace And Knowledge Through Obedience To Christ

Dealing In Obedience With Those Who "Transgress and Abide Not In The Doctrine of Christ"

Today is the day on which our elders have agreed that we must purge those who are teaching the doctrine of God's elect being hurt of the second death from the midst of those who do not accept that doctrine.

Christ made this statement:

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Just a few chapters earlier He also told us:

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. [Greek: Judgment]

That is a clear and succinct statement. There are only two resurrections, and "all that are in the graves... shall come forth" unto one of these two resurrections. No one can be in both resurrections. Christ, who is the first of the firstfruits, along with His "firstfruits unto God and the Lamb" (Rev 14:4) will "execute judgment" upon all the rest of mankind who are not "firstfruits unto God and the Lamb".

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

Here is another very clear statement upon which we should all just obediently and peacefully agree, and then in the love and obedience of Christ, go our separate ways and do as the Good Shepherd instructs us all:

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

The holy spirit has inspired the apostle John to give these instructions a sense of urgency. Apparently it is possible to "lose... the things we  have wrought [and not] receive a full reward". It is also possible to lose our "crown of life":

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

"The crown of life" is given only to those who are given tribulations and temptations by "the devil". So this "crown of life" is unique to those who are in the first resurrection, because the devil will be tempting no one while he himself is being tried and purified in the lake of fire.

But there are those with whom we have enjoyed sweet fellowship who do not think that being in the first resurrection makes us special in the Lord's eyes, and they actually teach that belief even though we are so special that we are told:

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.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

These precious brothers still insist on teaching that we endure the lake of fire which is the second death in this age. Here is the title for the talk being given by those brothers today:

They wrote:

"Hello Everyone,

We will be doing a study this coming Sunday on Partakers of the Second Death which will explain how the elect partake of the lake of fire now."

For those of us who place obedience to the inspired instructions in 2Jo 1:7-11 above the love they have for their wayward brothers, today is the day we are being obedient to those very sober words. As of today, the body of Christ e-mail list will be removing all those who have told us they want to be taken off our mailing list. As any of you make known through your e-mails, phone calls, skype, etc. that you want to continue with the false teaching that you are now living your "resurrection of judgment, second death, lake of fire, white throne judgment..." and as you reveal to us that you have honestly concluded that our doctrine that we are "not hurt of the second death" and that "the elect [do not] partake of the lake of fire now" is heresy, we will be removing you from the Lord's house, as any "good shepherd" would and should do.

We are being accused of not giving the flock time to weigh these matters, but we all know that is not true and that no one has ever told anyone they must make an immediate decision on these very weighty matters. Certainly none of the seven elders who have remained faithful to the doctrine that the good and wise are resurrected to life, and the evil are resurrected to judgment, which is the second death; none of us are insisting on an immediate decision on this very important matter. The truth is that no one who is simply unsure of where they stand at this time is being excluded from our fellowship. Not one soul! It is only those who have made known that they think we are teaching heresy who are being taken out of the "[our spiritual] house" to be considered by us spiritually "as a heathen man and a publican" (Mat 18:15-17).

We have been told in no uncertain terms by our detractors that our calling does not make us a special people, and that if we think it does, then we are making ourselves better than those who are cast into the lake of fire. The fact of that matter is that everyone in both camps of this divide knows that we have never taken credit for even so much as our sins, much less our becoming an overcomer. But, as regards to being given a very special calling, Oh, yes indeed! We are guilty as charged!! Let it be known to all that if we are blessed to be in that first resurrection, we are indeed a "blessed and holy people" unto the Lord. The Lord, not us, has chosen us to be a special people, not someone who is raised to "the resurrection of judgment", to be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. If we are given to be in that "resurrection of life", then we are a special people above all people that are upon the face of the earth".

Just how special is the resurrection to life?

Deu 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. [Very special]

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
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. [Very special]

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. [Very special]

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

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

Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are [Firstborn: Heb 12:23] written in heaven. [Very special]

Heb 12:18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Heb 12:19  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Heb 12:20  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
Heb 12:21  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, [Very special]
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. [Very special]
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: [Those is the lake of fire do NOT receive a kingdom, and that makes us Very special]
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Now I want to share with you an e-mail from a brother in Nairobi, Kenya, which the Lord inspired him to write and which simply states the truth concerning how we are instructed to deal with brothers who "abide not in the doctrine of Christ". Let's read those instructions again:

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Here is that e-mail which was sent to the body e-mail list back on Oct 27th. Some of you have already read this:

​Nicholas Ondari

Dear Brethren. This is an admonition to the body and I am writing this mail passionately. I fear the road we are taking is absolutely unscriptural and will divide the family big time. There is no way, however much time we shall “take to listen to God” for a day, a week, a month etc, the verdict on this subject will ever be one or unanimous. It is like seeking for a democratic vote on a doctrinal matter.

It is human nature to take sides especially IF ONE HAS NOT PRACTICED LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF THE CHIEF SHEPHERD (Jesus Christ). One must not just listen to the elders but be able to hear our Lord and Savior talking through the elder. I can clearly hear the voice of The True Shepherd, in what Mike and the other elders are saying. Hearing that voice is instantaneously rightly dividing the word of truth. So this is not an affinity issue or emotional friendship thing.

Already the elders are not agreeing, and this is likely to spread down the entire body. I am shocked that there are those who cannot accept the simplicity of this elementary doctrine of Christ. With all these thousands of scriptures being floated in the mails, we are simply trying to mix un-mixable things. I am persuaded, the entire challenge boils down to accurate understanding of the elementary doctrines. I have taken time to read as carefully and attentively as I could and gone through the emails, etc., but it sometimes sounds like Babylon (total confusion). Merely dispensing verses is not necessarily prophesying forth the proceeding word! The letter killeth...! IF WE ARE PARTAKERS OF CHRIST'S DEATH, HOW COULD WE ALSO PARTAKE OF THE LAKE OF FIRE AT THE END OF TIME, WHICH TAKES PLACE AFTER THE WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT? IF THE LAKE OF FIRE AND FIERY TRIALS ARE ONE AND THE SAME THING, WHEN SHALL THOSE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE (2nd resurrection) ENDURE TO THE END THE FIERY TRIALS, SO THAT WE ARE THE SAME?

Although it sounds modern and likeable to float the matter to the whole body (typical Laodicean), it has shocked me. It is a clear indicator that the elders have not all heard from the chief shepherd, otherwise this will never be. If the elders cannot agree on a matter “after prayer and fasting”, please don’t assume the family will. Could possibly our Father have brought us to the ravine to test all of us by how we drink or lap, so as to separate the crowd?

Babylonian doctrine teaches that one day, all humans will rise from the dead and queue for God’s Judgment, one by one from Adam to the last baby to be born. Although they read the scriptures, they have no clue to separate between the current fiery trials, the judgment that has already begun in the Lord’s house, and the White Throne Judgment, where the saints shall form the bench. Most of the Christian religion do not understand the difference between Christ’s resurrection, spiritual resurrection, first resurrection and 2^nd resurrection, and as to who is involved.

It appears that there are also those among the family of God who unknowingly feel that if Christ rose from the dead, we have therefore all risen and need no future resurrection, conversely, since there will be a future resurrection, we shall all wait for that great final resurrection and we should not consider any other resurrection mentioned in the scriptures. Any difference with the traditional Christian religion?

Similarly, the judgments. Some feel (or are pushing it down our throat) that all men (anthropos), will be subjected to the same white throne judgment, whether then or now. Are we being forced to believe that God is so cruel, that despite what He says in His word, he will still punish Lazarus the beggar twice, instead of drawing Him to “Abraham’s bosom”. Luk 16:25  "But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish." 

If sincerely, all the elders listened to the echo of heaven, the voice of The Chief Shepherd, they would have spoken with one voice. For anyone to have even imagined that the matter must be floated to the flock, I humbly see the spirit of Nimrod, the fleshly ambition of Absalom, and the cunning heart of the false mother before Solomon! I pray not to hurt anyone, but I will feel guilty before God if I do not present the convictions the Lord is laying in my heart on this matter.  This request came to me like a bomb, and it is a bomb in the house. Here is one case study, the Lord placed in the NT for our admonition and encouragement, on tackling doctrinal differences;

CASE STUDY FOR DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES.

Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, [My comment: the 'them here is not the entire church at Antioch. The 'them' here is "certain men" who came down from Judeah (vs 1).] they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them,………………………………..

Act 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence,…………………………………….

Act 15:13  And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: ………………………………

Act 15:19  Wherefore my sentence is,………………………………..

Act 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 

1. There is no doubt as to whether there were deep differences of opinion, understanding and conviction, both at Antioch and Jerusalem (verses 2 and 7).
2. Bear in mind that, at Antioch the apostles Paul and Barnabas, had accurate convictions and understanding initially according to the season on God’s move. The entire Antiochian church might have been dull in hearing and were relying on historical and divisive written word knowledge. Paul and Barnabas had decoded the voice of God for the season.
3. Perhaps Paul and Barnabas proposed to the Antiochian brethren that the matter be referred to the Apostles at Jerusalem instead of subjecting it to voting of democratic contributions.   Implicitly therefore, they absolutely subjected the verdict to the decision of the Apostles/Elders, and whatever the Elders and Apostles could be guided to decide, was the truth. They recognized ranking despite all of them being the body or equal. They could not reject the verdict and opt to democracy after the decision did not go their way!
4. At Antioch, they could as well have subjected the matter for debate and democratic vote. They did not. If they had done so, democracy could have carried the day because it was Paul and Barnabas against the entire church. (Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them,…). I believe the Lord led them this way for our learning. Doctrine CANNOT BE DETERMINED DEMOCRATICALLY! One man could be most accurate against many. Practically, there is need to listen to David(s), in our café. When all of us start to talk, argue, babble, debate etc God keeps silent!
5. When Paul and Barnabas floated the matter to the Jerusalem Council, see what the Father records for us (…Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them,…) Again, the Jerusalem Council did not subject the matter to majority opinion and knowledge. Do not lose focus as to who might have been here at the gathering. However, they allowed divine order and the leading of the Spirit to take pre-imminence. The “Set Men” [1Co 12:28], the ones among equals, like David at the Café [alluding to 1Ch 12:39] had the final word!
6.  Apparently, Paul ad Barnabas, simply presented their case. The verdict was made by Peter and James as they were led by the Spirit. The entire council wisely and in the spirit of humility took a back seat and stood behind these two men in prayer and support, and accepted their conclusions and guidance.
7. Act 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence,…………………………………….Act 15:13  And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: ………………………………Act 15:19  Wherefore my sentence is,………  Act 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: Let us give weight to these scriptures;Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

   Gal 5:15  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

   I sincerely and wholeheartedly believe we have been hearing the voice of God all along. If one or so subjects were poorly prosecuted, the elders should have corrected it and in the spirit of meekness announced the error with brotherly love. That is why the word tells us “...let one or two prophesy... And let others judge”. Sometimes, doctrine could be prosecuted wrongly (partially or whole), that is why the Lord allows correction by others after one has already prophesied (spoken forth). When one or two prophesy and then vehemently refute the judging and correction by others, it is another spirit! One can easily see that spirit by the strong language being used in the mails. 1Co 14:29  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 

   1Co 14:30  If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 1Co 14:31  For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 1Co 14:32  And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

   The fiery trials and judgment that is in the house of God might be erroneously construed to be similar to the Lake of Fire at the end of time, but both The White Throne Judgment and the Lake of Fire are specifically placed at the end for the multitudes that the saints will judge. The current fiery trials and chastenings are being administered by the Father to His children whom He loves. We are even given the chronology of who gets into the lake of Fire, and the elect are not named, but are instead implied to be administering the process. The question could be, can one administer a process one has not been through? The lake of fire is a far inferior process meant to bring all God’s children to the house. The ones invited from the by-ways and high ways! The fiery trials and judgment in the house of God is far superior meant to raise priests and kings. One is an ECD (early childhood development) course, and the other is to raise parents and patriarchs.

   I fully support the seven elders (who have taught true doctrine all along) on their stand in this matter, and I do not feel the other four should have personalized the matter to feel demeaned or even “very correct". To allege that the elders have given us heresy, is to say the least extremely dangerous and such allegation needs to be repented publicly since it would imply the other four elders let such heresy continue for so many years. If this was heresy, where shall we stop? What else is not? Hope no one feels hurt, BUT WHOEVER PROPOSED PUBLIC DEBATE SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED UNCOMFORTABLE STANDS.

   YbiC
   Nicholas Ondari [End of email]

Thank you for your inspired input. It has served to remind us that Paul was rejected of all the churches in Asia when he changed His doctrine from agreeing with the elders in Jerusalem to no longer living according to the words of that letter to all the churches telling them that the Gentiles need not keep the law of Moses, but the Jews must  still do so. As you pointed out, Peter and Paul agreed to what the apostles and elders of that time agreed to be the will of the Lord.

That entire story very much parallels what is now taking place in our fellowship. Let's examine closely exactly what was said and contrast what was said by Peter at that conference with what the apostles and elders agreed to. Here is what Peter said:

Act 15:5  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Act 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

After declaring 'God put no difference between us and them' and after declaring the law of Moses was "a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear", both Peter and Paul and the holy spirit agreed with the apostles and elders that there really is a difference between Jews and Gentiles, that difference being that the Gentiles need not keep the law of Moses, but the Jews absolutely must do so:

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

This letter is addressed to the Gentiles only:

Act 15:23  And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

This Jerusalem conference took place after Paul and Barnabas returned from their first evangelical journey being sponsored by the church in Syrian Antioch. We know this is so because they are still together here at this Jerusalem conference. It was at the beginning of their second journey that they split up over whether to take John Mark with them again.

Paul made two other journeys before coming back to Jerusalem to be apprehended of the Jews. During all those years, he and Peter were living under the law of Moses, as is made clear by the fact that he circumcised Timothy in the very next chapter of Acts:

Act 16:1  Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Act 16:2  Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Act 16:3  Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Act 16:4  And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

Here we have the apostle Paul circumcising Timothy because his mother was a Jew, and therefore Timothy was considered to be a Jew also, and as such he must be circumcised according to the law of Moses, which Paul agreed the Jews must keep, even as he was teaching the Gentiles that they need not keep the law of Moses. It had to be a time of conflict in the heavens of both Paul and Peter, who had just told the apostles and elders that the Lord had "put no difference between us and them", and that "neither our fathers nor we" could keep the law of Moses.

Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Peter did not say, "Why tempt ye God to put a yoke on the neck of the Jewish disciples?" He made it clear that he meant all the Lord's disciples by going on and saying, "which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear."

Lest there be any doubt whether Peter and Paul lived under the law of Moses during the years of Paul's next two missionary journeys, we read this in Acts 21, years later, just before Paul is imprisoned at Jerusalem:

Act 21:17  And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Act 21:18  And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
Act 21:19  And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
Act 21:20  And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
Act 21:21  And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Act 21:22  What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
Act 21:23  Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Act 21:24  Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Act 21:25  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
Act 21:26  Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

That letter to the Gentiles was definitely the "wall of partition" of which Paul later speaks when he changes his doctrine to accord with his now more mature understanding of the curse of the law of Moses:

Gal 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11  According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

"The glorious gospel... was committed to [Paul's] trust", and yet for many years he taught the Jews that they had to keep the law of Moses. When his understanding matured, just a couple of years after Acts 21, and he came finally to see that the more mature truth is that the priesthood of Christ was no longer Aaronic but is now "after the order of Melchizedek", he did not, as Nicholas correctly noted, go back to Jerusalem and seek a democratic vote as to whether he should show the churches the truths of Ephesian, Colossians, Timothy, Hebrews, etc. But there is another amazing parallel between what happened to Paul and Peter and John, when John finally wrote his gospel and referred to all the Jewish holy days as 'feast[s] of the Jews' throughout the gospel of John.

What happened to the very apostles of Christ when they changed their doctrine and began teaching the very opposite of what they had previously taught? This is what happened then, and it is happening even today:

To Paul:

Col 4:14  Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Phm 1:24  Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

2nd Timothy was Paul's last epistle. Colossians and Philemon are both prison epistles. What this tells us is that Demas, Crescens, and even Titus, forsook Paul while Paul was still in prison but after writing Colossians, which has the same message of Ephesians. Paul is letting us all know that now not even the Jews are required to keep the law of Moses.

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
2Ti 4:18  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

It had to be a great disappointment for Paul to see the very men he had mentored, Demas, Crescens, and Titus, men whom he had considered "my fellowlaborers", forsake him after he changed his doctrine while in prison in Rome. It had to be very disappointing for Christ to witness all of His own apostles forsake Him, and it had to be very disappointing to Paul when "all they in Asia" forsook him.

Now this is what happened to John when He started speaking of the holy days of God as "a feast of the Jews" distancing himself from the law of Moses:

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

Peter agreed with Paul's new revelation. After all, Paul's new revelation was exactly what Peter had said in Acts 15, so Peter tells us:

2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

That is what happened to the apostles when they were led to change their doctrine after teaching the exact opposite of the new revelation which was actually more in line with the scriptures.

If this is what happened to them, why would you or I expect anything different?

But the apostles, like Christ and Stephen before them, were magnanimous towards all who opposed them, while at the same time remaining faithful and firm in obedience to the Truth:

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Act 7:60  And he [Stephen] kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me:I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

That is how I feel toward all my brothers and sisters who think that the other six elders and I are teaching heresy. I know this is all of the Lord, and He is still working all things together for good (Rom 8:28).

There have been many e-mails demonstrating how I once taught that the seven last plagues are "our lake of fire". Some seem to think that if they can just find one more additional article where I taught that doctrine that it will prove what a hypocrite I am.

I confess openly once again, that it was wrong for me to agree that our fiery trials in this age are our lake of fire. The lake of fire is the resurrection to judgment, and that is not for any who are aspiring to know the power of the resurrection of Christ, who was not, nor ever will be, raised from the death in "the resurrection of judgment". Christ's flesh, His old man was judged before He ever went to the literal cross. We, too, if we are given to know "the power of His resurrection" will never be raised from the dead unto "the resurrection of judgment", and since there are only two resurrections, all men are in one or the other of these two resurrections:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [first resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. [Greek: judgment, second resurrection, second death]

I have confessed to a lack of understanding when those FAQ's were written, and I confess again to day before you all to that lack of understanding at that time. But to demonstrate how I, just like Peter and Paul, was conflicted at that time, I want to share with you another FAQ which was sent to me by my brother Riquard Vreekamp, who has struggled mightily with this question of us, in this age, living through the very thing we are promised would have no power over us and would never hurt us:

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.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Here is Riquard's e-mail and that FAQ from the year just before Partakers of The Second Death was written. It is a question from someone whose first initial was 'F':

Mike, I...want to let you know that I found an article of you that plainly states that the lake of fire is not a term that should be used for the elect.

Mike, I hear people, especially church folks, yell at the top of their lungs that they are saved. How can one be saved if one is still sinning? And to be totally cleaned, don’t we all have to go through the “Lake of Fire?” The Bible tells us that all sin. Please clear this up for me.

F____

Hi F______,

I challenge anyone to show me where anyone is already saved.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

It is in the Greek ‘aorist’ tense, and it is what we would call the present progressive.

This is always the case in the Greek when it comes to our present spiritual standing. In the first three chapters of Revelation we are told that “he that overcometh…” will I give to “eat of the tree of life” etc.

The only thing offered to those who are not overcomers in this age is death. Salvation in the first resurrection is only offered to “he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.”

If we don’t ‘endure to the end, we won’t be saved.

When it comes to the phrase ‘lake of fire,’ we are never to apply this phraseology to the overcomers.

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.

The second death is ‘the lake of fire,’ and the lake of fire “is for the devil and his angels:”

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

We really need to keep these phrases scriptural. We endure a “fiery trial.”

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Yet we are promised that we will not be hurt of the second death, which is the lake of fire.

It is indeed the very same fire. But it really is important to maintain a “pattern of sound words.”

I hope I have cleared this up for you.

Your brother, Mike (End of FAQ)

I hope you have all been edified by this little history of what happened with the apostles Peter and Paul, and I pray you do not consider either the apostles or me or any of our other elders, who taught this immature understanding in the past, as hypocrites. Neither Peter nor Paul were hypocrites. Like me, their understanding was lacking until the Lord "enlighted the eyes of their understanding":

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [of the first resurrection, "the resurrection of life".
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his powerto us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

I am not impugning the character of anyone. When the Lord blinds us, it is not of our own doing. When we sin it is not even of ourselves. This is all of the Lord, and my prayer is that the Lord will not lay to anyone's charge what He has wrought in that person's life (Rom 7:17-25).

That is our study for today. Today is the day that we are purging the Lord's house of the leaven He has placed within it, and we look forward to sweet fellowship with all whom the Lord gives to us. Let Steve Crook or Sandi know where you think you are hearing the voice of the True Shepherd, and we will either add you to our fellowship or purge you from our midst as you let us know. I will wrap this up by repeating again, there is no rush to judgment being exerted just because we are purging the Lord's house. Take all the time you need to determine whether you are raised up to the resurrection of life or to the resurrection of judgment, the second death, the lake of fire, the great white throne judgment to be judged with the whole world:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. [to the second death].

Next week, Lord willing, we will return to the study of our judgment in this age, as we continue our studies in Isaiah.

Psa 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
Psa 71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
Psa 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
Psa 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
Psa 71: I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
Psa 71:8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

Last week we looked at how God delivers His people through the trials of this life, through the much tribulation, and through the persecution or oppression which all serve to mature us on our journey toward the new country we have been promised.

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

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

2Ti 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

Luk 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.
Luk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The manner in which we die as Christians demonstrates to the world and to ourselves that we are of the generation who have no confidence in the flesh we are putting off.

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

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

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

We are not trying to preserve this life but rather are given “not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake”, as we come to give thanks for the wonderful works to his people that are causing us to put off our ungodly fleshly alliances to this life and to trust our Father without any wavering.

Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Jer 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

We will look more closely at how God truly is “our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble”, and our “strong habitation” who we can “continually resort” (in verse 3 of this study).

Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psa 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

We know now that this sentence of death spoken of in 2Co 1:9 (above) is what signifies that we are the workmanship of our Father, and that this one seed has been determined from the foundation of the world to bring forth fruit (good works) through that dying to self process.

Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Joh 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [1Jn 4:17], will draw all men unto me.
Joh 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

The truth of the matter is that it is impossible for us to stop trusting our flesh unless we are given trials that bring us to cry out to God, trials which cause us to cease from sinning, which is what we are doing when we act without faith.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

It is those trials that can come in many forms that work a glorious purpose that witness that we are His workmanship that God is keeping through Christ. We are His children who are growing in seeing our continual need for our Abba Father who can only keep us wise as serpants and gentle as doves, always aware of men, especially the man we face in the mirror every morning who has been called to die daily.

Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

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

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

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

It is not adding to scripture to say that if we be lifted up from the earth, if we are blessed to be “holden up from the womb” in this age, then we will also share with Christ in drawing all men unto Him within us both in the future and even today.

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

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Our study starts with verse three:

Psa 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

What a hopeful prayer! The psalmist knows that his enemies are too great for him, and God has made it this way so that he may utter these words “be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort”. This makes me think of how our inheritance is in the saints today, and how we “resort” together as the body of Christ and learn that God is “my [our] rock and my [our] fortress”

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Psa 71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
Psa 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

We all know who this wicked man is and how unrighteous and cruel we all would be except the Lord stay the hand of Satan and strengthen us through Christ.

2Sa 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

Verses 4 and 5 are connected thoughts because it is here that we will know deliverance from the wickedness within us. The ability to hope and trust in God will be made manifest as a result of God dealing with the wickedness within us, the “unrighteous and cruel man”.

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Psa 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

This verse is very symbolic of the life of Christ and His body who are being matured in the church, with Christ’s mother being a type of the church (Luk 1:28, Luk 2:35).

Christ was “holden^H5564 up from the womb” (which is ‘shown favour’ or ‘established’) not just in the womb of his mother which symbolizes the church but his entire life (Luk 2:40, 2Pe 3:18). And Jeremiah is another example of this predestined conditioned (type and shadow) that God has given to the elect to experience before the rest of humanity (Jer 1:5-7)

H5564
סמך
sâmak
saw-mak’

A primitive root; to prop (literally or figuratively); reflexively to lean upon or take hold of (in a favorable or unfavorable sense): – bear up, establish, (up-) hold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay (self), sustain.

We are called to be “holden^H5564 up from the womb” and to go unto maturity so that we may, God willing, be used to help bring in the later harvest of humanity who will also be “holden^H5564 up from the womb” of the earth, earth, earth condition (“my mother’s bowels”) that we all must come out of spoken of in (Jer 22:29).

The connection is made in this verse to praise God for the increase that he gives us in the womb or the church (Heb 13:15). We give thanks and worship him in spirit and in truth because He has mercifully shown favour to us and lifted us, and is lifting us out of the womb or Babylon which is the deliverance that Jeremiah speaks of, in type and shadow, for God’s elect and eventually all the world. Just like any birth there are birth pangs and a natural pattern that demonstrates in the physical birth of a child what we can expect as God’s children who are awaiting our change.

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

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

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:

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

Psa 71:7 I am as a wonder^H4159 unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

We are a peculiar people or “a wonder unto many”, we who are seated in heavenly places worshipping God in spirit and in truth, a truth that has been taken away from the world for today.

Isa 20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder^H4159 upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

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

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

God has set in motion this witness being proclaimed throughout the body of Christ and has provided us “strong refuge” so that what has begun within us can and will be accomplished in Christ through whom we can endure all things.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

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

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

Psa 71:8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

Our last verse this evening is something I pray God will manifest more and more abundantly in his people. We ought to be a people with praise continually on our lips and with a spirit of gratitude that honours God continually but God knows that this also is a gift that has to be formed over time through trials that mature us and take us out of that baby state of murmuring, out of the spiritual crib of the earth earth earth of and into a spirit and truth relationship with our Creator that has us rejoicing always in the Lord and again I say rejoice because we have been “holden up from the womb” “By thee”. Twice we are told to rejoice always to remind us that such a spirit comes only by God granting the increase, and so we cry out and ask our heavenly Father for those purified lips of thanksgiving all the day.

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

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

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Mike,

I had a dream a few days ago, that was interesting but I have no idea what it was supposed to mean, so I’m hoping you could shed some light on this.
I had a dream that I was riding in a vehicle in the mountains. I was the passenger in this vehicle, and the person driving was driving erratic and way too fast for the terrain we were in. Then the driver lost control, went off a cliff. The driver was killed, but I was unharmed. Not even a scratch. I crawled out the vehicle and saw a rescue team coming, but for some reason I had in my mind these people who were sent as a rescue team was actually trying to kill me so I played dead.
Is there anything spiritual going on here? If so, I’d really like to know what is going on.

Sincerely,
P____

Hi P____,

You ask about the meaning of a dream in which you had a wreck in a car that was being driven by another person who died in the wreck, leaving you unscathed. Then as you were climbing away from the wreckage the rescue team that had been sent to save you was perceived as your executioner, so instead of showing that you were now alive, you played dead to avoid dying.

You have said:

I’m hoping you could shed some light on this.

Well, before I tell you what the scriptures reveal in the symbols of your dream, let me remind you that all of mankind will “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. If you have been following our weekly Sunday morning at 11 A. M. Eastern Standard Time series on the book of Revelation, then you know that “All things, things present and things to come, are ours” and we all will “keep the things which are written” in this revelation of Jesus Christ”.

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

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

These three verses being true, the Truth of this verse becomes obvious:

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [ is] the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

There are a million variations of that “one event” but that ‘one event’ requires that we all face the fact that we are all first the first natural beastly ‘Adam’ before we can become the last spiritual Adam, by the agency of the predestined death of that first Adam. Indeed “all things are ours, the world, life, death, things present, and things to come, are all ours” and are all a part of that “one event which comes to the righteous and to the wicked”.
So what I am about to show you is addressed to us all and not just to you. The fact that God has given you this dream is a wonderful sign of His work in your life, admonishing you that we are all required to “die daily” and be “crucified with Christ” as He admonishes all who are given eyes that see and ears that hear the things of the spirit.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know  them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

To the natural man it is foolishness to seek to die. Whereas in scriptural terms, we are all already dead unless we have Christ and we know God and His Son Jesus Christ.

1Jn 5:12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Being natural men by birth, we all fail to see things in that light, and we all strive in vain to maintain these dying natural bodies. No one yet has succeeding in doing so, and it is a fairly safe bet that we will all “return to the dust that we are”.

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The death we seek is death to the things of this world and death to our fear of death and our fear of being rejected by all of our friends and families in this world. So we seek to die, “nevertheless we live, and the life we now live is by the faith of the Son of God…”
Your dream reveals that you, along with all mankind, still fear death.

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

In your dream you fear death to the point of faking being dead, rather than demonstrating that you have been saved from death. We all do this because we all deny our Lord at our own preordained time. This is not just true of the apostle Peter, it is common to us all:

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Now let’s see where the symbols of your dream are found in scripture. Let’s see if there is a place in scripture where anyone is saved from a terrible wreck, told to stand and demonstrate that their faith is in God, and instead they seek to save their own lives in their own way. Is there any such story? As a matter of fact there is just such a story, and as I have said before, this story is a story that is common to all mankind. The car’s driver is driving the car in a way that guarantees the destruction of all we have worked for, and it is all ‘out of our hands’, just as Israel’s destruction by the armies of the King of Babylon was ‘out of Israel’s hands’ in Jeremiah’s day. God had told Israel that they would not be permitted to return to Egypt, but that they would be the servants of the Assyrians when He brought them up out of Egypt. When God speaks, He brings it to pass.

Hos 11:5  He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian [ Babylon] shall be his king, because they refused to return [ to God].
Hos 11:6  And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

When we do what we want to do without seeking God’s counsel, or worse yet we are told what is God’s counsel and we still do what we want to do, we have just denied our Lord in an attempt to save our own lives, and we will still have to endure death. Here is that whole story. God has already delivered Israel into the hands of the Assyrians, the Assyrians have been conquered and absorbed by the Babylonians, who are also Assyrians, and Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, has carried Judah and Judah’s king and all of Judah’s prominent men and women and children, away as captives into the land of Babylon. This is the wreck by the unnamed driver of your dream. But miraculously, a remnant of God’s people are unscathed by the catastrophe and are placed as rulers in the land. Another wreck takes place because another driver drives off the cliff and kills the ruler who was installed in power by King Nebuchadnezzar. The people who are saved from this ‘wreck’ come to Jeremiah.

Jer 40:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.
Jer 40:2  And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
Jer 40:3  Now the LORD hath brought [ it], and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
Jer 40:4  And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which [ were] upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land [ is] before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
Jer 40:5  Now while he was not yet gone back, [ he said], Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
Jer 40:6  Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
Jer 40:7  Now when all the captains of the forces which [ were] in the fields, [ even] they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
Jer 40:8  Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
Jer 40:9  And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
Jer 40:10  As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put [ them] in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.
Jer 40:11  Likewise when all the Jews that [ were] in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that [ were] in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;
Jer 40:12  Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
Jer 40:13  Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that [ were] in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
Jer 40:14  And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.
Jer 40:15  Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
Jer 40:16  But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

You and I are Gedaliah and the remnant who are gathered to him by the Lord. We are warned that there are “grievous wolves” among us, and we blow it off as if it were a lie, and in so doing we have turned control of the car over to those grievous wolves who will surely shipwreck our boat or drive us off the cliff. We are then miraculously delivered again, just to repeat the same failed policy of attempting to save ourselves instead of obeying God, being willing to die in order to obey Him, and trusting Him to protect us from those we fear. The consequence is always the same and we discover that our old man simply must die, and we must learn to trust in our Lord and His Words.
This story is so important that it occupies five chapters of the book of Jeremiah. Chapter 43 tells how the people who asked Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord for them, and who vowed to obey the Lord’s words, did just the opposite, and called Jeremiah a false prophet for remaining faithful to the word of the Lord. Here is how it all played out and this is what becomes of our old man when we return to Egypt thinking we will somehow save our lives by returning to our old ways, and by seeking to avoid death and rejection by the world.

Jer 44:1  The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
Jer 44:2  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they [ are] a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
Jer 44:3  Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, [ and] to serve other gods, whom they knew not, [ neither] they, ye, nor your fathers.
Jer 44:4  Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending [ them], saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
Jer 44:5  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
Jer 44:6  Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted [ and] desolate, as at this day.
Jer 44:7  Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye [ this] great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
Jer 44:8  In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Jer 44:9  Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Jer 44:10  They are not humbled [ even] unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
Jer 44:11  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
Jer 44:12  And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, [ and] fall in the land of Egypt; they shall [ even] be consumed by the sword [ and] by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, [ and] an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
Jer 44:13  For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
Jer 44:14  So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
Jer 44:15  Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 44:16  As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
Jer 44:17  But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for [ then] had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
Jer 44:18  But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all [ things], and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
Jer 44:19  And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
Jer 44:20  Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him [ that] answer, saying,
Jer 44:21  The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it [ not] into his mind?
Jer 44:22  So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, [ and] because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
Jer 44:23  Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
Jer 44:24  Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that [ are] in the land of Egypt:
Jer 44:25  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
Jer 44:26  Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.
Jer 44:27  Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
Jer 44:28  Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
Jer 44:29  And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
Jer 44:30  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

When we do what we want to do, it is always an attempt to save ourselves by ignoring God’s plain and simple commandments and attempting to avoid “dying daily” to the things of this world. It has never yet worked and it never will, because Christ, and He alone, is our salvation, and that salvation comes only “through death”.
I hope this has, as you put it, “shed some light” on the meaning of your dream. That is the meaning of the symbolism in your dream, of not wanting to die, and the attempt to save ourselves. Jer 40-44 chronicles the outcome of that part of our walk. All our attempts to save ourselves simply fulfill what is already written in God’s book concerning our inevitable death to this flesh.
We will all “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4), because “these things happened to them, and they are written for our admonition (1Co 10:11), all things are ours, things present and things to come (1Co 3:21-22), we will keep the things written in the book (Rev 1:3), because all things do come alike to all men” (Ecc 9:2)..

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks for showing me this. It all makes perfect sense. This gives me a better view where I stand with God. I would have never thought that my dream meant that I feared death. I really didn’t know this, but God knows us better than we know ourselves.

“The death we seek is death to the things of this world, and death to our fear of death, and our fear of being rejected by all of our friends and families in this world.”

Mike I have already been rejected by my own mother, sister, aunt and who knows who else. They haven’t came right out and said this directly, but their actions show this. It does hurt, but I will not go back to the beliefs the mainstream Christianity teaches because their teachings don’t glorify God. It has been quite a lonely road I have been walking.

“But miraculously, a remnant of God’s people are unscathed by the catastrophe and are placed as rulers in the land.”

From the looks of this, and the scriptures you provided, it looks to me like God is certainly doing a work in me to be a ruler in the land. My prayer is that God will give me strength to overcome and die to the world completely.

Thanks for taking the time to point this out.
Your brother in Christ,
P____

Audio Links

Introduction – ‘Sheep’ and ‘Lamb’ as Christ

As with every word of scripture, the word ‘sheep’ has a meaning behind it that has nothing at all to do with a four legged barnyard animal. What then does this word typify?

In answering this question we must remember that God’s Word is completely “Christ-centric.” We are told that the book of Revelation is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is a completely Christ-centered book. Now, since “the sum of Thy Word is Truth” (Psa 119:160 ASV), and since “Christ is that Truth” (Joh 14:6) and “is the Word” (Joh 1:1), that makes the entirety of God’s Word Christ-centered.

Psa 119:160  The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. (ASV, ESV, etc.)

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

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Since the sum of God’s Word is Truth and since Christ says “I am the Truth,” it adds not one Word to the Word of God to say that Christ is the sum of God’s Word and that the whole of the Bible is indeed ‘Christ-centric.’

What does all this have to do with the word ‘sheep’ in scripture? It tells us that this word ‘sheep’ is centered around Christ. If we can keep this in mind, we will much better understand what Christ means when we see the words, sheep, lamb or ram in scripture. If Christ is in us, then we, too, must identify with these words ‘sheep’ and ‘lamb.’

Who is “the lamb of God?

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Joh 1:35  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

If Christ is a lamb, what does that make us?

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

In what way are we sheep?

Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Christ calls us His lambs and His sheep. He mentions the lambs first but only once. He mentions the sheep twice and last. Christ, through His elect sheep, feeds both His lambs and His sheep.

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest 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 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 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.

“Feed my sheep,” not ‘feed upon my sheep’ but “feed my sheep. When we see the sheep being abused, we take it to our Father:

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.

Joseph was in Babylon when his eyes began to be opened to the fact that His brothers didn’t really care for the welfare of their Father as much as for themselves.

Joseph’s brothers were so interested in their own welfare that they later sold Joseph for two pieces of silver each – twenty pieces of silver (Benjamin was not involved in this betrayal).

What are a sheep’s natural enemies?

Many biblical animals prey upon sheep. Scripturally sheep are the natural prey for lions, leopards, bears, and wolves:

1Sa 17:33  And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1Sa 17:34  And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35  And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

The true shepherd does not leave God’s sheep to the lions, leopards, bears or wolves. He fights for His flock, and He slays the lion, the leopard, the bear and the wolf, and takes God’s lambs “out of his (the lion’s) mouth.” David was a true shepherd who had laid his life down for His father’s sheep. It was that same spirit which led him to lay his life down for King Saul and to fight Goliath, the giant who defied God.

David’s service for His heavenly father, just like ours, also began in Babylon. Later David comes to see that God has a rejected anointed, who wants God’s elect dead:

Psa 17:11  They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy [ kasaph] of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

All the beasts of the forest prey on God’s backslidden flock:

Jer 5:6  Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

Eze 22:25  There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Eze 22:26  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Eze 22:27  Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

Zep 3:3  Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Our prophets, priests and princes,  like lions, bears and evening wolves, all destroy God’s sheep.

Until the day that Christ delivers us from the lion, leopard, bear, and wolf

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. [The ‘wolf’ comes in the hireling. The hireling is the wolf.]

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

We are all “dumb sheep” who “follow strangers and go astray” before we become “wise as serpents” to be are “sent among wolves.”

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

“To draw away disciples” means that these false prophets are willing to leave off part of “the counsel of God” which may be a little too hard to maintain a good sized congregation.

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

“It takes a congregation of at least 30 regular attendees to make it worth while.” That is a quote from a minister friend of mine.

2Ti 4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

Even when ‘David delivers us out of the lion’s mouth’ we are still “sheep sent forth among wolves.”

The positive application of all of a sheep’s enemies

Num 23:23  Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Num 23:24  Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
Num 23:25  And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

It is only through our destruction as foolish sheep that “our own sins… evil men [as] God’s sword” judge us and crush us and humble us to be used of God.

Do you want to “be delivered out of the mouth of the lion?” The only way to do so is to go into the lion’s den. We all are in danger in the lion’s den and in the fiery furnace. No, we are willing to die, we actually lay our lives down for God, and in so doing are delivered out of the fire and out of the mouth of the lion.

Conclusion -“My sheep know My Voice…”

It is a wonderful truth that God’s true sheep know his voice:

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.

Before we “know His voice” we “follow many strangers” and “go astray”.

Psa 119:176  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jer 50:6  My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all [Isa 53:6] 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.

The Old Testament made it clear who that “lost sheep” was.

Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

If we can see that we are that lost sheep which has gone astray and been deceived by our own shepherds, then we just might be given ears to hear the voice of our true shepherd:

Joh 10:24  Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Christ is the “good shepherd.” He is also the door to the sheepfold, and He tells us, “He that enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

So along with calling His elect “the light of the world” and “one bread”, we are now also called “the shepherd of the sheep” if we enter the sheepfold through the door to the sheepfold. “As He is, so are we in this world.”

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

One more thing Christ is that we also are is a lamb and a sheep. As John the Baptist said of Christ,

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

The world should see Christ in us. We are the lambs of the Lamb; what our Savior calls saviors:

Joh 21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest 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 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Neh 9:27  Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

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

In Christ, you are that fire of the lake of fire.

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

In Christ, you are Christ’s lambs who will also be “saviors on Mount Zion”.

There can be no greater calling. Lay hold upon that calling:

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19  Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

I will close by reminding you that in this world you are as Christ is, and the world should be able to say of you:

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

Animals in Scripture – Wolves

[Study Aired April 7, 2008]

Introduction

Like every word of Scripture, the creatures of God’s Word have nothing at all to do with their spiritual counterparts, except as they are used to show us the mind of God concerning the “things of the spirit.” In scripture, like so many of the creatures of scripture, wolves have a generally negative application which helps us to see the different aspects of the beast which we all are. We are not one beast versus another. Rather, the book of Revelation has given us to understand that all of the beasts of Daniel are all really just types of one single beast with the heads of all the beasts mentioned in Daniel. In other words, we are brought by the sum of God’s word to see that we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Dan 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
Dan 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

When we come to understand the principle Christ reveals of “living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” it becomes clear why the beast of Revelation just happens to have all the same qualities of the four beasts of Daniel 7. When we see that we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, it becomes clear that all of those consecutive kingdoms of Daniel are alive and well within each of us.

This is not just true of these four kingdoms. It is also true of all of the people of the Old Testament. When we see that we “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, we find that we have within each of us Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Enoch and those seeking his life, Noah and those who laughed at and belittled his message, Abraham and Pharaoh, Isaac and Abimelech, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and His brothers, etc. etc.

We are brought to see that within us are Moses and Pharaoh, Moses and Korah, those who died in the wilderness, and those who entered into the land, all of the judges and their adversaries, all of the kings of both Judah and Israel, all of the prophets and all those to whom they were sent as witnesses.

In the New Testament we see that within we are both the Christ and those who seek His life and the life of His Christ. All of God’s word is about the good news of the kingdom of God, and when our eyes are opened and we are given ears that can hear, we finally come to see that “the kingdom of God is within you.”

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

What just so happens to be the subject of every one of Christ’s parables?

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

Christ’s parables hide from the multitudes “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” ‘It is not given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven… which is within you.’

The part of that mystery with which we are concerned today is the spiritual function of a wolf, which wolf we all are in our appointed time.

The positive application of a wolf in scripture

Like “the lion of the tribe of Judah”, a wolf is of great spiritual value if it is ravening over our flesh, devouring our flesh and bringing us to the destruction of that beast within. As we have seen before, Joseph gave his brother Benjamin most favored brother status when he revealed himself to his brothers:

Gen 45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Thus Benjamin represents God’s most favored elect, as demonstrated in Genesis 49 where Jacob, in blessing each of his sons, has this to say about Benjamin:

Gen 49:27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

God’s elect are His channel for the destruction of all flesh in the symbolic “lake of fire”. It is God’s elect who “shall ravin as a wolf” over the flesh and all that appeals to this world.

The negative application of a wolf or wolves

It is also wolves which ‘ravin’ over God’s elect. Just for the sake of clarity, here is Webster’s definition of ‘ravening.’

RAV’ENING, ppr. Preying with rapacity; voraciously devouring; as a ravening wolf.
RAV’ENING, n. Eagerness for plunder.

As the scriptures affirm:

Eze 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Eze 22:27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves [zeeb: H2061] ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
Eze 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
Eze 22:29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
Eze 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Eze 22:31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Spiritual wolves “place no difference between the clean and the unclean… say thus saith the Lord God, When the Lord hath not spoken.” Spiritual wolves use oppresion, exercise robbery, vex the poor and needy, and oppress the stranger wrongfully.”

If we think that one word of these prophecies is for that Pharisee over there or that Babylonian minister out there deceiving so many people, with absolutely no personal application either now or ever, then we don’t even know to whom these prophecies are addressed.

Zep 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

All of God’s people “come out of Babylon”, and Babylon is “that great city wherein our Lord was crucified”. That is “the oppressing city”.

Zep 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Zep 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
Zep 3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Zep 3:4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

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

I cannot tell you what a revelation it was when I came to see that the “great city wherein our Lord was crucified” was the same city as “that great city which rules over the kings of the earth… the great harlot who rules over the kings of the earth.”

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

Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Can any of us deny that the great city “where also our Lord was crucified” is within each of us? Did not we crucify our Lord? Did He not die for our sins?

Zep 3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
Zep 3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
Zep 3:4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Wolves and the color yellow

The Hebrew word translated ‘wolf and wolves’ is:

H2061
ze’e b
zeh- abe’
From an unused root meaning to be yellow; a wolf: – wolf.

Jer 5:6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf [H2061: zeeb] of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

What is the Hebrew word for yellow?

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

Lev 13:30 Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow [H666: tsahob] thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

The holy spirit connects “a wolf of the evenings” with the “yellow hair” associated with leprosy.

Wolves in the New Testament

G3074
λυκος
lukos
loo’- kos

The word is a Greek word, but the spiritual meaning and function are the same:

Mat 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

The ‘wolves’ of verse 16 are the ‘men’ of verse 17, who “will deliver you up to councils (Greek: sanhedrins – church councils),” where God’s elect are “scourged in their synagogues”.

Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Spiritual wolves ‘catch and devour and scatter the sheep.’

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

“Ravening wolves” are all false prophets, and all false prophets are ravening wolves. A minister does not need to strip you of your physical possessions to destroy and devour you spiritually.

Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

We have all been grievous wolves, not sparing the flock, ravening over the prey, as we lived by and taught false doctrines in our own “appointed time”.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Conclusion

I hope none of us have heard or read this study and have come away thinking how fortunate we are never to have been a ravening wolf, a grievous wolf, or a wolf in sheep’s clothing, scattering and devouring our father’s flock. I hope that we all see that we have lived these words and are in the process of living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

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

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

What is the result of living by and keeping every word of the prophecies of this book? Here is what has been done in those who see what the function for the wolf and for every other word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is:

Isa 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Dust will always be the serpent’s meat, because we are all, in our appointed time, “turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” But as we “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”, we come to know the peace that passes all understanding:

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

[The next installment of this study can be found here.]

Mr. Vinson

I go to the Nazarene church. (Do you know of this denomination?) Our pastor is a good man, but once in a great while he will preach about tithing. My brother and I were questioning the reasons behind this. It seems to us that if tithing were of utmost necessity in God’s mind, He would really stress it more often.

My question is: in your experience, do you think “pastors” as a whole, in their reasoning; really teach tithing as a biblical principle, having been taught and won’t buck the system, or as lack of faith that money will be provided for their church, building fund or whatever?

I just can’t believe that any man (preacher) that is trying to do the right thing would not really be sure he is giving good instruction (tithing, sabbaths etc.) before preaching it. That to me would be a frightful thing to do.

Thanks

M____

Hi M____,

I’m sure there are different reasons why different pastors teach tithing. All the reasons you mention are an incentive for a minister to teach tithing.

Contrary to the teachings of orthodox Christianity, the law is an all or nothing at all proposition. You cannot pick and choose what parts of the law of Moses you think should still be lived and preached.

Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

This is the hardest subject in scripture to understand. I have written a long paper on this subject entitled ‘The Law of Moses Versus The Law of The Spirit.’ Check out that paper if you have any questions about the place and function of the law of Moses.

Paul’s answer to your question is that most pastors are “ravening wolves, not sparing the flock.” I’m sure there are exceptions to this rule, but that is the rule.

Mike