The kingdom entrusted to Jesus was not of this world. "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." ( John 18:36). God made angels spirits and ministers flaming fire, which Elisha could see for which faith is required. Instead what does the false prophet do? "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." The source for this elsewhere and like the magicians in the court of Pharaoh resisted Moses and God. Similarly the beast wields people power while the anti-Christ spoke as the dragon would, "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." (Re.13:11,13)
With this background the early church had to contend with the Jews, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie."(Re.3:9) Herod had spawned a political movement. Authority of Herod was as with the beast came from Satan. "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." 42 months include such temporal powers, each one resisting God. Nationalism of the Idumaean line was propped up by Imperial Rome. And is it of any surprise when Christianity became the official religion, and absorbed the culture of the Church of Rome,- Christian nationalism and culture wars are tares planted by the enemy.
"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."(12:11) The two witnesses, 'loved not their lives unto the death'. Jesus assures, " For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."(Matt.16:25)
"The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
First point to note is that the beast is a composite figure as the two witnesses represent the saints to whom Jesus Christ gave power according to the promise of God, and are called and blessed in his Son.. "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies."(Ps.110:2) These enemies on the earth are caused by 'the war in heaven.'(Re.12:7). And the consequence of it we read in v.12. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
This short time is clearly set by the Spirit even as the earthly ministry of Jesus and of the two witnesses. 42 is a number designated by God so the time of the Gentiles or heathen is likewise determined. John was sent as a messenger who was killed by the sword. Herod Antipas, it must be stressed was a vassal king to Caligula as another Herod, Herod Agrippa would have James killed. One killed because of his oath and the other killed James because he wanted to please the crowd. in whichever case the beast is associated with qualities totally antithetical to Jesus. The beast rising out of the sea (Re.13:1) is from below the earth as Jesus is from heaven. He is the king," The Lord sitteth upon the flood."(Ps.29:10) What is the characteristic of the sea? The beast represent the wicked," But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt."(Is.57:20). While we have the likes of Herod whose power is derived from some one else as enemies to Christ, the two witnesses represent an angel a man so the golden reed is their measurement and signify the everlasting gospel entrusted to them. Herod also gave rise to a political movement in the days of Jesus. (Matt.22:15-16)
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."(11:3)
Who is the authority to confer power on men but the Lord from heaven, who is heavenly? "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." The risen Christ in his humanity was the Word become flesh, so his authority stretched from Alpha the beginning. In his Ascension he was to be seated on the right hand of the Most High so Omega aspect, the ending referred to fulfilling the divine Will of his Father. " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power"(Ps.110:1-3). Firstly the two witnesses belong to 'thy people'. These were given to the Son. "and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."( John 17:11)
The chapter began with a golden reed and the angel directing John what to leave out and what to include requires attention. "for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." This reed is a single measurement. "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel."(Re.21:17) Gold signifies faith and here single measurement is of the angel,- the fellow-servant of John and of the man to whom the Son has given authority. Power of the little ones and their angels positioned to behold the face of the Father always defines the golden reed. Every other scale is false.
Prophesy is another feature and the two witnesses would do it for "a thousand two hundred and threescore days. "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."(Matt.11:11)
The days is a tag supplied the Spirit to indicate the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. By the same token the Gentiles are allowed to operate for 42 months. This conflict reveals two laws, of the Spirit and of the sin.
Let us consider our use of sarcasm as individuals. Does your sarcastic remarks promote was is spoken of in these passages or do they work counter to the objective of these passages?
Eph. 4:1-3
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of your vocation wherewith ye are called, with lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Does one's sarcasm promote unity or divide, peace or disturbance in relationship?
Is the sarcasm proceed from lowliness and meekness or does it proceed from pridefulness and self-elevation over another?
Does the sarcasm come forth from longsuffering or is it reactive, a "come back at ya", response? Is it winsome in its intent and effect entreating the other to holy fellowship? Does it show forbearance with another in love or is it" touchy" and self-serving?
Eph. 4:29
"Let no corrupt (unholy) communication proceed from your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
Is one's sarcasm holy or unholy speech? Does it honor God and respect the person spoken to? Does it build up or tear down the hearer? Does it hurt or heal the hearer? Does it promote equalness in the relationship or does it inflate the speaker to the detriment of the hearer? Does it seek to be cooperative rather than competitive (getting to "one-up" another or win in a discussion)?
Eph. 5:4
"..Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather of giving of thanks."
Is one's sarcasm sober and mindful or foolish talking? Does it make fun of another or "jest" in a way that the other person doesn't like? Are you really "just Kidding, joking, or being humorous" in a mutually humorous and receptive conversation or does the sarcasm come from irritation, anger, or wanting to get at the hearer to put them down or shut them up?
The same hour is a tag set by the Spirit so comparing spiritual with spiritual we are on the right track to explain the two witnesses in terms of Jesus Christ. "And the same hour was there a great earthquake,"(Re.11:13) for instance is the duration of his ministry and the two witnesses are part of his earthly ministry. In short the work of the Son as the Word become flesh has to incorporate the divine will of the Father. One cannot be without the other since it explains the rationale of Father who revealed the testimony through an angel as in Re.1:1. It is the glorious gospel of Christ covering two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. Everlasting gospel is another name. Consequently when Jesus rejoiced as quoted from the Lucan gospel refers to the babes, they have their presence before God. Hence Jesus warns,"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."(18:10)
"And he to whom the Son will reveal him"( Luke 10:22). Jesus as the Good Shepherd came to save the lost. In delivering man who is dead in sin and trespasses he reveals the mercy of his Father. "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins/Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Ep.2:1-2) What is the significance of quickening one who is dead? Everlasting life proof of which is the believer and his angel in the presence of the Father are aligned without any distortion. "the third part of the stars of heaven" being cast out is how the believers in this world have handled the truth in unrighteousness. How we walk the talk has grave consequences on the cloud of witnesses. (Re.12:4) This explains the joy in heaven over the one sheep lost and found.
"Verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray." The Spirit is referring the Son who is the Good Shepherd. He is the visible image of the invisible God so all emotions attributed to God must be seen as coming from the Son.
Similarly the Spirit refers to an hour which is with reference to the ministry of Jesus Christ. "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight./ All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."( Luke 10:21-22)
Jesus at the Marriage at Cana referred,"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come."( John 2:4). By the same token he is referring to the wine which is distinctly with reference to the kingdom to come, " But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."(26:29) It is thus the Spirit has organized the Salvation Program of God giving a tag for his ministry and his Father's kingdom. When he explains his work he tells his captors, "but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Comparing spiritual with spiritual we are on the right track to explain the two witnesses in terms of Jesus Christ. "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand:" the same hour is the duration of his ministry and the two represents the testimony of the Son which his Father. It is same as in Re.1:1. It is the glorious gospel of Christ covering two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. Everlasting gospel is another name.
Holiness of God is a name, glory of which is invested in his testimony which is the glorious gospel entrusted to his Son. So when He sent his only begotten Son what is the Will of God? " Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." His concern is for the glory of everlasting life that the one sheep carries. God so loved the world is to bring the glory of the cloud of witnesses match exactly with those who are in the world of the body.
"I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word."( John 17:6)
"That they may be one" is what the ministry of reconciliation yet remaining. "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them./And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are".(vv.10-11).And when Jesus Christ says,"It is done" it is a signal that way to the tree of life is found. "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb./In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life."(Re.22:1-2)
"And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray."
Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. God sent his Son so the lost sheep may be found. Bringing them back into one fold means reconciling both worlds of the Spirit and of the body into one sheepfold. ( John 10:1)
We shall begin with v.11" For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."(v.11).
If the sheep lost its way and have not found what it sought is it worth the effort? A sheep is not endowed with foreknowledge as man is. He is a living soul. Satan beguiled Eve through a serpent. How did man get lost even after God gave him the wherewithal? The content of His breath into his nostril sums up the Law that He upholds. It is the word of his power. It explains the Law of the Spirit. The principle of Similitude sets reality of Law of heaven with that of the earth. Thus it is two contrary laws of the Spirit warring the law of sin in our vile bodies nevertheless a matter of life and death. In this existential battle everlasting life is what God promised those who are found.
The Spirit uses symbols for both laws, the tree of life for those who found their way back as we say from the case of Adam life of sin originating from his disobedience. This search for the lost sheep began with the commandment of God who sent forth his word that shall never go back in void.(Is.55:11)
In the parable we have the sheep that is ever by the shepherd. "And the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out./And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice./And a stranger will they not follow" ( John 10:3-5). They are the 99 and are content under the Law of the Spirit to stay close "for they know not the voice of strangers." Their glory they know are in safekeeping and the bright cloud is their testimony.
"And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray." A sheep is most likely to wander away in a rugged terrain where the grass is sparse; the shepherd's task is to keep his flock in his sights and wild animals are not likely to dare show themselves while man is about. " For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."(v.11)
Satan beguiled Eve through a serpent. How did man get lost. God gave them a straight and narrow path. But when the serpent could get them out of their way and look at the way Satan had presented the alternate reality, and it can open a new vista as the word says,"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." It opened the way to another law."And the eyes of them both were opened,"(v.7) The way of the senses, tell a story, end of which is death as God had warned them. The tree of life was where the Law of the Spirit led to. It was a simple test of walking the straight narrow path but man failed. They let Satan to lead and they were lost.
In Adam we all are set in an alternate reality, a make-believe world, " For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."(Ro.3:23). Where law of sin like a wolf roams about we shall appreciate God's counset to Cain. "And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."(Ge.4:6-7)
How come Cain could not take it. He was the wicked one a murderer since he let the spur of the moment direct his actions. (4:8) He had no respect for eternity. It is how the law of sin works.
"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." (v.13)
At the same hour refers to the hour Jesus spoke about at the night he was taken in. ( Luke 22:53)It is the power of darkness that caused the nation of Israel reject the true Light and the time of the Gentiles before the Son appeared in mid-air to collect. "and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory./ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."(24:30-31)
The ministry of the two witnesses has the same duration as the day decreed for the Son. John the Baptist was sent according to the Scriptures as a voice preparing the way. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts./But who may abide the day of his coming? "(Mal.3:1-2) Purifiers work refers to the great tribulation. The script for the day of his coming consists of several phases which is clearly laid out in Matt.3:13. "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
The chaff shall be cast to the winds. (the imposter church), purging his floor is the earth(*the left behind church), and it leads to the unquenchable fire. "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."(Re.20:10). * Cf the vision of the Woman Clothed with the Sun and she is sent to a place prepared for her. "(12:14)
"Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
John according to Jesus Christ was the greatest among born of women, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matt.11:11). In order to understand the two witnesses we are to focus on John as one, who also referred to the baptism of fire that awaits the church. He foretold, " He (Jesus Christ) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:/ Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."(3:11-12)
The Baptism by Holy Ghost has been fulfilled and what awaits is baptism by fire to which Apostle Peter also referred, "For the timeis comethat judgment must begin at the house of God: and ifitfirstbeginat us, what shall the endbeof them that obey not the gospel of God?"(1 Pe.4:17). St Paul also warns and it is to the imposter church, "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)
In the Ch.18 the same question of the greatest in the kingdom of heaven threw up another aspect of John. Jesus said, "He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." The little one who ever sees the face of the Father in heaven is the second witness representing the fire. For he is an angel in the world of the Spirit. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."(18:10)
"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?/And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,"
The disciples chose this question after Jesus transfigured before them. Did the question chose them or other way about is a moot point. Each one wanted to be part of that glory that their master commanded. Lucifer saw the selfsame glory "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." He was the son of the morning meaning the brightness of the glory of God. Free will of the Son was expressed to bring glory to his Father; on the other hand Lucifer was all for establishing "I will" as the Law. Law of the Spirit worked in the Son so he said, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."(Ps.40:8). It is thus free will is determined by the Spirit. "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."(2 Co.3:17)
"At the same time" with which this chapter begins is a clue as to how startling it was for his disciples to digest, and having wrestled with it the next question could have been, "Am I the one?" Surely Judas Iscariot one of the twelve would have had similar thought.
The law of sin is already in flow while the glory of the spiritual body created the vision of Zion that awaited those who were blessed in his Son. That was the sixth day. On the seventh day God rested because his faith in his Son to fulfill the Abstract of the everlasting covenant was absolute.(Ge.2:1-3)
"For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation./ This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it./I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread."(Ps.132:13-15).
"I will satisfy her poor" explains the relationship of the little ones with the bread from heaven.
"That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."
There are two worlds of the Spirit and of the body where angels signify the cloud of witnesses. Whereas the body points to the same spiritual body prepared for the Son. Glory of God makes the cloud bright and as the spiritual body,- "we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." We are called into one hope of our calling so every saint redeemed from the earth is part of this body or a building. so what do we call fellow believers headed towards the same direction? "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." brothers here and now have their witnesses, and they are called angels.
Jesus Christ "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person" relates to us as the glory of God in the knowledge,, it is compared to a light, as in this verse, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ". This is his glorious gospel and shown as doable. So what we bear in our vile bodies is the kind of glory that the angels in heaven get to see directly.
Jesus tells that these little ones do always behold the face of my Father. So the power of the word in us is knowledge based and our faith is not merely lip-service but faith that can move mountains.
Having said this much how do we reconcile the vv.8-9 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out,"? Does it put to rest the lust of eye, caused by sin, since the law of sin is what tempts the eye to sin? Jesus offers the only cure: "Without me you can do nothing."( John 15:3) Faith with works is when you rest from your own labor and self-will and fall back upon for his grace to have a perfect working in your life. Father of all mercies showed the glorious gospel of his Son as doable. Knowledge of the glory of God in holding on to grace and truth.
"Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?/ And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief."
Before we examine the second event we need see the role of faith in integrating the two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. The body is prepared for the Son to do his will. Psalmist David refers to it. When we abide in Christ who is the Word become flesh the spirit of Christ has given us insight into the truth. Jesus chose the twelve and gave them power to cast out demons. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was yet to come. So the spirit of Christ worked in their ministry. "My Father worketh hitherto and I work" explains at one level the Spirit of the Father works at tandem with the Son of man so the twelve disciples were his associates as well. The cloud of witnesses is associated with the Father, "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." (10:20). We are thus constituted with access to both worlds at the same time while we are in our vile bodies. Apostle John refers to it, "but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also."(1 John2:23). Faith without works is dead. Without abiding in these two worlds faith does not produce fruits an example of which we see in the failure to cast out demons from the child. Jesus reduces them to the level of their generation since their faith did not work. How apt is our generation where the churches soft pedal on issues like faith and culture wars? "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?(17:17)
American Right and Christian nationalism are the tares choking the good seed. The former do not take the Spirit of the Father or the word of the Spirit. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself
"Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?/ Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free." (vv.25-26)
Before we go into the topic let us fix the context within which we are to interpret the three events mentioned here.
First event: Transfiguration of Jesus took place on the seventh day.
v.1 " And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,"
This is pendent on the last verse of the preceding chapter. "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (16:28) It refers to the Son and his kingdom. Taking the two verses together the word 'apart' tells the event was a private preview.
The mountain mentioned in 5:1 is high mountain here. The adjective is placed to indicate farther in time. Jesus set forth the doctrine of his Father where the rock symbolized Zion which is founded on the stone.(Is.28:16) High mountain is to indicate the glory of the Word become flesh. Jesus is referring to the selfsame glory introduced in v.28 "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death", indicating the outpouring of the upon all flesh." This matter was shared with the three indicating the representational nature of the Son tagged by the command number Three. The testimony of Jesus was to be made by a public event and the proof of which was in his resurrection. As the word become flesh the self same glory was freely bestowed through the Son. As the firstborn from all dead, his disciples/associates were all free born. This is what was stipulated in the everlasting Covenant. This is the point of the key verse.
On earth the kings spare their sons from the taxes of the realm. Similarly the anointing of the Spirit makes the saints freed from the law of sin. Seventh days refers Ge.2:3
But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them./Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
Are they the two witnesses that Jesus refers to? Firstly ask how credible are the disciples to zoom them in their crosshairs when as the following passage reveals that they were still novices,- Jesus explains,"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:"(v.20). Their faith was yet to be steadfast without which all their mental gyrations as to the identity of two witnesses would fall flat. One proof was in their failure to cast out the demon that afflicted the boy in vv. 14-20.
We shal examine Re.11:3-4 for clues.
" And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth./ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."
And I will give power" this is what the risen Jesus promised his disciples/ associates in (Matt.28:18-20). Ze.4:14 refers them as "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth". Lo I am with you always is another promise by the risen Christ. Besides 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days' is a tag set by the Spirit to indicate two witnesses could be any two appointed by God. In short these two witnesses are chosen from both worlds of the Spirit and the body as one. Without which the interpretation falls flat.
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Transfiguration took place against an high mountain, again the mountain of the Lord referred in Is.2. As with the Sermon on the Mount, here the Spirit highlight the glory of the spiritual body awaiting the saints who have received the Man sent from Above. Moses Elias in their flesh doubled for the One to come. Here we have Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today. The transfiguration was, therefore a pointer to the glory which is to come. (He.13:8). This also explains why Jesus warned his disciples to keep the matter a secret.
10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
The second and third lines in Chris Tomlin's song "Good Good Father" state:
But I've heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And You tell me that You're pleased and that I'm never alone
David Crowder's song "He really loves us" has this in the third line
"There is no judgment"
And Danny Gokey's song "Love God Love People" says at the end of the fourth stanza
"Love God and love People" (no brainer).
Finally there is the song "What would Jesus do" states in the 11th Stanza
"What would Jesus do
He would love first..etc."
The first question here is what is God's love? There is nothing in any of these songs that show any differentiation of God's love from that of man. Assuming that God never has anything negative to say goes against the verses that state God chastises anone He loves and we are illegitimate sons otherwise (see Hebrews 12:6; 12:8). To say there is no judgment is only true as to a believer's standing at the Bema Seat Judgment and missing the Great White Throne condemnation. We are judged according to 2 Corinthians 5:10 and be judged as to works done for Him; good or bad. If we aren't one of His own we are judged and condemned already ( John 3:18).
No one should argue as to a Christian demonstrating love and patience; but that doesn't mean that we should stand for hypocrisy within the House of God; or societal evils such as abortion without sounding the trumpet as a watchman to avoid the condemnation warned of in Ezekiel 3:18. But such exhortations seem to be missing entirely in today's Christian songs; whether it is warning of the deceptiveness of Satan or sin itself; or the Tribulation to come or hell itself without repentance. Anyone on this forum who wishes to rebut that statement let me know; perhaps there are some independent artists I should be made aware of that I haven't heard lately.
Thus; artists are idolized saying what people want to hear and are "Christian" by name only.
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth".
Jesus as the Son is called the prince of life. In his resurrection he also established the way to life abundant, which is not same as abundance of things. Mammon another name for the devil holds riches as his ace in his sleeve to destroy the unwary and fools. The Parable of the Rich Fool gives us a look of one who was not rich towards God. He was a fool to believe only in a world the other man's riches have blinded his eye of faith. For them there is no remedy. The man who had great possession could not get over it in order to follow Jesus. He heard how to be perfect but abundance of the other man's wealth closed his ear of faith. "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."(Matt.19:21-22). Without faith one cannot be perfect where the grace of God makes both worlds of the body and of the Spirit in harmony.
Grace of God works through his Son so He makes a way open before His children. The fish that supplied the tribute money is a case in point. We have false shepherds cheating IRS to conceal their ill-gotten coins but Jesus showed how to navigate both worlds at the same time. "Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." (Matt.17:22)
All promises of God are yea in his Son. So what was the point of God blessing 'them' on the sixth day? (Ge.1:28-30)Blessings mentioned on each day in the Abstract work together so God's commandment to "subdue' is to create over-comers and not fools whose art of deal come unstuck in spectacular fashion at the end of their lives.
Luke 12: 14 "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" (1 of 2)
Here we have question and it is asked by Jesus who is the fulfillment of the Law. The quarrel over inheritance on the basis of the Law of Moses did not interest him. Moses himself could have supplied his bitter experience. He had tried to intervene in the quarrel of his fellowmen and what was the result? "And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known."(Ex.2:14). His own hands were not clean, enough. Jesus knew no sin and did no sin so he could have cast the first stone on man who transgressed according to the law. " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."( John 8:7)
Jesus was among as the Word made flesh to prove that the Law was doable and not dabble in the justice system that only dealt with one world. As the Law that he represented covered both worlds, the present and the worlds to come. So he stood outside their petty squabbles over wealth which was 'other man's riches' meaning it was devil's business.
One may ask Does God condone capital punishment?
All Authority come from God. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God./ Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." Those who are in power are themselves subject to God.
Law of sin is not from God. Man chose knowledge of good and evil over the commandment of God so he is servant to sin from the greatest to the lowest. So whatever name one calls, President or Caesar are servants to sin and their laws are accordingly sinful. Rather than ask if capital punishment is good or bad, ask yourself under what law you come: under the Law of the Spirit or under law of sin? (Ro.8:1)"
I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."(Is.42:8)
Coming back to Isaiah we have the glory of God expressed in terms of the Law, which is the truth. I am the truth". So we need look at the truth expressing 'that God may be all in all" fulfills the ministry of Reconciliation by Jesus Christ. "Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.:(Is.8:18). So the clause in v.2 "and all nations shall flow unto it" is to be understood as referring to the Throne of God and of the Lamb.
"Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made/And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not." Here we have judgment about to visit Israel as we have in our times culture wars and super rich treating themselves as cream floating in the cauldron. "this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh." (Ez.11:3). Those who makes idols of men take glory in the worthless " and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth./Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of ?"(Is.2:21-22)
Those who do not abide in Christ as many branches to the true vine may say they are justified and saved by faith. But their glory is in their idols. God is not fooled by their professions when they glory in their worthless gods and not in the true God. "And theLordalone shall be exalted in that day./And the idols he shall utterly abolish." (vv.17-18)
"And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of theLord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." (Is.2:19)
We saw an earlier instance where the verse 11, from Isaiah Ch.2 being repeated in v.16. These are not left in the narrative by any accident but the Spirit warns us to heed the Law from Zion is indeed from God the Father as the word going forth from Jerusalem is from the Son. So Jerusalem and Zion as alienated to the nation of Israel for pride and violence is a lie perpetuated by the Synagogue of Satan. How often Bible scholar by approaching the passage literally weaken the force of the Spirit's thrust? God's Will is clear and his Holiness shall not be treated glibly with doctrine's of man. Ministry of reconciliation of the Son having completed on earth must leave the sinner of Zion to their own devices till the terror of the Lord strike them and they turn to Him. In that day a fountain shall be opened for their cleansing. Let the sinner beware is the focus here.
God gave them a glory of 'his back parts' so setting Moses in the cleft (Ex.33:21-23)was one such hint. In Re.6 :12-17 we have the wrath of the Lamb is mentioned here specifically.
"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him./As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God./But let the righteous be g"lad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. ( Ps. 68:1-3)
"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"(Is.33:14) Jesus warns the church, "and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."(Re.2:9)
"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."
In continuation with the passage of Is.2:1-4 which is when the last enemy death has been finally put down, there shall be no more death. The emblem of the slain Lamb reveals the Lamb having a throne, a body which is called New Jerusalem. The word forever settled in the heaven is the Law, superseding all other laws.
In the last days we have the Law going forth from Zion 'and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." What does it mean where god is all in all? The answer is given in this clause, "and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." It is the glory of the body which is New Jerusalem.John annotates the passage of Isaiah, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it./ And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof./And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:"(Re.21:22-24)
One peculiar feature is that the key verse is repeated again word for word in v.17. The Spirit is referring to the Lamb who was prevailed to open the book bound with sven seals. "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, 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./And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne."(Re.5:5-8) Here the 24 elders worship him. " the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." They were memorial of the body prepared before for the Son and they carried the prayers. Do the prayers of saints go unanswered? Oh no!
"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him./And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"
The High Priest Joshua represents the High Priest of our Profession. Joshua, God our deliverance is a Hebrew variant of the name Jesus. (He.3:1). Satan is resisting the man as he did with Michael over the body of Moses.(Jude.v.9). Jesus did no sin and knew no evil so Ministry of reconciliation here as a substitutional symbol.
"is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" refers to the great tribulation and the 144,000 representing the 12 tribes so martyrdom does not distinguish between the Jews and the Gentiles.
"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel./And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment./And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments." (vv. 3-5) Here are two verse for meditation:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."(Is.61:10)
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."(Is.61:3)
"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."(2:14)
Up Down
This ministry of reconciliation is across while what we considered under 'the other sheep' ( John 10:16). The worlds of the Spirit and the body were reconciled up and down. "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies". Then the question arises what is 'the rod of thy strength'? "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations." The Word of God prevails over his enemies. These events are given in Re.19:13-18; Ps.110:2
Here we have even unto the world which is length and breadth of the earth. "and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." All power given unto the risen Christ covers both heaven and the earth. That explains the great army of saints following the Word of white arrayed in white.(Matt.28:18-20)
Across
St Paul refers to the Gospel of peace between the Jews and the Gentiles, "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;/And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross" (vv.15-16) The cross is the focus while the sword is the focus in up and down.
Time of the Gentiles
This occurs on the earth since the time tag of 42 months establish the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. "for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." Jewish diaspora in waves under Assyria, Babylon and Rome are referred as the time of the Gentiles.(Re.11:2). What occurs in Palestine in our times falls under this heading.
The 144,000 who are sealed in place of 12 tribes are neither Jews nor the Gentiles but martyrs.(Re.7) "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Ze. 3:3)
As a teacher of the Word the Spirit exhorts anyone who does interpreting the word to keep note of the thrust of his argument. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Comparing apples with pears are for the glory of man and not for God."Instruction in righteousness" is fighting according to the rules. 2 Ti.3:16
"All things were created by him, and for him:/And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Col.1:16-19)
Here is another example. Jesus Christ warns the Laodicean church,"And anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see".(Re.3:18) Ministry reconciliation of Jesus we have in this healing at Bethsaida, of a blind man,"And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking./After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly." ( Mark 8:24-25). If foolish shepherds use the word of God to bilk their congregation we can appreciate this comparison spiritual with spiritual. Christ's warning to the church holds true even now.
Coming back to Jesus as the Good shepherd we have "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."(Ze.13:7). What reconciles it to Jesus is the preceding verse. "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." These wounds did not make him retaliate but he cried at the cross. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."( Luke 23:34). The word of reconciliation does its perfect work with word of his grace which as St Paul says, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."(Ac.20:32)
"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
This quote from St Paul shall explain what he means by the word of reconciliation. St Paul explains his ministry is from God,"all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" so no passage stands alone but it casts its spiritual analogue so it is the fulness of Christ that we look into it. The revelation that the Spirit had set him apart as he confesses,"To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood."(Gal.1:16; Ac.13:2). He was called to be a good soldier for Christ. So his ministry of reconciliation is in lock step with Jesus Christ's ministry of reconciling the other sheep, "and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" into one fold fits with one another.( John 10:16)
Elisha's life presents us with the world of the Spirit which requires eye of faith than the normal faculty of vision. "Behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?/And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them./And Elisha prayed, and said,Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And theLordopened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." ( 2Ki. 6:15-17). Ministry of reconciliation is about fighting by the rules.(2 Ti.2:5) These rules are meant to make every believer fighting fit. So when Jesus told his disciples," and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."( Luke 22:36) we can put his word in proper perspective. The sword was meant as his badge of office. This is the word of reconciliation, comparing the spiritual with spiritual.
The kingdom entrusted to Jesus was not of this world. "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." ( John 18:36). God made angels spirits and ministers flaming fire, which Elisha could see for which faith is required. Instead what does the false prophet do? "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." The source for this elsewhere and like the magicians in the court of Pharaoh resisted Moses and God. Similarly the beast wields people power while the anti-Christ spoke as the dragon would, "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." (Re.13:11,13)
With this background the early church had to contend with the Jews, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie."(Re.3:9) Herod had spawned a political movement. Authority of Herod was as with the beast came from Satan. "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." 42 months include such temporal powers, each one resisting God. Nationalism of the Idumaean line was propped up by Imperial Rome. And is it of any surprise when Christianity became the official religion, and absorbed the culture of the Church of Rome,- Christian nationalism and culture wars are tares planted by the enemy.
"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."(12:11) The two witnesses, 'loved not their lives unto the death'. Jesus assures, " For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."(Matt.16:25)
"The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
First point to note is that the beast is a composite figure as the two witnesses represent the saints to whom Jesus Christ gave power according to the promise of God, and are called and blessed in his Son.. "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies."(Ps.110:2) These enemies on the earth are caused by 'the war in heaven.'(Re.12:7). And the consequence of it we read in v.12. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
This short time is clearly set by the Spirit even as the earthly ministry of Jesus and of the two witnesses. 42 is a number designated by God so the time of the Gentiles or heathen is likewise determined. John was sent as a messenger who was killed by the sword. Herod Antipas, it must be stressed was a vassal king to Caligula as another Herod, Herod Agrippa would have James killed. One killed because of his oath and the other killed James because he wanted to please the crowd. in whichever case the beast is associated with qualities totally antithetical to Jesus. The beast rising out of the sea (Re.13:1) is from below the earth as Jesus is from heaven. He is the king," The Lord sitteth upon the flood."(Ps.29:10) What is the characteristic of the sea? The beast represent the wicked," But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt."(Is.57:20). While we have the likes of Herod whose power is derived from some one else as enemies to Christ, the two witnesses represent an angel a man so the golden reed is their measurement and signify the everlasting gospel entrusted to them. Herod also gave rise to a political movement in the days of Jesus. (Matt.22:15-16)
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."(11:3)
Who is the authority to confer power on men but the Lord from heaven, who is heavenly? "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." The risen Christ in his humanity was the Word become flesh, so his authority stretched from Alpha the beginning. In his Ascension he was to be seated on the right hand of the Most High so Omega aspect, the ending referred to fulfilling the divine Will of his Father. " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power"(Ps.110:1-3). Firstly the two witnesses belong to 'thy people'. These were given to the Son. "and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."( John 17:11)
The chapter began with a golden reed and the angel directing John what to leave out and what to include requires attention. "for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." This reed is a single measurement. "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel."(Re.21:17) Gold signifies faith and here single measurement is of the angel,- the fellow-servant of John and of the man to whom the Son has given authority. Power of the little ones and their angels positioned to behold the face of the Father always defines the golden reed. Every other scale is false.
Prophesy is another feature and the two witnesses would do it for "a thousand two hundred and threescore days. "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."(Matt.11:11)
The days is a tag supplied the Spirit to indicate the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. By the same token the Gentiles are allowed to operate for 42 months. This conflict reveals two laws, of the Spirit and of the sin.
Let us consider our use of sarcasm as individuals. Does your sarcastic remarks promote was is spoken of in these passages or do they work counter to the objective of these passages?
Eph. 4:1-3
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of your vocation wherewith ye are called, with lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Does one's sarcasm promote unity or divide, peace or disturbance in relationship?
Is the sarcasm proceed from lowliness and meekness or does it proceed from pridefulness and self-elevation over another?
Does the sarcasm come forth from longsuffering or is it reactive, a "come back at ya", response? Is it winsome in its intent and effect entreating the other to holy fellowship? Does it show forbearance with another in love or is it" touchy" and self-serving?
Eph. 4:29
"Let no corrupt (unholy) communication proceed from your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
Is one's sarcasm holy or unholy speech? Does it honor God and respect the person spoken to? Does it build up or tear down the hearer? Does it hurt or heal the hearer? Does it promote equalness in the relationship or does it inflate the speaker to the detriment of the hearer? Does it seek to be cooperative rather than competitive (getting to "one-up" another or win in a discussion)?
Eph. 5:4
"..Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather of giving of thanks."
Is one's sarcasm sober and mindful or foolish talking? Does it make fun of another or "jest" in a way that the other person doesn't like? Are you really "just Kidding, joking, or being humorous" in a mutually humorous and receptive conversation or does the sarcasm come from irritation, anger, or wanting to get at the hearer to put them down or shut them up?
cont.
Are you talking about the carnal
view ofChrist and the Devine view
of Christ? Am I mixed up?
The same hour is a tag set by the Spirit so comparing spiritual with spiritual we are on the right track to explain the two witnesses in terms of Jesus Christ. "And the same hour was there a great earthquake,"(Re.11:13) for instance is the duration of his ministry and the two witnesses are part of his earthly ministry. In short the work of the Son as the Word become flesh has to incorporate the divine will of the Father. One cannot be without the other since it explains the rationale of Father who revealed the testimony through an angel as in Re.1:1. It is the glorious gospel of Christ covering two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. Everlasting gospel is another name. Consequently when Jesus rejoiced as quoted from the Lucan gospel refers to the babes, they have their presence before God. Hence Jesus warns,"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."(18:10)
"And he to whom the Son will reveal him"( Luke 10:22). Jesus as the Good Shepherd came to save the lost. In delivering man who is dead in sin and trespasses he reveals the mercy of his Father. "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins/Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Ep.2:1-2) What is the significance of quickening one who is dead? Everlasting life proof of which is the believer and his angel in the presence of the Father are aligned without any distortion. "the third part of the stars of heaven" being cast out is how the believers in this world have handled the truth in unrighteousness. How we walk the talk has grave consequences on the cloud of witnesses. (Re.12:4) This explains the joy in heaven over the one sheep lost and found.
"Verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray." The Spirit is referring the Son who is the Good Shepherd. He is the visible image of the invisible God so all emotions attributed to God must be seen as coming from the Son.
Similarly the Spirit refers to an hour which is with reference to the ministry of Jesus Christ. "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight./ All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."( Luke 10:21-22)
Jesus at the Marriage at Cana referred,"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come."( John 2:4). By the same token he is referring to the wine which is distinctly with reference to the kingdom to come, " But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."(26:29) It is thus the Spirit has organized the Salvation Program of God giving a tag for his ministry and his Father's kingdom. When he explains his work he tells his captors, "but this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Comparing spiritual with spiritual we are on the right track to explain the two witnesses in terms of Jesus Christ. "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand:" the same hour is the duration of his ministry and the two represents the testimony of the Son which his Father. It is same as in Re.1:1. It is the glorious gospel of Christ covering two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. Everlasting gospel is another name.
Holiness of God is a name, glory of which is invested in his testimony which is the glorious gospel entrusted to his Son. So when He sent his only begotten Son what is the Will of God? " Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." His concern is for the glory of everlasting life that the one sheep carries. God so loved the world is to bring the glory of the cloud of witnesses match exactly with those who are in the world of the body.
"I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word."( John 17:6)
"That they may be one" is what the ministry of reconciliation yet remaining. "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them./And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are".(vv.10-11).And when Jesus Christ says,"It is done" it is a signal that way to the tree of life is found. "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb./In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life."(Re.22:1-2)
"And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray."
Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. God sent his Son so the lost sheep may be found. Bringing them back into one fold means reconciling both worlds of the Spirit and of the body into one sheepfold. ( John 10:1)
We shall begin with v.11" For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."(v.11).
If the sheep lost its way and have not found what it sought is it worth the effort? A sheep is not endowed with foreknowledge as man is. He is a living soul. Satan beguiled Eve through a serpent. How did man get lost even after God gave him the wherewithal? The content of His breath into his nostril sums up the Law that He upholds. It is the word of his power. It explains the Law of the Spirit. The principle of Similitude sets reality of Law of heaven with that of the earth. Thus it is two contrary laws of the Spirit warring the law of sin in our vile bodies nevertheless a matter of life and death. In this existential battle everlasting life is what God promised those who are found.
The Spirit uses symbols for both laws, the tree of life for those who found their way back as we say from the case of Adam life of sin originating from his disobedience. This search for the lost sheep began with the commandment of God who sent forth his word that shall never go back in void.(Is.55:11)
In the parable we have the sheep that is ever by the shepherd. "And the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out./And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice./And a stranger will they not follow" ( John 10:3-5). They are the 99 and are content under the Law of the Spirit to stay close "for they know not the voice of strangers." Their glory they know are in safekeeping and the bright cloud is their testimony.
"And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray." A sheep is most likely to wander away in a rugged terrain where the grass is sparse; the shepherd's task is to keep his flock in his sights and wild animals are not likely to dare show themselves while man is about. " For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."(v.11)
Satan beguiled Eve through a serpent. How did man get lost. God gave them a straight and narrow path. But when the serpent could get them out of their way and look at the way Satan had presented the alternate reality, and it can open a new vista as the word says,"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." It opened the way to another law."And the eyes of them both were opened,"(v.7) The way of the senses, tell a story, end of which is death as God had warned them. The tree of life was where the Law of the Spirit led to. It was a simple test of walking the straight narrow path but man failed. They let Satan to lead and they were lost.
In Adam we all are set in an alternate reality, a make-believe world, " For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."(Ro.3:23). Where law of sin like a wolf roams about we shall appreciate God's counset to Cain. "And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."(Ge.4:6-7)
How come Cain could not take it. He was the wicked one a murderer since he let the spur of the moment direct his actions. (4:8) He had no respect for eternity. It is how the law of sin works.
"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." (v.13)
At the same hour refers to the hour Jesus spoke about at the night he was taken in. ( Luke 22:53)It is the power of darkness that caused the nation of Israel reject the true Light and the time of the Gentiles before the Son appeared in mid-air to collect. "and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory./ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."(24:30-31)
The ministry of the two witnesses has the same duration as the day decreed for the Son. John the Baptist was sent according to the Scriptures as a voice preparing the way. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts./But who may abide the day of his coming? "(Mal.3:1-2) Purifiers work refers to the great tribulation. The script for the day of his coming consists of several phases which is clearly laid out in Matt.3:13. "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
The chaff shall be cast to the winds. (the imposter church), purging his floor is the earth(*the left behind church), and it leads to the unquenchable fire. "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."(Re.20:10). * Cf the vision of the Woman Clothed with the Sun and she is sent to a place prepared for her. "(12:14)
"Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
John according to Jesus Christ was the greatest among born of women, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matt.11:11). In order to understand the two witnesses we are to focus on John as one, who also referred to the baptism of fire that awaits the church. He foretold, " He (Jesus Christ) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:/ Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."(3:11-12)
The Baptism by Holy Ghost has been fulfilled and what awaits is baptism by fire to which Apostle Peter also referred, "For the timeis comethat judgment must begin at the house of God: and ifitfirstbeginat us, what shall the endbeof them that obey not the gospel of God?"(1 Pe.4:17). St Paul also warns and it is to the imposter church, "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)
In the Ch.18 the same question of the greatest in the kingdom of heaven threw up another aspect of John. Jesus said, "He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." The little one who ever sees the face of the Father in heaven is the second witness representing the fire. For he is an angel in the world of the Spirit. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."(18:10)
"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?/And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,"
The disciples chose this question after Jesus transfigured before them. Did the question chose them or other way about is a moot point. Each one wanted to be part of that glory that their master commanded. Lucifer saw the selfsame glory "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." He was the son of the morning meaning the brightness of the glory of God. Free will of the Son was expressed to bring glory to his Father; on the other hand Lucifer was all for establishing "I will" as the Law. Law of the Spirit worked in the Son so he said, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."(Ps.40:8). It is thus free will is determined by the Spirit. "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."(2 Co.3:17)
"At the same time" with which this chapter begins is a clue as to how startling it was for his disciples to digest, and having wrestled with it the next question could have been, "Am I the one?" Surely Judas Iscariot one of the twelve would have had similar thought.
The law of sin is already in flow while the glory of the spiritual body created the vision of Zion that awaited those who were blessed in his Son. That was the sixth day. On the seventh day God rested because his faith in his Son to fulfill the Abstract of the everlasting covenant was absolute.(Ge.2:1-3)
"For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation./ This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it./I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread."(Ps.132:13-15).
"I will satisfy her poor" explains the relationship of the little ones with the bread from heaven.
"That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."
There are two worlds of the Spirit and of the body where angels signify the cloud of witnesses. Whereas the body points to the same spiritual body prepared for the Son. Glory of God makes the cloud bright and as the spiritual body,- "we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." We are called into one hope of our calling so every saint redeemed from the earth is part of this body or a building. so what do we call fellow believers headed towards the same direction? "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." brothers here and now have their witnesses, and they are called angels.
Jesus Christ "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person" relates to us as the glory of God in the knowledge,, it is compared to a light, as in this verse, "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ". This is his glorious gospel and shown as doable. So what we bear in our vile bodies is the kind of glory that the angels in heaven get to see directly.
Jesus tells that these little ones do always behold the face of my Father. So the power of the word in us is knowledge based and our faith is not merely lip-service but faith that can move mountains.
Having said this much how do we reconcile the vv.8-9 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out,"? Does it put to rest the lust of eye, caused by sin, since the law of sin is what tempts the eye to sin? Jesus offers the only cure: "Without me you can do nothing."( John 15:3) Faith with works is when you rest from your own labor and self-will and fall back upon for his grace to have a perfect working in your life. Father of all mercies showed the glorious gospel of his Son as doable. Knowledge of the glory of God in holding on to grace and truth.
"Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?/ And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief."
Before we examine the second event we need see the role of faith in integrating the two worlds of the Spirit and of the body. The body is prepared for the Son to do his will. Psalmist David refers to it. When we abide in Christ who is the Word become flesh the spirit of Christ has given us insight into the truth. Jesus chose the twelve and gave them power to cast out demons. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was yet to come. So the spirit of Christ worked in their ministry. "My Father worketh hitherto and I work" explains at one level the Spirit of the Father works at tandem with the Son of man so the twelve disciples were his associates as well. The cloud of witnesses is associated with the Father, "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." (10:20). We are thus constituted with access to both worlds at the same time while we are in our vile bodies. Apostle John refers to it, "but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also."(1 John2:23). Faith without works is dead. Without abiding in these two worlds faith does not produce fruits an example of which we see in the failure to cast out demons from the child. Jesus reduces them to the level of their generation since their faith did not work. How apt is our generation where the churches soft pedal on issues like faith and culture wars? "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?(17:17)
American Right and Christian nationalism are the tares choking the good seed. The former do not take the Spirit of the Father or the word of the Spirit. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself
"Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?/ Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free." (vv.25-26)
Before we go into the topic let us fix the context within which we are to interpret the three events mentioned here.
First event: Transfiguration of Jesus took place on the seventh day.
v.1 " And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,"
This is pendent on the last verse of the preceding chapter. "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (16:28) It refers to the Son and his kingdom. Taking the two verses together the word 'apart' tells the event was a private preview.
The mountain mentioned in 5:1 is high mountain here. The adjective is placed to indicate farther in time. Jesus set forth the doctrine of his Father where the rock symbolized Zion which is founded on the stone.(Is.28:16) High mountain is to indicate the glory of the Word become flesh. Jesus is referring to the selfsame glory introduced in v.28 "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death", indicating the outpouring of the upon all flesh." This matter was shared with the three indicating the representational nature of the Son tagged by the command number Three. The testimony of Jesus was to be made by a public event and the proof of which was in his resurrection. As the word become flesh the self same glory was freely bestowed through the Son. As the firstborn from all dead, his disciples/associates were all free born. This is what was stipulated in the everlasting Covenant. This is the point of the key verse.
On earth the kings spare their sons from the taxes of the realm. Similarly the anointing of the Spirit makes the saints freed from the law of sin. Seventh days refers Ge.2:3
But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them./Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."
Are they the two witnesses that Jesus refers to? Firstly ask how credible are the disciples to zoom them in their crosshairs when as the following passage reveals that they were still novices,- Jesus explains,"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:"(v.20). Their faith was yet to be steadfast without which all their mental gyrations as to the identity of two witnesses would fall flat. One proof was in their failure to cast out the demon that afflicted the boy in vv. 14-20.
We shal examine Re.11:3-4 for clues.
" And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth./ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."
And I will give power" this is what the risen Jesus promised his disciples/ associates in (Matt.28:18-20). Ze.4:14 refers them as "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth". Lo I am with you always is another promise by the risen Christ. Besides 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days' is a tag set by the Spirit to indicate two witnesses could be any two appointed by God. In short these two witnesses are chosen from both worlds of the Spirit and the body as one. Without which the interpretation falls flat.
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Transfiguration took place against an high mountain, again the mountain of the Lord referred in Is.2. As with the Sermon on the Mount, here the Spirit highlight the glory of the spiritual body awaiting the saints who have received the Man sent from Above. Moses Elias in their flesh doubled for the One to come. Here we have Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today. The transfiguration was, therefore a pointer to the glory which is to come. (He.13:8). This also explains why Jesus warned his disciples to keep the matter a secret.
10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
The second and third lines in Chris Tomlin's song "Good Good Father" state:
But I've heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And You tell me that You're pleased and that I'm never alone
David Crowder's song "He really loves us" has this in the third line
"There is no judgment"
And Danny Gokey's song "Love God Love People" says at the end of the fourth stanza
"Love God and love People" (no brainer).
Finally there is the song "What would Jesus do" states in the 11th Stanza
"What would Jesus do
He would love first..etc."
The first question here is what is God's love? There is nothing in any of these songs that show any differentiation of God's love from that of man. Assuming that God never has anything negative to say goes against the verses that state God chastises anone He loves and we are illegitimate sons otherwise (see Hebrews 12:6; 12:8). To say there is no judgment is only true as to a believer's standing at the Bema Seat Judgment and missing the Great White Throne condemnation. We are judged according to 2 Corinthians 5:10 and be judged as to works done for Him; good or bad. If we aren't one of His own we are judged and condemned already ( John 3:18).
No one should argue as to a Christian demonstrating love and patience; but that doesn't mean that we should stand for hypocrisy within the House of God; or societal evils such as abortion without sounding the trumpet as a watchman to avoid the condemnation warned of in Ezekiel 3:18. But such exhortations seem to be missing entirely in today's Christian songs; whether it is warning of the deceptiveness of Satan or sin itself; or the Tribulation to come or hell itself without repentance. Anyone on this forum who wishes to rebut that statement let me know; perhaps there are some independent artists I should be made aware of that I haven't heard lately.
Thus; artists are idolized saying what people want to hear and are "Christian" by name only.
"And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth".
Jesus as the Son is called the prince of life. In his resurrection he also established the way to life abundant, which is not same as abundance of things. Mammon another name for the devil holds riches as his ace in his sleeve to destroy the unwary and fools. The Parable of the Rich Fool gives us a look of one who was not rich towards God. He was a fool to believe only in a world the other man's riches have blinded his eye of faith. For them there is no remedy. The man who had great possession could not get over it in order to follow Jesus. He heard how to be perfect but abundance of the other man's wealth closed his ear of faith. "But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."(Matt.19:21-22). Without faith one cannot be perfect where the grace of God makes both worlds of the body and of the Spirit in harmony.
Grace of God works through his Son so He makes a way open before His children. The fish that supplied the tribute money is a case in point. We have false shepherds cheating IRS to conceal their ill-gotten coins but Jesus showed how to navigate both worlds at the same time. "Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." (Matt.17:22)
All promises of God are yea in his Son. So what was the point of God blessing 'them' on the sixth day? (Ge.1:28-30)Blessings mentioned on each day in the Abstract work together so God's commandment to "subdue' is to create over-comers and not fools whose art of deal come unstuck in spectacular fashion at the end of their lives.
Here we have question and it is asked by Jesus who is the fulfillment of the Law. The quarrel over inheritance on the basis of the Law of Moses did not interest him. Moses himself could have supplied his bitter experience. He had tried to intervene in the quarrel of his fellowmen and what was the result? "And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known."(Ex.2:14). His own hands were not clean, enough. Jesus knew no sin and did no sin so he could have cast the first stone on man who transgressed according to the law. " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."( John 8:7)
Jesus was among as the Word made flesh to prove that the Law was doable and not dabble in the justice system that only dealt with one world. As the Law that he represented covered both worlds, the present and the worlds to come. So he stood outside their petty squabbles over wealth which was 'other man's riches' meaning it was devil's business.
One may ask Does God condone capital punishment?
All Authority come from God. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God./ Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." Those who are in power are themselves subject to God.
Law of sin is not from God. Man chose knowledge of good and evil over the commandment of God so he is servant to sin from the greatest to the lowest. So whatever name one calls, President or Caesar are servants to sin and their laws are accordingly sinful. Rather than ask if capital punishment is good or bad, ask yourself under what law you come: under the Law of the Spirit or under law of sin? (Ro.8:1)"
(Continued from the previous post)
I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."(Is.42:8)
Coming back to Isaiah we have the glory of God expressed in terms of the Law, which is the truth. I am the truth". So we need look at the truth expressing 'that God may be all in all" fulfills the ministry of Reconciliation by Jesus Christ. "Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.:(Is.8:18). So the clause in v.2 "and all nations shall flow unto it" is to be understood as referring to the Throne of God and of the Lamb.
"Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made/And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not." Here we have judgment about to visit Israel as we have in our times culture wars and super rich treating themselves as cream floating in the cauldron. "this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh." (Ez.11:3). Those who makes idols of men take glory in the worthless " and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth./Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of ?"(Is.2:21-22)
Those who do not abide in Christ as many branches to the true vine may say they are justified and saved by faith. But their glory is in their idols. God is not fooled by their professions when they glory in their worthless gods and not in the true God. "And theLordalone shall be exalted in that day./And the idols he shall utterly abolish." (vv.17-18)
"And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of theLord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." (Is.2:19)
We saw an earlier instance where the verse 11, from Isaiah Ch.2 being repeated in v.16. These are not left in the narrative by any accident but the Spirit warns us to heed the Law from Zion is indeed from God the Father as the word going forth from Jerusalem is from the Son. So Jerusalem and Zion as alienated to the nation of Israel for pride and violence is a lie perpetuated by the Synagogue of Satan. How often Bible scholar by approaching the passage literally weaken the force of the Spirit's thrust? God's Will is clear and his Holiness shall not be treated glibly with doctrine's of man. Ministry of reconciliation of the Son having completed on earth must leave the sinner of Zion to their own devices till the terror of the Lord strike them and they turn to Him. In that day a fountain shall be opened for their cleansing. Let the sinner beware is the focus here.
God gave them a glory of 'his back parts' so setting Moses in the cleft (Ex.33:21-23)was one such hint. In Re.6 :12-17 we have the wrath of the Lamb is mentioned here specifically.
"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him./As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God./But let the righteous be g"lad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. ( Ps. 68:1-3)
"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"(Is.33:14) Jesus warns the church, "and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."(Re.2:9)
"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."
In continuation with the passage of Is.2:1-4 which is when the last enemy death has been finally put down, there shall be no more death. The emblem of the slain Lamb reveals the Lamb having a throne, a body which is called New Jerusalem. The word forever settled in the heaven is the Law, superseding all other laws.
In the last days we have the Law going forth from Zion 'and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." What does it mean where god is all in all? The answer is given in this clause, "and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." It is the glory of the body which is New Jerusalem.John annotates the passage of Isaiah, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it./ And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof./And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:"(Re.21:22-24)
One peculiar feature is that the key verse is repeated again word for word in v.17. The Spirit is referring to the Lamb who was prevailed to open the book bound with sven seals. "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, 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./And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne."(Re.5:5-8) Here the 24 elders worship him. " the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." They were memorial of the body prepared before for the Son and they carried the prayers. Do the prayers of saints go unanswered? Oh no!
Here we shall look at Ze.3:1-3
"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him./And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"
The High Priest Joshua represents the High Priest of our Profession. Joshua, God our deliverance is a Hebrew variant of the name Jesus. (He.3:1). Satan is resisting the man as he did with Michael over the body of Moses.(Jude.v.9). Jesus did no sin and knew no evil so Ministry of reconciliation here as a substitutional symbol.
"is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" refers to the great tribulation and the 144,000 representing the 12 tribes so martyrdom does not distinguish between the Jews and the Gentiles.
"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel./And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment./And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments." (vv. 3-5) Here are two verse for meditation:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."(Is.61:10)
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."(Is.61:3)
"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."(2:14)
Up Down
This ministry of reconciliation is across while what we considered under 'the other sheep' ( John 10:16). The worlds of the Spirit and the body were reconciled up and down. "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies". Then the question arises what is 'the rod of thy strength'? "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations." The Word of God prevails over his enemies. These events are given in Re.19:13-18; Ps.110:2
Here we have even unto the world which is length and breadth of the earth. "and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." All power given unto the risen Christ covers both heaven and the earth. That explains the great army of saints following the Word of white arrayed in white.(Matt.28:18-20)
Across
St Paul refers to the Gospel of peace between the Jews and the Gentiles, "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;/And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross" (vv.15-16) The cross is the focus while the sword is the focus in up and down.
Time of the Gentiles
This occurs on the earth since the time tag of 42 months establish the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. "for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." Jewish diaspora in waves under Assyria, Babylon and Rome are referred as the time of the Gentiles.(Re.11:2). What occurs in Palestine in our times falls under this heading.
The 144,000 who are sealed in place of 12 tribes are neither Jews nor the Gentiles but martyrs.(Re.7) "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Ze. 3:3)
We can do the right thing with the wrong heart and we fall short of perfection.
TO BE PERFECT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE BLAMELESS.
1 Corinthians 8:9-12 is another scenario to consider.
We often think of the things we do wrong as sin.
What about the things we don't do right or good? Consider James 4:17.
Here's our goal.
Galatians 5:25-26
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Let's see if we are perfect in this using Galatians 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
Here's a list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21.
( Most of these we can claim on the surface but God judges the heart.)
Are we PERFECTLY blameless in not doing any of these in our hearts?
THOSE ARE A LIST OF THINGS A CHRISTIAN SHOULDN'T BE DOING. ( If we are doing these we are sinning.)
Christians are known "BY" there Love for one another and should be barring fruit.
John 13:34-35.
1 John 4:20-21.
Matthew 7:15-16.
Let's use Galatians 5:22-23 to see what we should be doing. "PERFECTLY since our focus is on the ability to be perfect in these natural bodies.
love,
joy,
peace,
longsuffering,
gentleness,
goodness,
faith,
Meekness,
temperance.
IF YOU ARE NOT DOING THESE PERFECTLY "FOREVER ON! YOU ARE NOT PERFECT OR BLAMELESS.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17.
God bless.
As a teacher of the Word the Spirit exhorts anyone who does interpreting the word to keep note of the thrust of his argument. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Comparing apples with pears are for the glory of man and not for God."Instruction in righteousness" is fighting according to the rules. 2 Ti.3:16
"All things were created by him, and for him:/And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Col.1:16-19)
Here is another example. Jesus Christ warns the Laodicean church,"And anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see".(Re.3:18) Ministry reconciliation of Jesus we have in this healing at Bethsaida, of a blind man,"And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking./After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly." ( Mark 8:24-25). If foolish shepherds use the word of God to bilk their congregation we can appreciate this comparison spiritual with spiritual. Christ's warning to the church holds true even now.
Coming back to Jesus as the Good shepherd we have "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."(Ze.13:7). What reconciles it to Jesus is the preceding verse. "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." These wounds did not make him retaliate but he cried at the cross. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."( Luke 23:34). The word of reconciliation does its perfect work with word of his grace which as St Paul says, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."(Ac.20:32)
"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."
This quote from St Paul shall explain what he means by the word of reconciliation. St Paul explains his ministry is from God,"all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" so no passage stands alone but it casts its spiritual analogue so it is the fulness of Christ that we look into it. The revelation that the Spirit had set him apart as he confesses,"To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood."(Gal.1:16; Ac.13:2). He was called to be a good soldier for Christ. So his ministry of reconciliation is in lock step with Jesus Christ's ministry of reconciling the other sheep, "and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" into one fold fits with one another.( John 10:16)
Elisha's life presents us with the world of the Spirit which requires eye of faith than the normal faculty of vision. "Behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?/And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them./And Elisha prayed, and said,Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And theLordopened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." ( 2Ki. 6:15-17). Ministry of reconciliation is about fighting by the rules.(2 Ti.2:5) These rules are meant to make every believer fighting fit. So when Jesus told his disciples," and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."( Luke 22:36) we can put his word in proper perspective. The sword was meant as his badge of office. This is the word of reconciliation, comparing the spiritual with spiritual.