2007-Dec-14
Firstly...
I know that some people wish to deny God.
They live in this world, and they see no God, "Where is God?",
they say.
In reply, ....go outside on a sunny,
cloudless day, look up and answer
me this, "Where
are the stars?".
You won't see them.
Look here for my argument, 'for' a God, and
our 'purpose' in being here.
[....but for all of you hard core
doubters, i concede, there
is no 'proof' given.]
The power of Parables
Matthew
13:10
And the disciples came, and said unto
him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto
them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him
shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath
not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in
parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not,
neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall
not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is
waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes,
for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
The Bible is a narrative!
"Duh!", i can hear
someone say. [smile]
The Bible is chock full of stories, many of these narratives are
identifiable as parables, as allegories [and show recurring 'types',
and examples].
Dictionary
definition:
allegory
· n. (pl. allegories) a story, poem, or picture which
can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.
– DERIVATIVES allegorist n. allegorization (also
allegorisation) n. allegorize (also allegorise) v.
– ORIGIN ME: from OFr. allegorie, via L. from Gk
allUgoria, from allos ‘other’ + -agoria ‘speaking’.
And almost every one of these identified 'parables' [in the Bible]
relate in some way
to man, his relationship
with God, and to God's plan for mankind's
spiritual redemption.
And these redemption 'types', are repeated again, and again.
An allegory [A] in a Bible story, relating to mankind in this
world....
[....where i place [A] below, i mean for you to think of
the allegorical aspect.]
Matthew
13:24
¶Another parable put he forth
unto them, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his
enemy came and sowed tares among the
wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung
up, and brought forth fruit,
then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the
householder came and said unto him,
Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath
it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy
hath done this. The servants said
unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while
ye gather up the tares, ye root
up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow
together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will
say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them
in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:36
Then Jesus sent the multitude away,
and went into the house: and his
disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the
tares of the field.
37 He answered and said
unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the
world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are
the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed
them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so
shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send
forth his angels, and they shall
gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a
furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom
of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[link]
[A]
Today, we [mankind] dwell in bondage in 'Egypt'.
The Exodus
'Egypt' was a 'type' for this world, which promises 'life', but
delivers
bondage
[and death].
Jacob [Israel] sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain, seeking relief from
a
famine.
Being reconciled, Joseph [in his love] enjoined his brothers and
father, to come to Egypt, seeking to
secure their
lives.
Jacob and his family acquiesce, and go down to live in Egypt.
But in time, their descendants became slaves to the Egyptians.
And finally, Israel is 'redeemed' by their God, from their 'bondage' in
Egypt.
[A]
Within this last Egypt story, there is also the Passover story,
with the lamb's blood 'painted' on the door posts and lintel of the
Israelites dwellings ["Your lamb
shall be without blemish," Exodus
12:5].
A clear allegory, with parallels to Christ as the 'Lamb of God', by
who's blood we are redeemed.
.....all who believe.
[A]
Israel tested, went down to Egypt, for help against the famine...
Psalms
118:5
I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in
a large place.
6 The LORD is on my side; I will
not fear: what can man do unto me?
7 The LORD taketh my part with
them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate
me.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD
than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD
than to put confidence in princes.
Jeremiah
17:5
¶Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in
man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like the heath
in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit
the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that
trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat
cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the
year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search
the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to
his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Crossing of the Red Sea
After Israel were led out of Egypt by Moses [and God], they came to a
place [1, 2], with the sea
in front of them, and behind them the mountains, and an
approaching
Pharaohs army.
Exodus
14:1
¶And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying,
2 Speak unto the children of
Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and
the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the
children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath
shut them in.
Seemingly the Israelites had walked themselves into a terrain formed
trap, with no chance of escape.
In scripture 'mountains' can represent,
empires, governments, powerful
kingdoms.
While the 'sea', or 'many waters', in scripture, can often represent a
great mass of peoples.
It seemed [to the
Pharaoh] that Israel were trapped, and would perish in the sea, or at
the hand of Pharaohs powerful army.
Israel did not perish.
Exodus
14:10
¶And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up
their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they
were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
11 And they said unto Moses,
Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die
in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us
forth out of Egypt?
12 Is not this the word that we
did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the
Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than
that we should die in the wilderness.
13 And Moses said unto the
people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,
which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen
to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you,
and ye shall hold your peace.
[A]
The Israelites passed through the 'waters' unharmed.
Exodus
14:22
And the children of Israel went
into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters
were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
While the mighty
[Pharaoh and his 'crew'] perished.
Is there another analogy, an allegory, here?
For 'an eternity', God's people have been dispersed among many peoples.
Ezekiel
36
God scattered Israel...
17
Son of man, when the
house of Israel dwelt
in their own land, they
defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before
me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
18 Wherefore I poured my fury
upon them for the blood that they had
shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:
19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they
were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and
according to their doings I judged them.
and has gathered Israel
again....
23
And I will sanctify my great
name, which was profaned among the
heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen
shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be
sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen,
and gather you
out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
In Ezekiel 36,
God says Israel would be punished by being scattered and dispersed
among the heathen, but, now read Ezekiel 36 verse 24 [above].
[link]
[A]
Is there an analogy between the Israelites crossing of the Red Sea, with what is happening in
the middle east today
[2007]?
On one side,
is a 'sea' of hostile peoples around about Israel.
On the
other side, powerful governments
in Western Europe and the USA, are pressing Israel to make more, and
more, untenable concessions to what are
'Philistines' [in type], for the sake of what
seems to many, to be a worthless
promise of 'peace'.
[
As an
aside,
All covenants
made by non-muslims, with
muslims, are worthless.
On the part of muslims, all covenants are regarded as purely
tactical.
All of
Allah's covenants, are to be
'honoured'
in weakness, but
always broken when stronger.
Yup,
that is
ISLAM, to a tee.
Lies,
deceit, treachery, violence, murder
- and all 'sanctified'
as 'honourable' within ISLAM, towards those persons deemed ['guilty'] un-ISLAMIC.
In view of all of the above, yet Israelis show that they desire
peace - with the viper....
21
December 2007
Israel ministers urge Hamas
talks
Two Israeli cabinet ministers have
said the government should examine any serious ceasefire proposal from
the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Infrastructure minister Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer and transport minister Shaul Mofaz say offers of a
truce should be given serious consideration.
Israel refuses to negotiate until
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, recognises its existence.
But Mr Eliezer said this should not
be a precondition for talks to take place.
"If Hamas comes to us with a serious
proposal for a long-term
truce, in my opinion Israel should
not reject it," Mr Ben-Eliezer told Israeli public radio on
Friday.
"For that, it would not be
vital for Hamas to recognise Israel first."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7155978.stm
Duh! Duh! Duh!
A message to physical Israel [who need to pray to their God, the Holy
One of Israel]....
Isaiah
42:18
¶Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind,
that ye may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant?
or deaf, as my messenger that I sent?
who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?
20 Seeing many things, but thou
observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
21 The LORD is well pleased for
his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it
honourable.
22 But this is a people robbed
and spoiled; they are all of them
snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a
prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
23 Who among you will give ear
to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and
Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have
sinned? for they would not
walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
25 Therefore he hath poured upon
him the fury of his anger, and the
strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he
knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
Isaiah 43:1
¶But now thus saith the LORD that
created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have
redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee.
And today it seems that governments in Western Europe and the USA, are
literally pushing Israel 'into the arms', of their very hostile [and
homicidal] neighbours.
Example...
Condoleezza Rice
freely complains about the audacity of, ....'Jews
building new apartments in [east]
Jerusalem'
.
While the Palestinians, continue their bombings, and rockets from Gaza
into Israel? - No comment, or
condemnation from Condoleezza
Rice.
And there is a clear incitement to violence on official
Palestinian radio and television ? [examples1]
- No
comment, or condemnation from
Condoleezza Rice.
And it is clear that the USA is actively aiding
ISLAMIC terror
groups - WHY does the USA do this?
[Never mind the
'EU' moniker [in the story
below],
the
USA does the
exact same
thing.]
Will Israel perish in the 'sea' this
time?
Or, is there a chance that Israel could achieve 'a new and lasting
peace'
with it's
[hostile] neighbours?
[link]
Rice:
'Israel
Should Open Borders'
Hey, Condoleezza
Rice,
the
people of Israel have
made a choice!....
Israelis can tolerate this,
---> 
...or 'Palestinians' can tolerate this. --->
*Good fences make good
neighbours.*
Israel's Security Fence
Shalom!
comment at.....
BBC - Have Your Say
[not, MOST RECENT
select, READERS
RECOMMENDED]
Question: What does the future hold for Israel?
Added: Thursday, 8 May, 2008, 10:08 GMT 11:08 UK
Apparently Palestinians remember
the UN resolution to give them a state in 1948 as a "catastrophe".
Seems very odd
that after all the wars they've started, the international Terrorism,
the mess they created in Jordan and Lebanon - that the
Palestinians now want what the UN offered 60 years ago.
Jeremy Smith
Recommended by 218 people
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&forumID=4749&edition=2&ttl=20080509020338&#paginator
The Holy One of Israel said....
[Israel]
".....Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is
he that curseth thee."
Numbers
24:9
Those who are identified in the world as 'Israel' [all of
Jacob's line], are a set
apart, and blessed
people!
Those who seek Israel's 'hurt', without God's permission, LOOK OUT!!
ISLAM, the death cult says...
The God of Israel says...
Ezekiel 35:5
Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of
the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their
calamity, in the time that
their iniquity had an end:
6 Therefore, as I live, saith
the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue
thee: sith thou hast not
hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
Ezekiel 35:12
And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard
all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains
of
Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
13 Thus with your mouth
ye have boasted against me, and have
multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
14 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I
will make thee desolate.
".....I the LORD have spoken it,
and
I will do it."
Ezekiel 36:36
[link]
Allegorical
I have said this elsewhere on this site; I firmly believe
that there is much more 'going on' in our lives, than what we can
'plainly' see.
I believe that we
humans, are spiritual creatures [who have gone / been
led
astray].
I believe in the essential truth of the Bible narrative.
I believe that in scripture, the
physical nation of Israel
are a redemption 'type', an example
for all of us [for all mankind].
And for that
purpose [to portray a story
of redemption], a particular people, Israel, were 'chosen' by
God.
Psalms
135:4
For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto
himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
And, the physical nation of Israel are still
today [as always they have
been, i believe], a prophetic 'type', an example and a
precursor, for our
[mankind's] spiritual redemption.
God chose Israel, but God also told Israel
that they should not imagine that they were chosen because they were
more 'worthy'...
Deuteronomy
9:4
Speak not thou in thine heart,
after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee,
saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess
this land: but for the
wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before
thee.
5 Not for thy righteousness,
or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their
land: but for the wickedness
of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from
before thee, and that he may
perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob.
6 Understand therefore,
that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for
thy righteousness; for thou
art a stiffnecked people.
As an aside.
Who are a 'stiffnecked' people today?
Are there any candidates that you would like to nominate?
Back to Israel, God's chosen.
Chosen, not
because
they
are 'worthy' [nor
are any of us!], but because they [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
Israel's line] have been declared
as a 'chosen' people - by God.
Genesis
12:1
¶Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I
will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make
thy name great; and thou
shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee
shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 17:1
¶And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared
to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and
be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will
multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 ¶As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou
shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name
shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make
nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 ¶And I will
establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in
their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee,
and to thy seed after thee.
Genesis 17:15
¶And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not
call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I
will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people
shall be of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child
be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is
ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before
thee!
19 And God said, Sarah
thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac:
and I will establish my
covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after
him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed
him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly;
twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will
I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this
set time in the next year.
Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty
nation, and all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his
household
after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath
spoken of him.
Genesis
22:15
¶And the angel of the LORD
called unto Abraham out of heaven the
second time,
16 And said, By myself
have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing,
and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will
bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of
the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed
shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my
voice.
Genesis 28:10
¶And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all
night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that
place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to
sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and
the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending
and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD
God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou
liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to
the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am
with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into
this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that
which I have spoken to thee of.
16 ¶And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely
the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
Numbers 24:15
¶And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath
said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the
knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but
not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a
Star out of Jacob, and a
Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of
Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a
possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall
come he that shall have dominion, and shall
destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and
said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be
that he perish for ever.
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and
said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall
carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live
when God
doeth this!
[link]
[A]
The conflict under way today [1948-2008], for the small strip
of land called the 'State of
Israel'.
....the conflict for the,
....'Holy
Land'.
[What follows may be a little too 'esoteric' for some. Bear with me...]
Where is the dwelling place of God on earth?
We are told that, 'the most High
dwelleth not in
temples made with hands'.
Acts 7:48
Does God love, or 'abide' in the 'Holy Land', and is the 'Holy Land'
continually in God's thoughts?
Or is it more towards 'his
people', on which God's concern is focussed?
Psalms
91:1
¶He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide
under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is
my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy
shield and buckler.
The [A] current struggle for possession of the 'Holy Land'
of
Israel, is another
spiritual analogy for today [i believe].
Since the creation of this earth, and the creation of mankind upon it,
[we are told that] there has been a struggle for the possession of
men's souls.
A struggle
between 'good and evil', ....a spiritual
struggle
between God and the Devil!
This struggle
is first exemplified
in the Bible, in the
Genesis 'Garden' story.
Is it also significant that Adam is said to have been made, formed by
God, of the
earth, made 'of the dust of
the ground' ?
Genesis
2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Is there some significance here, between what 'mankind' is [....made of
the
earth], and the place
where God's spirit
seeks to abide?
Acts
7:2
And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory
appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he
dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee
out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which
I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land
of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his
father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5 And he gave him none
inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it
to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet
he had no child.
6 And God spake on this wise,
That his seed should sojourn
in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage,
and entreat them evil four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they
shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall
they
come forth, and serve me in this place.
In the verse above, did you notice that 'bring them [Israel, Abraham's seed should go] into bondage' ,
[in
Egypt] reference?
And today, is it likely that God's chosen people [the children of
Israel] will 'possess' the land [the
'earth'], in accordance with God's covenant with Abraham, and his 'seed', 'Israel'?
Or will the hordes
of SATAN's servants possess it?
Romans
8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that
we are the children of God:
In the last verse, there is that reference to [some form of] 'bondage'
again.
Romans 8:19
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly,
but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature
itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now.
To most bible students it is clear that the whole of the Bible
narrative speaks of an [A] 'inner spiritual struggle'
[hmmm, where have i heard that phrase used before???? :))))))
], for
possession of God's 'earth', or more properly, for the possession of
the souls of
mankind.
And this struggle is exemplified in the conflict today
[between Israel and ISLAM], for
the possession of God's 'Holy Land'.
Genesis
28:13
And, behold, the LORD stood
above it, and said, I am the LORD
God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou
liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be
as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to
the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am
with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into
this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that
which I have spoken to thee of.
Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had
appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the
fashion that he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus
into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face
of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle
for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house
will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 ¶Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye
do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and
they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One;
of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and
have not kept it.
54 ¶When they heard these things, they were cut to the
heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly
into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right
hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears,
and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was
Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay
not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 Corinthians 3:16
¶Know ye not that ye
are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy;
for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18 ¶Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth
to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it
is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that
they are vain.
Galatians 4:1
¶Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth
nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we
were children, were in
bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive
the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his
Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son,
then an heir of God through Christ.
[link]
The 'Gentile'
And we
[mankind] have been
'witnesses' to the 'journey' of the people of Israel, through our history.
In the allegorical stories within the Bible, God has
revealed to us his plan.
His plan to redeem mankind.
Perhaps not
all, but....
".....as
many as are led by the Spirit of God,"
Romans
8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God [redeemed].
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God:
Today, whether
'Jew'
or 'Gentile',
it makes no difference.
I believe that in this world, all who accept God's offer of spiritual
redemption are deemed to be [are spoken of as the 'type', and as
a member], of the 'house
of Israel'.
And they are redeemed by God.
Genesis
32:27
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name
shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince
hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Those who have 'prevailed' spiritually
in the
earth [as the children of Adam],
have prevailed because they choose
to seek God, and reject the way of the 'mighty' in the world.
The way of the 'mighty' in the world....
In this world, then, as now...
"Right is only in question
between equals,
and while the strong do what
they can, the weak suffer what they must."
Thucydides (460-400 B.C.)
Greek Historian
Instead of a death,
as the fleshly children of Adam [the children
of the earth, Adama - 'earth'
in Hebrew], those who
'prevail' spiritually, become
the spiritual children of God.
Redeemed.
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In the 'end' ['at the
last trump'], i believe it is a spiritual 'Israel' who are, spiritually
redeemed.
And we
are the 'house of Israel'
[both 'Jews' & 'Gentiles'],
...all those who choose
to be redeemed.
We [mankind]
have
suffered 'affliction' **, and been 'refined' here, in God's 'furnace'.
[**
We have suffered 'affliction',
in
the
earth, ....in being the children of Adam. In
Hebrew,
'Adama', means earth [muck]. 1, 2]
Isaiah
48:10
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in
the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, even
for mine
own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and
I will not give my glory unto another.
12 Hearken unto me, O
Jacob and Israel, my called;
I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
It is we
[mankind] who have been dispersed and scattered in this earth [just like
the ' house of Israel', among the nations].
Ezekiel 33:11
Say unto them, As I live,
saith the Lord GOD, I have
no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from
his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why
will ye die, O house of Israel?
Amos 5:4
¶For thus saith the
LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Jeremiah 9:25
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them
which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;
26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and
Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the
wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house
of Israel are uncircumcised
in the heart.
Jeremiah
17:10
I the LORD search
the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to
his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Proverbs
17:3
¶The fining pot is for silver,
and the furnace for gold: but
the LORD trieth the hearts.
If we are of the 'house
of Israel', we prevail [in the sight of God]
because we reject the
world, and its way.
And instead we seek the spirit of God.
This Isaiah 26
verse, is the essential part of our
story, we [mankind] are the
'wicked' alluded to here in Isaiah
[emphasising those
who reject the spirit of God, and who succumb to the world, and its
way]...
Isaiah 26:8
Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the
desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
9 With my soul have I
desired thee in the night; yea, with my
spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in
the earth, the inhabitants
of the world will learn righteousness.
10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn
righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and
will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they
shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire
of thine enemies shall devour them.
Isaiah 64:6
¶But we are all as an
unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our iniquities,
like the wind, have taken us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up
himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and
hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
8 But now, O LORD, thou
art our father; we
are the clay, and thou
our potter; and we
all are the work of thy hand.
9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for
ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
[link]
Redeemed out of Egypt [a 'type', of those
redeemed out of the earth]
2
Samuel 7:18
¶Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said,
Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me
hitherto?
19 And this was yet a small
thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy
servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of
man, O Lord GOD?
20 And what can David say more
unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.
21 For thy word's sake, and
according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to
make thy servant know them.
22 Wherefore thou art great, O
LORD God: for there is none
like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to
all that we have heard with our ears.
23 And what one nation in the earth
is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to
himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things
and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from
Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself
thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou,
LORD, art become their God.
The Exodus
nation of Israel were [actually!]
redeemed from this world
[in type], by God.
Jeremiah
2:20
¶For of old time I have
broken thy yoke, and burst
thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon
every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the
harlot.
21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine,
wholly a right seed:
how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine
unto me?
And the nation of Israel would
have been, could have
been, a glorious example to mankind,
....if they had
continued to 'walk' according the covenant with their God.
Exodus
19:5
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all
the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom
of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou
shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
But physical Israel did not.
The Exodus
Israel is
the type for 'man'.
Or more correctly the Exodus
nation of Israel is a 'type' for all
mankind.
The Exodus
nation of Israel failed to keep their covenant with their God.
...because they [Israel] are us [all
mankind].
Matthew
23:29
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the
tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses
unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure
of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of
vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
"......how can ye escape the damnation of
hell?"
Easy.
- Repent in your heart.
- Accept God's offer of his own sacrifice, to redeem us.
Again, the people of Israel in the Bible,
are a 'type' for the whole of mankind.
And Israel, are
God's 'firstfruits'
in mankind.
The people of Israel are God's 'portion', among the nations
of mankind.
The nation of ISRAEL [in their story, in their history] are
intended
to exemplify
God's firstfruits ,
among all
mankind.
The nation
of ISRAEL are a 'type',
for all mankind [for us to observe, so as to learn spiritual truth].
And, the people of
Israel, the 'nation' of Israel, [since the
time of Abraham's 'calling' by God],
have done
God's 'bidding', among the [A] nations
of the 'earth'.
Israel have done God's spiritual work, 'in the earth',
in [A] 'Adama' [among
all mankind].
Israel, a
people set apart, and separated from other nations, have always
done this work, knowingly
or unknowingly, it matters not.
....the nation of Israel
were 'chosen' [by God!], to-do-His-work!
A people 'set apart' from all others.
Numbers
23:9
[Israel] .....For from the top of the rocks I see him, and
from the hills I behold
him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among
the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of
Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
Balaam, the man who made this
pronouncement, was some sort of seer, God had given this man the gift
to see the future.
Note what Balaam said in Numbers 23, verse 10.
".....Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!"
see also, Numbers
24:14-23
Here below, Paul speaks of the children of Israel...
1
Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things
happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Acts
26:12
¶Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission
from the chief priests,
13 At midday, O king, I saw in
the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining
round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we were all fallen
to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the
Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee
to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou,
Lord? And he said, I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy
feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a
witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those
things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I
was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20 But shewed first unto them of
Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea,
and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews
caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained
help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and
great, saying none other
things than those
which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer,
and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and
should shew light unto the
people, and to the
Gentiles.
[link]
Another Bible parable....
[A] Our experience here, on this little planet [in this
fleshly body], is *destined* to be the experience of 'prodigal sons
& daughters' [the parable at Luke
15:11].
When we go out into the world, we are all [at first] seduced by the
world.
Until we gain the experience[s] to see how wretched our lives here are.
[Well, some of us do, ....come to see this!
:))) ]
And, how well this life has been described as 'the pit'!
And [for many of us] we come to see ourselves, in this bodily form, as
'corruptible' [in every sense of the word!], and often as contemptible!
And yet, we have free will, to choose a better path for ourselves.
And this [choosing a better path] is what our father hopes for us!
And in our freedom here, we have a choice, to act correctly, as did the
prodigal son [in the gospel *parable*] and repent of our life [here]
and return to be with our father, to return to abide in his presence,
in his righteousness, and in his mercy.
Or, we can [continue to] love this world!
Many men see only this world, but we *are* spiritual beings.
And we are the children of our 'father'?
But, which father?
Well, we choose!
That is our purpose in being here, it seems [to me].
To choose our 'father'!!
1
Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own
order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming.
In the flesh we *will* die, in the spirit we will live.
John
5:29
And shall come forth; they that have
done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation.
To those children [of God] who love God and his righteousness [to those
who choose God's redemption gift, through Christ / Messiah], is the
message...
1
Corinthians 15:42
So also is the resurrection of the
dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
[A]
Was the
presence of the LORD hidden behind a vail, in the wilderness
Hebrew tabernacle, to hide the glory of the LORD from men's eyes?
That explanation is what some give for the *purpose* of the vail in the
tabernacle.
Or was the LORD [also?] 'hidden' behind a screen, to be a symbol of
mankind's inability to perceive any deep spiritual truth?
As a symbol of our [mankind's] 'blindness'?
Remember, that in the new testament, it is our bodies which are called
the 'temple', of the spirit of God! [1
Corinthians 3:16,17]
Ecclesiastes
3:10
I have seen the travail, which God
hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 ¶He hath made every
thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart,
so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning
to the end.
12 I know that there is no good
in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
In this verse above, what is the instruction for us in this life?
"......to
rejoice, and to do good
in his life."
So, while blindness of spiritual things is not a good thing.
....to be spiritually blind, is not a condemnation of us.
But to be wicked, to live a wicked life, indeed is *spiritually* a
condemnation!
Should we seek after worldly [greatness], or rather after spiritual
righteousness?
It seems that even Jesus disciples had wrong 'attitudes' to what was
important in life.
How much more we [myself included] here, today!
Luke 9:38
And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech
thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and
it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth
from him.
40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation,
how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare
him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and
delivered him again to his father.
43 ¶And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But
while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said
unto his disciples,
44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man
shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them,
that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a
child, and set him by him,
48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my
name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that
sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
2
Thessalonians 2:3
¶Let no man deceive you by any
means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in
the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I
was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity
doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken
out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and
shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The LORD will be revealed to this world.
It is coming.
And when the LORD is revealed, this world will mourn!
When the LORD is revealed to their understanding, men [in their flesh]
will mourn for their spiritual 'blindness' - and, because of their
*unrepentant* wicked ways.
Who is 'the son of perdition' [the anti-christ] ?
We are,
when we allow wickedness to dwell in our hearts.
And we all have [been wicked, at some time].
But, [our LORD be praised!] we are redeemed, if we choose to be.
So, has the vail been lifted?
Not from the eyes, of many men in this world!
".......for that day shall not
come, *except there come a falling away first*, and that man of sin be
revealed,"
2
Corinthians 3:13
And not as Moses, which put a vail
over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to
the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded:
for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading
of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when
Moses is read, the vail is
upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall
turn to the Lord, the vail shall
be taken away.
Isaiah
40:1
¶Comfort ye, comfort ye my
people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her
iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double
for all her sins.
3 ¶The voice of him that
crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight
in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be
revealed, and all
flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken it.
Isaiah
56:1
¶Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye
judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my
righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man that doeth
this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the
sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
I urge you all.....
Take up God's gift to us.
And he will welcome us back into his presence.
Don't be too proud, to be our loving fathers prodigal children.
I declare, 'I know that my Redeemer
lives', and i know that
he loves me
[in
fact, i know that he
deeply loves all of
us].
This not a lie, nor is it a wishful thought.
Many redeemed sinners alive today, have seen the glory of our loving
God.
And, i know that His desire
is to redeem us.
Isaiah
1:2
¶Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken,
I
have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against
me.
Jeremiah 4:22
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish
children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil,
but to do good they have no knowledge.
Choose to take a better path.
Revelation
3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and
repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door,
and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in
to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Choose the Light
Seek
your God.
Psalms
2:1
¶Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and
against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands
asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them
in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my
holy hill of Zion.
7 ¶I will declare the
decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give
thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a
rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 ¶Be wise now therefore,
O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and
rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be
angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a
little. Blessed are all they
that put their trust in him.
Proverbs 3:1
¶My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my
commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to
thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck;
write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight
of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding.
6 In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Seek
your God.
