In order to fix part of the divine Will in the narrative we have such expressions, 'In the fullness of times, in the beginning in the latter days. While we have time as intended by the Son which are already in the flux. "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(Re.9:15)". An hour a day a month or a year are as an expression for judgments that do not make a full end but warn man to 'Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord( Ac.3:19-NIV)'." "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy
(Pr.29:1-NIV)".
Names serve as kangaroo words throwing up long shadows. Creation of Eve is an example. "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Ge.3:20). Adam assigning his wife the name, Eve, has led some scholars conclude it as an example of paronomasia. The Hebrew word hawwa is a play on the word meaning 'life'. Does God need play with words?
The Spirit uses the role of Eve in relation to Adam who foreshadows Christ the head. His deep sleep anticipates his death and Eve expresses his body, the church. Adam in giving the name 'mother of all living' is on the basis 'I am the truth and the life.'
"Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is (De.10:4)".
The expression 'the heaven and the heaven of heavens' is similar to 'time and times and the dividing of time.' Daniel the seer refers to the latter days. "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time(Dan.7:25).
While explaining the fulness of God in his Son the Spirit splices his deity and humanity explains kangaroo words, end time events riding the specific events as well as persons doubling for the advent of the Son 'in the fulness of time. For instance the spirit of Christ and the indwelling Spirit after his Ascension are all pointing to the fulness of God.Consequently the Spirit loads words with spiritual shadows. God sent 'his only begotten Son' refers to the logos aspect of Jesus Christ.
Whereas the sons of God who went into the daughters of men and corrupted the old world are rogue elements not being subject to the word.( Ge. 6:2). Ishamael and Isaac are both sons of Abraham but one is the son of promise. In order to distinguish the Word becoming flesh, from humanity of Jesus, Promise of the Word necessitate this narrative mode as we see in the matter of God tempting Abraham. Before Abraham could harm his son the angel of the Lord restrains hi Notice the usage of 'the only son' in this verse, "For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."(Ge.22:12b). Both examples are set in direct frame of reference to the Son of man. Isaac is the heir of promise while Ishmael is the son of the bondmaid.
The Spirit incorporates the deity and humanity of the Son to delineate them in the larger context of the Father Son fellowship. Kangaroo words similarly set events within another. Thus Israel being led through the wilderness is an example. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.(1 Co.10:11-AKJV)" But what is the spiritual principle for the Kangaroo Words? Abiding in Christ like branches to the true Vine we are connected to the world of the Spirit. This 'being hid in Christ' we are in heavenly places. (Col.3:1-3)
We are in the "Church Age" at this point; and heading toward the final version of the "Revived Roman Empire" as seen in Daniel 2:42-44. The final composite kingdom of the Antichrist is like a lion (Babylonian symbol but modern day Great Britain); a bear (Media Persian symbol also Russia) a leopard (fitting into the Greek or Mediterranean Kingdom); and the final composite Beast of the last days which encompasses the entire earth ( Daniel 7:2-8). This will come eventually with the Antichrist for "one hour" (probably the 7 Year Tribulation) taking over a kingdom of 10 Kings who are yet to have a kingdom ( Revelation 17:12).
Since nations are still mentioned in verses about the Millennium ( Psalm 86:9 as one example) coming to the Lord it is clear they are in God's design to be restored. For now; territorial integrity is important; although God will have to settle many disputes when He comes ( Isaiah 2:4).
God has established through the Abrahamic covenant and other promises to Joshua and Caleb that He would give the 12 Tribes inheritance of all the territory described from the "Great Sea" to the Euphrates ( Joshua 1:4). God does honor covenants though; so agreements made with those in other nations or even Israel itself say with settlements should be honored.
We also need to keep in mind Joshua 5:14 where the Angel of the Lord states He is for the Lord's army not necessarily siding with anyone. This is why God allowed Israel's enemies to prosper at times for chastisement; as was made clear in God's prophecies about Babylon and even the pagan invaders stated this (although I can't find the verse at present). It is humbling to think about this at present; we in our proud nation think the worst thing to happen would be invasion from another nation and submission but are we better than Israel and the Babylonians? This may happen before the Tribulation if He tarries (our borders are already breached BTW). Food for thought.
Countless people have pastored churches, taught Sunday school classes, led Bible studies, sung in choirs, and been involved in every conceivable area of ministry only to one day abandon their ministries and embrace the world. Somehow they stopped resisting the Devil and lost the courage to stand firm. How about you? Is your commitment strong? Are you willing to stand firm for the Lord today?
The attitude of a believer to the spirit of life is demonstrated in this incident "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?/ But he(Jesus) turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of./ For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."( Luke 9:54-56) John was for imitating the exploits of Elias while Jesus was for fulfilling the will of God. John and James had to learn which would come by and by, and only after they received the Holy Spirit. As many as are led by the Spirit are the children of God.
Water and fire are two witnesses to which Jesus alluded in Luke 12:54-56
The word-wide web set up by the Spirit of God is ever in control so symbols, emblem and events are all in accordance so God is in control. The fourth beast in the vision of Daniel is about to fulfill in not so distant future. "Even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows". Well my readers say hello to the High Tech! Meet the killer robot and AI he is a little gizmo, little horn that has eyes and mouth to speak. " I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them."(Dan.7:20-21) It is the same spirit of Satan even as he gave the beast power to blaspheme. It came out of the ten horns, which indicate he is under judgment.
Who but a man makes a robot works? He cannot work with wisdom of heaven which is the significance of God being with Moses, "And I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." (Ex.4:12). "Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments./For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods"(Ex.7:11-12) The eternal Word in control.
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."(Ro.8:11)
God framed worlds with his word so faith shall never be out of step with the will of God. "So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear' goes for the natural world as well. Water is formed accordingly from atoms of hydrogen and oxygen. So a mist going out of the ground is not wandering out, freed from its leash. The dog knows his master. "But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." Pendent to this is the characteristic of the soil. Volcanic ash is inert but add water to it is active. It is thus the natural world proves faith and ''Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The Spirit of God working with the waters gives man a hands -on experience of spirit of life. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."(1 Co.2:11)
The indwelling Spirit serves as the world of the Spirit bringing heavenly realities into the heart of a believer. The same two witnesses are realized in us so to speak. God breathed into the nostrils of man and made him a living soul. A believer who would be led by the same Spirit that raised up Jesus is in heavenly places, to which the blood of the Lamb is a sign. It serves the same purpose as the slain Lamb before the foundation of the world as an emblem. God rested from his labors on the seventh day and sanctified the day so Jesus made manifest the same faith, and the Lamb of God was led to the slaughter even as the Scriptures indicated. This is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sins.
The word-wide web set up by the Spirit of God is ever in control of symbols, emblem and events.
So as we see these two witnesses could be any city, Babylon, Sodom of Egypt. Jerusalem is associated with the shedding of innocent blood of which the death of the Son on the cross is preeminent in terms of cities. As Nahum lamented, "Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;/ The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots./ The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:."(Nah.3:1-3)
11:8-12
"After three days and an half spirit of life entered into them"
Here we have another time frame associated with the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The Spirit uses the tags associated with the Son so the Parable of the Fig tree has the owner of the vineyard complaining, "For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. " Three is a command number, which the Spirit has frequently used to indicate what to look for so our spiritual edification is not on any haphazard manner. In the Psalm quote we have this question, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?". Only those who are called and it is what we see in the case of two witnesses." "And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
Death of saints never stopped the Vanity Fair, and the life shall go on merrily and it has been the case ever since Cain killed his brother. Never a thought that the blood spilled on the ground was an insult to the holiness of God. It is in this connection we need understand the commandment of God to Moses. (See the post under Nu.19:16)
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein./ For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods./ Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?"(Ps.24:1-3)
Before we take up the topic on hand we shall refresh the matter of the earth and the fulness thereof. The Lord God had intended his Son as his heir. So the fulness of Jesus Christ must be applied as to the entity and its appurtenance. It is a legal term. God established it upon the flood so when the Spirit begins the creation account he informs us, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."(Ge.1:2) Thus God optimize the value of his property so we can well understand the concern of the owner in the Parable of the fig tree, "So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'"( Luke 13:7-NIV) And Isaiah has dilated upon his anguish, "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard./ What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" (Is.5:3-4)
God sent his prophets from time to time to the earth but the wicked husbandmen treated them vilely and killed many of them. The two witnesses signifying the worlds of the Spirit and of the earth, are presented by the Spirit. They represent from Abel to Zechariah as martyrs and many more. It is in the vein Jerusalem is represented in v.8. This is to be spiritually understood. The Earth abides forever since it belongs to the Son in whom God desired all his fullness to dwell. He is the visible image of the invisible God.
The Spirit gives the beast 42 months to denote that his authority came from Satan himself. So are these children. Do we not see these children of Belial hating a man for color? or for his baldness? Of what business it is for them to judge another man's servant? Children of Belial serve their master and they have another gospel and another christ. "Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. "(Ps.69:4) This was fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. "But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'( John 15:25)
The angel talking with John refers to the temple of God to which shows a courtyard, and it falls in with his Jewish background. But the courtyard refers to the camp without where Christ suffered, "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."(He.13:12)
The Children of Belial or the Gentiles by their deeds (because of resisting the gospel of Christ) shall injure the building of the church which however shall go on despite of their interference. This shall go on for 42 days.
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months./ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
In order to understand this chapter we shall do well to keep the provision under the Law of Moses. "And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days."Nu.19:11
The Gentiles mentioned here are the unrighteous. The reconciling work of Jesus Christ has done away with the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles. These have a form of godliness but they deny the power thereof. In Ps.59 we read of them going about creating tumult and controversies. Swords are in their mouths. "They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city."( Ps. 59:6-7) They are called the children of Belial. On the other hand the righteous are walk by faith and not by sight. St Paul expresses them in this verse, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." Having died to sin and the worldly glory they groan inwardly 'that mortality might be swallowed up of life." (2 Co,5:4-6) "The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous,"( Ps. 118:15-16-NKJV)
Who are the children of Belial? They figure in the life of Elisha. "And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head./ And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."(2 Ki.2:23-24) The two bears that avenged the prophet serve as two witnesses.
The Bowl upon the top of it and the manner it fed are the ways of God feeding separately each agency, whether it is the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of counsel, 'Of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace'( John 1:16)
Interesting additions are the two witnesses in the olive trees on either side. The Spirit lays emphasis in the rhetorical question, which he himself answers (vv.12-14) and these are very pendent on the point of golden oil. Two pipes indicate from God the Father and God the son nourishing the prayer and praise aspect of every believer. "Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth"(v.14). The whole tenor of Jesus while on the earth highlighted both aspects.
To sum: the Golden Candlestick bridges each heart to the throne of grace.
In order to understand the significant of numbers used by the Spirit we need a fair grasp of what the ministry of Reconciliation of Jesus intended to achieve. "I am the Resurrection and life" and as such we are dead to the world so we may live in Christ in heavenly places by faith.
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."(11:1) Paraphrasing the word of God every one of us need to answer this question, "where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" While we are in this earthly tabernacle we are engaged in gathering with Christ and have part as fellow laborers. So the angel asks John to measure the temple himself. Prayer and praise are set as memorial in heaven of which the four and twenty elders and four beast signify Glory of His grace and His Gospel. Are we in step with the realities of heaven or scattering His grace and gospel for praise of men?
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein./ But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months./ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
What do we make of the term 'my two witnesses'? The clues are given in this chapter. Firstly all power is given to them and it is what we see in the Lamb 'as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."(Re.5:6) . Power devolved from one who prevailed upon to open the book bound with seven seals is worthy to send them forth on his behalf. "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."(Re.5:2-5). It is as though we are seeing the night vision of Daniel through the light of the Son. The Ancient of days gave the authority. "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him./ And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."(Dan.7:13-14)
Secondly they are prophets and also a time frame is appointed as a day is appointed for the Son. Jesus himself gave testimony and it is the spirit of prophecy.
This is set on a mountain, curiously enough the Spirit sets Ezekiel in his vision under almost identical circumstances. "And set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south./ And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate."(Ez.40:2-3) Notice the significance of line of flax in his hand? The angel is none other than a fellow servant even as John whose measuring reed is mentioned specifically stated. We see in these two same distinction between the vision where Ezekiel as with Daniel represents the nation of Israel. Both mountain serving as a backdrop establishes Zion as intended, as His holy habitation. In the next post we shall examine another vision which again is pendent on this temple. (Re.11:1-2)
This comparative method is for our instruction in righteousness and we shall not escape judgement since the standard unit of the golden reed is for the believers meeting the requirement of the gospel. Significance of the line of flax is inadequate since Jesus Christ shed his blood for us. Follow me, learn of me are not famous lost words but we ought to learn of him. One baptism by water makes only your faith expressed, and without works faith is dead as flax is consumed by fire.
For meditation: "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is./ If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward./ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."1 Co.3:13-15
, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;/ And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." (1 Co.10:1-3) Baptized into Moses makes sense that He was a stand-in for the Son but as a servant.(Nu.12::7). Jesus is the only Way.
What we are in this post assaying to do is to present a total picture. "In the cloud and the sea for the doctrinal truth of baptismIt is the life of Jesus we cling to. Hypocrites settle for Jesus talk. As baptism of water it is a sacrament to be performed once as has been demonstrated by these nominal Christians every where. If we have died to sin and the world whence comes nationalism of the baser sort that even scoundrels shrink from, and hunger for praises from men?
Moses merely served God as faithful in all his house. But He would not let him step where the position could only be filled by his Son. This is what Jesus referring to as the baptism of fire.
"Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.' (Ex.32:32) In the passage God did not take the offer however well meaning it was. In the divine Will the day was decreed for the Son and it had to end in a conflagration into which all the artefacts,- cultural and social, of the ungodly would be consigned to fire. This would only after his Son had perfected the will of his Father. As the Son he was referring to his coming passion and the division that would follow. The manner Seth stepped into the breach made by Cain the wicked one, he knew what his Advent would entail. St Peter refers to the purging by fire. (2 Pe.3:7,10)
Ro.15:1-7
" For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me./ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,"
"Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"(v.56).
This could be Jesus asking in our times and with the climate on a crisis mode how apt it is! In continuation to the series we have just covered we shall begin with the face of the sky and face of the earth representing two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. An overcomer has to handle both worlds as one, and no other way. It is hypocrisy to set divisions on the face of the earth and expect the Christians to be part of the same body of Christ. Hunting with dogs, ('Beware of dogs') and running with hares during revival meetings shall have only one winner, and it is Satan. But Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. In the vision of the Woman Clothed with the Sun the 10 horns of the great dragon tell that he is under judgment. So whosoever backs his gospel and his anti-christ is doomed for destruction.
Jesus said in the above mentioned text,-and he gave a strong indication of the great tribulation his Advent would mean but the life of men called to be witnesses in a wicked world has to be by the light he represents. It is a fire already kindled to which we shall cite the destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plains. God lives in unapproachable light but also as we see in the night vision of Daniel is a consuming fire. (Dan.7). We shall begin with his quote: "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?/ But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!"(vv.49-50)
In the previous post titled "With the Remnant of Her Seed" we had mentioned two witnesses namely water and fire. The two pillars that served the Israelites till they reached Canaan were forerunner of the baptism of which the various sects are mostly taken up with only that of water. (1 Co.10:1-3)
. Every overcomer fights with full armour of God and back up from heaven. This is what spiritual blessings jn heavenly places in Christ would mean.
So we shall tackle the question who were they? "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,"(v.7) Michael and his angels represent the world of the Spirit and simultaneously albeit bound by time and place we are also joined the battle so the exhortation, 'Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong,' is meant for us. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."(1 Co.16:13; Ep.6:13) For both worlds there is only only one article that prevails over the enemy; blood of the lamb. This is well illustrated by this vision of St John in ch.5.
"And in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."(5:6)
Re.12:13
The Great Tribulation
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child."(v.13)
Jesus had foretold of the persecutions that were inevitable. He was aware of the enemy and his wiles. The devil sins from the beginning. He was manifested among his disciples for this reason. So he forewarned them. "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!"(Luke.17:1)
The Spirit presents the devil with a colour code, which refers to the rider of the red horse in the chapter 6 of the Book. The red dragon makes his entry in the cavalcade, "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."(6:4) .
We only need compare the life of Abraham and of the king of Tyrus whose authority came from Satan. God allowed Abraham to walk the land and breadth of the land promised to him. "Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee."(Ge.13:17) God expected him to walk in faith in the world of the body and live accordingly Because God was his reward. His perfection came from his faith matching His. No more or no less. He was to be coheir with his Son.
The cherub was perfect till iniquity was found in him. The red dragon was perfect with seven crowns and seven heads, But ten horns established iniquity of pride and he was under judgment. On account of it the beast mentioned in Re.13 was in great wrath, knowing the time is short. " And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." The rider on the white horse the Word of God shall take him and cohorts and throw them into the lake of fire. (Re.19:11-21) We are on the cusp of the end times.
Re.12:11
Overcomer
" And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
'And they overcame him'
Who are they? Before answering it we look at the verse below. " Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them." The Holy Spirit is referring to the cloud of witnesses, and the angelic hosts who dwell in the heavens." Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth./ The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."(Ps.115:15-16) In short God blessed man with all spiritual blessing which require us reorient ourselves in His presence. We are negotiating two worlds at the same time so whosoever denies the world of Spirit having claim of him, is a liar. Truth is written in his inward parts and God has placed eternity in his heart. In refusing to accept the truth he is resisting God.
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads."
There was perfection in the cherub and it speaks of his sonship. "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."(Ez.28:15) As with Adam he was created and the Psalmist speaks of the angels being of different order. What is man? "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour."(Ps.8:5). In his divine Will the man created had to be in a specific likeness for which his obedience was counted more. His Son settled for the body that He has prepared. It was thus God formed him from the ground and later breathed into his nostrils to make him a living soul. His glory and honour devolved from the faith of his dear Son who said, "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,/ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." (Ps.40:7-8). The same faith was expected of Adam.
On the other hand the cherub was placed in heavenly places, "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire."(Ez.28:14) God made angels, spirit and were perfect but he wanted much more glory and honor and he would wrest it if God does not. Haven't we heard this before? False teachers would force the tight-fisted God by their faith. Where did they learn from? Lucifer would want more holiness that God has, as it were. "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." (Is.14:13)
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! "
Here the Spirit is giving us two nations, which according to the divine promise to Abraham have their position in heavenly places as well as in the wilderness God assures the patriarch, "But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir./ And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be." (Ge.15:4-5) We have the two groups as summed up by the writer to the Hebrews, "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable./ These all died in faith,"(He.11:12-13)
What are these dead in the presence of the Living God? Are not they redeemed by the living word? The everlasting gospel assures them everlasting life. It is what God promised the Son. So the Spirit sets the woman clothed with 12 stars ("and upon her head a crown of twelve stars") which is made of 4x3. The command number Three refers to the Son. While St Matthew sets down genealogy of Jesus to Abraham (Matt.1:17) gives us 42 generations. (14x3) God's promise to Abraham is backed by the eternal Word.
Inhabiters of the sea refer to wicked nations like troubled sea keep churning up wild outlandish policies at home and abroad. The beast really comes into his own after the saints are redeemed for the earth. He is a demagogue a populist. The Spirit tags the preceding chapter with number 42 which ties up the following chapter as well. The authority of the beast came from the dragon. The Spirit addresses the inhabiters of the land and the sea 'and woe to ye' sums up the great tribulation period. The beast as the proxy for the devil is 'come down unto you, having great wrath. In short the Spirit presents us a shape of things to come.
Having given this by way of introduction we have this time ' time times and a half' which the Spirit uses to describe the woman in the wilderness vis-a-vis the serpent. The dragon is cast out into the earth and he is epitome of evil, an angel gone rogue. This vision is set between the beast who kills the two witnesses from God and the beast and anti-christ appearing on the world stage.(Re.13). As with serpent in the Garden we have the beast confronting the woman in the wilderness. "The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."(Re.11:7)
In the book of Daniel we have a reference to the context, which shall explain this. Daniel asks "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" and the man clothed in linen answers,"And sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."( Dan 12:6-7)
What this vision of St John tells us is about the end times. If we see bigotry and crude nationalism without responsibilities at the high place be certain that the beast has come and his downfall is about to happen.
"And all the world wondered after the beast./ And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?/And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." (13:3-5)
The beast is proxy as the serpent was for Satan. The beast is given forty and two months, another way of saying the time, the times and a half.
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, "
Here the Spirit uses the fall of man as the springboard to her redemption, which is indicated with the place where she is nourished for a time. Earthly ministry of Jesus is established there so when St Paul speaks of strong meat it is to gospel he is referring. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."(1 Co.3:10)
The place prepared for her as God warned Eve is the ground from which man was taken and her conception shall be accompanied with sorrow. It is cursed because of their disobedience. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;"(Ge.3:16) Even so God has made provisions for them so Isaiah's quote 'Glorify ye God in the fires' (Is.24:15) is very relevant for us. Is the wilderness experience terrible if God is in control over you? ""Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her."(Ho.2:14) What we see in our times is the folly of man without God.
In v.14 we read of the two wings of a great eagle given to her so she could be led 'into her place as the Lord did with the nation of Israel. "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."(Ex.19:4-ESV). 'Brought you to myself'" is how the Spirit annotates the divine will in terms of sending his Son to the same cursed ground "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old."(Is.66:9)
This is where the significance of clothing Adam and Eve comes in focus. "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them."(Ge.3:22)
First I have to make a confession of all the books of the entire bible I am the weakest on the book of Revelation.
My question is having this verse in revelation:
Revelation 3:5 (KJV) 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Doesn't that cause a real issue for the "once saved always saved" advocates?
You cannot be saved from DEATH until God sends his angles to HARVEST the SEED.
ONLY mature SEED are harvested, immature SEED are scattered to the wind as is chaff.
Fruit produces SEED, the fruit never look like the SEED, the SEED always looks like the SEED that was planted.
Luke 11:8 Now the PARABLE is this: the SEED is the word of God.
John 1:14 ..... and the word (SEED) was made flesh.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ (the SEED) was once offered for the sins of many; and unto them that look for him (TRUTH, Christ is truth) he (the SEED) shall APPEAR the SECOND TIME.
Matthew 24:30 Then SHALL APPEAR the sign (the image oft he SEED) of the son of man in heaven (IN YOU).... the son of man COMING in the CLOUDS of heaven (IN YOU).
Colossians 1:27 .... this mystery ..... Christ in YOU ......
Matthew 12:28 But if I CAST OUT DEVILS by the Spirit (TRUTH) of God; then the Kingdom of God has COME TO YOU.
The warning of Jesus to seven churches include these false brethren. For example this v. "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:"(Re.3:17) He already knows who are his and who are not. For those incorrigible we have this warning,"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time./ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."( 1 John 2:18-19)
Re.12:6-14
Into The Wilderness
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, "
Here the Spirit uses the fall of man as the springboard to her redemption, which is indicated with the place where she is nourished for a time. Earthly ministry of Jesus is established there so when St Paul speaks of strong meat it is to gospel he is referring. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."(1 Co.3:10)
The place prepared for her as God warned Eve is the ground from which man was taken and her conception shall be accompanied with sorrow. It is cursed because of their disobedience. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;"(Ge.3:16) Even so God has made provisions for them so Isaiah's quote 'Glorify ye God in the fires' (Is.24:15) is very relevant for us. Is the wilderness experience terrible if God is in control over you? ""Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her."(Ho.2:14) What we see in our times is the folly of man without God.
St Paul speaks of the word sent out, "And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" (Ro.10:15). He very well knew what he preached in his missionary journeys. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach." This word of faith was seeded in the heart of Adam while God made him a living soul. Truth in his inward part was the animating aspect of the Spirit of Christ so whatever names Adam called His creation was spot on. By expelling man and woman from the world of the Spirit did not remove this faculty of discernment. Eve calling Seth proved that she indeed anticipated God's will concerning her as He had anticipated the name of Immanuel since He sent forth his word and the glory of the light of knowledge in the face of Jesus Christ.
'Thy Face' gives us the key to the significance of the heart as the face or where the world of the Spirit interfaces with the world of the body. In the second section we find the Spirit setting the lifespan of man in terms of 120 years. "yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."(6:3) Advent of the Son shall have heroes of faith to which the life of Noah is a shining example. What is 120 but man's life and his salvation set in terms of the gospel. The Spirit organized the narrative on a need-to -know basis so the perfect and complete will of the Father as fulfilled by the Son shall be on reconstituted time. With regards to the key text some scholars explain it as this, "meaning either (1) then began men to call themselves by the name of the Lord (marg.) i.e., to distinguish themselves thereby from idolaters; or (2) then men in some public and earnest way began to call upon the Lord, indicating a time of spiritual revival."(selected)
Literalism set up their own landmarks while the Spirit forbids, " Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set."(Pr.22:28)
Let's step back and think for a moment. What is heaven exactly? Surely a large factor there is that we will SERVE God forever.
John 12:26 says in KJV: If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Let us examine the same verse in the amplified version:
If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven's glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
I am not an expert on translations but it would seem eternally serving God is a theme here! Revelation 7:13-15 and Revelation 22:3 make this abundantly clear as to the serving of God eternally of His saints. Worship is also inextricably tied to being a servant; and the ruling and reigning with Christ is part and parcel with the destiny of the church as Kings and Priests before the throne as well ( Revelation 5:10; etal).
Now as we assess this life; surely we see this attitude of service begins here; and Christ of course laid out the perfect example with His life. Mark 10:45 shows how Christ came not to be served but to serve; if God incarnate followed that principal surely His disciples must do the same.
As to work in heaven; surely it won't be a drudgery. The curse with the thorns and sweat on the brow will be gone that we inherited in the garden. We won't have unreasonable taskmasters; stressful deadlines; and other difficulties. Work no doubt will be a cooperative effort since we will all be together in performing tasks. No doubt individual things will be suitable for us as well.
The world at large cannot serve without some benefit for themselves; just like we can't love unconditionally (see Matthew 5:34).
The second son of Adam was a shepherd. He foreshadows Christ the Good Shepherd. His offering from the firstlings of the flock pleased God more than of Cain.
How did Abel settle upon a burnt offering? To the pure God shall show himself as pure. ("With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure, "-Ps.18:26). Abel is qualified as righteous. ( 1 John 3:12)
Faith is the pure language by which he understood the truth 'Without shedding of blood is no remission' (He.9:22). Here is an example of the wisdom from heaven. "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."(Jas.3:17). Besides God first demonstrated when He first dressed his parents with coats of skins. (Ge.3:21).
He was killed by his older brother Cain in a fit of jealousy and became the first martyr.Matt.23:35.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength " (Ps,8:2; Matt.21:16) I was four years old and my Sunday school teacher asked what God was like. But I had an answer that amazed my teacher that he would repppeatt o my father some forty years later. It must have seemed a childish nonsense. Does God throw stones from above on the bad? Now I know from reading Re.18:21 that he does so the mighty Babylon is wiped off from the earth. It made me realize how Abel would have known to please God. To the pure He shall reveal his mysteries. Some 75 years later I knew my life began ages ago.
Matthew 13:30-32 state: 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
There are numerous studies on the explanation of wheat and tares; it boils down to plants that appear the same when they spring out of the ground; but only at the harvest time can useless nonnutritive plants be differentiated from the edible ones used for food. In the end Matthew 13:30 states "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
This would be; I surmise an indication that during the Tribulation the wicked are gathered together eventually in Armageddon to fight God and the rest of the firstfruits and wheat will be translated or Resurrected in heaven.
The real question here may be WHY does God allow this to happen in the first place? First of all; there needs to be an awareness that the battle isn't merely between the Christian attendng church and the rest of the world outside the church who don't profess Christ. In fact it is within the house of God that Satan no doubt desires to impact; the rest of the lost pose no threat to his kingdom. There is no doubt a primary reason for this is to TEST His children to see if they will indeed be zealous for His Name's sake or be as cowards and retreat accepting every wind of doctrine. ( Eph 4:14). Our lamps need to shine ( Matt. 5:16) unashamedly!
"He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works (Ps.33: 15)". This heart is not any anatomical part of the body of man but defines a spiritual place. Truth is written inward parts. This being the case the people, events and places are set in direct frame of reference to Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life."
What is a sign? Rainbow is a natural phenomenon. But after the great flood God sets the sign that gives it a spiritual underpinning. For Noah whenever he saw a rainbow it held a special significance of divine Judgment and His great mercy in delivering from the antediluvian world. A sign is the spiritual shadow to the natural world. It is thus we need understand the role heart plays in instruction in righteousness.
Word as a sign necessitates that we treat the worlds- heaven and the earth as a closed system. Hence symbolism of numbers does play a great part. For example we have this verse, "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars." (Pr.9: 1). Seven in the lexicon of the Spirit is to denote completeness or set forth in the will. So it denotes the house as coming from heaven. God completed the creation in seven days (Ge.2:1) is not simply a matter of seven days as we know the term.
The word of God renders the will of the Father into a visible world just as Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. (Col.1:15). He is the true Light. Thus God commands, 'Let there be light" And it was so. Truth as was in heaven is made visible. God created the worlds of heaven and the earth by His word. Both heard alike meaning faith is the pure language , the lingua franca. Wisdom and Power of God the Father and God the Son must be freely available to man according to the Word, which is eternal and forever settled in heavens. Is it not?
"Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matt.2: 2)." How did a star connect with the king of the Jews so some pagan stargazers should set out in search from one end of the world? William Barclay in his commentary on St Matthew, for an example, writes: "We do not know what brilliant star those ancient Magi saw. Many suggestions have been made." How does it help to be left into a limbo of doubt?
Without faith in its soundness, scholarship is dubious as carnal wisdom is. For Daniel interpreting the king's dream was to lay bare the thoughts of the king's heart fully trusting in God. ("And that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart"-Dan.2: 31). The Spirit annotating whatever topics that require clarity is addressing the heart rather than reason.
Man brings his scholarship, which is his word against the Word, which was with God from the beginning. Where the Spirit presents certainties man is relying on carnal wisdom, which thrives in controversies. There are no buts and ifs with wisdom from heaven, which is freely given. Besides this wisdom is Person specific.
Bible is the God document and is inerrant. Jesus is the Word become flesh so we have him as the standard. "I am the truth" is one single standard about which God framed the worlds 'by the word of His power'. (He.1:3). So Christ is the standard for a child of God who wishes to be made perfect.
Heaven and the earth have a single standard. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."(1 Co.1:30).
In order to fix part of the divine Will in the narrative we have such expressions, 'In the fullness of times, in the beginning in the latter days. While we have time as intended by the Son which are already in the flux. "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(Re.9:15)". An hour a day a month or a year are as an expression for judgments that do not make a full end but warn man to 'Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord( Ac.3:19-NIV)'." "Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy
(Pr.29:1-NIV)".
Names serve as kangaroo words throwing up long shadows. Creation of Eve is an example. "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Ge.3:20). Adam assigning his wife the name, Eve, has led some scholars conclude it as an example of paronomasia. The Hebrew word hawwa is a play on the word meaning 'life'. Does God need play with words?
The Spirit uses the role of Eve in relation to Adam who foreshadows Christ the head. His deep sleep anticipates his death and Eve expresses his body, the church. Adam in giving the name 'mother of all living' is on the basis 'I am the truth and the life.'
"Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is (De.10:4)".
The expression 'the heaven and the heaven of heavens' is similar to 'time and times and the dividing of time.' Daniel the seer refers to the latter days. "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time(Dan.7:25).
While explaining the fulness of God in his Son the Spirit splices his deity and humanity explains kangaroo words, end time events riding the specific events as well as persons doubling for the advent of the Son 'in the fulness of time. For instance the spirit of Christ and the indwelling Spirit after his Ascension are all pointing to the fulness of God.Consequently the Spirit loads words with spiritual shadows. God sent 'his only begotten Son' refers to the logos aspect of Jesus Christ.
Whereas the sons of God who went into the daughters of men and corrupted the old world are rogue elements not being subject to the word.( Ge. 6:2). Ishamael and Isaac are both sons of Abraham but one is the son of promise. In order to distinguish the Word becoming flesh, from humanity of Jesus, Promise of the Word necessitate this narrative mode as we see in the matter of God tempting Abraham. Before Abraham could harm his son the angel of the Lord restrains hi Notice the usage of 'the only son' in this verse, "For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."(Ge.22:12b). Both examples are set in direct frame of reference to the Son of man. Isaac is the heir of promise while Ishmael is the son of the bondmaid.
The Spirit incorporates the deity and humanity of the Son to delineate them in the larger context of the Father Son fellowship. Kangaroo words similarly set events within another. Thus Israel being led through the wilderness is an example. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.(1 Co.10:11-AKJV)" But what is the spiritual principle for the Kangaroo Words? Abiding in Christ like branches to the true Vine we are connected to the world of the Spirit. This 'being hid in Christ' we are in heavenly places. (Col.3:1-3)
We are in the "Church Age" at this point; and heading toward the final version of the "Revived Roman Empire" as seen in Daniel 2:42-44. The final composite kingdom of the Antichrist is like a lion (Babylonian symbol but modern day Great Britain); a bear (Media Persian symbol also Russia) a leopard (fitting into the Greek or Mediterranean Kingdom); and the final composite Beast of the last days which encompasses the entire earth ( Daniel 7:2-8). This will come eventually with the Antichrist for "one hour" (probably the 7 Year Tribulation) taking over a kingdom of 10 Kings who are yet to have a kingdom ( Revelation 17:12).
Since nations are still mentioned in verses about the Millennium ( Psalm 86:9 as one example) coming to the Lord it is clear they are in God's design to be restored. For now; territorial integrity is important; although God will have to settle many disputes when He comes ( Isaiah 2:4).
God has established through the Abrahamic covenant and other promises to Joshua and Caleb that He would give the 12 Tribes inheritance of all the territory described from the "Great Sea" to the Euphrates ( Joshua 1:4). God does honor covenants though; so agreements made with those in other nations or even Israel itself say with settlements should be honored.
We also need to keep in mind Joshua 5:14 where the Angel of the Lord states He is for the Lord's army not necessarily siding with anyone. This is why God allowed Israel's enemies to prosper at times for chastisement; as was made clear in God's prophecies about Babylon and even the pagan invaders stated this (although I can't find the verse at present). It is humbling to think about this at present; we in our proud nation think the worst thing to happen would be invasion from another nation and submission but are we better than Israel and the Babylonians? This may happen before the Tribulation if He tarries (our borders are already breached BTW). Food for thought.
The attitude of a believer to the spirit of life is demonstrated in this incident "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?/ But he(Jesus) turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of./ For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."( Luke 9:54-56) John was for imitating the exploits of Elias while Jesus was for fulfilling the will of God. John and James had to learn which would come by and by, and only after they received the Holy Spirit. As many as are led by the Spirit are the children of God.
Water and fire are two witnesses to which Jesus alluded in Luke 12:54-56
The word-wide web set up by the Spirit of God is ever in control so symbols, emblem and events are all in accordance so God is in control. The fourth beast in the vision of Daniel is about to fulfill in not so distant future. "Even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows". Well my readers say hello to the High Tech! Meet the killer robot and AI he is a little gizmo, little horn that has eyes and mouth to speak. " I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them."(Dan.7:20-21) It is the same spirit of Satan even as he gave the beast power to blaspheme. It came out of the ten horns, which indicate he is under judgment.
Who but a man makes a robot works? He cannot work with wisdom of heaven which is the significance of God being with Moses, "And I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." (Ex.4:12). "Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments./For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods"(Ex.7:11-12) The eternal Word in control.
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."(Ro.8:11)
God framed worlds with his word so faith shall never be out of step with the will of God. "So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear' goes for the natural world as well. Water is formed accordingly from atoms of hydrogen and oxygen. So a mist going out of the ground is not wandering out, freed from its leash. The dog knows his master. "But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." Pendent to this is the characteristic of the soil. Volcanic ash is inert but add water to it is active. It is thus the natural world proves faith and ''Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The Spirit of God working with the waters gives man a hands -on experience of spirit of life. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."(1 Co.2:11)
The indwelling Spirit serves as the world of the Spirit bringing heavenly realities into the heart of a believer. The same two witnesses are realized in us so to speak. God breathed into the nostrils of man and made him a living soul. A believer who would be led by the same Spirit that raised up Jesus is in heavenly places, to which the blood of the Lamb is a sign. It serves the same purpose as the slain Lamb before the foundation of the world as an emblem. God rested from his labors on the seventh day and sanctified the day so Jesus made manifest the same faith, and the Lamb of God was led to the slaughter even as the Scriptures indicated. This is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sins.
The word-wide web set up by the Spirit of God is ever in control of symbols, emblem and events.
So as we see these two witnesses could be any city, Babylon, Sodom of Egypt. Jerusalem is associated with the shedding of innocent blood of which the death of the Son on the cross is preeminent in terms of cities. As Nahum lamented, "Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;/ The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots./ The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:."(Nah.3:1-3)
11:8-12
"After three days and an half spirit of life entered into them"
Here we have another time frame associated with the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The Spirit uses the tags associated with the Son so the Parable of the Fig tree has the owner of the vineyard complaining, "For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. " Three is a command number, which the Spirit has frequently used to indicate what to look for so our spiritual edification is not on any haphazard manner. In the Psalm quote we have this question, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?". Only those who are called and it is what we see in the case of two witnesses." "And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
Death of saints never stopped the Vanity Fair, and the life shall go on merrily and it has been the case ever since Cain killed his brother. Never a thought that the blood spilled on the ground was an insult to the holiness of God. It is in this connection we need understand the commandment of God to Moses. (See the post under Nu.19:16)
The Earth and the Fulness
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein./ For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods./ Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?"(Ps.24:1-3)
Before we take up the topic on hand we shall refresh the matter of the earth and the fulness thereof. The Lord God had intended his Son as his heir. So the fulness of Jesus Christ must be applied as to the entity and its appurtenance. It is a legal term. God established it upon the flood so when the Spirit begins the creation account he informs us, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."(Ge.1:2) Thus God optimize the value of his property so we can well understand the concern of the owner in the Parable of the fig tree, "So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'"( Luke 13:7-NIV) And Isaiah has dilated upon his anguish, "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard./ What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" (Is.5:3-4)
God sent his prophets from time to time to the earth but the wicked husbandmen treated them vilely and killed many of them. The two witnesses signifying the worlds of the Spirit and of the earth, are presented by the Spirit. They represent from Abel to Zechariah as martyrs and many more. It is in the vein Jerusalem is represented in v.8. This is to be spiritually understood. The Earth abides forever since it belongs to the Son in whom God desired all his fullness to dwell. He is the visible image of the invisible God.
The Spirit gives the beast 42 months to denote that his authority came from Satan himself. So are these children. Do we not see these children of Belial hating a man for color? or for his baldness? Of what business it is for them to judge another man's servant? Children of Belial serve their master and they have another gospel and another christ. "Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. "(Ps.69:4) This was fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. "But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'( John 15:25)
The angel talking with John refers to the temple of God to which shows a courtyard, and it falls in with his Jewish background. But the courtyard refers to the camp without where Christ suffered, "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."(He.13:12)
The Children of Belial or the Gentiles by their deeds (because of resisting the gospel of Christ) shall injure the building of the church which however shall go on despite of their interference. This shall go on for 42 days.
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months./ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
In order to understand this chapter we shall do well to keep the provision under the Law of Moses. "And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days."Nu.19:11
The Gentiles mentioned here are the unrighteous. The reconciling work of Jesus Christ has done away with the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles. These have a form of godliness but they deny the power thereof. In Ps.59 we read of them going about creating tumult and controversies. Swords are in their mouths. "They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city."( Ps. 59:6-7) They are called the children of Belial. On the other hand the righteous are walk by faith and not by sight. St Paul expresses them in this verse, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." Having died to sin and the worldly glory they groan inwardly 'that mortality might be swallowed up of life." (2 Co,5:4-6) "The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous,"( Ps. 118:15-16-NKJV)
Who are the children of Belial? They figure in the life of Elisha. "And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head./ And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."(2 Ki.2:23-24) The two bears that avenged the prophet serve as two witnesses.
The Bowl upon the top of it and the manner it fed are the ways of God feeding separately each agency, whether it is the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of counsel, 'Of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace'( John 1:16)
Interesting additions are the two witnesses in the olive trees on either side. The Spirit lays emphasis in the rhetorical question, which he himself answers (vv.12-14) and these are very pendent on the point of golden oil. Two pipes indicate from God the Father and God the son nourishing the prayer and praise aspect of every believer. "Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth"(v.14). The whole tenor of Jesus while on the earth highlighted both aspects.
To sum: the Golden Candlestick bridges each heart to the throne of grace.
In order to understand the significant of numbers used by the Spirit we need a fair grasp of what the ministry of Reconciliation of Jesus intended to achieve. "I am the Resurrection and life" and as such we are dead to the world so we may live in Christ in heavenly places by faith.
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."(11:1) Paraphrasing the word of God every one of us need to answer this question, "where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" While we are in this earthly tabernacle we are engaged in gathering with Christ and have part as fellow laborers. So the angel asks John to measure the temple himself. Prayer and praise are set as memorial in heaven of which the four and twenty elders and four beast signify Glory of His grace and His Gospel. Are we in step with the realities of heaven or scattering His grace and gospel for praise of men?
Gospel Is One
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein./ But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months./ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
What do we make of the term 'my two witnesses'? The clues are given in this chapter. Firstly all power is given to them and it is what we see in the Lamb 'as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."(Re.5:6) . Power devolved from one who prevailed upon to open the book bound with seven seals is worthy to send them forth on his behalf. "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."(Re.5:2-5). It is as though we are seeing the night vision of Daniel through the light of the Son. The Ancient of days gave the authority. "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him./ And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."(Dan.7:13-14)
Secondly they are prophets and also a time frame is appointed as a day is appointed for the Son. Jesus himself gave testimony and it is the spirit of prophecy.
This is set on a mountain, curiously enough the Spirit sets Ezekiel in his vision under almost identical circumstances. "And set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south./ And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate."(Ez.40:2-3) Notice the significance of line of flax in his hand? The angel is none other than a fellow servant even as John whose measuring reed is mentioned specifically stated. We see in these two same distinction between the vision where Ezekiel as with Daniel represents the nation of Israel. Both mountain serving as a backdrop establishes Zion as intended, as His holy habitation. In the next post we shall examine another vision which again is pendent on this temple. (Re.11:1-2)
This comparative method is for our instruction in righteousness and we shall not escape judgement since the standard unit of the golden reed is for the believers meeting the requirement of the gospel. Significance of the line of flax is inadequate since Jesus Christ shed his blood for us. Follow me, learn of me are not famous lost words but we ought to learn of him. One baptism by water makes only your faith expressed, and without works faith is dead as flax is consumed by fire.
For meditation: "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is./ If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward./ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."1 Co.3:13-15
, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;/ And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." (1 Co.10:1-3) Baptized into Moses makes sense that He was a stand-in for the Son but as a servant.(Nu.12::7). Jesus is the only Way.
What we are in this post assaying to do is to present a total picture. "In the cloud and the sea for the doctrinal truth of baptismIt is the life of Jesus we cling to. Hypocrites settle for Jesus talk. As baptism of water it is a sacrament to be performed once as has been demonstrated by these nominal Christians every where. If we have died to sin and the world whence comes nationalism of the baser sort that even scoundrels shrink from, and hunger for praises from men?
Moses merely served God as faithful in all his house. But He would not let him step where the position could only be filled by his Son. This is what Jesus referring to as the baptism of fire.
"Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.' (Ex.32:32) In the passage God did not take the offer however well meaning it was. In the divine Will the day was decreed for the Son and it had to end in a conflagration into which all the artefacts,- cultural and social, of the ungodly would be consigned to fire. This would only after his Son had perfected the will of his Father. As the Son he was referring to his coming passion and the division that would follow. The manner Seth stepped into the breach made by Cain the wicked one, he knew what his Advent would entail. St Peter refers to the purging by fire. (2 Pe.3:7,10)
Ro.15:1-7
" For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me./ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,"
Luke 12:49-56
Two Witnesses
"Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"(v.56).
This could be Jesus asking in our times and with the climate on a crisis mode how apt it is! In continuation to the series we have just covered we shall begin with the face of the sky and face of the earth representing two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. An overcomer has to handle both worlds as one, and no other way. It is hypocrisy to set divisions on the face of the earth and expect the Christians to be part of the same body of Christ. Hunting with dogs, ('Beware of dogs') and running with hares during revival meetings shall have only one winner, and it is Satan. But Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. In the vision of the Woman Clothed with the Sun the 10 horns of the great dragon tell that he is under judgment. So whosoever backs his gospel and his anti-christ is doomed for destruction.
Jesus said in the above mentioned text,-and he gave a strong indication of the great tribulation his Advent would mean but the life of men called to be witnesses in a wicked world has to be by the light he represents. It is a fire already kindled to which we shall cite the destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plains. God lives in unapproachable light but also as we see in the night vision of Daniel is a consuming fire. (Dan.7). We shall begin with his quote: "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?/ But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!"(vv.49-50)
In the previous post titled "With the Remnant of Her Seed" we had mentioned two witnesses namely water and fire. The two pillars that served the Israelites till they reached Canaan were forerunner of the baptism of which the various sects are mostly taken up with only that of water. (1 Co.10:1-3)
Overcomer (3 of 7)
. Every overcomer fights with full armour of God and back up from heaven. This is what spiritual blessings jn heavenly places in Christ would mean.
So we shall tackle the question who were they? "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,"(v.7) Michael and his angels represent the world of the Spirit and simultaneously albeit bound by time and place we are also joined the battle so the exhortation, 'Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong,' is meant for us. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."(1 Co.16:13; Ep.6:13) For both worlds there is only only one article that prevails over the enemy; blood of the lamb. This is well illustrated by this vision of St John in ch.5.
"And in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."(5:6)
Re.12:13
The Great Tribulation
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child."(v.13)
Jesus had foretold of the persecutions that were inevitable. He was aware of the enemy and his wiles. The devil sins from the beginning. He was manifested among his disciples for this reason. So he forewarned them. "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!"(Luke.17:1)
The Spirit presents the devil with a colour code, which refers to the rider of the red horse in the chapter 6 of the Book. The red dragon makes his entry in the cavalcade, "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."(6:4) .
(2 of 7)
We only need compare the life of Abraham and of the king of Tyrus whose authority came from Satan. God allowed Abraham to walk the land and breadth of the land promised to him. "Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee."(Ge.13:17) God expected him to walk in faith in the world of the body and live accordingly Because God was his reward. His perfection came from his faith matching His. No more or no less. He was to be coheir with his Son.
The cherub was perfect till iniquity was found in him. The red dragon was perfect with seven crowns and seven heads, But ten horns established iniquity of pride and he was under judgment. On account of it the beast mentioned in Re.13 was in great wrath, knowing the time is short. " And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." The rider on the white horse the Word of God shall take him and cohorts and throw them into the lake of fire. (Re.19:11-21) We are on the cusp of the end times.
Re.12:11
Overcomer
" And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
'And they overcame him'
Who are they? Before answering it we look at the verse below. " Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them." The Holy Spirit is referring to the cloud of witnesses, and the angelic hosts who dwell in the heavens." Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth./ The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."(Ps.115:15-16) In short God blessed man with all spiritual blessing which require us reorient ourselves in His presence. We are negotiating two worlds at the same time so whosoever denies the world of Spirit having claim of him, is a liar. Truth is written in his inward parts and God has placed eternity in his heart. In refusing to accept the truth he is resisting God.
(1 of 7)
Bible Study: Re.12:3
The Red Dragon
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads."
There was perfection in the cherub and it speaks of his sonship. "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."(Ez.28:15) As with Adam he was created and the Psalmist speaks of the angels being of different order. What is man? "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour."(Ps.8:5). In his divine Will the man created had to be in a specific likeness for which his obedience was counted more. His Son settled for the body that He has prepared. It was thus God formed him from the ground and later breathed into his nostrils to make him a living soul. His glory and honour devolved from the faith of his dear Son who said, "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,/ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." (Ps.40:7-8). The same faith was expected of Adam.
On the other hand the cherub was placed in heavenly places, "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire."(Ez.28:14) God made angels, spirit and were perfect but he wanted much more glory and honor and he would wrest it if God does not. Haven't we heard this before? False teachers would force the tight-fisted God by their faith. Where did they learn from? Lucifer would want more holiness that God has, as it were. "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." (Is.14:13)
(4 of 4)
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! "
Here the Spirit is giving us two nations, which according to the divine promise to Abraham have their position in heavenly places as well as in the wilderness God assures the patriarch, "But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir./ And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be." (Ge.15:4-5) We have the two groups as summed up by the writer to the Hebrews, "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable./ These all died in faith,"(He.11:12-13)
What are these dead in the presence of the Living God? Are not they redeemed by the living word? The everlasting gospel assures them everlasting life. It is what God promised the Son. So the Spirit sets the woman clothed with 12 stars ("and upon her head a crown of twelve stars") which is made of 4x3. The command number Three refers to the Son. While St Matthew sets down genealogy of Jesus to Abraham (Matt.1:17) gives us 42 generations. (14x3) God's promise to Abraham is backed by the eternal Word.
Inhabiters of the sea refer to wicked nations like troubled sea keep churning up wild outlandish policies at home and abroad. The beast really comes into his own after the saints are redeemed for the earth. He is a demagogue a populist. The Spirit tags the preceding chapter with number 42 which ties up the following chapter as well. The authority of the beast came from the dragon. The Spirit addresses the inhabiters of the land and the sea 'and woe to ye' sums up the great tribulation period. The beast as the proxy for the devil is 'come down unto you, having great wrath. In short the Spirit presents us a shape of things to come.
(3 of 4)
Having given this by way of introduction we have this time ' time times and a half' which the Spirit uses to describe the woman in the wilderness vis-a-vis the serpent. The dragon is cast out into the earth and he is epitome of evil, an angel gone rogue. This vision is set between the beast who kills the two witnesses from God and the beast and anti-christ appearing on the world stage.(Re.13). As with serpent in the Garden we have the beast confronting the woman in the wilderness. "The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."(Re.11:7)
In the book of Daniel we have a reference to the context, which shall explain this. Daniel asks "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" and the man clothed in linen answers,"And sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."( Dan 12:6-7)
What this vision of St John tells us is about the end times. If we see bigotry and crude nationalism without responsibilities at the high place be certain that the beast has come and his downfall is about to happen.
"And all the world wondered after the beast./ And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?/And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." (13:3-5)
The beast is proxy as the serpent was for Satan. The beast is given forty and two months, another way of saying the time, the times and a half.
Re.12:6-14
Into The Wilderness (1 of 4)
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, "
Here the Spirit uses the fall of man as the springboard to her redemption, which is indicated with the place where she is nourished for a time. Earthly ministry of Jesus is established there so when St Paul speaks of strong meat it is to gospel he is referring. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."(1 Co.3:10)
The place prepared for her as God warned Eve is the ground from which man was taken and her conception shall be accompanied with sorrow. It is cursed because of their disobedience. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;"(Ge.3:16) Even so God has made provisions for them so Isaiah's quote 'Glorify ye God in the fires' (Is.24:15) is very relevant for us. Is the wilderness experience terrible if God is in control over you? ""Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her."(Ho.2:14) What we see in our times is the folly of man without God.
In v.14 we read of the two wings of a great eagle given to her so she could be led 'into her place as the Lord did with the nation of Israel. "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."(Ex.19:4-ESV). 'Brought you to myself'" is how the Spirit annotates the divine will in terms of sending his Son to the same cursed ground "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old."(Is.66:9)
This is where the significance of clothing Adam and Eve comes in focus. "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them."(Ge.3:22)
My question is having this verse in revelation:
Revelation 3:5 (KJV) 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Doesn't that cause a real issue for the "once saved always saved" advocates?
What is one SAVED from?
DEATH
You cannot be saved from DEATH until God sends his angles to HARVEST the SEED.
ONLY mature SEED are harvested, immature SEED are scattered to the wind as is chaff.
Fruit produces SEED, the fruit never look like the SEED, the SEED always looks like the SEED that was planted.
Luke 11:8 Now the PARABLE is this: the SEED is the word of God.
John 1:14 ..... and the word (SEED) was made flesh.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ (the SEED) was once offered for the sins of many; and unto them that look for him (TRUTH, Christ is truth) he (the SEED) shall APPEAR the SECOND TIME.
Matthew 24:30 Then SHALL APPEAR the sign (the image oft he SEED) of the son of man in heaven (IN YOU).... the son of man COMING in the CLOUDS of heaven (IN YOU).
Colossians 1:27 .... this mystery ..... Christ in YOU ......
Matthew 12:28 But if I CAST OUT DEVILS by the Spirit (TRUTH) of God; then the Kingdom of God has COME TO YOU.
God Bless YOU!
The warning of Jesus to seven churches include these false brethren. For example this v. "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:"(Re.3:17) He already knows who are his and who are not. For those incorrigible we have this warning,"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time./ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."( 1 John 2:18-19)
Re.12:6-14
Into The Wilderness
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, "
Here the Spirit uses the fall of man as the springboard to her redemption, which is indicated with the place where she is nourished for a time. Earthly ministry of Jesus is established there so when St Paul speaks of strong meat it is to gospel he is referring. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."(1 Co.3:10)
The place prepared for her as God warned Eve is the ground from which man was taken and her conception shall be accompanied with sorrow. It is cursed because of their disobedience. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;"(Ge.3:16) Even so God has made provisions for them so Isaiah's quote 'Glorify ye God in the fires' (Is.24:15) is very relevant for us. Is the wilderness experience terrible if God is in control over you? ""Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her."(Ho.2:14) What we see in our times is the folly of man without God.
(To Be continued)
Ge.4:26
St Paul speaks of the word sent out, "And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" (Ro.10:15). He very well knew what he preached in his missionary journeys. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach." This word of faith was seeded in the heart of Adam while God made him a living soul. Truth in his inward part was the animating aspect of the Spirit of Christ so whatever names Adam called His creation was spot on. By expelling man and woman from the world of the Spirit did not remove this faculty of discernment. Eve calling Seth proved that she indeed anticipated God's will concerning her as He had anticipated the name of Immanuel since He sent forth his word and the glory of the light of knowledge in the face of Jesus Christ.
'Thy Face' gives us the key to the significance of the heart as the face or where the world of the Spirit interfaces with the world of the body. In the second section we find the Spirit setting the lifespan of man in terms of 120 years. "yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."(6:3) Advent of the Son shall have heroes of faith to which the life of Noah is a shining example. What is 120 but man's life and his salvation set in terms of the gospel. The Spirit organized the narrative on a need-to -know basis so the perfect and complete will of the Father as fulfilled by the Son shall be on reconstituted time. With regards to the key text some scholars explain it as this, "meaning either (1) then began men to call themselves by the name of the Lord (marg.) i.e., to distinguish themselves thereby from idolaters; or (2) then men in some public and earnest way began to call upon the Lord, indicating a time of spiritual revival."(selected)
Literalism set up their own landmarks while the Spirit forbids, " Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set."(Pr.22:28)
Let's step back and think for a moment. What is heaven exactly? Surely a large factor there is that we will SERVE God forever.
John 12:26 says in KJV: If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Let us examine the same verse in the amplified version:
If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven's glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
I am not an expert on translations but it would seem eternally serving God is a theme here! Revelation 7:13-15 and Revelation 22:3 make this abundantly clear as to the serving of God eternally of His saints. Worship is also inextricably tied to being a servant; and the ruling and reigning with Christ is part and parcel with the destiny of the church as Kings and Priests before the throne as well ( Revelation 5:10; etal).
Now as we assess this life; surely we see this attitude of service begins here; and Christ of course laid out the perfect example with His life. Mark 10:45 shows how Christ came not to be served but to serve; if God incarnate followed that principal surely His disciples must do the same.
As to work in heaven; surely it won't be a drudgery. The curse with the thorns and sweat on the brow will be gone that we inherited in the garden. We won't have unreasonable taskmasters; stressful deadlines; and other difficulties. Work no doubt will be a cooperative effort since we will all be together in performing tasks. No doubt individual things will be suitable for us as well.
The world at large cannot serve without some benefit for themselves; just like we can't love unconditionally (see Matthew 5:34).
The last enemy destroyed is deateh (1COR15:26
The second son of Adam was a shepherd. He foreshadows Christ the Good Shepherd. His offering from the firstlings of the flock pleased God more than of Cain.
How did Abel settle upon a burnt offering? To the pure God shall show himself as pure. ("With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure, "-Ps.18:26). Abel is qualified as righteous. ( 1 John 3:12)
Faith is the pure language by which he understood the truth 'Without shedding of blood is no remission' (He.9:22). Here is an example of the wisdom from heaven. "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."(Jas.3:17). Besides God first demonstrated when He first dressed his parents with coats of skins. (Ge.3:21).
He was killed by his older brother Cain in a fit of jealousy and became the first martyr.Matt.23:35.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength " (Ps,8:2; Matt.21:16) I was four years old and my Sunday school teacher asked what God was like. But I had an answer that amazed my teacher that he would repppeatt o my father some forty years later. It must have seemed a childish nonsense. Does God throw stones from above on the bad? Now I know from reading Re.18:21 that he does so the mighty Babylon is wiped off from the earth. It made me realize how Abel would have known to please God. To the pure He shall reveal his mysteries. Some 75 years later I knew my life began ages ago.
Matthew 13:30-32 state: 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
There are numerous studies on the explanation of wheat and tares; it boils down to plants that appear the same when they spring out of the ground; but only at the harvest time can useless nonnutritive plants be differentiated from the edible ones used for food. In the end Matthew 13:30 states "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
This would be; I surmise an indication that during the Tribulation the wicked are gathered together eventually in Armageddon to fight God and the rest of the firstfruits and wheat will be translated or Resurrected in heaven.
The real question here may be WHY does God allow this to happen in the first place? First of all; there needs to be an awareness that the battle isn't merely between the Christian attendng church and the rest of the world outside the church who don't profess Christ. In fact it is within the house of God that Satan no doubt desires to impact; the rest of the lost pose no threat to his kingdom. There is no doubt a primary reason for this is to TEST His children to see if they will indeed be zealous for His Name's sake or be as cowards and retreat accepting every wind of doctrine. ( Eph 4:14). Our lamps need to shine ( Matt. 5:16) unashamedly!
It is a sign as well.
"He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works (Ps.33: 15)". This heart is not any anatomical part of the body of man but defines a spiritual place. Truth is written inward parts. This being the case the people, events and places are set in direct frame of reference to Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life."
What is a sign? Rainbow is a natural phenomenon. But after the great flood God sets the sign that gives it a spiritual underpinning. For Noah whenever he saw a rainbow it held a special significance of divine Judgment and His great mercy in delivering from the antediluvian world. A sign is the spiritual shadow to the natural world. It is thus we need understand the role heart plays in instruction in righteousness.
Word as a sign necessitates that we treat the worlds- heaven and the earth as a closed system. Hence symbolism of numbers does play a great part. For example we have this verse, "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars." (Pr.9: 1). Seven in the lexicon of the Spirit is to denote completeness or set forth in the will. So it denotes the house as coming from heaven. God completed the creation in seven days (Ge.2:1) is not simply a matter of seven days as we know the term.
The word of God renders the will of the Father into a visible world just as Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. (Col.1:15). He is the true Light. Thus God commands, 'Let there be light" And it was so. Truth as was in heaven is made visible. God created the worlds of heaven and the earth by His word. Both heard alike meaning faith is the pure language , the lingua franca. Wisdom and Power of God the Father and God the Son must be freely available to man according to the Word, which is eternal and forever settled in heavens. Is it not?
A sample shall suffice:
"Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matt.2: 2)." How did a star connect with the king of the Jews so some pagan stargazers should set out in search from one end of the world? William Barclay in his commentary on St Matthew, for an example, writes: "We do not know what brilliant star those ancient Magi saw. Many suggestions have been made." How does it help to be left into a limbo of doubt?
Without faith in its soundness, scholarship is dubious as carnal wisdom is. For Daniel interpreting the king's dream was to lay bare the thoughts of the king's heart fully trusting in God. ("And that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart"-Dan.2: 31). The Spirit annotating whatever topics that require clarity is addressing the heart rather than reason.
Man brings his scholarship, which is his word against the Word, which was with God from the beginning. Where the Spirit presents certainties man is relying on carnal wisdom, which thrives in controversies. There are no buts and ifs with wisdom from heaven, which is freely given. Besides this wisdom is Person specific.
Bible is the God document and is inerrant. Jesus is the Word become flesh so we have him as the standard. "I am the truth" is one single standard about which God framed the worlds 'by the word of His power'. (He.1:3). So Christ is the standard for a child of God who wishes to be made perfect.
Heaven and the earth have a single standard. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."(1 Co.1:30).