"PREPARING FOR PENTECOST"
FD02.1005
scottSTANLEY
(For purposes of clarity, all scriptures presented have been edited with the author’s paraphrase as indicated by brackets [ ].)
Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,
as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,
and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Isaiah 30:26
OPENING REMARKS
Since our last study, I have been so blessed as the Lord has opened up avenues of study, things that I realize He is using to prepare us for Pentecost. In the last study, talking about Pentecost and showing you from Romans 8 how there is a difference between the spirit of Christ and the spirit of the Father, as he says in Romans 8:9: If you don’t have Christ’s spirit, you’re not His; verse 10: You can have Christ’s spirit, your body be dead because of sin, the spirit of life because of righteousness; 11: But if you have the spirit of the one who raised Christ from the dead, this will bring life even to your mortal flesh – and I realized that "Pentecost" is a receiving of the spirit of the Father. How can you have the spirit of Christ and not have the spirit of the Father – because it’s evident, to have the "spirit" of something means to have the understanding of it. Christ, of course, possesses the spirit of the Father, the understanding of the Father. Why can’t He give it to us?
If you can imagine three cups – a small one, a medium and a large – and imagine all three cups being full to the brim, recognizing that each cup is 100% full, yet the medium cup and the large cup possess more than the small cup. Even though the small cup has as much as it can hold, the other cups have a larger capacity. God has got to increase our capacity. When you go back to your conversion experience and look at what you understood – a small fraction of what you understand now – you understood all you could. That’s all you could handle until the Lord could increase your capacity to grow. All along, the Lord is giving us what we can handle as our hearts remain open to Him. Right now, being in this tarrying time, as we are to tarry in Jerusalem (you could say New Jerusalem), remaining in the temple, waiting for the fire of heaven to come (and remember, God is a consuming fire) – we are waiting on input from Christ concerning His Father and, to remain in New Jerusalem as He describes that mindset in the beatitudes, you are "poor in spirit." Just saying that you’re poor in spirit – to say I don’t know – increases the capacity of the cup; it gives a place for the Lord to pour more "water"... to have that attitude; to live in that attitude. And that is what He is telling us... that is the attitude that birthed you; that is the attitude to remain in, to receive information from God through His Son. To have the spirit of God will bring life even to your mortal flesh – that is what we want to have happen; that is our next experience. But Christ is increasing our capacity to receive this information.
Now in the last study, we talked about the three things that we need to overcome, or the three completions that we deal with. One is to be set free from "dead works"; purged from the dead works – thinking there is something that you do in your life that pleases God, and keeping that law in any way whatsoever – those are dead works. The Lord has purged us from that; He’s brought us to the next step – the cleansing, the being complete as pertaining to the conscience. The third step, you could call it "iniquity free," where the Lord delivers you from all iniquity – the Day of Atonement is the day that that is finalized. Between "Pentecost" and "Atonement" you are recognizing the adversity in your heart; you are not being deceived as you grow in awareness, and that fit man is being developed that will be able to lead away the "scapegoat," Azazel, or the "goat god" – lead it away into the wilderness that you might be free forever. Right now, we’re waiting for our baptism in fire... God is a consuming fire. We’re waiting for Pentecost – we’re in the "ten day" period, receiving more input from God, and we do know that when Pentecost happens there will be a revealing, something about our Heavenly Father, that up until this point we have not been able to receive.
THE PRODIGAL
Now I want to ask you to turn in your bibles to Revelation, chapter 3, and I want to show you one of the ways the Lord is increasing my capacity to receive more. The Lord has opened the door for an area of study that, for me, is so touching and wonderful, and it brings in information concerning our Heavenly Father. Revelation 3, I want to read verse 12 – and this is the message to Philadelphia about overcoming. One thing I want you to understand: When you’re reading the seven cities, the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, each one is told if you overcome; to him that overcomes – well, when He says "overcome" He means come back to New Jerusalem. Now, some time ago when I did The Character of God Studies – and I did one on the "churches," on the candlestick – the way I saw it was that the Lord was trying to bring that person back to "Ephesus," but I realize once you enter the mindset of Ephesus, you have left your "first love," New Jerusalem, and you’re no longer in that "city" of not knowing – you are beginning to become "rich." So to each city, when He says "overcome," He means: If you come back to the beatitudes; if you come back to poor in spirit; if you come back to your "mother," the wife of the covenant, New Jerusalem... So, in Revelation 3:12 He tells Philadelphia:
Revelation 3:12
12 Him that [overcomes] will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, ...
Now remember, Philadelphia is already abiding, and to be made "a pillar in the temple" means you’ll no more come out of the temple – that’s what He says:
Revelation 3:12
12 ... and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God [the character of God, which the Lord is beginning to reveal to us], and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem [which the Lord has recently revealed to us – peace, the city of peace], ...[and He says] I will write upon him my new name.
When I read that, I realized there is an understanding concerning Christ, a name, a character, a way of perceiving Him that I was not doing, and I saw these things – one happening after the next – He’ll make you a pillar in the temple, He’ll begin to write the name of God, the name of the city of God, and then Christ says "my new name." Each one, for me, seems to lead into the next. When I read that, I just stopped and prayed and I asked my Father: What is Jesus’ new name? What do you mean, He will have a "new name"? I realized, when you marry, you take on a "new name" – you become a husband or a wife; when you have a child, you take on a new name – you’re a mother or a father, and there is something concerning Christ that, you will agree with me, is true, but you never look at Him this way. For me personally, when I think of Christ, I see this high, exalted figure – something that I can’t attain to, and worshiping Him, and so on – and all of that is fine, except that He is our "brother" and suddenly when I use that word, everything shifts in my thinking. Now I want you to turn to Hebrews 2 and I want you to recognize with me that the "new name," the character Christ is going to take on for you, is that of brother – He is your brother. Looking at Hebrews 2, I want to start reading at verse 11:
Hebrews 2:11
11 For both he that [sanctifies] and they who are sanctified are all one [and remember, this "sanctified" means holy, made holy – and your mind is separated from the world; it means to be set apart]: [the people whose minds come out of the "lie" are all of one, you become one family] for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Who? The one’s whose minds are sanctified – the mind is set apart. Now, He is going to give us three verses dealing with how Christ is our brother and you need to have your bible in front of you and read these with me, so you can keep this straight – verse 12:
Hebrews 2:12-13
12 Saying, I will declare [your] name unto my brethren [You see, he quotes Psalms 22:22, where Christ is talking to the Father, saying: I will declare your character to my brethren], in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. [Now here’s the second one – verse 13:]
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God [has] given me.
If we are God’s children, He is God’s only begotten – hence, we’re "brethren," you see? In the first one I read, He calls us "brethren"; in the last one we are "children," but listen to the middle one again, verse 12:
Hebrews 2:12-13
12 Saying, I will declare [your] name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. [Now verse 13... ]
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. ...
Stop – How does that make us His brethren: I will put my trust in Him? Well, if you key on the word "I," I could read this where he says: "I, too, will put my trust in Him" because that’s what we do. Looking at Christ, He is not ashamed to call us brethren; God has given His children to Christ; if we are children and He is God’s only begotten, that makes us brethren. But the fact that He says "I will put my trust in Him, too" – you see, that makes Him like us, trusting God for salvation. Now turn with me to Luke 15, and I want to read something to you that we have read all of our Christian lives – it’s the parable of the prodigal son. I know I don’t have to read this whole parable,... I just need to get to the point. This is found in Luke 15, starting at verse 11:
Luke 15:11
11 ¶ ... A certain man had two sons:
We know the younger son takes his portion of goods from the father and leaves. He has riotous living; he finally comes to himself when he’s eating what the pigs eat, realizing my father has servants that eat better than this; I’m going to go back and tell him "I’ve sinned against you." Well, this is where I want to pick it up, in verse 20, where the prodigal son is coming back:
Luke 15:20-25
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in [your] sight, [I’m] no more worthy to be called [your] son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring [here] the fatted calf, and kill it; and [let’s] eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field:...
Do I need to tell you who the "elder son" is? You’re going to read about Christ right here, and I want your heart to be open:
Luke 15:25-32
25 ...his elder son was in the field: and he came and drew nigh to the house, and heard music and dancing.
26 And called one of the servants, and asked what [does this mean?].
27 And he said ... [well], [Your] brother is come; and [your] father [has] killed the fatted calf, because he [has] received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, [he] would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father [Now listen to this... this is Luke 15:29], these many years do I serve [you], neither transgressed I at any time [your] commandment [you see, he’d never sinned]: and yet [you] never [gave] me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this [your] son was come, which [has] devoured [your] living with harlots, [you’ve] killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him [here’s what the father tells his son], Son, [you are] ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this [your] brother was dead, and is alive again; [he] was lost, and [now he’s] found.
This parable is so revealing – it’s like, where do you even begin? All of my Christian life, I was told that this is a parable of God and the sinner, but no one ever defined the "elder son." The elder son never sinned; never left his position with the father. It can only be one person – the only begotten Son of God. Here we are, in the last days, the "ten days" before Pentecost, waiting for an understanding of the Father, and Jesus Christ gives His church this testimony: He shows you the adversity He had toward humanity. This is something that we’ve been seeing for some time, recognizing in Job that that had to be Christ, who was adverse toward man – and here is a parable where He admits it. He discusses His adversity... how when man wanted to come back to God, how the Father rejoiced, but He could not enter into that with the Father... so what happened? Just as the Father met the prodigal son when He was a long way off, the Father comes out to talk to the eldest. Listen – He is showing us love, a loving Father... the love of God for His only begotten and for us – the parable of the prodigal son.
I could read this over and over and over, as I recognize our Heavenly Father through His only begotten Son, is increasing the cup. He is preparing to pour out His spirit to those who have room to receive it, that our understanding of God would deepen and iniquity be straightened out in our hearts!
THE BEST ROBE
Lets go back to Luke 15:22, and notice the three things that the Father tells his servants. He says: "Bring forth the best robe and put it on the prodigal" – the best robe. When I think of the "best robe," one thing that comes to mind, of course, is the best "character" that He can give you, and I know that’s true, but the "best robe" or the best covering... when I think of the truths that the Lord is giving us today, especially in this one, when He says that Christ is your brother, He’s the "elder" son – we’re the "younger" son. We’re all God’s children, but we are to look at Him and get where He has a new name, that of brother.
These thoughts are almost too much; it’s more than wonderful! I know He’s going to give us the best character that He can, but the truths that He is giving us are over and above anything I’ve ever dreamed. You can’t write a story like this... you can’t make up something like this where there is one God in this universe who wants humanity, and brings forth a Son to show humanity how much He loves them... that He makes us "joint heirs" with Christ... that this fellow, Jesus Christ, that you hear about in all of these churches – everyone seeing and praising Him, and all of this worship going on – and yet He is saying to you: You’re my brother – we’re brothers in this thing. That He, too, had adversity to deal with – what we read in Hebrews 2, "I, too, will put my trust in Him," you see? It’s almost too good to be true... it’s fantastic!
He gives you the best robe; he puts a ring on the prodigal’s hand. If you look at this word "ring," in my mind, I went right back to the Ark of the Covenant – four turns to the box. Each time you make a turn, or a step, there is a "ring" on that corner... the "ring" was confirmation that the corner was turned. This ring is a seal ring, or a ring of confirmation. Notice where he puts it... he puts a ring on his hand – confirmation. If a ring is on my hand, it’s on my "fingers" – my "fingers" are faith; confirming the faith, confirming what God is revealing to you. I’m telling you, that’s happening to you even now as I speak; when you read this and you see He’s your elder brother, He takes on a new name, there is something... it’s like that truth just settles down in your heart – you know that you know that you know it’s true. He puts the ring on your hand and shoes on your feet.
Think back to Joshua 5, when Joshua sees the "captain of the Lord’s host." He sees Michael with His sword drawn and Joshua has entered the Promised Land, and he walks up and he says, "Are you for us or against us," and the captain of the Lord’s host tells Joshua to take off his shoes – He says: You’re standing on holy ground. Do you think Michael’s shoes were off too? What is it that made that holy? Him – the fact that He was there, and that taking off of your shoes because you’re on holy ground... but on the prodigal He puts shoes, because these are His shoes. It isn’t take off your shoes, you’re on holy ground, it’s put on your shoes, put on these shoes I have for you because I am your Father and Christ is your brother – and there is an ultimate elevating He is doing with those whose minds are sanctified. How He would love to see all be saved, but in order for that to happen, you have to receive the love of God, and that is not something He pushes off on you – He does not force you to love Him. Do you think all will eventually love Him? Do you think everybody will come to the place where they love God? Or do you see the second resurrection – the wicked coming out of those graves, the "abyss," the great gulf is fixed... they’re in glorified bodies; they have faced death without Him and they have nothing left to fear? He says He will let them go into this fire, gehenna fire, into that fire, the inward fire that devours.
But to the prodigal who comes back, He says: Give him the best robe; put a ring to confirm his faith; put shoes on his feet for this fellow was dead... now he’s alive again. He was lost, now he’s found, and He will be merry with you.
MERCY NOT SACRIFICE
I’d like to ask you to turn in your bibles to Matthew 9 – I want to begin reading at verse 9:
Matthew 9:9-13
9 ¶ And as Jesus passed forth from [there], he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he [said] unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard [it], he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what [this means], I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Well, first of all, understand that there is none righteous, but He is addressing the "Pharisees." A "Pharisee" will take the book, read it literally, base his belief on his own understanding of the book and, as far as he is concerned, he’s "righteous" – he’s doing what the book literally says to do. It’s when you can recognize yourself a sinner that Christ can help you, and again, that points back to "New Jerusalem," the beatitudes – poor in spirit, mourning over where you are, recognizing you could be nearer to God; you could be more like Christ. What does He mean, "Go learn what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice"? Well, this is taken from Hosea, chapter 6, and as we understand what this means, there is a truth that begins to develop out of this that is awesome. Look at Hosea 6, and I want to read down to where this is spoken: "I’ll have mercy and not sacrifice." Hosea 6, I want to begin reading at verse 4:
Hosea 6:4-6
4 ¶ O Ephraim, what shall I do unto [you]? O Judah, what shall I do unto [you]? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it [goes] away.
5 Therefore [I’ve] hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: [so that their] judgments [or their determinations would be] as light that [goes] forth.
6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; ... the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
In this verse, "mercy" is equated to the knowledge of God, and I have been telling you for some time that Psalms 123 explains what "mercy" is – it is when God gives you His understanding. For God to have mercy on you, He gives you His knowledge – He gives you His understanding. Now, Christ was telling the Pharisees in Matthew 9: Go learn what this means: I’ll have mercy and not sacrifice. Well, turn back to Psalms 51, reading from verse 15:
Psalms 51:15
15 O Lord, open my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth [your] praise.
That is mercy – that is a revelation of God’s mercy. For your mouth to show forth His praise, you’re going to reveal what He has shown you, you see? That is "mercy."
Psalms 51:15-17
15 ... my mouth shall shew forth [your] praise.
16 [Because you did not desire] sacrifice; else would I give it: [you did not delight] in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices [or, the killing] of God [what He wants is inward... it’s ] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart ... [you will] not despise.
You see, here is an explanation of "mercy" and "sacrifice." The Lord wants you to receive His knowledge, His mercy – He desires that more than sacrifice.
I’m telling you that ever since the book was written, beginning in Moses’ day, that people looked at the "sacrifices" not as mercy but as an offering to God to appease His anger. Now what do I mean, not as mercy?" What the Lord is revealing in those sacrifices is knowledge of Himself, but He did not begin to explain it until Calvary. The New Covenant, where God gives you His understanding, began on that cross with His Son. God was going to reveal His love to you, and all of those sacrifices throughout the Old Testament were pictures of that, but people looked at those sacrifices through sinful eyes – they did not have the understanding of God. Those animal sacrifices were not mercy; it was not God revealing to them His love... it was a sacrifice to appease an angry God. Let me prove it to you – turn to Micah 6, and we’re still following this "mercy and not sacrifice" – in Micah, chapter 6, I want to begin reading at verse 6:
Micah 6:6-7
6 ¶ Wherewith [or, How] shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
7 Will [it please] the LORD [to have] thousands of rams, or ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
That, right there, is what I want you to see. When He delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt... let me show you one of the pictures it paints: If they offered a sacrifice of the lamb, and applied the blood to the door, they retained their firstborn – but if they chose not to do that (to offer the sacrifice), they lost their firstborn. That is what happens to a person who rejects the moving of the Holy Spirit on their heart... they lose their "firstborn," or Christ. Their understanding of Christ, whatever they possessed, will be gone but, if you offer the lamb, if the blood of the lamb is put on the doorpost of your heart, you’ll retain your firstborn. Now look back at this verse:
Micah 6:7
7 ... shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body [The King James has put "body" ... that word is belly – the fruit of my belly. "Belly" is mind – the understanding of my mind] for the sin of my soul?
That is what every denominational church is doing today! I’ll give you the understanding of my mind; you give me salvation. Yet, when you receive the mercy of God, when God reveals to you His knowledge, the result of it is the setting free – the truth sets you free!
Micah 6:7
7 ... shall I give my firstborn for my transgression [comma], [my understanding of Christ] for the sin of my soul?
Offer this to God? It doesn’t work like that. That’s what I was told all my denominational life... Do you believe in Jesus? Yes, you’re saved – you believe, you offer to God the fruit of the belly for the sin of your soul. And I’ve got to say it again... when you receive God’s "mercy," the result of that is salvation. The result of that is a setting free, and this is what Christ is saying to the Pharisees in Matthew 9, what we just read:
Matthew 9:13
13 ...go and learn what [this means], I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: I [haven’t] come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
You see, when you offer "the fruit of your belly for the sin of your soul," you’re righteous in your own eyes. Why? Well, God said, "Kill a lamb"; I killed it and now He owes me salvation – it’s judicial. But that is so far from our Heavenly Father and the heart of God; that is so far from where He is. If you can see the sacrifice as mercy, a revealing of God’s understanding – Christ offered Himself a sacrifice to God – our Heavenly Father wanted Him to give His life that He might reveal His love to us. Christ offered Himself a sacrifice to God – in so doing, it "ransomed" us; it paid the price needed to set us free from sin, from the old man, from the sin nature! Look at Hosea 13:14:
Hosea 13:14
14 I will ransom them from the [hand] of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be [your] plague; O grave, I will be [your] destruction: ...
You’re not ransomed from God... you’re not redeemed from God’s wrath. You’re ransomed from the grave – you’re redeemed from that "inward death," that not knowing, that spiritual death. As God has mercy on you, the result is the salvation of your soul.
GOD’S THRONE
One more thing about New Jerusalem – I want to read from Jeremiah, chapter 3, starting at verse 16 – we could start at 15:
Jeremiah 3:15-17
15 And I will give you pastors [or, feeders] according to [my] heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 And it shall come to pass, when [you are] multiplied and increased in the land [in your understanding and knowledge], in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come [upon the heart]: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the [character] of the LORD [comma], to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
This verse is talking about, of course, New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem is "the throne of the Lord"; it is the character of God. Remember, in Revelation 22, that out of the throne of the Lord, out of the throne of God and of the Lamb flowed a river, clear as crystal? Remember: Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water? Your "throne," of course, is your mind. Here in Jeremiah 3, "Jerusalem" is the throne of the Lord – it is the character of God. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we be in that attitude of Matthew 5, of the beatitudes. That is the character of God – the humility, the meekness, loving mercy – it is God’s character; it is God’s throne. Drinking "water" from that throne will bring you into that humility, into that meekness. It will straighten out the crooked places of the heart; it will rid you of sin nature – it will slay the old man; it will redeem you from death. He’ll ransom you from being in the "grave" – a pit in the earth, surrounded by the "earth," surrounded by self. The Lord is going to give you feeders that will give you knowledge and understanding, and when you’re increased in the land, the Ark of the Covenant will no more come upon the heart – it’s going to be "Jerusalem." Remember Jeremiah 17 – let me read this, verse 12:
Jeremiah 17:12
12 ¶ A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
A glorious high throne from the beginning... Remember what Christ said in Revelation, to Laodicea, Revelation 3:21?
Revelation 3:21-22
21 To him that [overcomes, or comes back to New Jerusalem] will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that [has] an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [says to] the churches.
The "throne" of God, the "city" of God, is the character of God – it is our "first love"; it is "the wife of the covenant"; it is the mind of God. The throne is the city, is the character – New Jerusalem. It is Christ who possesses that city, who possesses the spirit of the Father, the mind of God. Remember how the tree of life is on each side of the river proceeding from the throne? I want to read again from Revelation 22, starting at verse 1:
Revelation 22:1-2
1 ¶ He [showed] me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst [Now the King James has put "in the midst of the street of it" – it means in the midst of the broadness of it], and on [each] side of the river, was the tree of life, ...
We know from Proverbs 3, the "tree of life" is wisdom and "wisdom" is Christ. Here we see the tree of life is on each side of the river and in the midst of it. I want to show you a parallel verse – it’s in Daniel 12, starting at Daniel 12:5:
Daniel 12:5-6
5 ¶ Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood [two more, two others], the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river,
See, you have three people here – one on each side of the river and one upon the waters or above the waters, and the one above the waters or in the midst of it, in the broadness of it is the man dressed in linen. If you take that back to Leviticus 16:4, it’s the high priest – this is Christ. Here we see, just like in Revelation 22:2, the "tree of life" on each side of the river and above the river – in Daniel 12, we see three people – one on each side of the river and one above. The one above is the high priest. I want you to consider with me, looking at the Son of God, recognizing that that river coming out of the throne is the understanding of God and how, as the Son of God in eternity past, He came to the river; He passed through the river onto the other side as Christ – Jesus. And as the resurrected Christ, He is above the river or, you could say, the river is under His feet – or He possesses it. See, that’s what I think it means in Revelation 12 – for the church to be "clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet" – she possesses the moon... she understands it, you see? And that is where the Son of God is – Revelation 22:2, to me, equates to Daniel 12, and we see the Son of God coming to the understanding of His Father, passing through it, being resurrected and is now above it. He possesses the mind of God. As our cup increases, He will pour out His spirit on Pentecost, giving us another understanding, a deeper understanding of our Heavenly Father.
SONS OF GOD
To possess "the wife of the covenant"; to have the mindset of "New Jerusalem"; to be drinking from the water that proceeds from the throne of God, puts you in the kingdom of God. When Christ came proclaiming "the kingdom of God," what that means is that He came proclaiming the understanding of God. The kingdom of God is God’s understanding – that is why Christ began with the beatitudes, telling you to have a humble, open heart, and then began expressing the inward meaning of the law. You were told "don’t commit adultery," I tell you don’t lust; you were told not to hate, not to kill, I tell you don’t even hate. He took the literal interpretation and put it inward – that was the ministry of Christ, to proclaim the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the understanding of God, the way God sees it. That is what He is talking about in John 3, when Nicodemus comes to Him. Christ says to Nicodemus:
John 3:3, 5-6
3 ... Except a man be born [from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God. [Except you’re given life from above, you cannot see the way God sees it. In John 3:5...]
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto [you], Except a man be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ["Water" goes to thought; "spirit" is the spiritual understanding of the thought – notice what He says in the next verse:]
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh [that which is given life of flesh is fleshy, is carnal]; that which is [given life] of the Spirit is [spiritual].
We have been applying the "born again experience," being born from above to our conversion experience – I want you to consider something new; I want you to see that differently. When we first came to the Lord, we were "converted." We turned our minds from the world to God, in so far as we understood it. When you consider Nicodemus being a "Pharisee," that is what he had done; that is why he was a Pharisee – he had turned his mind from the world to the book, trying to understand God. There is no other reason for a person to study the scriptures, except to understand God, and I believe Nicodemus had turned toward God. But remember, when you look at the Ark of the Covenant, there’s more than one turn; there’s more than one "conversion" that we go through. We have to be "converted" from the literal to the spiritual. You have to come out of the natural understanding into God’s understanding, and that is what Christ was addressing in John 3 – "being born from above" will bring you into God’s understanding. Remember the seals again: The "white" horse turns red, turns black, turns pale; the rider of the "pale" horse is death. When God brings you out of that death, you enter in the "Promised Land"; you enter into the kingdom of God – you begin to understand the way God does.
And it takes time, but He can eventually help you understand "sonship." I’m telling you that when you can see Calvary – when the veil comes down in your heart; when Babylon falls – and you recognize the only begotten Son of God is revealing God’s love to you, and your value to God... and you recognize the fact you are His firstborn, you are what God desired from the beginning; He loves you as though He birthed you Himself – at that point you are brought into the family of God as a son of God being led of His Spirit, governed by grace, redeemed from the grave, ransomed from the grave and from death. You are the son of God and you have the seed of God dwelling in you – God’s seed is in you because you are God’s son, you are God’s child. No one can take that from you, just as my children will always be my children, no one can take that from them because that is the way it is. My seed is in them; God’s seed is in us. I want to read from 1 John 3 – it begins with "behold" – that word is [1492] – perceive:
1 John 3:1-10
1 ¶ [Perceive ye], what manner of love the Father [has] bestowed upon us, that we should be called [the children of God], the sons of God: [that’s why the world doesn’t know us], because it [didn’t know Him, it doesn’t know Him by means of experience].
2 Beloved, now [we are] the sons of God, it [does] not yet appear what we shall be: but we [perceive] that, when he [appears], [we’ll] be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that [has] this hope in [himself, in his heart will purify] himself, even as [Christ] is pure.
4 ¶ Whosoever [commits] sin [commits lawlessness]: sin is [lawlessness].
5 And [you] know [you perceive in your heart Christ] was manifested to take away our [lawlessness, our rejection of grace];...[When you’re abiding in Christ, there’s no rejection in your heart.]
6 Whosoever [abides] in him [is not rejecting God’s grace]: whosoever [is rejecting God’s grace has] not seen him [has not experienced him].
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that [does God’s understanding] is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that [commits] sin [or, rejects the impression of the heart] is of [diablos]; for [that adversity has rejected God’s grace] from the beginning. [This is why] the Son of God was manifested, that he might [render inactive] the works of the [adversity in our heart].
9 Whosoever is born of God [does] not commit sin; for his seed [abides] in him: and he cannot sin [reject the impression of the heart], because he [has been given life] of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children [who still have the adversity]: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that [loves] not his brother.
Now I want to take this thought back to John 3 and I want to begin reading at verse 14:
John 3:14-17
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever [believes] in him should not perish, but have eternal life. [Remember, as the Son of Man, as Christ is lifted up and you see mercy in this, God is giving you explanation of His character – the Son of Man must be lifted up that whosoever believes in Him as God reveals it to you, you’ll not perish; you’ll have eternal life.]
16 For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son [as a manifestation of His love, that they might see their value and the old man die], [so] that whosoever [believes] in him [as God reveals it to the heart, they wouldn’t] perish, but have everlasting life.
17 God [did not send] his Son into the world to condemn the world; [He sent His Son] that the [whole world through the Son] might be saved [from the lie -- slaying the old man, setting them free, entering into the understanding of God and having His seed planted in the human heart].
The understanding of God, "New Jerusalem," the character of God is our salvation. It is our mother, it is the wife of the covenant – it is what God would have us cleave to, to be saved. It opens our heart; it softens our heart; it prepares us to receive the knowledge of God as He has mercy on us.
LEAVEN
I want to conclude this study taking another look at the offering made at Pentecost, found in Leviticus, chapter 23, because I know the "offerings" represent the understanding that we have. You cannot give to God something that He has not given you. Everything that we bring to the Lord is manifest in the understanding He has given us and, when we read of the sacrifices, anything offered to the Lord is just simply a picture of our understanding – and the thing that I want to point out to you in Leviticus 23, starting in verse 15, begins the explanation of Pentecost, the feast of weeks. He says, in verse 16, that you will have a new "meat offering" or meal offering, and he describes it in verse 17, where you have loaves of bread, which I have talked about in past studies, but he says it shall be baked with leaven – and that’s what I want to key on.
For so many years I have looked at "leaven" as a negative thing because of Matthew 16, when Christ talks about the "leaven" of the Pharisees being hypocrisy. But there is another way that Christ discusses leaven and it’s found in Matthew, chapter 13, and it’s one little verse – Matthew 13:33:
Matthew 13:33
33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Here, He is equating "leaven" to be like unto the kingdom of heaven. Now, I have discussed how Christ, when He came preaching the gospel of the kingdom – the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven – He was trying to turn people from the literal to the spiritual. Consider that, because that was Christ’s ministry – remember in Luke 16, the law and the prophets were until John; from that time the kingdom of heaven is preached, and men press into it. That was the ministry of Christ, to preach the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven is spiritual understanding. If you’ll just simply go through your bible, and any place where you see "the kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven" just insert the understanding of God, because that’s what He’s talking about. In Matthew 13:33, He is telling us that God’s understanding is like leaven – spiritual understanding is like leaven in a positive way, because once you begin to understand things spiritually, once that grain of mustard seed begins, it begins to grow throughout your entire thinking process. You begin to understand the spiritual truth throughout all of scripture. It grows like leaven – it is a positive thing, and that is what has been happening to us over the years as we have grown in our understanding of law keeping, the death of Christ, the Son of God, the Father, Pentecost – all of these feasts, the spiritual understanding is just permeating the entire thing. And that is why at Pentecost you’re able to offer two loaves of bread with leaven – this time it is with the understanding of God.
It’s interesting how you begin the feasts at "Passover," the very next day begins the "feast of unleavened bread," as you try to get all the leaven out of your house – that’s the negative, that is the hypocrisy of the Pharisees; that’s the Pharisaical doctrine. What is the doctrine of the Pharisees? It’s literalism – everything they understood, they took it literally. Christ came proclaiming the gospel of God’s understanding – it’s spiritual. I want to read again the prayer in Colossians, chapter 1, starting at verse 9:
Colossians 1:9-11
9 ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that [you] might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That [you] might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in [God’s] knowledge;
11 Strengthened with all [power], according to [the strength of his glory. King James put "his glorious power" – that is the strength of His glory. His "glory" is His character found in God’s knowledge... Strengthened with all power according to the strength of His glory... what does it lead to?], all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
He says also, in Colossians 1, that He has "translated us into the kingdom of His Son," into the understanding of the Son – the understanding the Son has (that is verse 13). You give thanks unto the Father; He has made us able to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has (past tense) delivered us from the authority of our own darkness; He’s translated us into the understanding Christ has. In Christ, you’re redeemed by understanding His "blood" – the forgiveness of sins, He says, is the lifting up of your faults. That is what takes place when you walk in spiritual understanding. At Pentecost, you have "two loaves of bread" – this time baked with leaven. You have gone from the "unleavened bread," seeking unleavened bread, seeking to get rid of your understanding, to the "leavened bread," the kingdom of God, the understanding of God. I can’t help but think of Jeremiah, chapter 1 – of something that the Lord tells that prophet. In Jeremiah 1:9 it says:
Jeremiah 1:9-10
9 ... the LORD [Yahweh] put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And [Yahweh] said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in [your] mouth.
10 See, I have this day set [you] over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, pull down, destroy, and to throw down, [and then] build and plant.
To "build and plant" – you see, that is what the Lord has done to us. He has gotten rid of the baggage that caused the "veil," the confusion about God, and now He is building and planting, and that is what He sends us to do. Get these words: "root out," "pull down," "destroy," "throw down" – that’s what we are doing to the way people understand God. That’s what we’re doing to their doctrines... rooting out, pulling down, destroying and throwing down – and then as the Lord leads, you begin to build and plant. And that "building" and that "planting" changes the soul – that is salvation – that change that happens when they hear the truth and the Lord impresses the heart, and they cling to that truth and changes take place... they go through the process of salvation.
So I want to end with that, and just this idea – that just a little seed of the kingdom of God, just the understanding that it’s spiritual and it’s like a mustard seed – it’s the tiniest of seeds, but as it grows, all of the birds of the heavens will come and lodge in it. That is what He is talking about – the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed; the kingdom of heaven is like leaven – a woman leavening three measures of meal and she kneads it until the whole is leavened. Let our minds be leavened with truth. Let our minds be leavened with spiritual understanding – let us build and plant with spiritual truth. We are spiritual Jews living in a spiritual kingdom, keeping spiritual laws and teachings. Our God is a spirit and He wants to be worshiped in spirit and in truth, and I want to leave you with those thoughts. Grow in spiritual understanding and let the Lord have His way with your heart.