Category Archives: Symbolism

Once More, Maybe Twice, in the Wilderness? Part 3 of 3

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There is definitely one more time for God’s people
in the wilderness.

There is a time, near the end of this universe, when an evil man is allowed control of this whole world for a short period of time. He is called “the man of lawlessness” in 2Thessalonian chapter 2, and is “the beast” in the book of Revelation. He only rules for a very short period of time.

“5 A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. … 7 It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.”
Rev 13:5, 7

So this false god/man has authority over ALL the earth, for a period that is variously described as 42 months, or 1,260 days, or “time, times, and half a time” (which is a Hebraism for 3-1/2 years).

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed.”
Rev 13:8

NO ONE has had such power world-wide YET!

But the true believers in God will be given
protection … in “the wilderness.”

“The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.”
Rev. 12:6

“Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”
Rev 12:14

So the church one more time will be nourished in the wilderness, just before they enter the ultimate promised land, heaven itself.

And there may be another time in the wilderness,
before that!

There is also yet to come a season of world-wide stress on all Jews, that results in their turning to Jesus of Nazareth in faith. This is spoken of in previous posts about “The Jews Coming to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth.” In that time of great stress on BOTH Jews and Christians, one-third of all Jews world-wide, will be killed, Zech 13:8. (See previous posts on this subject.)

But also Scripture seems to imply that many Jews that escape this time of great stress, will do so in the wilderness. God says of the Jews,

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
And bring her into the wilderness,
And speak tenderly to her.”
Hos 2:14

It does seems to be speaking of the Jews here, and not of the later church of both Jews and gentiles. And Jeremiah more specifically tells us,

“Thus says Yahweh, The people who were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”
Jer 31:2

If you look at Jer 31:1, it is specifically about when the Jews come into the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Once More, Maybe Twice, in the Wilderness? Part 2 of 3

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The faithful having to live in desolate places for while became a recurring theme in Scripture.

The Christian life is compared to
Israel in the wilderness.

The trials of Israel in the wilderness is symbolic of our trials, and often failures, in the Christian life.

Paul says Israel in the wilderness is symbolic of Christians trek out of the Egypt of this world into the eternal promised land of happiness. If you put the whole story together, Egypt represents this present world. Pharaoh represents Satan who has held us in bondage because of our sins, Heb 2:14-15. Moses then is symbolic (a type) of the Christ, as indeed he is in Deut 18:15 and many other passages. So Paul says,

“1 Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.”
1Cor 10:1-4 WEB

So Israel passing under the cloud and through the waters of the Red Sea is symbolic of Christians being baptized in Jesus. The waters of the Red Sea then separated ancient Israel from slavery in Egypt, and the waters of baptism separates us from our bondage to sin.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mk 16:16 KJV

The Christian life?
It is here pictured as a life in desolate places!

“However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”
1Cor 10:5 WEB

Paul goes on to say these passages were intended to teach us of the dangers lurking in the Christian life.

“6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Neither let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Neither let us test the Lord, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer. ”
1Cor 10:6-10 WEB

Some accuse Scripture of painting rose colored pictures of giving your life to God. These however are NOT rosy colored pictures. These are pictures of living in desolate places for a while, before we enter that ultimate promised land of the “new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells,” 2Pe 3:13, Revelation chapters 21 and 22.

So the Christian life is one of living for a while in a wilderness, in desolate places.

“11 Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”
1Cor 10:11 WEB

We should not wistfully look back to Egypt and bondage.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Jesus is the Ultimate Solution to the Politics vs Religion Issues

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In the return from Israel’s Babylonian captivity, at first things were going very slowly. The people were concentrating on their own affairs, and were neglecting the service of God. Then the Lord God stirred up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and they began preaching, and soon work on a new temple was resumed, Ezra 5:1-2. The date given in Hag 1:1 and Zech 1:1 works out to be our year 520 BC. A series of visions follow in Zechariah. Some of this concerned,

Joshua the High Priest.

In Zechariah 3 Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, is pictured first as in filthy garments, and then is cleansed and is given fresh garments, and promises of a good service, Zech 3:7. Then he is told he is a type, a symbol, a sign,

“Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant, the Branch.”
Zech 3:8

God’s servant the Branch is big subject in Scripture. Isaiah said way before captivity,

“There shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.”
Isa 11:1

It goes on to say that the Spirit of Yahweh will rest on this “root” or “branch” of Jesse, and of course Jesse was the father of ancient King David. Also there are other links, including: the name “Joshua” in Hebrew is Yehoshua, and in the second century BC Jewish translation of the Old Testament into Greek, it is translated as “Iesous,” which in the New Testament is translated into English as “Jesus.” So it seems that Joshua the High Priest in Zech 3:8 is symbolic of Jesus the Christ, the true Branch of David, even by name.

Other visions follow in the book of Zechariah.

Some of them seem to generally parallel some of the visions in the nearly 600 years later book of Revelation, but that is another story. Then in Zechariah 6 the High Priest Joshua is brought up again

A crown of gold and silver is made for Joshua,
“the Branch,” Zech 6:9-12

Evidently this is symbolic of not only religious authority, but also of royal / civil authority! Then it says of Joshua / Yehoshua / Branch / Jesus,

“even he shall build the temple of Yahweh; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
Zech 6:13

Jesus is now building the ultimate temple of the Lord, made of people, of which Christians are living stones, 1Pe 2:4-5. And Jesus is NOW both our high priest (Heb 3:1) and our king (Rev 1:5, 1Cor 15:24-25, etc.). Further, Jesus has received ALL authority already.

“…“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18

Jesus resolves the government vs religion controversy,

Because in One Absolutely Good Man is both the head of all government and the head of all religion.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Prophecy Practice: David, Jesus and the Righteous in Psalm 69, Part 3

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It is easy to see in the gospels that the disciples were often very thick headed. Often like us, eh? There was much which they didn’t understand. Of Jesus death they understood nothing from the Scriptures, and even when Jesus explained it very clearly, it still didn’t pierce the void. Of the very simple parable of the sower, they had to have it explained to them. But we noticed last time an obscure passage in Psalm 69, and when Jesus shows his zeal for the Lord’s House, His disciples immediately understood, and they related it to Psalm 69. But I think of both Jesus and David when it says,

“10 When I wept and I fasted,
That was to my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.”
Psa 69:10-11

Jesus did literally weep over the hardness
of heart of the Jews

“41 When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.””
Lk 19:41-42

So also did David, especially of Saul’s enmity toward him, but perhaps not to the extent of Jesus. David was after all, only symbolic of Jesus, without that full majesty. And Jesus did indeed become the song of fools, even to this day

“Those who sit in the gate talk about me.
I am the song of the drunkards.” Psa 69:12

However the prayer of David and of Christ is to God, and their praise was to God. At the acceptable time.

“But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time.
God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.”
Psa 69:13

There IS an ACCEPTABLE time. We do have to
WAIT sometimes!

Evidently David and Jesus asked at the right time, although often times you and I don’t. Then they both had to wait, and plead in anguish, and suffer before they were delivered. Abraham had to wait,

“13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, … 14 saying, “Most surely I will bless you, and I will surely multiply you.” 15 Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
Heb 6:13-15.

But first he had to wait of awhile. Everything worthwhile in life requires some waiting. Making money by getting compound interest has been described as a miracle. But you still have to wait until the interest is paid. You may want to see someone or do something, but you still have to wait for the right time. All of life requires some waiting. A successful famrer plants something, and then has to wait.

Wait until the coming of the Lord, James says,

“Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.”
Jas 5:7

There are plenty of lessons for us about enduring even unjust suffering from both David and Jesus in Psalm 69.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: David, Jesus and the Righteous in Psalm 69, Part 2

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God will lead the humble

May they be ashamed, David says,

“6 Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Hosts.
Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
7 Because for your sake, I have borne reproach.
Shame has covered my face.”
Psa 69:6-7.

He goes on to say, I have become a stranger to my own kin,

“I have become a stranger to my brothers,
An alien to my mother’s children.”
Psa 69:8

Now that was true of Jesus as we see in John chapter 7. Opposition to Jesus was increasing, so Jesus was staying in Galilee because the Jews in Jerusalem were wanting to kill Him (Jn 7:1), and the time was not yet right. Now the feast of Booths, or Tabernacles was coming. This was the time when the Jews for a while lived in temporary shelters (booths) as they did in the wilderness before conquering the land. Jesus brothers were were harassing Him about why He didn’t go to the feast, and show off His great works. For it says,

“For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.”
Jn 7:5.

As far as I know being “An alien to my mother’s children,” doesn’t really fit David at all. When David was in serious trouble with Saul and his army, it says,

“David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.”
1Sam 22:1

So David had some bitter enemies, but not as such among his brothers. But Jesus did, and Psa 69:8 really doesn’t fit David, the first person author, but it does fit Jesus. So here is further evidence of the future Messiah being the subject of this first-person psalm

“6   Jesus therefore said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled.” Jn 7:6-8.

And zeal for Your house has consumed Me

“For the zeal of your house consumes me.
The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.”
Psa 69:9.

And when Jesus did the first cleansing of the temple in John 2, it says,

“His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”
Jn 2:17

Now notice here from the gospel of John what might be seen and look carefully. Psa 69:1-4 apply to both Jesus and David, and more especially to Jesus. Verse 4 applies especially to Jesus, and verse 5 about David’s sin applies only to David, and then 6-7 applies especially to Jesus, and then verse 9 especially applies to Jesus.

So here is more evidence of the main subject
being Jesus the Messiah,

All of this in what is another curiously written prophecy.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: David, Jesus and the Righteous in Psalm 69, Part 1

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Save me Lord, David says, Psa 69:1.

A psalm of David. It is clear from the start of this psalm that the author is in a very bad way. I’ve just been overwhelmed Lord, things are just covering me up. I’ve been crying and waiting for God. And there are a bunch of men who hate me without cause. He says he is sinking in the mire. His feet are not on firm ground, and waters are flowing over him, Psa 69:2. He says he is worn out with crying. He throat is dray, and his eyes are failing him, Psa 69:3. Then he says,

“Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty.
I have to restore what I didn’t take away.”
Psa 69:4.

He has more enemies than the hairs of my head! I think that would be hyperbole, exaggeration, when speaking of David. Not to say that he did not have many enemies, but more than the hairs of his head?

That last quote of course is referring to Jesus

Jesus is speaking in John 15 about the persecution which is coming on Him and His followers. He says He has come and spoken to them so that they would have no excuse. But now men have seen His works and have hated both Him and His Father. So He says,

“But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’” Jn 15:23.

That is a reference to Psalm 69:4. Here is the interesting thing. The psalm is about Jesus and it is also about David, and there is not a clear dividing line. Now Saul became the enemy of David without cause, when David was not a threat to him. But notice in the very next verse it is talking David and only about David, because he says …

“God, you know my foolishness.
My sins aren’t hidden from you.” Psa 69:5,

So Psa 69:5 is CLEARLY and ONLY
about David.

David, even as a prophet of God, is acknowledging his many sins, and he speaks about all of David’s foolishness. But you can’t say that of Jesus, because he was the one without sin.

“For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.” Heb 4:15.

Of course it says that in more than one place.

“You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.”
1Jn 3:5

But Psa 69:4 could include both Jesus, and David.

This psalm is about both Jesus and David, and you have to look and think to realize what applies to which one. Would you have spotted the dual subjects by verse 5? Would you have even known there were dual subjects? How would you, could you?

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Mountains in Scripture

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An audio lesson.

Mountains have commonly been associated with high and exalted worship. Take for instance the Greek “gods” were associated with Mount Olympus. This association also exists in Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament. Jesus told the Samaritan woman,

“Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father”
Jn 4:21 WEB World English Bible

Of course the ultimate mountain for worship is Mount Zion in the heavenly Jerusalem, of which the earthly is only a type, Heb 12:22-24. It is NOT “a mountain that might be touched,” Heb 12:18.

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.