The Courtyard, Holy Place and Holiest of Holies represent 3 possible dimentions of the spiritual life of a believer. The Courtyard is where most believers end up living their entire spiritual lives. The courtyard is the place of presentation. Here is where the sacrifice is presented to God, and the washing of the brazen laver. All most every modern church service is simply a presentation of the gospel over and over and a presentation of performance of "church" with the spectators who are encouraged to present again and again their lives to Christ. From the Courtyard their bread must be brought to them from somewhere else by someone else who has access to that bread. For that reason the Courtyard Christian represents spiritual babies that must be fed by someone else: i.e. priest, pastors, men with titles and robes who appear to the courtyard Christian to be men or women of elevation. (modern high places) The Courtyard Christian knows something is happening beyond the Door curtain but have never actually pressed through himself to become partaker of show bread eaten in the light of God's spirit. He is a baby and must have someone bring the bread to him and feed him outside of the Holy Place, not realizing that with faith he too could press into the Holy Place where the manifestation happens. The first dimension of the spirit is presentation (the Courtyard), the second dimension of the spirit is manifestation, (the Holy Place).
Eph 4:14
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine...
(KJV)
The 2nd dimension of the spirit is represented by the Holy Place the "manifestation". The children and babes in Christ are required to grow up and not to continue in their infancy, ordered so by the Word. Unfortunately they are kept captive in a system that coddles babies and non-growers on church pews. Religion's main purpose is to "stay saved", while God's plan is for man to progress from grace to grace and from faith to faith. The baby Christian want to have the gospel presented to him in an entertaining fashion where he can draw his milk from a breast presented to him, never venturing beyond the Courtyard. When, with a small amount of faith, he could push his way into the Holy Place and experience the Bread and Light of God's Word for himself. He can come into the manifestation of God's light and Word and make direct prayer to God without the help of Clergy (Nicolaitans Rev 2:15). Now, in the Holy Place the growing Christian is in a new spirit realm of signs, voices, wonders and manifestations. If the 80/20 rule is true in the natural then perhaps it too holds true in the spirit. Then only about 20% of the new Christians ever go beyond the Courtyard (1st dimension) on to the Holy Place (2nd dimension), inside the Door, to the wonderful manifestations of God. In the Holy Place (2nd dimension) they love the signs and wonders, direct inspirations, feasting in God's presence on His Word and enjoying the wonders revealed by the Light of the Spirit. Now I believe a full 80% of those that enter the Holy Place live there for the rest of their spiritual lives, endlessly seeking a greater manifestation of the spirit and another sign or voice. Running here and there looking for this and that miracle, sign, wonder and seeking signs. Nothing wrong with this place in the spirit, any more than coming through the Courtyard, but God wants to meet us in the 3rd dimension of the Spirit. We are to grow in grace and knowledge and we have not arrived until we enter the Holiest of Holies.
There will be a people that will ever learn but never be able to come to the knowledge of the real Truth (the fullness of Jesus). They will live out the spiritual lives without having reached the promised rest! Not having faith, the Word says, they could not enter in. There are many in the Courtyard who not having faith will never press through the Door to the Holy Place. The will ever continue going to church. Their faith lacks substance and evidence. Their milk it too watery to cause the growth the spirit man. They have heaped to themselves teachers and turn readily to fables. We have arrived they say as they sit in the rain in the Courtyard. For those 20% that do venture by faith through the Door, they become fascinated upon the signs, and voices, and wonders and revelations, and forget there is a 3rd dimension, and a full 80% of those who enter the Holy Place (2nd dimension) never go beyond the Veil into the 3rd dimension.
There is those 20% of the 20% who by the Spirit they are made to understand, there is the fullness that God seeks for us. We need to go through the Veil (all things fleshly) and enter into the Holiest of Holies, the 3rd dimension of the spirit, to Habitation.
Eph 2:22
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
(KJV)
So far we have determined there are 3 spiritual dimensions portrayed in the Tabernacle. The Courtyard (presentation) the Holy Place (manifestation) and the Holiest of Holies (habitation). We have also determined that by far most Christians spend their entire spiritual journey in the Courtyard of presentation, having the gospel repeatedly presented to them never going beyond the infancy of the spirit. They have to be fed by someone else eating the milk of the Word, relying on the clergy to bring substance to them from within the Door. They are in love with the priest/pastoral system.
Some Christians venture by faith through the Door into the Holy Place where they find the light of the Spirit and Bread for Life. They become excited by the new found manifestations in the Spirit and seem to always seek more and greater manifestations but yet not able by faith to press beyond the veil (all flesh) and into the Holiest of Holies where we find habitation of God, the Rest.
Do not think for a minute that I am down on the Courtyard or Holy Place experiences! No! But we must grow in grace and knowledge and progress from faith to faith. Not acting as though we have already arrived, but we press on to the highest calling. Paul said that I might know Him. It is entering into the Rest, the true Sabbath of God were we cease from our own "religious" labors and go beyond all flesh into habitation.
We are to grow up into Him in all things! That is beyond the veil. We are to come into the full stature of the measure of Christ. That is beyond the veil. Everyone of us ought to examine ourselves and see where are we in our spiritual journey? Are we stuck in the courtyard ever learning and yet never learning? Have we moved on to manifestation of the Spirit and gotten so excited that now we want to live here ever seeking a greater manifestation? Or have we become a habitation for the dwelling place of God, where we live and walk in the Spirit and enjoy the Rest of God? Where am I on this journey?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
How I See God
John 7:38-39
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
(NIV)
1 Cor 12:13
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
(NIV)
I would like to share a thought given to me. I even dreamed about this thought and have been pondering it several days. I would like to share with you how I see God. Using the above verses I want you to see it is not a stretch to compare God to water (H2O). Lets think of God as being H2O and from here on out I will use H2O to explain verse and perhaps to show God's very nature. Think of the H2O over the whole earth in the form of water, vapor and ice. Yet all the manifestations of H2O is one just as God is One. Deut 6:4. No matter what the form or appearance God (H2O) is one. Where the H2O appears as ocean, glacier, rain, dew or steam it is always and only H2O. Where God appears as a burning bush, a voice from heaven, a dove or a Man, it is still only one H2O. Eph 4:4
Now that H2O which is invisible created Himself a Vessel, a pure glass, container, a tent, a tabernacle and show us the only image of the invisible God. That Vessel could be compared to an crystal glass that perfectly reflected the H2O within. The glass container was not H2O but only a Vessel to contain and reveal the H2O within. To wit: H20 was in the Vessel reconciling the world to Himself. We beheld the Vessel as the only image of the invisible H2O. The Vessel was born, but God was never born. The Vessel died, but God can never die. The Vessel bled but H2O can never bleed and die. The Vessel became sin, but H2O can never sin. H2O was poured without measure into the glass the Vessel. The Vessel or glass was called by His Father's name, H2O. The Vessel came in His Father's name H2O. The H2O was poured out of the Vessel (why have You forsaken me) so that the Vessel could die. H2O is greater than I (the Vessel said). No man knows the time of the end, not the Vessel only the H2O. I and my H2O are one. If you have seen Me you have seen my H2O.
In the fullness of time the Vessel will surrender all to H2O so that H2O can become all in all, but until then we are still waiting for all things to be put under the feet of the Vessel which is the first visible container of H2O. Now we Christians have become visible vessels of H2O and we too reveal the one invisible H2O to the world.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
(NIV)
1 Cor 12:13
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
(NIV)
I would like to share a thought given to me. I even dreamed about this thought and have been pondering it several days. I would like to share with you how I see God. Using the above verses I want you to see it is not a stretch to compare God to water (H2O). Lets think of God as being H2O and from here on out I will use H2O to explain verse and perhaps to show God's very nature. Think of the H2O over the whole earth in the form of water, vapor and ice. Yet all the manifestations of H2O is one just as God is One. Deut 6:4. No matter what the form or appearance God (H2O) is one. Where the H2O appears as ocean, glacier, rain, dew or steam it is always and only H2O. Where God appears as a burning bush, a voice from heaven, a dove or a Man, it is still only one H2O. Eph 4:4
Now that H2O which is invisible created Himself a Vessel, a pure glass, container, a tent, a tabernacle and show us the only image of the invisible God. That Vessel could be compared to an crystal glass that perfectly reflected the H2O within. The glass container was not H2O but only a Vessel to contain and reveal the H2O within. To wit: H20 was in the Vessel reconciling the world to Himself. We beheld the Vessel as the only image of the invisible H2O. The Vessel was born, but God was never born. The Vessel died, but God can never die. The Vessel bled but H2O can never bleed and die. The Vessel became sin, but H2O can never sin. H2O was poured without measure into the glass the Vessel. The Vessel or glass was called by His Father's name, H2O. The Vessel came in His Father's name H2O. The H2O was poured out of the Vessel (why have You forsaken me) so that the Vessel could die. H2O is greater than I (the Vessel said). No man knows the time of the end, not the Vessel only the H2O. I and my H2O are one. If you have seen Me you have seen my H2O.
In the fullness of time the Vessel will surrender all to H2O so that H2O can become all in all, but until then we are still waiting for all things to be put under the feet of the Vessel which is the first visible container of H2O. Now we Christians have become visible vessels of H2O and we too reveal the one invisible H2O to the world.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Economic Armageddon The Perfect Storm
Jer 12:5
5 "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?
(NIV)
The stage is being set. 1. We need a one world government. 2. We need a one world leader. 3. We need a one world money system. The whole world is clambering for the answer and the god of this world will give it.
God had Israel's provision planned during the time of famine in the days of Joseph. God sent Joseph ahead to store up natural provision during the time of plenty, but when the lean times came they ate up all that provision. If it had not been for God's divine foresight in leading Joseph to Egypt then Israel might have died during the famine, as it was mentioned many times in the passages in Genesis. It is hard for people to plan for drought in times of plenty and when famine comes where is the ability to save and store away? Long gone after the times of plenty. It is hard for us to see what is before us when it is not effecting us yet. When we have never in our lives experienced want and need in our lifetimes. We have been vaccinated (by prosperity) against all warnings, and are totally immune to the call of God to prepare.
If we cannot keep up with the footmen, how can we run with the horses? If we can barely make ends meet during the times of plenty, how will we ever survive during the times of calamity? Most American's are one pay check from the edge, but they still drive their new car payments, spend 10% more every month than they earn, live with their credit cards maxed out, like the American government thinking there is no payday for our foolish spending attitudes of debt and over consumption.
If that were not enough, our entire economic system is built upon a depleting supply of oil. Some day there will only be enough oil for the rich and those of us who could not see the handwriting on the wall, or at least discern the times are destined to be without oil and gas priced out of our reach. Every great civiliztion in history has failed. Not one has continued in their greatness. Not one! How is it we cannot understand that too applies to us? Are we some how different? Ever fiat currency in the history of the world has failed, is ours different? Will we never run out of oil? Will we never have to pay for the debts we are heaping? Will the world continue to believe in our fiat money when there are Americans themselves that do not believe? The only thing at this time keeping the fiat dollar afloat is the fear other countries have in the connection of their fiat (worthless paper money) to our fiat money. If the US goes down so will the world in the perfect storm for the rise of a new world economy!
Never have we been at this place in time before. No one has ever been here before us to tell us what to do to prepare. The blind guides leading this Nation are looking backwards to predict the future, as are most Americans. Oh, the US has always been prosperous and the government has always provided in the past so I base my future on the past. Foolishness! If the blind lead the blind they both fall in the ditch!
Well, I don't! I base my future on Jesus. I know this world stage is being set for a takeover. I know this world economy will crumble before the new "Beast System". My only question to Jesus is how do I prepare? What do you want me to do about the future? What is the wisest thing I can do now to prepare for uncertainty? You too must ask these questions. If it all unravels while I am here where do I need to be? What does my life need to look like? What have I put aside for the day of testing to come upon the whole earth?
Be blessed Billy and Jan
5 "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?
(NIV)
The stage is being set. 1. We need a one world government. 2. We need a one world leader. 3. We need a one world money system. The whole world is clambering for the answer and the god of this world will give it.
God had Israel's provision planned during the time of famine in the days of Joseph. God sent Joseph ahead to store up natural provision during the time of plenty, but when the lean times came they ate up all that provision. If it had not been for God's divine foresight in leading Joseph to Egypt then Israel might have died during the famine, as it was mentioned many times in the passages in Genesis. It is hard for people to plan for drought in times of plenty and when famine comes where is the ability to save and store away? Long gone after the times of plenty. It is hard for us to see what is before us when it is not effecting us yet. When we have never in our lives experienced want and need in our lifetimes. We have been vaccinated (by prosperity) against all warnings, and are totally immune to the call of God to prepare.
If we cannot keep up with the footmen, how can we run with the horses? If we can barely make ends meet during the times of plenty, how will we ever survive during the times of calamity? Most American's are one pay check from the edge, but they still drive their new car payments, spend 10% more every month than they earn, live with their credit cards maxed out, like the American government thinking there is no payday for our foolish spending attitudes of debt and over consumption.
If that were not enough, our entire economic system is built upon a depleting supply of oil. Some day there will only be enough oil for the rich and those of us who could not see the handwriting on the wall, or at least discern the times are destined to be without oil and gas priced out of our reach. Every great civiliztion in history has failed. Not one has continued in their greatness. Not one! How is it we cannot understand that too applies to us? Are we some how different? Ever fiat currency in the history of the world has failed, is ours different? Will we never run out of oil? Will we never have to pay for the debts we are heaping? Will the world continue to believe in our fiat money when there are Americans themselves that do not believe? The only thing at this time keeping the fiat dollar afloat is the fear other countries have in the connection of their fiat (worthless paper money) to our fiat money. If the US goes down so will the world in the perfect storm for the rise of a new world economy!
Never have we been at this place in time before. No one has ever been here before us to tell us what to do to prepare. The blind guides leading this Nation are looking backwards to predict the future, as are most Americans. Oh, the US has always been prosperous and the government has always provided in the past so I base my future on the past. Foolishness! If the blind lead the blind they both fall in the ditch!
Well, I don't! I base my future on Jesus. I know this world stage is being set for a takeover. I know this world economy will crumble before the new "Beast System". My only question to Jesus is how do I prepare? What do you want me to do about the future? What is the wisest thing I can do now to prepare for uncertainty? You too must ask these questions. If it all unravels while I am here where do I need to be? What does my life need to look like? What have I put aside for the day of testing to come upon the whole earth?
Be blessed Billy and Jan
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Death Burial Resurrection
Heb 8:5
5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
(NIV)
God's eternal plan has always been revealed to us from Genesis until now in all the things of life. The Bible calls it a shadow, and we often refer to is as types and shadows. A shadow being an image of the real reflected from heaven. The real being in heaven and the image of that real projected to us in life and story. Let me give an example. God's plan for salvation through out all eternity has been the death burial and resurrection of the Son of Man. Now I would like to see how many times that shadow was cast upon the earth to us, in the actions of the people of the Bible. The very first reflection of God's plan of death burial and resurrections was when Cain killed righteous Abel his brother. Here we see the death of Abel (the righteous potential of man) his body hid to all but God,(burial) and then God's giving another son, Seth (resurrection). Death Burial Resurrection thus revealed. You might say that is a stretch to reach that conclusion, but it will become more clear and apparent as we progress along this line.
Gen 6:6-7
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
(KJV)
The sentence of death upon all men of the earth. This is our second of the types and shadows of God's only saving plan in the Bible, death burial and resurrection. Here death is pronounced thus all men died. But Noah found grace and was buried in the ark for the 40 days of judgment and then was resurrected (in type) from the dead and raised to walk in a new earth/new creation. Death, burial and resurrection is that common thread running all through the Bible as we will begin to see.
Gen 7:12
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
(KJV)
Death burial and resurrection again pictured in the flood of Noah. The whole world was judged, executed and buried during the 40 day flood upon the earth. Then rising from the dead, life was reborn from the old creation in a type of resurrection from the dead. We will see this common thread through out all the Bible, another proof man did not devise or construct the Word of God.
Gen 22:3-4
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
(KJV)
Here we see God adding one more ingredient to Death, Burial and Resurrection. He add 3 days (in type the time in the grave) to reveal the burial time of Jesus. Here we have the command of God to sacrifice Isaac, and at that point Isaac was dead in the mind of Abraham. They journeyed 3 days in the wilderness to get to the place of the sacrifice, thus 3 days in the tomb, and then on the mountain a substitution was provided and Isaac was raised from the dead and given back to his father, Abraham in type. People who say man wrote the Bible have never studied it too deeply or they would know, God has had a theme running the length of all the pages, of all the writers and of all the times...Death Burial and Resurrection.
Rom 4:19
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
(KJV)
God demonstrated once again His plan of death, burial and resurrection in the birth of the son of promise. Both Abraham and Sarah were dead as far as the human possibility of bearing children. Who has ever heard of a 90 year old woman becoming pregnant? Yet Abraham in death (100 yrs of age) planted his seed in the womb of the earth (woman 90 yoa) and the son of promise was born (resurrected from death and burial). God finger-painted His plan on the canvas of time for all to see. It was not Abraham's natural son who would be heir, but the son of promise, who came by death, burial and resurrection.
Gen 37:23-24
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
(KJV)
A common theme through out the Bible proves a Hand higher than man's really authored the Word of God. Death, burial and resurrection from Genesis to Revelations demonstrates to man what God's plan is as opposed to a man's plan. As we read and study we come to understand what God wants and expects. The story here is Joseph. He was hated by his brothers who plotted to kill him (death) and then lowered him in a pit (burial) and later sold him into slavery (raised to a far country to become their saviour) (resurrection). So far we have witnessed this same theme with Seth, Noah,the creation during the flood, Abraham and Sarah's womb, Isaac, and now Joseph, but of course it must be pure chance. (wink).
Jonah 1:15-17
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
(KJV)
You often here this story relating to people who are running from the "call" of God to preach. (To me a glorious way to be a backslider in the eyes of people, "I can't serve God or I will have to preach") Which I personally feel is "baloney". Anyway back to our story. Jonah demonstrated again to us God's plan of death burial and resurrection. Rebelling against God, Jonah was cast in to the sea, certain death, and buried in the large fish for 3 days and 3 nights, and then resurrected (spit up on the land). Jesus quoted this story to prove His position as Son of Man, saying just as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the grave. There can be no denying here, God's finger painting a picture of His divine plan of death burial and resurrection.
Exod 1:22
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
(NIV)
Thus the sentence of death was pronounced upon all the newborn Israelite babies in Egypt! Satan waiting to kill the Saviour is twice reflected in the Bible, once with Moses and once with Jesus. But since death, burial and resurrection is God's plan for victory, Satan's plan exactly played into God's hands. Moses was condemned to die at birth, but had God fearing parents that hid him for 3 months, but finally had to bury him in the Nile river in a reed basket. With his sister watching from afar, Moses was resurrected by the daughter of Pharaoh and raised as Pharaoh's grandson. The best part of God's plan, to me, was that Moses mother was paid to nurse to her own son and Moses grew up in the house of Israel's enemy and went on to become the saviour of Israel, but that is a story for another day. Death, burial and resurrection now shadowed 8 times in the Word!
Exod 2:15
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
(KJV)
Moses, had just killed an Egyptian the day before, it as made known to Pharaoh and now Moses faced the sentence of death! Moses was to be used greatly by God but it could not happen until Moses had been through death, burial and resurrection in type. Moses condemned to die (death) fled to the wilderness (burial) where he stayed 40 years. 40 in the Bible is a time of judgment, i.e. it rained on the earth 40 days, Moses in the wilderness 40 years, Israel in the wilderness 40 years, Jesus in the desert 40 days...etc. Only after death, burial and resurrection was Moses ready to be used of God. After the 40 years, Moses met God on the mountain in a burning bush and was commission (resurrection) to go to Pharaoh and set God's people free.
Exod 14:9-11
9 The Egyptians-- all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops-- pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
(NIV)
Looking at a common theme through the Bible speaks to me of a common author. The Bible was penned over a 1600 year span by 44 different people without any communication between them and yet we are able to trace death, burial and resurrection, a common thread, through out the times and lives of the characters of the Bible. A common theme to portray a common plan of God for His people that they should experience death and burial and resurrection. Israel on the edge of the Red Sea with the sentence of death upon their heads. They even despaired for their own lives at this point and charged Moses foolishly, not trusting God their Salvation. They were all then buried under the sea and rose to new life on the other side. The first church experienced death burial and resurrection as a witness to the plan of God for all men.
Exod 38:20
20 All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.
(NIV)
One of the most interesting stories in the Bible is the types and shadows shown to us in the pattern of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Since death burial and resurrection is what we are looking at now we should examine the tent pegs, or tent stakes of the Tabernacle. 1. the tent pegs were made of brass. Brass in the Bible always speaks to us of judgment. The judgment of God is represented with items made of brass. The tent pegs were driven in the ground by beating, and Jesus was beat before His death upon the cross. The beauty of the tent peg is that it is absolutely worthless of any value in the Tabernacle if it is just laying on the ground (not driven in to the earth by pounding upon it) And secondly if the tent peg is driven completely into the ground it is also worthless as a tent peg. We see in type that the tent peg must both have death (beating) burial (driven into the ground) and resurrection ( have something rising from the ground). Driven all the way in burial is worthless. Left not buried at all, worthless. So it takes both burial and resurrection to make the tent peg something God can use to attach His cords of love to hold up the tent of righteousness. God's love is hung upon the resurrection! Wow, and it goes deeper than that for those who can receive it. ( and the say man wrote the Bible, get real! )
Josh 3:13
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
(KJV)
For a second time Israel passed through the sea/water/river in a miraculous way! The sentence of death was pronounced on everyone over 20 years of age in the wilderness. After 40 years all of Israel but 2 had died that were over 20 years of age (Joshua and Caleb did not die but entered in to the Promised land). Death (the old man cannot inherit the Promise without dying) came to all of Israel for lack of faith in the Living God. Now Israel was buried in type in the waters of the Jordan river and rose to new life in the land of Promise! Twice God does the same thing with the people of Israel in demonstrating death, burial and resurrection! Once at the Red Sea and now at the Jordan river. Wow, how powerful is this for demonstrating the will of God for His people?
John 12:24
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
(NIV)
Sower went out to sow the seed. Of course sowing a seed speaks to us of death (above verse), burial and resurrection. Now we have a clear picture of what God's plan was for His kingdom. His kingdom will come via death, burial and resurrection. The Seed is the Word of God, and the Sower is the Son of Man. That seed planted into the hearts of believers will yield its fruit some 30 some 60 some 100 fold return. It is becoming more and more evident that the finger of God has been painting us this picture all the way from the Garden of Eden to the last chapter in the book of the Bible, as we will continue to see as we study on.
John 11:39-40
39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
John 11:44
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
(NIV)
Death, burial and resurrection never made quite so clear as when Jesus (Resurrection Life) raised a man from the dead after 4 days. Lazarus died, laid in the tomb 4 days and was awakened again to life by Resurrection power! After all the Bible examples of God's plan painted over the pages of history, finally the real has arrived. We are no longer looking at a type and shadow but at the real thing. God's plan for all mankind and creation is for it to derive its resurrection life from the Life Source itself, Jesus. By now the Light should be coming on in our understanding to God's divine plan, and no longer are we seeing in shadowy shapes but now face to face.
Luke 15:24
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
(KJV)
We see death, burial and resurrection in the story of the prodigal son. This is my son who was "dead". Outside of the father's favor, living in sin, resulted in death. He was dead, but by repenting and coming home he found resurrection life and total restoration. The prodigal would have fed himself on pig's food yet he finally came to himself realizing that even a servant in his father's house faired better than himself. Making up his mind to return, just to be a servant to his father, he found resurrection life and full restoration. What a story for the backslider. "Was lost" and "was dead" appears to be the state of the backslider, even though born a son of the Father!
Matt 16:24-25
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
(KJV)
Here we find the death, burial and resurrection plainly articulated by Jesus. If any man would follow Me, or be My disciple he must take up his cross (an instrument of death) and follow Me. Where did Jesus go with His cross? He went to Calvary to be crucified (death) and then was laid in a tomb (burial) and then on the 3rd day rose from the dead (resurrection). If you would be His disciple you must follow Him into death, burial and resurrection. Nothing here about a "happy confession of faith". Jesus didn't say just believe and live. He plainly said you must deny self, take the instrument of death and do what I did, follow Me. Death, burial and resurrection is and has been God's only plan for salvation from Genesis to Revelations as we will see as we continue our Bible journey.
Rom 6:3-4
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
(NIV)
Here we have it written, the absolute will of God for each and every one of us. God's finger penned the only plan of salvation from Genesis to Revelation and Paul finally puts it here in plain English, (actually in Greek/ or Aramaic) but for ease of understanding plain English for us. How does God's plan of death, burial and resurrection through out the Bible apply to you and I? Paul said we repent, (die to our old lives) and we are buried with Him (Jesus) in baptism and then resurrected to a new life with the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Peter said the same exact thing in Acts 2:38-39 (in the mouth of 2 witnesses). How can we argue with witness after witness, type and shadow one after another and now the Apostle to the Gentiles spells it out? Yet for all this they still can't see. Willingly ignorant! They seem to think a "happy confession", a handshake, a church membership, a place on a pew...etc and yet can't see that God absolutely and forever requires the old man to die, be buried and be resurrected with the new life of Jesus inside! How clear is that?
1 Cor 10:1-5
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 They all ate the same spiritual food
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
(NIV)
Lest we think we are something special we are reminded by Paul in this letter that death, burial and resurrection happened to the Church in the Wilderness, under Moses, just as it happened to us. They were all baptized under the cloud and under the sea. Not only at the exodus of Egypt but again a second time at the entrance to Promised Land. Death, burial and resurrection has always been God's plan for all people both Old and New Testament and in like manner those that did not continue in faith under Moses all died in the desert without having received the promised "rest". Of course the "rest" Paul spoke of was the experience of living in faith, led by the Spirit, ceasing from our own labors and enjoying the grace of God. God was not pleased with the Church in the Wilderness and most of them died in the wilderness, that being for our example. Example of what? Living without faith, even though experiencing death, burial and resurrection can result in us being rejected, over thrown, lost and dead without the "rest" of God, for it plainly said this was for our example.
Rom 8:18-22
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
(NAS)
This passage, though a bit hard to understand, has a great revelation for us in the study of death, burial and resurrection. It plainly says here that all creation is groaning with us and is eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God. In other words the whole creation is taking part with us in the experience of death, burial and resurrection to be set free from corruption to freedom. How have we seen all of creation involved? The sentence of death was pronounced on every living thing in the earth that breathed air in the day of Noah. And even now the whole creation is groaning like a woman in travail in earthquakes, storms, violence, wars and corruption, struggling to be set free! Not only does God's plan include the Church in the Wilderness under Moses, and us the New Testament church, but it also includes the whole world, all of creation. And they ignorantly say only a man wrote the Word of God.
2 Pet 3:10
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
(KJV)
After the 1000 year reign of Jesus' Kingdom upon the earth and just after the White Throne judgment here is where the whole earth will be baptized with fire. The whole world experienced death, burial and resurrection in the days of Noah when the world was baptized by water and now we read where the whole world will be baptized with fire just before the New Creation. Here, by the way, is where you will find the Lake of Fire that will burn all the wicked up with everlasting destruction following the White Throne, just in case you have ever wondered where the Lake of Fire would be in the Universe (not in the center of the earth as Dante taught). As we see here it will happen to all creation just as it happens to the believer, water baptism, Spirit baptism and we become a New Creation, so shall the world experience the same thing, water with Noah then fire with Jesus and then a New Creation. The pattern follows throughout the whole Word of God, thus proving we have not divided the Word according to our denominational lines or expectations, but accurately according to the types and shadows shown us in His Word repeatedly.
Gen 4:8
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
(NIV)
This will be the conclusion of our walk through death, burial and resurrection so let's one more time go back to the beginning and see now how clear the plan of God is when you have all the puzzle piece put together. Out of Adam (his seed) flowed 2 possibilities, two sons. One a righteous potential (Abel) and one an unrighteous potential (Cain). This represents through Adam all human possibility, righteousness and unrighteousness (a man can only be good or bad). But we find here a dilemma that the unrighteous Cain killed the righteous potential Abel from the very beginning, this signifying that man in himself will always be overcome by the evil within. What is the bottom line? Man will never be able to save himself, his Cain will always kill his Abel (there is none righteous no not one). But you see how God stepped in and gave another son instead of Abel in Seth, a new righteousness sprung up from the ground of death, burial and resurrection. This new righteous son (Seth) traces his linage all the way to Jesus and thus we see, that Adam had to be born again (in type), in Seth, through death, burial and resurrection. Hope that is now as clear to you as it is to me, that God had a plan from the garden of Eden, that salvation would come by way of death, burial and resurrection. It would be Christ Jesus instead of Adam (the Last Adam instead of the first Adam or the New Man instead of our old man, a new creation instead of the old creation).
5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
(NIV)
God's eternal plan has always been revealed to us from Genesis until now in all the things of life. The Bible calls it a shadow, and we often refer to is as types and shadows. A shadow being an image of the real reflected from heaven. The real being in heaven and the image of that real projected to us in life and story. Let me give an example. God's plan for salvation through out all eternity has been the death burial and resurrection of the Son of Man. Now I would like to see how many times that shadow was cast upon the earth to us, in the actions of the people of the Bible. The very first reflection of God's plan of death burial and resurrections was when Cain killed righteous Abel his brother. Here we see the death of Abel (the righteous potential of man) his body hid to all but God,(burial) and then God's giving another son, Seth (resurrection). Death Burial Resurrection thus revealed. You might say that is a stretch to reach that conclusion, but it will become more clear and apparent as we progress along this line.
Gen 6:6-7
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
(KJV)
The sentence of death upon all men of the earth. This is our second of the types and shadows of God's only saving plan in the Bible, death burial and resurrection. Here death is pronounced thus all men died. But Noah found grace and was buried in the ark for the 40 days of judgment and then was resurrected (in type) from the dead and raised to walk in a new earth/new creation. Death, burial and resurrection is that common thread running all through the Bible as we will begin to see.
Gen 7:12
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
(KJV)
Death burial and resurrection again pictured in the flood of Noah. The whole world was judged, executed and buried during the 40 day flood upon the earth. Then rising from the dead, life was reborn from the old creation in a type of resurrection from the dead. We will see this common thread through out all the Bible, another proof man did not devise or construct the Word of God.
Gen 22:3-4
3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
(KJV)
Here we see God adding one more ingredient to Death, Burial and Resurrection. He add 3 days (in type the time in the grave) to reveal the burial time of Jesus. Here we have the command of God to sacrifice Isaac, and at that point Isaac was dead in the mind of Abraham. They journeyed 3 days in the wilderness to get to the place of the sacrifice, thus 3 days in the tomb, and then on the mountain a substitution was provided and Isaac was raised from the dead and given back to his father, Abraham in type. People who say man wrote the Bible have never studied it too deeply or they would know, God has had a theme running the length of all the pages, of all the writers and of all the times...Death Burial and Resurrection.
Rom 4:19
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
(KJV)
God demonstrated once again His plan of death, burial and resurrection in the birth of the son of promise. Both Abraham and Sarah were dead as far as the human possibility of bearing children. Who has ever heard of a 90 year old woman becoming pregnant? Yet Abraham in death (100 yrs of age) planted his seed in the womb of the earth (woman 90 yoa) and the son of promise was born (resurrected from death and burial). God finger-painted His plan on the canvas of time for all to see. It was not Abraham's natural son who would be heir, but the son of promise, who came by death, burial and resurrection.
Gen 37:23-24
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
(KJV)
A common theme through out the Bible proves a Hand higher than man's really authored the Word of God. Death, burial and resurrection from Genesis to Revelations demonstrates to man what God's plan is as opposed to a man's plan. As we read and study we come to understand what God wants and expects. The story here is Joseph. He was hated by his brothers who plotted to kill him (death) and then lowered him in a pit (burial) and later sold him into slavery (raised to a far country to become their saviour) (resurrection). So far we have witnessed this same theme with Seth, Noah,the creation during the flood, Abraham and Sarah's womb, Isaac, and now Joseph, but of course it must be pure chance. (wink).
Jonah 1:15-17
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
(KJV)
You often here this story relating to people who are running from the "call" of God to preach. (To me a glorious way to be a backslider in the eyes of people, "I can't serve God or I will have to preach") Which I personally feel is "baloney". Anyway back to our story. Jonah demonstrated again to us God's plan of death burial and resurrection. Rebelling against God, Jonah was cast in to the sea, certain death, and buried in the large fish for 3 days and 3 nights, and then resurrected (spit up on the land). Jesus quoted this story to prove His position as Son of Man, saying just as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the grave. There can be no denying here, God's finger painting a picture of His divine plan of death burial and resurrection.
Exod 1:22
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
(NIV)
Thus the sentence of death was pronounced upon all the newborn Israelite babies in Egypt! Satan waiting to kill the Saviour is twice reflected in the Bible, once with Moses and once with Jesus. But since death, burial and resurrection is God's plan for victory, Satan's plan exactly played into God's hands. Moses was condemned to die at birth, but had God fearing parents that hid him for 3 months, but finally had to bury him in the Nile river in a reed basket. With his sister watching from afar, Moses was resurrected by the daughter of Pharaoh and raised as Pharaoh's grandson. The best part of God's plan, to me, was that Moses mother was paid to nurse to her own son and Moses grew up in the house of Israel's enemy and went on to become the saviour of Israel, but that is a story for another day. Death, burial and resurrection now shadowed 8 times in the Word!
Exod 2:15
15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
(KJV)
Moses, had just killed an Egyptian the day before, it as made known to Pharaoh and now Moses faced the sentence of death! Moses was to be used greatly by God but it could not happen until Moses had been through death, burial and resurrection in type. Moses condemned to die (death) fled to the wilderness (burial) where he stayed 40 years. 40 in the Bible is a time of judgment, i.e. it rained on the earth 40 days, Moses in the wilderness 40 years, Israel in the wilderness 40 years, Jesus in the desert 40 days...etc. Only after death, burial and resurrection was Moses ready to be used of God. After the 40 years, Moses met God on the mountain in a burning bush and was commission (resurrection) to go to Pharaoh and set God's people free.
Exod 14:9-11
9 The Egyptians-- all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops-- pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
(NIV)
Looking at a common theme through the Bible speaks to me of a common author. The Bible was penned over a 1600 year span by 44 different people without any communication between them and yet we are able to trace death, burial and resurrection, a common thread, through out the times and lives of the characters of the Bible. A common theme to portray a common plan of God for His people that they should experience death and burial and resurrection. Israel on the edge of the Red Sea with the sentence of death upon their heads. They even despaired for their own lives at this point and charged Moses foolishly, not trusting God their Salvation. They were all then buried under the sea and rose to new life on the other side. The first church experienced death burial and resurrection as a witness to the plan of God for all men.
Exod 38:20
20 All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.
(NIV)
One of the most interesting stories in the Bible is the types and shadows shown to us in the pattern of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Since death burial and resurrection is what we are looking at now we should examine the tent pegs, or tent stakes of the Tabernacle. 1. the tent pegs were made of brass. Brass in the Bible always speaks to us of judgment. The judgment of God is represented with items made of brass. The tent pegs were driven in the ground by beating, and Jesus was beat before His death upon the cross. The beauty of the tent peg is that it is absolutely worthless of any value in the Tabernacle if it is just laying on the ground (not driven in to the earth by pounding upon it) And secondly if the tent peg is driven completely into the ground it is also worthless as a tent peg. We see in type that the tent peg must both have death (beating) burial (driven into the ground) and resurrection ( have something rising from the ground). Driven all the way in burial is worthless. Left not buried at all, worthless. So it takes both burial and resurrection to make the tent peg something God can use to attach His cords of love to hold up the tent of righteousness. God's love is hung upon the resurrection! Wow, and it goes deeper than that for those who can receive it. ( and the say man wrote the Bible, get real! )
Josh 3:13
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
(KJV)
For a second time Israel passed through the sea/water/river in a miraculous way! The sentence of death was pronounced on everyone over 20 years of age in the wilderness. After 40 years all of Israel but 2 had died that were over 20 years of age (Joshua and Caleb did not die but entered in to the Promised land). Death (the old man cannot inherit the Promise without dying) came to all of Israel for lack of faith in the Living God. Now Israel was buried in type in the waters of the Jordan river and rose to new life in the land of Promise! Twice God does the same thing with the people of Israel in demonstrating death, burial and resurrection! Once at the Red Sea and now at the Jordan river. Wow, how powerful is this for demonstrating the will of God for His people?
John 12:24
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
(NIV)
Sower went out to sow the seed. Of course sowing a seed speaks to us of death (above verse), burial and resurrection. Now we have a clear picture of what God's plan was for His kingdom. His kingdom will come via death, burial and resurrection. The Seed is the Word of God, and the Sower is the Son of Man. That seed planted into the hearts of believers will yield its fruit some 30 some 60 some 100 fold return. It is becoming more and more evident that the finger of God has been painting us this picture all the way from the Garden of Eden to the last chapter in the book of the Bible, as we will continue to see as we study on.
John 11:39-40
39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
John 11:44
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
(NIV)
Death, burial and resurrection never made quite so clear as when Jesus (Resurrection Life) raised a man from the dead after 4 days. Lazarus died, laid in the tomb 4 days and was awakened again to life by Resurrection power! After all the Bible examples of God's plan painted over the pages of history, finally the real has arrived. We are no longer looking at a type and shadow but at the real thing. God's plan for all mankind and creation is for it to derive its resurrection life from the Life Source itself, Jesus. By now the Light should be coming on in our understanding to God's divine plan, and no longer are we seeing in shadowy shapes but now face to face.
Luke 15:24
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
(KJV)
We see death, burial and resurrection in the story of the prodigal son. This is my son who was "dead". Outside of the father's favor, living in sin, resulted in death. He was dead, but by repenting and coming home he found resurrection life and total restoration. The prodigal would have fed himself on pig's food yet he finally came to himself realizing that even a servant in his father's house faired better than himself. Making up his mind to return, just to be a servant to his father, he found resurrection life and full restoration. What a story for the backslider. "Was lost" and "was dead" appears to be the state of the backslider, even though born a son of the Father!
Matt 16:24-25
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
(KJV)
Here we find the death, burial and resurrection plainly articulated by Jesus. If any man would follow Me, or be My disciple he must take up his cross (an instrument of death) and follow Me. Where did Jesus go with His cross? He went to Calvary to be crucified (death) and then was laid in a tomb (burial) and then on the 3rd day rose from the dead (resurrection). If you would be His disciple you must follow Him into death, burial and resurrection. Nothing here about a "happy confession of faith". Jesus didn't say just believe and live. He plainly said you must deny self, take the instrument of death and do what I did, follow Me. Death, burial and resurrection is and has been God's only plan for salvation from Genesis to Revelations as we will see as we continue our Bible journey.
Rom 6:3-4
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
(NIV)
Here we have it written, the absolute will of God for each and every one of us. God's finger penned the only plan of salvation from Genesis to Revelation and Paul finally puts it here in plain English, (actually in Greek/ or Aramaic) but for ease of understanding plain English for us. How does God's plan of death, burial and resurrection through out the Bible apply to you and I? Paul said we repent, (die to our old lives) and we are buried with Him (Jesus) in baptism and then resurrected to a new life with the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Peter said the same exact thing in Acts 2:38-39 (in the mouth of 2 witnesses). How can we argue with witness after witness, type and shadow one after another and now the Apostle to the Gentiles spells it out? Yet for all this they still can't see. Willingly ignorant! They seem to think a "happy confession", a handshake, a church membership, a place on a pew...etc and yet can't see that God absolutely and forever requires the old man to die, be buried and be resurrected with the new life of Jesus inside! How clear is that?
1 Cor 10:1-5
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 They all ate the same spiritual food
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
(NIV)
Lest we think we are something special we are reminded by Paul in this letter that death, burial and resurrection happened to the Church in the Wilderness, under Moses, just as it happened to us. They were all baptized under the cloud and under the sea. Not only at the exodus of Egypt but again a second time at the entrance to Promised Land. Death, burial and resurrection has always been God's plan for all people both Old and New Testament and in like manner those that did not continue in faith under Moses all died in the desert without having received the promised "rest". Of course the "rest" Paul spoke of was the experience of living in faith, led by the Spirit, ceasing from our own labors and enjoying the grace of God. God was not pleased with the Church in the Wilderness and most of them died in the wilderness, that being for our example. Example of what? Living without faith, even though experiencing death, burial and resurrection can result in us being rejected, over thrown, lost and dead without the "rest" of God, for it plainly said this was for our example.
Rom 8:18-22
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
(NAS)
This passage, though a bit hard to understand, has a great revelation for us in the study of death, burial and resurrection. It plainly says here that all creation is groaning with us and is eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God. In other words the whole creation is taking part with us in the experience of death, burial and resurrection to be set free from corruption to freedom. How have we seen all of creation involved? The sentence of death was pronounced on every living thing in the earth that breathed air in the day of Noah. And even now the whole creation is groaning like a woman in travail in earthquakes, storms, violence, wars and corruption, struggling to be set free! Not only does God's plan include the Church in the Wilderness under Moses, and us the New Testament church, but it also includes the whole world, all of creation. And they ignorantly say only a man wrote the Word of God.
2 Pet 3:10
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
(KJV)
After the 1000 year reign of Jesus' Kingdom upon the earth and just after the White Throne judgment here is where the whole earth will be baptized with fire. The whole world experienced death, burial and resurrection in the days of Noah when the world was baptized by water and now we read where the whole world will be baptized with fire just before the New Creation. Here, by the way, is where you will find the Lake of Fire that will burn all the wicked up with everlasting destruction following the White Throne, just in case you have ever wondered where the Lake of Fire would be in the Universe (not in the center of the earth as Dante taught). As we see here it will happen to all creation just as it happens to the believer, water baptism, Spirit baptism and we become a New Creation, so shall the world experience the same thing, water with Noah then fire with Jesus and then a New Creation. The pattern follows throughout the whole Word of God, thus proving we have not divided the Word according to our denominational lines or expectations, but accurately according to the types and shadows shown us in His Word repeatedly.
Gen 4:8
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
(NIV)
This will be the conclusion of our walk through death, burial and resurrection so let's one more time go back to the beginning and see now how clear the plan of God is when you have all the puzzle piece put together. Out of Adam (his seed) flowed 2 possibilities, two sons. One a righteous potential (Abel) and one an unrighteous potential (Cain). This represents through Adam all human possibility, righteousness and unrighteousness (a man can only be good or bad). But we find here a dilemma that the unrighteous Cain killed the righteous potential Abel from the very beginning, this signifying that man in himself will always be overcome by the evil within. What is the bottom line? Man will never be able to save himself, his Cain will always kill his Abel (there is none righteous no not one). But you see how God stepped in and gave another son instead of Abel in Seth, a new righteousness sprung up from the ground of death, burial and resurrection. This new righteous son (Seth) traces his linage all the way to Jesus and thus we see, that Adam had to be born again (in type), in Seth, through death, burial and resurrection. Hope that is now as clear to you as it is to me, that God had a plan from the garden of Eden, that salvation would come by way of death, burial and resurrection. It would be Christ Jesus instead of Adam (the Last Adam instead of the first Adam or the New Man instead of our old man, a new creation instead of the old creation).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
When is the Rapture?
Isa 28:9-10
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(KJV)
Knowledge and the understanding of doctrines (Bible teachings) takes full age, not those that are still on breast milk. Understanding and knowledge comes from being able to build line upon line and precept upon precept from the Word of God until we can see the full picture of God intended for us to see. The secret things belong to God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children. How will we get this revelation? By being of full age and having our senses exercised to discern both good and evil, the Bible says. If there is any topic or subject you would like discussed simply shoot me an email and we will see what the Word says. Right now I would like to start a several part series that will show us, from the Word, exactly when the "rapture" of the church will be. This should be interesting, but in order to unlock the mystery we must use several Bible keys to open our understanding. Unless you are willing to build line upon line and precept upon precept you will not have the mystery unfold before your very eyes. I will not tell you the answer of when the 'rapture' is but will allow the Word of God to reveal it to you. So for the next few Seeds I will building line upon line and precept upon precept so that we can understand knowledge and doctrine.
Remembering line upon line and precept upon precept let us begin:
1 Cor 15:51-52
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(KJV)
There are 4 schools of thought on the "rapture" or catching away. 1. There is not a rapture 2. It happens before the Great Tribulation period (7 yr period). 3. It happens mid tribulation period. 4. It happens after the tribulation period. All my life I have been pre-tribulation in my thinking. God would rescue the Church out of (before) the Great Tribulation. The keys to unlocking the mystery Paul spoke of is in the understanding: 1. where the dead are now? and 2. how many resurrections are there going to be?
Most of our thinking is based upon tradition rather than the Word. For that reason, tradition will not unlock the mystery. The key of tradition wont fit. Remember that all our belief system must agree with the Word and cannot contradict the Word. I had been unable to reconcile my belief system, based upon traditions of men, with the Word of God, until one day when the light came on so clearly. How did that happen? The keys to my understanding were based upon where the dead are now and how many resurrections. (I repeat for importance). The Lord had been instructing me in an understanding where the dead are to use it as line upon line and precept upon precept to get me to a greater understanding. We go from one understanding to a greater as the Lord gives us light and it is always based line upon line and precept upon precept. I don't have space here to go into this teaching on the place of the dead but challenge your to read here about the dead if you want to possess the first key. Once you gain this knowledge you will possess one of the keys needed to unlock the mystery...when is the Rapture?
click here: http://whatthebibleteachesabout.blogspot.com/2007/11/where-dead-are-now.html
Rev 20:4-5
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
(KJV)
Line upon Line: The Word teaches that there are 2 resurrections. The first and the last resurrection. Messiah was the first fruit of the 1st resurrection, and the "rapture" will be the conclusion of the 1st resurrection. First is birthed the Head (Messiah) and then the Body (believers). We know from yesterday's study that all the dead are asleep in the grave awaiting their resurrections. Some will be raised to life in the 1st resurrection and some raised to judgment and destruction in the last resurrection at the white throne judgment of God. In order for us to unlock the mystery of the rapture (the first resurrection) we must know that the dead are all in the grave awaiting the call of God. No one has yet ascended except Messiah and no one has yet been judged and sentenced to the second death. We know that the dead know nothing, they are not looking down from heaven, they are not praying for us, they are not suffering torments, but that they are simply asleep in their graves. For more advanced study on where the dead are now please refer to yesterday's study: http://whatthebibleteachesabout.blogspot.com/2007/11/where-dead-are-now.html
If there are only 2 resurrections then the Word must agree with our thinking. Pre-trib rapture says the 1st resurrection happens before the great tribulation and the reign of the Anti-Christ. Mid-trib rapture says the 1st resurrection will happen after the 3/5 years of peace under the rule of the Anti-Christ, but before the wrath of God (second 3.5 years). And the post-trib rapture says it will be after the 7 years of the Anti-Christ at the end of Armageddon.
All my Christian life I was a pre-trib rapture believer until one verse jumped out at me and knocked down my house of cards. My former belief could not unlock the mystery. What was that verse?
Line upon line:
I was always a pre-trib believer, believing as most of the Christian world that Messiah would come and take the believers out of the world prior to the Anti-Christ. In fact it would be the church leaving that would allow the Anti-Christ to take over. Oh, I had all the good arguments to prove my theory. Everything worked out just fine in my mind, until I began to understand where the dead are now and that there are only 2 resurrections. Meaning that everyone that doesn't make it in the first resurrection (the rapture) will not be resurrected from the dead until after the 1,000 year reign of Messiah upon the earth. If you think about it you will see then, according to my old belief, that if you didn't go in the rapture you would not rule and reign with Messiah during the 1,000 years. And then one verse caused my house of cards to fall to the ground. If the first resurrection (Rapture) takes place before the Anti-Christ reign and there is no other resurrection until after the 1,000 years what will I do with this verse?
Rev 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(KJV)
Here we have resurrected people who died during the mark of the Beast, during the beast reign and they took take part in the 1st resurrection. Now I have to move my time table to include all the martyrs of the Beast reign, for they are definitely in the 1st resurrection!
Line upon line:
Rev 8:2-6
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
(KJV)
I had to move my time-line of the Rapture from before the rule of the Anti-Christ till after the reign of the Anti-Christ because those persecuted during the rule of the Anti-Christ will be in the 1st resurrection. Since there are only 2 resurrections and the dead don't go immediately anywhere (heaven or torments) it was necessary for me to understand unless the 1st resurrection ocurred after the reign of the Anti-Christ the martyred could not be in the 1,000 year reign of Messiah. The Word says the martyred are in the 1,000 yr reign and here is where it hit me: I will not tell you when exactly the Rapture will be but... the Word will: Seven Angels and seven trumpets.
1 Cor 15:52
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(KJV)
Be blessed, Billy and Jan Wells
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(KJV)
Knowledge and the understanding of doctrines (Bible teachings) takes full age, not those that are still on breast milk. Understanding and knowledge comes from being able to build line upon line and precept upon precept from the Word of God until we can see the full picture of God intended for us to see. The secret things belong to God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children. How will we get this revelation? By being of full age and having our senses exercised to discern both good and evil, the Bible says. If there is any topic or subject you would like discussed simply shoot me an email and we will see what the Word says. Right now I would like to start a several part series that will show us, from the Word, exactly when the "rapture" of the church will be. This should be interesting, but in order to unlock the mystery we must use several Bible keys to open our understanding. Unless you are willing to build line upon line and precept upon precept you will not have the mystery unfold before your very eyes. I will not tell you the answer of when the 'rapture' is but will allow the Word of God to reveal it to you. So for the next few Seeds I will building line upon line and precept upon precept so that we can understand knowledge and doctrine.
Remembering line upon line and precept upon precept let us begin:
1 Cor 15:51-52
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(KJV)
Most of our thinking is based upon tradition rather than the Word. For that reason, tradition will not unlock the mystery. The key of tradition wont fit. Remember that all our belief system must agree with the Word and cannot contradict the Word. I had been unable to reconcile my belief system, based upon traditions of men, with the Word of God, until one day when the light came on so clearly. How did that happen? The keys to my understanding were based upon where the dead are now and how many resurrections. (I repeat for importance). The Lord had been instructing me in an understanding where the dead are to use it as line upon line and precept upon precept to get me to a greater understanding. We go from one understanding to a greater as the Lord gives us light and it is always based line upon line and precept upon precept. I don't have space here to go into this teaching on the place of the dead but challenge your to read here about the dead if you want to possess the first key. Once you gain this knowledge you will possess one of the keys needed to unlock the mystery...when is the Rapture?
click here: http://
Rev 20:4-5
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
(KJV)
Line upon Line: The Word teaches that there are 2 resurrections. The first and the last resurrection. Messiah was the first fruit of the 1st resurrection, and the "rapture" will be the conclusion of the 1st resurrection. First is birthed the Head (Messiah) and then the Body (believers). We know from yesterday's study that all the dead are asleep in the grave awaiting their resurrections. Some will be raised to life in the 1st resurrection and some raised to judgment and destruction in the last resurrection at the white throne judgment of God. In order for us to unlock the mystery of the rapture (the first resurrection) we must know that the dead are all in the grave awaiting the call of God. No one has yet ascended except Messiah and no one has yet been judged and sentenced to the second death. We know that the dead know nothing, they are not looking down from heaven, they are not praying for us, they are not suffering torments, but that they are simply asleep in their graves. For more advanced study on where the dead are now please refer to yesterday's study: http://
If there are only 2 resurrections then the Word must agree with our thinking. Pre-trib rapture says the 1st resurrection happens before the great tribulation and the reign of the Anti-Christ. Mid-trib rapture says the 1st resurrection will happen after the 3/5 years of peace under the rule of the Anti-Christ, but before the wrath of God (second 3.5 years). And the post-trib rapture says it will be after the 7 years of the Anti-Christ at the end of Armageddon.
All my Christian life I was a pre-trib rapture believer until one verse jumped out at me and knocked down my house of cards. My former belief could not unlock the mystery. What was that verse?
Line upon line:
I was always a pre-trib believer, believing as most of the Christian world that Messiah would come and take the believers out of the world prior to the Anti-Christ. In fact it would be the church leaving that would allow the Anti-Christ to take over. Oh, I had all the good arguments to prove my theory. Everything worked out just fine in my mind, until I began to understand where the dead are now and that there are only 2 resurrections. Meaning that everyone that doesn't make it in the first resurrection (the rapture) will not be resurrected from the dead until after the 1,000 year reign of Messiah upon the earth. If you think about it you will see then, according to my old belief, that if you didn't go in the rapture you would not rule and reign with Messiah during the 1,000 years. And then one verse caused my house of cards to fall to the ground. If the first resurrection (Rapture) takes place before the Anti-Christ reign and there is no other resurrection until after the 1,000 years what will I do with this verse?
Rev 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(KJV)
Here we have resurrected people who died during the mark of the Beast, during the beast reign and they took take part in the 1st resurrection. Now I have to move my time table to include all the martyrs of the Beast reign, for they are definitely in the 1st resurrection!
Line upon line:
Rev 8:2-6
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
(KJV)
I had to move my time-line of the Rapture from before the rule of the Anti-Christ till after the reign of the Anti-Christ because those persecuted during the rule of the Anti-Christ will be in the 1st resurrection. Since there are only 2 resurrections and the dead don't go immediately anywhere (heaven or torments) it was necessary for me to understand unless the 1st resurrection ocurred after the reign of the Anti-Christ the martyred could not be in the 1,000 year reign of Messiah. The Word says the martyred are in the 1,000 yr reign and here is where it hit me: I will not tell you when exactly the Rapture will be but... the Word will: Seven Angels and seven trumpets.
1 Cor 15:52
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(KJV)
Be blessed, Billy and Jan Wells
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