Christian Life Page 14

Ez.14:12-15 "Take Three" (1 of 2)

We came across already what God wanted Ezekiel was to be a watchman for his countrymen. He was trusted with their safety and if he had failed to warn them all that God said he was to be accountable to him direct. So if death was his portion it was no matter. He had by faith delivered his soul. In the case of Isaiah and Jeremiah tradition has it that they died martyrs. It is very clear that loving God with all our heart, mind and soul is not to whitewash flesh that is perishable, but soul that is immortal. For this reason Jesus said whom we should really fear, I mean in the sense of reverence, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell(Matt.10:28)". How foolish it is to refurbish the stable after the horse has bolted? After your character is shambles like a pigsty whatever you claim as your greatness is mere hogwash. So loving God with all heart, mind and soul means to suffer if that was demanded of you. We have the example of Moses "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;(He.11:24-25)" God tells Ezekiel to suffer along with the nation in order to bring to focus the real requirements of a Mediator to which Jesus Christ shall fill to perfection 'in the fulness of time.' So we consider the passage from Ezekiel skipped as we discussed many other topics. Here it is more apt and we are considering the lives of Noah, Daniel and Job. First here is the text:

"Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;/ And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the LordGodof the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment,

Ez.14:1-11 "Stumbling block" (2 of 2)

Glory of a man like the kingdom, leaves as quickly as it came to the fore. Similarly the glory of an Empire on which the sun never set is now like one inured for long austerity. Bulldog quality long associated with Great Britain is more the yelp of a mongrel. Man like nations choose his own stumbling block when his heart departs from God. For this reason when God set Ezekiel as His watchman he had to say thus:"When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.(Ez.3:26)

4Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the LordGod; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I theLordwill answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

5That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

6Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the LordGod; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I theLordwill answer him by myself:

8And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am theLord.

Ez.14:1-11 "Stumbling block" (1 of 2)

"Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me./And the word of theLordcame unto me, saying,/Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?" (vv.1-3)

Here we have the significance of a stumbling block in the history of Israel. It is their sin becoming obvious. In the case of the golden calf what was their sin? It became established along with their rejection of Judges appointed by God. God allowed Old Samuel to agree to their wishes and choose a king from their midst. Instead of God leading them they were led by kings both good and evil. Only when Jeroboam became the king of the Northern kingdom the people came to realize what really was taking place in their national lives. The golden calf they had repudiated once as evil became their gods.. "After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he becameoneof the priests of the high places(1 Ki.13:33)".In the next verse we are shown what it is to reject the living God for an idol. It removed even the memory of his house from the face of the earth. This we even now find happening around us where nations by making wealth above the wellbeing of the nation are made a byword for their foolishness. "And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cutitoff, and to destroyitfrom off the face of the earth(v.34).

God sent Ahijah the Shilonite to pronounce the doom for the royal house,"Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall,andhim that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone(1 Ki.14:10)".

Ez.15 "The Living Vine" (2 of 2)

In God's mind there is only one Son, whose humility was such to obey his Will perfectly. There is no second. Likewise there is only one Jerusalem and not another that has been scorched by sin of disobedience as often as its history shows. What is this holy city of God? It is of this city Prophet Isaiah has sung: "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation willGodappointforwalls and bulwarks./ Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in(Is.26:1-2)".

It is the city of God that the living vine refers to and God is the Maker and Builder. He is also the Husbandman and Jesus Christ as the true vine. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me(John15:4)". Holiness of God brings it glory into it. Unlike the city we discussed at the beginning it is his righteousness that the saints redeemed for the earth shall bring. Their baggage was nothing of their own but freely issued to each and each received in faith.

God tells Ezekiel why the city was reduced to rubble by strangers. The wood when it was whole was no good for anything; much less was when fire had taken its toll. "Therefore thus saith the LordGod; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem./And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am theLord, when I set my face against them(vv.6-7)".

Ez.15 "The Living Vine" (1 of 2)

Here Jerusalem is compared to a vine tree, among many other trees of the forest. People make the city. It can be made a city of renown or be made a den of robbers. But how long can they hold on to it by their own might without adding something of their character? When Jesus went into the temple what he saw there was enough. He made a whip of cords 'he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do notmakemy Father's house a house of trade ( John 2:13-16)". People have their baggage that they bring along and before long the city is cut up into so many sections and many of which become no-go zones after dark or it is a turf war each claiming a piece as his own.

One man's sin is like a fire setting fire to a tree and the next to it. It is what God tells Ezekiel of the vine tree. The living vine was aflame with prejudices and others simply let it as their own. It is thus a nation whose walls are done with untempered mortar may look for some couple of centuries like a shining city on a hill, but it is of untempered mortar, nevertheless concealing the rot beneath. In Georgia we saw a father and son gunning down a jogger in broad daylight simply because his color brought their bile up. For two months the city fathers and law simply pretended to have not noticed anything amiss. So the hatred in one had become the general hatred passing for the norm. It is thus the city of David became a city of violence. In God's eye David was a man after his heart; nevertheless from the time Jerusalem became known as the city of David, it never had a chance. With the rebellious house of Israel ever backsliding from God it was for Ezekiel to tell the people.

Ez.16:1-14 "Bride of Christ" (2 of 2)

Ezekiel's account we are given vignettes of Israel in its beginnings:In terms of their beginnings they were drawn from Hittites and Amorites whose blood carried whatever was sinful in God's sight. Esau's many Hittite wives caused his mother sorrow so much so ' Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women(Ge,27:46a). According to human standards nothing in them merited favor from other tribes. In Ge.26 we see an example why they sued peace with Israel.

Abimelech the king of Gerar along with his men went to Isaac "And they said, We saw certainly that theLordwas with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;...thou art now the blessed of the Lord(vv.26-29)" In short they were as bad as the tribes against whom they had to compete for living space but God had predestined them and adopted in his Son. In the Adam and Eve episode the creation of Eve refers to the Fellowship of God with Man.

Spiritual significance of New Jerusalem in terms of Christ is different from Israel that went whoring after foreign gods; when God sets Ezekiel as his Watchmen the doomed city of Jerusalem shall be destroyed and it merely provides a historical context to the divine Will that it immutable. This Jerusalem is of the same significance as Egypt and Sodom that were judged and continues in various forms in the unfaithful Israel. When God tells here He is talking of New Jerusalem that is on the making in heaven "And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies (Hos.2:19)."

Ez,16:1-14 "Bride of Christ" (1 of 2)

Overview:

In order to understand this chapter we shall examine the manner the Spirit sets Core Will by rearranging the narrative of God document. Core Will of God is of two parts. Firstly Fellowship of God with Man and lastly Salvation Plan of God. We shall take up the second aspect of the Salvation Plan of God. Thereafter we shall take up the Bride of Christ which is core value of the Fellowship of God with Man.

In order to illustrate the Holiness of God, we have this promise in Ge.12:3. All families of the earth are to be blessed through Abraham. Thus we are given a narrative where Israel is in focus. In keeping with the literary mode of the Spirit, we have this verse,"So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen(Matt.20:16)". Mode of inversion explains Jesus as the home chord to which everything else moves. So Moses as a stand-in leads the children of Israel to the Promised Land into which the Church is presented as the glorious Bride, 'forthe marriage of the Lamb has come,

andhis Bride has made herself ready (Re.19:6-7). Here is another: what is the significance of the 12 spies who brought a false report? (Nu.12:32). Joshua and Caleb were twospies who broughtback a goodreportand believed that God would help them succeed. Does not prosperity theology misinterpret to teach another gospel and another Christ? It indicates the same rebellious spirit of Israel, they chose instead to give a false report. Faith is the key.

The theme of Bride of Christ is already set in the Adam and Eve episode. God created man in 'our image' and male and female created he them. God led the house of Israel but their disbelief was so astounding. Isaiah speaks of the nation thus:"Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters. they have forsaken theLord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backwards."(Is.1:4-7)

1 Ki.6:37-38 Time Lapse"

"In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of theLordlaid, in the month Zif:/And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it."

Fourth year marks the laying of the foundation, which indicates that the preparation was in full steam. In the preceding chapter we read that,"And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house(5:17)". Stones were cut and were brought to the site. "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building(6:7)". Compare this with this Messianic verse from Isaiah,"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.(28:16)" This stone carries several tags. It is tried. it is precious stone. It is a corner stone meaning that it secures two walls of the Gentiles and Israel to be hold fast. It is a precious stone since it refers to the Son. He was the rock of stumbling but it has become precious corner stone. He was tried or tempted, as written here, 'but was in all points tempted like aswe are, yetwithout sin(He.4:15)'. He is the foundation on which the house of God shall be raised. To this the foundation work of king Solomon anticipates.

The time lapse is very much in evidence where the fourth year does not mean stones were instantly found ready to us. From the creation account to the inauguration of New Jerusalem work has been going both in heaven and on the earth. Four is a command number to indicate universal aspect of Salvation Plan and it is word-based.

1 Ki.6:1 "Time"

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of theLord(6:1).

Compare the above with the opening verses of the Book of Ezekiel, "Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God./In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,(Ez.1:1-2)"

In the first the eternal will of God concerning the body that 'Thou has prepared for me' is held fast into the bezel of Time where specific details with regards to months and years are to highlight the work of the holy city of God being prepared from heaven(Re.21:3). On the other hand in the second instance the vision of four living creatures are to hold out consolation to the nation in exile.

In whichever case what we need to keep in mind is that the world of the flesh gives us readings that must be seen as one part of puzzle, which can only be understood by setting both halves side by side. The Bible is God document and as such we ought to take warning when we are assailed by puzzling feature of our present circumstance.

Before Jesus would be born the three Magi accustomed to read the face of heaven could not have remained untouched by the wondrous star. His birth was a sign and a warning.

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,/Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him(Matt.2:1-2)".

Herod's fright is not our fright. Light has been shown unto us from above.

Jesse,

One more thing: Truth and Perfect Love, God, truly cannot be explained; They, It, can ONLY be experienced. Oh yes, we can try, but only in vain attempts. A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible, but necessary!

Now, enough said.

I'm grateful for you!

Peace eternal

1 Ki.6:1-14 "Man is the Measure"

"So Solomon built the house, and finished it." David his father had given basic plan which he followed.

"Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,/12And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of theLord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things ( 1 Ch. 28:11-12)". David in turn received counsel from above which is what v.12 conveys,' And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit which by themselves would not add up. This was dedicated to the Lord.

The temple was laid out on the mount, where earlier Abraham was about to sacrifice his son and where Jesus was crucified. "Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [the LORD] had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared..."(2 Ch.3:1-NKJV). The Spirit is telling us by Min Max mode how the Salvation Plan simultaneously works with the earth.

No matter whether it is of Moses or King Solomon it was a cube.:The Holy of Holies was located in the westernmost end of the Temple building, being a perfect cube:20 cubits by 20 cubits by 20 cubits. 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide and 30 cubits high" ( 1 Kings 6:2). When we consider the New Jerusalem in eternity we read the same. "The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal./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.21:16-17). Measure of man is incomplete unless it is dedicated to God where each part refers to the living sacrifice of man redeemed from the earth. Thus tabernacles of the earth foreshadow that of the Holy City of God which St John saw coming down from heaven.

1 Ki.6 Overview (2 of 2)

God shall destroy the Egyptians who had for long oppressed to which the Spirit refers,"And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt." Now what shall happen in future do not change for oppressors of men. All oppression against man created in the image of God is against God who is just. So the one who helps the oppressor deal unjustly with immunity is Satan. St James speaks 'your gold and silver is cankered.' In our times it is called cryptocurrency. Has it spared the handlers escape scot-free. FTX or any name you call it it shall not leave the user from its consequences.

"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

3Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days."

1 Ki.6 Overview (1 of 2)

"And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of theLord./And the house which king Solomon built for theLord,"

In the above passage we have a building historically is no longer extant. In the manner the Spirit places the matter it is clear that it is not as much as about the physical shape and substance of the building as about point of reference and to what it is leading. "This is what the LORD says: "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? (Is.66:1)". God is a Spirit. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?(1 Co.3:16)" If God could discard his tabernacle set up in Shiloah he would do the same to the temple of Solomon. "So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tentwhichhe placed among men(Ps.78:60;Josh.18:1) God abandons where sin is let and man who has known His goodness does nothing about it. Prophet Jeremiah asked in his time, 'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel(Je.7:12).' Before his passion the disciples of Jesus drew attention to the temple of Herod and got this response from him,"And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down (Matt.24:2)". It is to this St. Paul, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are (1 Co.3:17)". A temple is not so much as man who is represented as one because God is enthroned of which House we are all members.

God shall destroy the Egyptians who had for long oppressed to which

1 Ki.5 "Division of Labor" (2 of 2)

Coming back to the Egyptians they were like the Corporate Czars in our times. Their free enterprise allowed them to write rules as the market trends showed so price gouging is a matter for the best legal minds to make it stick. Egyptians would not escape so lightly. "And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted themwhat they requested.Thus they plundered the Egyptians.(Ex.12:36-NKJV)"Building the tabernacle in the wilderness. Egypt had to pay back wages. Min Max mode. The Son paid with his body against the slaughter of the first born.

"And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues (1 Co.12:28-NKJV). Each ministry is to be done according to the grace given and we are to do it as unto the Lord. "Whatever you do unto these little ones you do unto me."And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me(Matt.25:40)".

1 Ki.5 "Division of Labor" (1 of 2)

v.6 "And unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint."

God is the builder. "For every house is builded by someman; but he that built all thingsisGod (He.3:4)." Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool, so whatever we build has to come within that House which we may not see with our eyes but it is there. Keeping this in our mind let us consider King Solomon about to embark on a project he requires help. "Now theLordmy God hath given me rest on every side(v.4)'.

He also gave him wisdom to conceive it and also acquire provisions for building it."And theLordgave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together." and in v.10 we read thus,"So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire(v.10,12)".

Solomon agrees to pay Hiram fair wages. Neither his father David would buy the threshing floor for free which we have already covered. Neither Hiram nor Solomon are free agents but their transactions are ever before the Lord. It is for this reason we read that when the Egyptians cracked their whips on the Israelites God had seen it all. We read of their bondage, "So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob./And Godlooked upon the children of Israel, and Godacknowledgedthem.(Ex.2:24-25-NKJV)"

David sinned against God and as a result a plague devastates the land. The burden is on David to plead his case before the Lord. "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto theLordmy God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver./And David built there an altar unto theLord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So theLordwas intreated for the land(2 Sa.24:24-25)."

1 Ki.4 "Conclusion" (2 of 2)

Glorious rest of the Anointed One tells us that his ministry of reconciliation is over. It shall bring the Gentiles over. King Solomon bring Pharaoh's daughter to live in Jerusalem (the city of David) has a parallel where the bride of Christ on the holy mountain shall form the nucleus of the church. The Bride of the Lamb, New Jerusalem descending from heaven (Re.21:3) are the saints redeemed from the earth."

On this basis 'And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David' makes sense.

King Solomon's own house, palace is yet another. These three parts, own house, temple and the walls round about are to be taken as one. Body, Spirit and Soul are set in the direct context of salvation. "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation willGodappointforwalls and bulwarks(Is.26:1). Walls around Jerusalem has its spiritual significance to which we referred in the previous post. When the Lord is exalted glory of God makes the glory of the sun redundant. Zion is the soul of the holy city of God. In that day refers to it. The walls have foundations glory of which is derived from the soul. 'And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones (Re.21:19) " And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.(Is.33:6-)".

It is the ensign that the Gentiles seek on that holy mountain. Government is upon the shoulders of the Messiah-King, and glory shall be his rest. No more burnt offerings or sacrifices other than bodies as living sacrifices. Why no animal sacrifices? "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;(Is.11:6-10)"

1 Ki.4 "Conclusion" (1 of 2)

The Spirit introduces the kings of Israel called to be double for the Messiah King which in turn is a stand-in for the word of God the rider on the white horse in the Book of the Revelation."And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war (Re.19:11)". He is the King of kings. "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords(19:18)".

The many kings that are recorded are consequently called to be stand-in for the Word of God that appears from heaven, to which we only need refer the cavalcade that the breaking of seven seals by the slain Lamb brings on. The rider on the white horse sets out to conquer and conquering which by law of Gradation lead us to the King of kings mentioned above. King Solomon as Prince of peace is a double for the Messiah King. It also has a frame of reference to the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Kings introduces the reign of King Solomon with this verse that is to be understood at different level. "And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of theLord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about(3:1)".

The Millennial Reign shall be noteworthy for the following reasons. Peace shall reign and it is a rest that is glorious. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of theLord, as the waters cover the sea./And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious(Is.11:9-10)".

1 Ki.4 "King Solomon" (2 of 2)

King Solomon was called to be the double for the Son. So he has his own house,"Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrificesshall beaccepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people(Is.56:7)".Secondly the house of the Lord of which we have reference in this passage,

"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(Re.21:14-23)". It is obvious that this is in mid-air otherwise 'the wall of Jerusalem' would need not be indicated in particular with all the profusion of stones adorning the foundation and the walls(21:19-21).

His failure is mentioned in this verse, "And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David (3:1a)"

This three fold division was crucial for the Spirit to lay out our calling and we have to draw the much needed lesson of Solomon falling short in making his election sure. Moses had warned them of ever going back to Egypt."But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.(De.17:16)'

1 Ki.4 King Solomon (1 of 2)

"And he (King Solomon) had peace on all sides round about him (v.24)".

The Spirit presents King Solomon as a double for the Son. The above verse denotes one aspect which is associated with Jesus Christ. He was the prince of peace.. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace(Is.9:6). Much of this Messianic prophecy could be applied to King Solomon as well. Solomon was the heir of promise, beloved of God, and we have this verse, 'And (David) he called his name Jedidiah, because of theLord(2 Sa.12:25)'. Jesus was beloved of God and while he lived the voice from heaven testified 'This is my beloved Son.'

God placed the government as we are following his reign and his wisdom as given from heaven was wonderful.

To sum Prophet Isaiah looks ahead into the Salvation Plan of God and gives us three offices to which God called King Solomon.

Jesus Christ as the Son of man was the Servant-King. Secondly the Millennial reign of the Messiah King. Thirdly as the Judge during which he shall judge all nations. "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd dividethhissheep from the goats (Matt.25:32)". Thus three is a command number generally applied to the Son whose death for three days and nights is the seal which runs like a lietmotiv holding the entire narrative together.

It is for this reason the Spirit prefaced the reign of Solomon with three parts. Before bringing his bride he had three vital tasks. It is conveyed in this passage,"until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of theLord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.(3:1)." With regard to the bride, was she the bride of Christ?

1 Ki.4:25-34 "Stand for an ensign" (2 of 2)

Prayer of Solomon pleased the Lord God who gave him an understanding heart. This is the case with every one foreknown and called. Did King Solomon make his election sure? Compare v.34 with the verse in the Book of the Revelation."And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it(Re.21:24).

The Spirit is not focussing on the calling of King Solomon not merely to hold his life as a cautionary tale for us but to instruct what it means to have an understanding heart. Like the talents in the Parable of Jesus, the wicked one is one who dug a hole in the ground to bury it. In our times we have seen these wicked ones like the harlot who traded her spiritual gifts for amassing riches. Come judgment day, she shall know what she has done with her soul. Be not deceived God is sitting even this day as a refiner(Mal.3:3) The silver which is reprobate is for the slag heap.

Tailpiece:

By the way do we have any clue as to the Millennial reign to which 'in that day' refers? In Re.7 we read events taking place in heaven before this v.9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands(Re.7:9)."

1 Ki.4:25-34 "Stand for an ensign" (1 of 2)

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious(Is.11:10)." Wisdom of God is here set up as an ensign; and it was in Solomon and also points out,'in that day, which in the parlance of the Spirit refers to the day of the Lord. The ensign stands for something else. The people refers to the church redeemed from the earth are signs and wonders. It refers to King Solomon which is specific but foreshadows the Millennial reign of the Messiah. As a clue we shall consider this clause, 'to it (the ensign) shall the Gentiles seek.' Who are the Gentiles in the case of King Solomon? Here is a verse from the next chapter, "And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David(5:1)".

Verse 25 given below is a foretaste of the Millennial reign: "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon(v.25)".

"And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore./And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt(vv. 29-30)".

And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom(v.34).

'And there came of all people' including Queen Sheba (10:1) to with our Savior Lord alluded,"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here(Matt.12:42)". Wisdom of Solomon that we are considering is of man called to be double for the Son.

1 Ki.4:25-34 "Wisdom of God"

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore(v.29)".

Before we go on to a new topic let us refresh ourselves from the Parable of One House.

"And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other./

Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.

But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it(3:24-26).

The second harlot the false spoke too soon. It is how the body craves for instant gratification.

The two harlots represent two warring aspects of man. Body craves instant gratification while the Spirit would seek the unseen and be led by God so wisdom of God is what it hopes to feed upon. Their battleground is the heart. One wants the body to be fed and it is the second harlot representing her appetites of the flesh would demand 'Let it be neither mine nor thine but divide it'. Look at the present world. This explains the 'patriots who want a civil war' so 'anarchy of freedom' makes a din and great rubble. Their gtterdmmerung is a page out of the Third Reich. It shows their wisdom is devilish and of the carnal. What of the first harlot whose bowels yearned upon her son ? She showed the right responses for those might benefit from the wisdom of God."The spirit of a manisthe lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart(Pr.20:27-NKJV)".

King Solomon is presented to us as a double for Jesus Christ the Messiah-King whose wisdom was of the Word and it made the people see the excellence of his judgment. It is leading us to the day of the Lord when He sits down on the throne he shall separate the wheat from chaff. "A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them.(Pr.20:26)"

1 Ki.3:16-18 "Parable of One House"

'I and this woman dwell in one house'-v.17

Two harlots live in one house which is annotated by St Paul as two laws warring within one's members."Even harlots practice their trade by law. So St Paul speaks of a law that would ply her trade after her 'inner man' and it is the child that becomes the point of controversy. The Body would have but the law of sin 'in my members' striving against the law of my mind,' drags her love for the world through dirty. grubbing for money even in sewers is on the principle 'business is business'. Spirit dominates the other harlot which is in prostituting talents to curry favor from the world so Christian activism becomes devil's business.

" I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me./2 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man,/ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members(Ro.7:21-23)".

In v.18 the third day after I was delivered' coincides with the warring member, which is no matter since Jesus Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. He also removed the middle wall of partition so what shall we say with regards to the heart? God fashioned all hearts alike.

One harlot giving up his rights to another presages being justified by God. Judgment of Solomon is as though God judged the case. He is presented as the stand in for the Son.

Soul, in a figurative sense is the inner man, the child in question. The body that would delight to do good but hindered by 'evil present with me' gives up with a contrite right so inner man do stand a chance under the law of the Spirit.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit./ For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death(Ro.8:1-2)".

Ex.25:10-22 Tabernacle-Cherubim

"And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat."(v.18)

The cherubim on the top of the mercy seat are described as facing each other and the mercy seat itself. Their wings were outstretched and overshadow the mercy seat. We come across them as sort of way markers, with flaming sword, rather forbidding figures barring the way to the tree of life."Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."(Ge.3:24). Whereas with Mercy seat their outstretched wings exude the characteristics that is in harmony with the memorials in heaven. They signify prayer and service. Be that as it may their position inthe primary sense does not change.

The cherubim thus placed facing each other link the invisible God and the ark representing the Man component. In short it commemorates the Fellowship of God with Man. There are guardians of the holiness of God.The solid gold cover on which they are positioned is the throne of grace.Here we see a fractal design indicating the Fellowship between two worlds framed by the word of God. This way doubles for the upright stem of a palm tree or a noble cedar tree.

"This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Ac.1:11 The straight line connecting the two worlds is invisible . This resonates with the way God led the Israelites in the wilderness. "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters."(Ex.15:27). The symbolism of trees on either side of the living waters in Ezekiel's vision mentioned earlier are repeated in the final chapter of the God document (Re.22:1-3) God made manifest. Thus the river of time beginning from waters above the firmament takes the divine Salvation Plan all through. Mercy seat with cherubim is of solid gold and mercy of God

pg. 4

To GiGi,

Thank you for being a friend. I feel as though you were someone I could pour my heart out to, and I was right. I'm saying this not because you are more special in the Eyes of Christ, but sometimes we meet others we may feel more comfortable with. You will not leave my loving thoughts, along with everyone. Keep using your gift of prayer and extending your God given compassion for others.

I wrote something around 15 years ago that flowed so naturally into mind. It's in lyrical form. I titled it "Love's Eyes (The vision of Christ")

Love knows no opposite

Fear engenders hate

Love cannot perceive it

It's not what Love creates

No, love will never cease

To return again, my friend

Love has no beginning

Love doesn't have an end

Love's Eye's just can't forgive

When ALL they see is Holiness

Thus love needs not forgiveness

Since It's perfect-nothing less

Love's Eyes see crystal clear

Wearing no disguise

Love is why we're here

Peace is shining through Love' Eyes

Love knows no opposite

Nor diversity

Love sees just one color

Painting you as me

No, live will never sleep

To slumber in dark dreams

Love extends It's Presence

Vision is the means

Listen, Love embraces everyone

Will not one soul omit

Exclusion, just an ego illusion

Sweet Love, Oh what we've made of It

Love's Eyes just can't forgive

When All they see is Holiness

Thus love needs not forgiveness

Since It's perfect-nothing less

Love's Eyes see crystal clear

Asks no sacrifice

Her Eyes blind to fear

Peace is shining through Love's Eyes

Love is why we're here

Peace is shining through Love's Eyes

To all:

I believe that over the past 2 years using this site, I've said things I probably should not have. My apologies. Yet I believe I have also said sufficiently what is enough. I see no purpose to say any more.

God Is

Peace to all.

pg.3

Very recently the unpleasant ones have vanished. My dreams have been filled with people that I know and some I don't. Yet the common factor in them is now everyone is my friend and we are at perfect peace with each other; no traces of fear or chaos. Now, I've never been one to analyze dreams in respect to what the future may be or some secret message, but what I do realize is that they mirror one's current state of mind. To me it is evidence that a positive change is taking hold. I say this, not out of arrogance or grandiosity, but while giving thanks to Jesus for guiding me on how this can be accomplished. Please understand, this is a miracle for me. In this sense Jesus is my Savior, for without His Help I would be afraid to go to sleep for fear of nightmares; what a release. Without Him the distance between God and me would be too great to encompass! He will continue to do so, if I continue to let Him.

This morning when my feet hit the floor, a thought, an image appeared in my mind. It was a cross on a very distant hill, and as the image appeared closer, I could see Jesus there; still hanging in pain after 2000 years. I was taught most my life it was me who nailed him there, and I believed it. This morning, in my mind I climbed that cross and stared face to face with blood dripping down His face and pulled out the nails and took Him down.



No doubt, it is historically true He was crucified, and the ultimate nightmare is I believed in my mind I was responsible and if I didn't believe I would be eternally punished. No matter how much I tried to murder Him and keep Him on the cross and live in utter darkness filled with guilt, He overcame death through His resurrection thus showing me there is no death, because God is Life. And if I continue to believe death and hell can EVEN BE reality, then He did die in vain. I no longer need to cling to the old rugged cross, but His resurrection.

see pg 4

Pg. 2

And because He is not, I believe whatever is true and eternal and perfect cannot change or be changed by anything, specifically our own mind. The Bible says that God is Spirit, therefore spirit and EVERYTHING He creates is unalterable. This leaves no other choice that what He did not create, i.e. that what changes from perfect to imperfect can only be in our own mind apart from His. What God creates has no ALTERNATive; the truth arises from what He KNOWS.

In regards to time, e.g. days, weeks, months, years, and so on, God did not create it. Who would create time (days), or have need of it when He is eternal? Only because we made time up in our own mind, must the Holy Spirit now reinterpret time back into the reality of our ETERNAL existence created by an Eternal Creator. He also gives us all the time we need to reach the awareness that the truth IS, we still and will eternally be as God created us. There is NO power that can change what God created. He ALONE is Omnipotent! Therefore the Kingdom is perfectly united and perfectly protected, and the ego ("devil), NO THING can prevail against it! Amen. So be thankful your days are numbered like everyone else's, and rejoice in the fact your reality is eternity.

Whether you believe what I'm saying is true or not, I'm ok, as I feel no need to push my beliefs on you. Whether you choose to even consider it, or anything ELSE for that matter, should and cannot be utilized through fear with demands, commands and threats with consequences of deserved punishment and death; this is not free will and Perfect Love cannot operate in this manner. Fear is always the great controller, and terrorists know this. I hope this at least clarifies what I meant. Peace.

To all: Like all of us, we've experienced unpleasant dreams while asleep. My past has been filled with them, including some horrific nightmares that would literally cause sleep paralysis. I thank God, the nightmares subsided a couple years ago.

see pg. 3

Blessings to all,

pg. 1

Firstly: Jesse, I typed a rather lengthy comment to you yesterday around 4 a.m in reply to your question. It seems my computer had "fallen asleep", whatever that means. Needless to say, I presume it disappeared into cyberspace. Not meant to be.

So, to keep it short and simple: Yes, it is obvious; a no-brainer. Truth is, I have no sense of urgency or remaining desire to defend it, as it needs none. One thing I'm quite sure of though, is that it will be impossible, although one may believe it IS, to make a wise evaluation unless it is thoroughly read and given appropriate consideration; similar to the Bible or any writing regarding God. It is not impossible, but I would venture to say that you will not take a year or so of time to do so. Therefore, one might consider withholding making statements regarding heresy out of ignorance. I use the term ignorance in its most gentle form, not to offend in any manner; we should not want to prematurely afford final judgement without ALL information. I stand neutral in regards to what I prefer what YOU do, because it is up to the Holy Spirit, and YOU out of your own free will. I hope this sounds reasonable.

Peace to us.

To Dr. CharlesSaw: In retrospect, I feel some of my words towards you bordered harshness. You have not harmed me in any way, so surely there is NO need for forgiveness from me to you, yet I do need to forgive myself for my "sins" that I THOUGHT I saw in you, i.e. projected onto you. My apologies. Peace be with you always.

To Stewart: I apologize for the harm I caused you and possibly others on this site. In the hopes of not causing more, I'll attempt to clarify what I meant regarding "be thankful your days are numbered". I understand your confusion on this, as at one time it confused me for awhile; not because it was complicated, but instead, it was an idea foreign to my mind.

God is Eternal and therefore not bound or limited to time, as we APPEAR to be.

see pg. 2

2 Ki.8:24-29" Principle of Association"

And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith theLordGod of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of theLord, even over Israel.(2 Ki.9:6)

In vv.24-29 we are given a new king of Judah. Ahaziah reigned in his father's stead. He went with the king of Israel to war against Hazael the king of Syria whom Elisha had anointed as the king (in the place of Elijah.) While things are going from bad to worse for Ahaziah and Joram, we have Elisha entrusting the third task God had given Elijah to his associate. His is only called the young man, the prophet. He is to run over to Jehu who is at Ramothgilead and anoint him as the new king of Israel. We see the same chain in command as Jesus ordained in his time. His disciples are sent to preach and 'he who receives you receives me.'. So God's gospel is same as Gospel of Christ and we are all associates of Christ regardless of time in the same vineyard fellow-laborers. Our hire is already fixed as we have in the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. That day must end of an age and we shall collect ours when we are called up. ( Luke 10:16; Matt.10:40.)

God gives a task which is to be performed and it is exactly in God's time. In the eyes of God the time is 'now''. Elijah is merely a name as Elisha and he is on the same level as the anonymous prophet. The Spirit gives us an insight as to the manner he works with rise and fall of nations. We are seeing the kings in Israel and Judah are becoming nonentities a few kings better than others, that is all. In the Salvation plan of God, the prophets are shaping the spiritual landscape of Israel and we are seeing the rise of world empires. Syria, Assyria and Babylon are all becoming stronger so Israel does not know when disaster is going to strike them.

Ju.16 Death of Samson (2 of 2)

"And Samson called unto theLord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes".(v.29)

Samson's sin found him out. Having slept through the time Delilah had shorn his locks when she woke him up with the cry,"And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that theLordwas departed from him." This was as tragic as it was a severe blot on otherwise extraordinary servant of God.

Faith hitched to a bad apple shall only taste bad. Some of the false ministers who goad their silly congregation put their faith work do not tell that their plough is set on other mans riches. God who gives every good gift knows His lambs. He leads to good pastures. He shall give them all that are needful for life and godliness. He shall put no stumbling blocks on their way. Whereas look at examples of preachers in our times. Do their faith and works match? All those headlines of their fall, were these waiting to happen?