God has paused eternity to grant us time to make choices that will determine our immortal fate.
During this time, God will judge whether we choose good over evil, love over hate, and save a life over killing. His judgment will determine whether we become members of the bride of Christ and, thus, one with Jesus, living forever in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth or whether we will suffer in the Pit of Fire and Brimstone with the devil and his minions, enduring unbearable heat and pressure, desperately seeking an escape that never occurs (SWIMMING IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE.)
The power to determine our fate lies in our hands. On Judgment Day, you may be asked, “Why should you live?” as the Lord once asked me (STANDING ON THE SEAT OF JUDGMENT BEFORE GOD.) So be prepared, live a life of love as Jesus commanded, and have a treasure trove of good works done in love. Doing so requires a relationship with Him that can be developed by conforming ourselves to Jesus, and one way to achieve such a transformation is through the scriptures. We can read and meditate on the words and actions of Jesus found in the Bible while examining our souls to see if we would do as Jesus did in similar circumstances. If we discover discrepancies, we can deploy prayer and fasting as necessary to get a breakthrough.
The scripture below emphasizes the importance of emulating Jesus, including deploying the gifts of the Spirit, such as healing, prophecy, and leading others to the Kingdom of God.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
Our choice to become more like Jesus is a challenging and less-traveled path. It demonstrates our desire and commitment to follow the pathway leading to His door, do His will, and achieve an intimate, loving relationship with Him.
If you’re interested in embarking on this journey, I intend to share future posts that will act as a guide. Each post will concentrate on a specific scripture for prayer, meditation, and reflection on whether action is needed to become more like Jesus. When combined, these posts will present a model of Christian living that will challenge and help shape your life choices to align with those of Jesus.
I hope you’ll join me in wholeheartedly seeking Jesus with all your heart, mind, and strength. Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. Support and guidance will soon be available to you right here on possess-the-vision.com.
Despite all the evidence that God was the source of all my progress, it never occurred to me that I should be thanking Him for delivering me from the calamities inflicted by the devil’s attacks. Therefore, this foolish position would soon result in another torrent of aggression by the devil. Further, because I was unaware of Spiritual Warfare, I had no idea that I was even in a war or that I should turn to God for help.
At this point, I had been in the hospital or in-home care for over four months, and my physical condition gradually improved. They had released me from the hospital, and I no longer required IV sugar water feedings at home and was able to digest food properly. Having little to do at home, I became restless and desired to return to work. So, I went to my company’s personnel department, passed the required physical exam, and was authorized to start work on a restricted work schedule. I did all of this despite warnings from my doctors that I was not as strong as I presumed.
For details about the experiences documented here please go to https://possess-the-vision.com/ and look the section titled: THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE OVER ME.
A DIFFERENT LIFE
My doctors described how the pancreatitis damage I suffered would influence my future life activities. They communicated that pancreatic dysfunctions typically arise from three lifestyle determinants and that I must focus on each to stay healthy. The most dangerous factor would be alcohol consumption, and consequently, I would have to stop drinking altogether. The other two factors would be a high-fat diet and a high-stress lifestyle. They were right. When I thought about it, I occasionally drank excessively, ate loads of fatty and deep-fried foods, and had an exceptionally stressful job. I would have to focus on all three to live.
They further explained that acute pancreas conditions like what I had experienced would likely reoccur without due diligence to these three lifestyle determinants, especially if I began drinking alcohol again. They reinforce this point by providing the following statistics: If I resumed drinking, I would have a ninety-nine percent probability of experiencing a reoccurrence of the condition that sent me to the hospital for three months. Further, such a reoccurrence would be much more life-threatening than the first, ninety-nine percent of the time. They also disclosed that only one in three people entering the hospital in the condition I had that night I entered the hospital would have survived. I then realized I would likely die if I began drinking again. So, my choices were to either drink or live. I chose to live.
STARTING OVER FROM SCRATCH
I never comprehended how difficult it would be to quit drinking, however. What I would soon find out was that drinking had become the focus of my interpersonal relationships. Liquor was almost always intertwined with my social activities and, quite candidly, had become the foundation for many friendships. While I participated in numerous social activities, I soon conceded that drinking was involved in all of them. Drinking was a component of the softball leagues, as well as canoe trips, camping, bowling, poker games, parties, travel, and other pursuits, and I would face a large void without it.
So, I attempted to avoid drinking at bars and social events, but when I did, it seemed that my drinking friends, whom I have high esteem, were less friendly than before. Sure, they were cordial and gracious every time we got together, but even so, I felt a new distance had emerged. I wondered if they were skeptical of our friendship since I was not drinking or hanging out with them as often as before. It was not their fault; I was the one who changed.
Then I thought, what the heck? There is no reason I should avoid going to these activities with my friends. I will drink ginger ale or club soda and forget the alcohol. In practice, however, that did not work either. My world-class comedian buddies were not as funny when I was sober. I saw myself as the stick in the mud—the only one not laughing. Then I thought, well, maybe I will try recreational drugs. Perhaps this will allow me to get down with the crowd. But these drugs only dumbed me down, which was not what I wanted either.
In the end, I dropped out entirely. I started thinking about how few people visited me during my three-month stay in the hospital. I suddenly felt like a stranger and realized my old life was gone! I was also disheartened at home and eventually moved into an apartment about a year later. I needed to reinvent myself—build a new life. I had to change, but into what?
SATAN CALLS
One day, shortly afterward, I was alone in my apartment when the phone rang. I answered, and a horrific-sounding voice answered, this is Satan. The voice seemed mechanical, like a monster in a science fiction horror movie. Its sound was loud, garbled, reverberated, and possessed a ringing tone. It also spoke in several well-defined distinctive octaves concurrently. Therefore, the resulting voice echoed as if numerous individuals were uttering the exact phrases but slightly out of synchronization, creating the garbled effect.
You can imagine my horror based on my encounter with Satan in Hell (IN HELL – CONFRONTED BY THE DEVIL) several years prior. I was terrified, trembling, and panicked, so I quickly hung up. I considered, however, that perhaps this was a prank. Possibly, someone was having fun with me—using an electronic device to frighten me. But who would do such a thing? No one I knew would, nor would they have the capability. Besides, I had not told anyone of my encounter with the devil. So, just as before, I put this horrific memory in a faraway place in my mind; I made it small and rationalized it away. But then, just a few days later, an identical incident transpired. I then understood that the devil was relentlessly stalking me and that his harassment was not likely to stop anytime soon.
Somewhat later, I contemplated relocating to another city and was using the National Business Employment Weekly to look for job opportunities. I spotted an ad requesting my skill set and called them. I was enthusiastic about this great opportunity and hoped to be able to present my exceptional qualifications. Instead, the same garbled voice answered, “This is Satan.” I replied, what? The voice replied, “This is Satan!” My heart was pounding as I immediately smashed the receiver down. How in the world could this happen? You know, sometimes a person will not believe the handwriting on the wall. That was me. Believe it or not, I redialed the number, reasoning that maybe I had accidentally misdialed. Astonishingly, the identical thing transpired once again. I hung up, dreading that Satan was still coming after me.
THINGS CHANGE
Soon after, I transferred to the Dallas/Fort Worth with my current employer. I had a new love, a lovely lady who would shortly become my wife. She would be influential in helping me through some troublesome times and finding the pathway to the Lord. I felt like I was reinventing myself by moving to a new environment and having a new love and home—I was delighted with all these things.
But things were imperfect, as my dad died from a prolonged heart condition, and I lost the one person who truly believed in me.
I afterward began having work-related difficulties. There had been a departmental reorganization, and I was assigned to work for someone with a different perspective on everything. As time went on, my work situation became very strained. Late one night, while my wife was asleep, I found myself pacing the hallway, pondering the consequences of potentially being out of work. I speculated that obtaining another job in the current downturn of the economy would be difficult. More than anything, I reflected on how letting my wife down by becoming unemployed would feel. This circumstance brought me to a breaking point. I finally gave up, slumped against the wall, and blurted out the words in my heart: “Okay, God, I give up. I will do whatever You want me to do.”
I did not apprehend it then, but several beautiful transformations commenced after surrendering to God that day. God was about to lead me toward a vision of the future, and I would receive His blessings and favor as I walked toward it. I was about to see the manifestations of God’s power and glory. I had been saved from the dreadful fate of the second death (SWIMMING IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE) and placed on a pathway leading to God’s Glory.
A GLORIOUS VISION
I believe the vision came just a few nights after surrendering to God. It appeared when I was in bed, in that twilight place between slumber and consciousness.
A fluorescent orange globe appeared, fronting a steel blue-black background. It was captivating; its colors were vivid, emitting light from within somehow. Despite the lack of oceans, continents, and blue and green coloring, I understood this orange planet to be Earth. I knew this because knowledge was being inserted into my mind to help me comprehend what I saw.
Then, a tiny black arrowhead-shaped object emerged above the North Pole, and the idea of it being a space shuttle entered my mind. The shuttle trekked Southward, leaving a thin black stripe across the Earth’s sky before vanishing over the Southern Pole. Shortly afterward, it reappeared at the North Pole, orbiting on a new longitude and eventually disappearing beyond the South Pole similarly. It then continued in this manner, painting the major longitudinal lines across the face of the Earth’s sky, leaving the planet resembling a peeled orange.
With the longitudes printed, the shuttle emerged at the Eastern Equator, traversing the Earth on a Westerly course while circling the planet until it had painted the significant latitude lines across the sky. When completed, the sphere looked like a globe of the Earth, like one you may find in a school room or office, except for its bright orange color and lack of oceans and continents.
I watched in awe as a slice of the planet’s orange skin (that space between two of the Earth’s longitudes) began peeling back on itself, commencing at the top and then curling downward into a scroll shape near the Equator, exposing an astonishingly beautiful pink underlayer. Each section then, one at a time, unwound identically. When completed, a gorgeous pink upper hemisphere was visible above the coiled-up orange skins at the Equator. As I continued to watch, The silky pink exterior revealed itself to be the flower petals of a tightly wound blossom that began maturing. At the north pole, I saw new growth forming and expanding from the flower’s nucleus. This expansion forced the exterior petals to stream over its edge, creating a waterfall of pink flower petals flowing downward.
I was awestruck by the majestic beauty of this ever-expanding flower. I couldn’t help but continue watching this awe-inspiring sight, but then I wondered if I might be dreaming. I pondered, what would happen if I reopened my eyes? So, I opened them while lifting my head and looked around my bedroom.
To my astonishment, I could see the flower superimposed over the features of my darkened room. It was as if my retinas had a semi-transparent video projected onto them. Even though I did not understand how this could occur, I instantly closed my eyes, not wanting to miss any part of this captivating experience. Next, I started to wonder why this was happening to me. Why should I know this, and what importance should this be to me?
Then, unexpectedly, everything around me began moving. My vantage point to the flowering globe rotated ninety degrees, so my view became directly over the planet’s epicenter, precisely where the new growth had arisen at the North Pole. Then, a gigantic hole dilated open there, and an unseen force drew me inside. I looked around and realized that I was at the feet of Jesus, who filled the Earth from pole to pole. When I looked up into the immaculate clarity of this place, I saw His outstretched arms and somehow knew He was delivering blessings to the souls of the Earth. At this point, all of my vision’s heavenly peace faded away.
Interestingly, I received this vision of a world filled with Jesus shortly after surrendering to God. I was unsure of what this meant then, but the reality is that everything in my life would rapidly change for the better from this point forward.
GOD’S PLAN TURNS TURMOIL INTO BLESSINGS
The morning arrived, and it was back to the reality of everyday life. I may have received a magnificent vision of a Jesus-filled world, but my struggles in this world remained for a moment. One of these struggles was my continuing strained relationship with my boss that stemmed from my telling him the truth too often. His retaliation took the form of a considerably lower performance evaluation than the prior outstanding reviews I received for years from other directors. Notability: even though his review could have been fairer, it still resulted in what the corporation regarded as satisfactory performance and, therefore, did not warrant any remedial action.
Despite this, he called me into his office after my performance review to convince me that I was not managerial material and should, therefore, volunteer for a downgrade to a technical position. I refused, knowing he had no legitimate case to do so. I also knew I had years of excellent reviews filed away to challenge his delusion if he ever tried. But what became crystal clear from this meeting was that he was out to get me by hook or crook. And as fate would have it, a golden opportunity would soon come his way.
The economy had substantially turned down again, along with company revenues and profits. Our top executives responded by mandating across-the-board headcount reductions. I soon became aware that my boss planned to surplus my job and lay me off as a part of this headcount reduction program.
Then, shortly afterward, however, the company offered senior employees an Early Out incentive package. It was an exceptional offer that included health insurance, a year’s salary, and free space available airline tickets for life. To qualify, an employee must be near early retirement age and have at least twenty years of service. Unfortunately, I would not meet the age requirement until my next birthday, just a few months away. So, I explained this impediment to our personnel Department and received a management leave of absence to bridge my employment to my birthdate.
When my director discovered that I had applied and qualified for the Early Out initiative, he promptly took action to get me fired. I caught wind of what he was attempting and went to the Personnel Department to object, stating that I would file an age discrimination lawsuit if they permitted him to do so. Fortunately, they were very concerned about being prosecuted and promptly advised him to alter his course of action. He unbelievably responded that he had surplused my job and had no work for me. He demanded they fire me before I qualified for the Early Out package. Afterward, I discovered that the two organizations were shouting at each other, battling behind closed doors over the issue.
A few days later, the Personnel department called me to inform me that a director I had previously worked for agreed to move me into his organization until my retirement date, securing my severance package. That was a real blessing.
So God was there shielding me from harm again, just like all the other experiences I have written about here. In addition, He was about to move me to a place where I would see the power of God and how He worked through his people. I had pledged to do whatever God wanted, and now God was guiding me to a place where I would get spiritual enlightenment while showering me with favor and blessings along the way. This event started God’s new life, which He had held in reserve for me.
With my early retirement worries resolved, I began looking for another job. Surprisingly, a well-known entertainment company in California called me about an opportunity. Since I had not sent them a resume, I was interested in how they acquired my contact information. They responded that the hiring director found my resume on his desk, but he did not know how or who delivered it.
The hiring manager then interviewed me on the phone, and he was so impressed that he wanted to hire me on the spot. However, I needed more time to protect my retirement package. So, I responded that I needed to learn more about the job, the work environment, and the culture before deciding, as I knew arranging these things would push my potential start date back a few weeks.
Consequently, they flew me to California, where I met with many of the people I would be working with, and everything went remarkably well. The only issue now was that the hiring director wanted me to begin working immediately, even without giving my employer a customary two-week notice. After some negotiation, I persuaded him to wait until I became available.
So, we relocated into a lovely Santa Monica residence with beautiful mountains, ocean, and beach views just three blocks away. We also arrived with a 30% improvement in salary, a year’s wages in cash, health insurance, and flight privileges for life with the airline. Quite a change in circumstances for me and my family! Particularly for someone still clueless about God being at the center of all these blessings. God was setting everything into place, and I walked through the open doors He had placed before me.
MY VOCAL PROCLAMATION FOR A TOUCH FROM GOD INITIATES GOD’S INVITATION
Soon after we had relocated to our new home, our daughter, who had just graduated from college and had the summer off, came to visit. After arriving home from work one day, I found her and my wife in the living room laughing and having a great time while talking about God. Sadly, I could not relate to what they were saying, and for some reason, I spontaneously blurted out: Whatever it is that the two of you have, I want it! That was my vocal proclamation.
GOD RESPONDS BY LEADING US TO A CHURCH WHERE I WOULD GET A TOUCH FROM GOD
Then, one evening, not long after, I was up in the loft flipping through TV channels, looking for something to watch, when I flipped by a man in a white suit who was talking about God. Something he said at that moment caught my attention and led me to swing back to hear more about what he was communicating. The longer I listened, the more I liked what he had to say. I invited my wife to watch with me, and she also loved his message. We then discovered that this preacher would be speaking at a church in Anaheim, and we decided to see him in person.
I had never been to a charismatic church service before and was unsure what to expect. When we arrived at the church, a long line of people surrounded the sizeable round building, and we walked a significant distance before finding the end of the line. As the line gradually moved forward, we overheard the people in front of us discussing what a big deal it was to have this preacher here.
After quite some time, we entered the church and promptly took some seats. We sat before a 360-degree circulator stage with about ten musicians occupying the stage’s right side and a choir of about forty stood in five rows of bleacher seats on the left.
The service began with the loudest praise and worship music I have ever experienced. I was unfamiliar with most songs they played, but I did my best to keep up with the congregation singing along. People raised their hands while praising God, and I joined them. Throughout all of this experience, I felt a strong desire for a real relationship with God.
After the praise and worship ended, the pastor came to center stage and led the church in prayer. I remember hearing the people sitting next to me praying in a language I believed was Latin, and I wondered what this might mean. I speculated that they were foreigners, but they spoke perfect English before the service. All of this was entirely foreign to me.
Afterward, the pastor introduced the visiting evangelist, who began his preaching by reading several Bible verses and then sermonizing on them. Once he had completed this teaching, he led the people in praising God and invoking the Holy Spirit in song. The entire assembly was reverently engaging in this effort. Then, without any warning, he pushed his right arm around to the far-left side of his body, then quickly pivoted it back past the audience and backward toward the now standing choir while shouting choir, receive your anointing. Amazingly, the entire quire fell in unison into their bleacher seats. I could not believe what I saw as they dropped as if they were all a part of a single unit. They fell so perfectly that it appeared as if a trap door had dropped open under them. I immediately knew that this could not have been a stunt. Even if they practiced for years, they could not achieve this perfect level of synchronization.
God’s anointing hit me as the evangelist’s arm swung past us. I did not fall to my seat with the choir, but I felt something like a bolt of electricity hitting my heart. This powerful charge ignited a burning sensation in my chest that persisted throughout the service. I turned and looked at my wife and said; is this a touch from God? I told her of my experience, and she admitted that she had received this blessing, also. I then looked around the congregation and saw people lying in their seats all over the building as others attended to them. They were down all around us. I knew God was touching people here, and I had received the touch from God I was looking for.
God had once again taken me to where He wanted us to go. He took the initiative by providing a message on TV, and we answered by following His lead to this church.
COMING TO CHRIST
We began attending this ministry regularly immediately after this first visit. The pastor would generally provide an altar call every Sunday, and several people would come to the altar to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour each week. For me, it only took a few weeks before I was one of many who stepped forward and gave my life to Christ. I remember the pastor flowing in the spirit that day, having raised one hand high above his head while shouting praises to God as he approached me, his eyes blazing directly at me. I remember thinking there were twenty people up here. Why was he focused on me? He later told me he had discerned a significant shift in the heavenly’s during this alter call. I then acknowledged that the Lord attained a spiritual victory, snatching me out of Satan’s hands.
I understand that the experiences I shared about the Spiritual Warfare Over Me are foreign to most. If you care to read or review any of them, use the links below:
I also understand that the above chronicles must be authenticated by Biblical scriptures. Therefore, I have performed the necessary research to achieve scriptural validation of what I experienced and present the findings to you below. In examining this material, you may find, like I did, a real glimpse into the reality of the spiritual realm I experienced.
A CORRELATION TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
The experiences of that night and beyond terrified me. Most people would believe you were crazy for talking about the things I experienced. I know because I tried a couple of times. Therefore, I wanted to avoid thinking about what happened, let alone tell anyone about my Entering The Spiritual Realm. It wasn’t until years later, after becoming born-again, that I really began to understand what God had done for me. He showed me what exists on the other side of this reality, in the spiritual realm, and how my actions on earth would determine my spiritual destiny. God loved me enough to give me a second opportunity to make the right choices, which changed my fate. I did not deserve this second chance, but He gave it out of His love for me. I knew that if He did this much for me when I did not deserve it, He would do even more to bless me when I made the changes I promised before Him on the Judgment Seat. Upon returning to my everyday life, however, I experienced a continual bombardment of spiritual attacks that eventually led me to surrender and declare Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and to do whatever He wanted. The changes to my life after that surrender were immediate. The next day, God showed me a vision of the New Earth coming into existence because Jesus had filled its core with His presence (A VISION OF A JESUS-FILLED WORLD COMING TO PASS). God placed favor into my soul. He removed me from a poor job situation with an early-out package that put cash in my pocket.
Then, before I accepted, an unsolicited job offer came my way. I then took the early out package and the new job offer and moved across the country to where He wanted me to go. Once there, we were immediately led to a church that God wanted us to attend. It was our training ground, and I grew closer to Him than I imagined. Blessings and gifts followed, and I began reading the Bible daily and gained new insights into my spiritual encounters. The following sections represent the fruits of my Bible study, and this information helped me understand that what I experienced was not just a bad dream. It was all recorded in the Bible.
PROOF OF THE LAKE OF FIRE
The orange plasma that I reported swimming in (see SWIMMING IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE) is mentioned in the book of Revelation as the eternal destination of Satan, the beast, the false prophet, death, Hades, and everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life.
Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:14-15Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
THE JUDGMENT OF WORKS AND THE OPENED BOOKS
In my spiritual experience, I stood in a gray place while being judged (Standing On The Seat Of Judgment Before God). I heard the voices of the spirits that searched for records of my good works. I also experienced the pain I had caused others as the sins of my life passed before me.
Is there a reference to being judged in the Bible? Are records kept assisting in the judgment? The answer to both of these questions is yes. Everyone will be judged by their works:
Revelation 20:11 – 13 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things, which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
THE SECOND DEATH
Since only truth existed in the place of my reflection, I somehow understood that the pending judgment before me was regarding the second death. On earth, I did not know that such a thing existed. Is there evidence of the second death in the Bible? Yes, again, it is explained in the continuation of the passage above. The second death is the end of hell and death. The result is to be the total elimination of evil. There will also be the elimination of death, pain, and tears. Sadly, however, there will be no more chances for repentance as only those whose name is in the Book of Life will remain:
Revelation 20:14 – 15 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
THE SAVIOR
On that night, I swam in the lake of fire and brimstone and later walked in the halls of Hell where I faced the beast IN HELL – CONFRONTED BY THE DEVIL. I knew there was no escape from these places, so how did I get out? I also sustained the reality of the second death, but who has power over death, to let live or let die? The answer is Jesus! The following words from the book of Revelation are the words of the resurrected Jesus:
Jesus “The Way, the Truth and the Life,” Rises from the Dead
Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hades and of death.
THE JUDGE
In my remembrance, I stood while being judged. To whom do I owe my redemption? Who sits on the throne of judgment?
Revelation 7:10 And crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
I was also returned to this life that day despite my sin-stained garments. Who has the power to forgive sin?
Mark 2:10 – 11 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins; He said to the paralytic, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.
I stood in a place where only truth existed and was asked, “Why should you live?” But who will judge the living and the dead?
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.
The answer is that Jesus, the Christ of Nazareth, is our Lord and Savior. Even though I had made poor choices, Jesus covered me with His blood and kept me from a second death I rightfully deserved.
Jesus Sheds His Blood on the Cross
My story provides insight into the meaning of our lives because it accurately describes the consequences of our poor choices. I had made the poor choice of disbelieving in the devil’s existence When You Disbelieve The Devil’s Existence…, but God revealed the truth to me. The truth is that the devil, hell, the lake of fire and brimstone, the judgment, and the second death are the consequences of poor life choices. God, Jesus, heaven, and life everlasting are the consequences of our faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God.
A CORRELATION WITH PSALM 30
As you know from reading the eight postings listed at the top of this journal, I entered the emergency room of a major hospital on November 7, 1986, believing that all would be well soon, not knowing that MY DAY OF DEATH was knocking at my door. Nor did I know that God would miraculously deliver me from a long string of attacks and calamities.
Psalm 30, a psalm of David, in some ways correlates to my experience. In this psalm, David honors God for saving him from his foe, healing him, delivering him from the grave, and saving him from being cast into the pit (MY JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL GOLGOTHA). My experience shows that God also did these things for me; therein lies the correlation. Let us start by reading a portion of Psalm 30.
Psalm 30: 1-5 I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and you healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Let us honor God for His great mercy and love! I completely relate Davids’s message in Psalm 30. I even modified it and made it my personal prayer of thanksgiving for all my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has done for me. I present this personal version here, so please read along with me in thanksgiving and praise:
I will exalt You, Oh Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my enemy, the devil, rejoice in victory over me. Oh Lord, my God, I have cried out to You, and You have healed me from a great affliction of which there was seemingly no hope. Oh Lord, you have lifted my soul from the grave of death and saved me from an eternal damnation, I truly deserve. You have kept me alive and spared me from the fate of the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and the everlasting torture and agony of the second death. Sing praises to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks to the remembrance of His holy name; His name is JESUS, THE CHRIST OF NAZARETH. For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is forever. Oh, weeping and sorrow may endure for a night, but joy everlasting comes in the morning, and a new life begins.
May all of God’s blessings be upon you and yours! Papa Joe.
This posting is one of several chronicling what happened after I began disbelieving the devil’s existence. Theses postings convey just how spiritual warfare can be a warning all who hold such a belief. You can read my previous post here, MY DAY OF DEATH, as it is a lead-in to this material.
One of the important traditions our family kept was our frequent visits to my grandmother’s house. I remember one such occasion when I was probably three or four years of age. For some reason my uncle set out to test my intelligence. To accomplish this, he held a new shiny dime in one hand and a new 1943 penny in the other. The unique characteristic of the 1943 penny was that it was made of steel, not copper like other pennies, apparently due to the shortage of copper during the war. These pennies when new were just as shiny and bright as a new dime. Here is a picture of one of these penny’s that will give you an idea of just how much they looked like a dime.
He held the dime between his right thumb and forefinger and the penny between his left thumb and forefinger. He carefully explained that the dime was much more valuable than the penny (although I was not sure of what this meant.) He then placed them both directly in front of my face and asked me to choose the
one I wanted.
Initially, I reached for the dime based on what he told me. But when my hand moved toward it, he moved the penny closer to me and then jiggled it back and forth in front of my face. The penny flashed streams of light before my eyes when he did this. My thoughts were that the penny seemed to be much more fun than the
dime. I picked it out of his hand.
He rushed to proclaim my stupidity to everyone else in room, stating that I would never amount to anything. I felt duped and betrayed. I became extremely angry at my uncle. In fact, I wanted to punch my uncle right in the nose and teach him a lesson about playing such a cruel trick on me. But then, somehow I knew that it would do me no good, so I held back.
In retrospect, this event was just a precursor to the truth that life would always present me with choices. Some bad choices would look good and some good choices would look undesirable. It would be up to me to discern the truth and make the right choice and receive the best possible reward. I was beginning to find out that poor choices would result in paying the consequences. As you read on you will find that much of this book is dedicated to communicating the horrible consequences of my poor choices as well as the wonderful rewards for the wise choices I made in my life. These stories communicate the spiritual truth of the world around us.
Please note that even Jesus was tempted and had to make choices that were pleasing to the Father.
Jesus is Tempted on the Mountain
So the lesson here is that there are misguided people in the world that will
attempt to deceive the children of God and destroy our creditability. In order to protect ourselves we must have spiritual discernment because the proper choices in life are critical to our overall welfare, our relationship with God and ultimately, our salvation. Anyone seeking guidance in this regard, may find the following series of hyperlinks very helpful. I pray that Jesus enlighten your pathway.
Love,
Papa Joe
Jesus the Light of the World is Transfigured before His Disciples
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
One has to ask the question, what does Jesus mean when He said: ‘to fulfill?’ A definition found in an online dictionary provides insight.
ful·fill also ful·fil (fl-fl)
tr.v.ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils
1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises.
2. To carry out (an order, for example).
3. To measure up to; satisfy. See Synonyms at perform, satisfy.
4. To bring to an end; complete.
So based on this definition we can see that Jesus is saying that the law and the prophets must bring their promises to actuality. Therefore, prophetic prophesy must become a reality and God’s intention for the law, (to make covenant with the people and to dwell with them on Earth) is realized.
The Fulfillment of the Prophetic Promise
What this means is that an order made to deliver something has to be carried out. So when the words of God are delivered by one of His prophets, the fulfillment comes when his statement becomes a reality.
In the case of the law, it is fulfilled when the purpose of the law is achieved. The purpose of the Ten Commandments was to change the behavior of Israel such that would enable them to enter into a covenant relationship with the Father, in which He would be able to dwell with them as He did in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve in the Garden
The Promises of God must be brought to an end by way of Competition
So, in these two cases, the fulfillment of God promises must come to pass. Therefore, the prophetic message has to become reality. The people’s promise to abide to the commandments delivered by Moses must be achieved.
Those things that once existed in the law for example, must be brought to an end. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law as He was able to live in accord with the law. Because He lived a perfect life He was able to dwell on Earth with men, being God and therefore fulfilling the promise of the law and the Mosaic covenant.
Moses and the Ten Comandments
For those who believe in Him He is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle’s function and purpose. He has fulfilled the rigid rules of the law by simply commanding us to love on another as He loved us. He has fulfilled the blood sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin with the blood sacrifice of His own body and blood. For those who believe in Him, He has fulfilled the Mosaic covenant with the New Covenant of His body and blood.
God gave Moses the specifications for building the Tabernacle and therefore it was built in accord with a heavenly model.
Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfillment of Tabernacle Prophesy
As such it has to also be fulfilled in the life and words of Jesus. In addition, the portion of the law that provided guidance for the priest who provided services at the Tabernacle who also have to be fulfilled as well. In fact, every component and every object found in the Tabernacle must have their promise fulfilled in the life of Jesus. In thinking about the Tabernacle in this way we see it as a prophetic blueprint for the future. This blueprint when fulfilled results in God dwelling with men in such a way that all of its functions, purpose, and attributes of it are realized. The good news is that Jesus fulfills all of these conditions and we therefore can validate that He is the Christ.
This web site goes into great detail demonstrating this truth by referencing scripture. Go to our home page (https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/) to access the index into our writings on these subjects.
The Tabernacle Foretells of Jesus, “the Way” to the Father
This posting is the third in a series of communications designed to reveal what Jesus was referring to when He stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14: 6.)” Today’s posting is going to focus in on the spiritual meaning of “the Way.”
In our first posting we looked at the parables of Jesus and gained insight into the reality that we can best understand them by looking for their spiritual interpretation. We also learned that all the words of Jesus are to interpreted as parables. To review this posting please follow this link: The-Messages-of-Jesus-are-Understood-by-the-Spiritual-Interpretation-of-His-Parables
The Holy Spirit
In the second posting we analyzed the words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14: 6,)” from a parabolic perspective (an analogy that uses earthly objects as references in communicating a spiritual truth.)
In doing so we identified that the Tabernacle was the only possible earthly reference to John 14: 1-6 above. This is because the Father dwelt deep inside the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle, and for that reason it was the only place for man to come into the Father’s presence.
Next we identified a spiritual analogy to the Tabernacle in the book of Revelations:
“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God (Rev 21:2-4,)”
We used the this scripture to prove the existence of a spiritual Tabernacle in Heaven. Accordingly, we concluded that this is the spiritual truth that Jesus was communicating to His disciples in John 14: 1-6. We also concluded that that Jesus is stating that He is the fulfilment of the Tabernacle and therefore we must drill down into the details of the Tabernacle for answers to the meaning of “the way, the truth and the life.”
The Parabolic Nature of “the Way” is Revealed in Hebrews
Let’s start by looking at a scripture from Hebrews as it validates the parabolic nature of the Tabernacle:
Hebrews 9: 8-15
New King James Version (NKJV)
the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
Priest Before The Ark Of The Covenant
This scripture states that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first Tabernacle was still standing, but rather, it was symbolic for the time of reformation, which is the spiritual reformation brought by Jesus. Accordingly, this scripture validates the symbolic or parabolic qualities of the Tabernacle.
The term, “Holiest of All” used in the scripture above is a reference to the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle. It is synonymous with the terms, “Holy of Holies,” and “Most Holy Place.” It is in this chamber that the Father would speak with Moses and Aaron, in accord with God’s covenant with Israel.
Now, some interesting things become evident when comparing this scripture to John 14: 1-6. Both scriptures describe “the way,” into the Father’s presence. Hebrews 9: 8-15 uses the phrase, “the way into the Holiest of All,” while John 14: 6 states that “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The Hebrews scripture communicates that “the way,” to the Holiest of All (where the Father is) through the entrances into and through the three chambers of the Tabernacle (the only possible way into this area of the Tabernacle – see the diagram below.)
On the other hand the scripture from John communicates that the way to the Fathers is through Jesus (the way, the truth and the life,) the spiritual Tabernacle in heaven. Consequently, when we look at the scriptures that define the Tabernacle components leading to the Holiest of all, we gain insight into the spiritual pathway that Jesus called Himself “the way, the truth and the life.”
In addition, there is a word in John 14: 6 that provides insight into the attributes of the Tabernacle that we should be looking for, and that word is “through.” This word indicates that we must enter at some external entrance, and then navigate through the internal components of the structure to get to the intended destination.
Applying this concept of “through,” to the earthly Tabernacle would provide us the earthly analogies necessary to decode the spiritual interpretation of “the way, the truth and the life” as defined by Jesus in John 14. It would also do the same for “the way to the Holiest of All,” as defined in Hebrews 9. So lets take a look at what passing “through” the Tabernacle means at a very high level.
First it means that we must enter at the gate that leads into the Courtyard and then navigate through the Courtyard until we came to the entryway into the Holy Place. Then we would have navigate through Holy Place until we came before the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This time we would have to pass through the veil and then navigate to the Father (presence is above the Ark of the Covenant.)
In this regard, it is clear that the things that must be passed through are the entrances to the three Tabernacle chambers and the chambers themselves. Now, if the entrances are each considered to be a part of the chamber they lead into, then at a high level we have just have three major component of the Tabernacle. This corresponds to the three words that Jesus used in John 14 to describe Himself, which are “the way, the truth and the life.” For that reason these three chambers of the Tabernacle are a primary focus in getting a better understanding John 14: 1-6, and subsequently Jesus.
A cautionary note is required here, as this information taken by itself does not show that these three chambers are the objects of Jesus’ parable. For now they are simply the focus of our search. To acquire a definitive proof we will need to delve deeper into these chambers, looking for clues in the scriptures that reveal the spiritual truths that either verify or disprove this premise.
This is where we plan to pick up with our next posting.
It should be noted that a major portion of this website is devoted to correlating the attributes and functions of the Tabernacle to the words and actions of Jesus. These articles can be found by scanning the index contained on the homepage of this site: Possess-The-Vision.
The Way to the Father is Through the Spiritual Tabernacle Called Jesus
In our previous posting we look at the parables of Jesus and gained insight into the fact that we can better understand these analogies of Jesus by looking for a spiritual interpretation of them. This principle provides the critical foundation necessary to answer a number of questions I have received from readers. To review our posting that delves into this subject in more detail, please follow this link: The-Messages-of-Jesus-are-Understood-by-the-Spiritual-Interpretation-of-His-Parables
Questions About the Tabernacle and the Claims of Jesus
This postings is just one in a series of communications that are designed to address a number of questions we referenced above. These questions ask for authoritative scriptural references that support the proposition that Jesus is proclaiming to be the fulfillment of the Tabernacle when He stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14: 6.) These questions also ask for scriptural references that support the proposition that the entryways into the Tabernacle are called the Way, the Truth and the Life.
In addressing these requests the establishment of a scriptural foundation is required, that is best provided in a line upon line fashion. Our first posting (link identified above) started the building of that foundation and we continue to build upon it here. All of this is necessary to provide the insight that many of our readers are asking for.
Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Tabernacle
We start by taking a look at the cornerstone of the questions above, namely, the Jesus, “I am…,” scripture:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:1-6)
Now in our last posting we learned that: All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them (Matt 13: 34.) Since the parables of Jesus are spiritual references delivered by way of analogy to worldly things, we should start by looking for a real world object that will help us understand the spiritual truth of Jesus. In other words, we need to find the real world analogy that Jesus is referring to when He states; “I am the way, the truth, and the life No one comes to the Father except through Me?” Well, since Jesus and all the disciples were Jews, one must consider that their worldly view would have been that the only way to the Father was through the Tabernacle.
The Glory Cloud Covers the Tabernacle
The following scripture validates this statement:
17 “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel (Exodus 25: 17-22.)
Priest Before The Ark Of The Covenant
In this scripture Moses has recorded the words that God gave Him on the mountain top. In it God communicates with him about how the Most Holy Place (the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle) is to be furnished and arranged. What is clear from reading this scripture is that the Father intends to communicate with Moses from this specific area, deep inside the Tabernacle, as the Tabernacle was built to be the place where God would dwell with man on Earth.
Now, if Jesus was communicating a spiritual message by way of parable in John 14: 1-6, and we know that without a parable He did not speak to them (Matt 13: 34), then the Tabernacle had to be the only possible analogy of His parable. This is true because His dwelling there was a part of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Father.
Moses and the Ten Comandments
Also, by association, if Jesus is claiming that He is the only way to the Father, and the Tabernacle was their existing way to the Father, then not only is Jesus claiming to be the fulfillment of the Tabernacle; but the terms, the Way, the Truth and the Life, must somehow refer to the pathway through the Tabernacle as well.
To add some support to these conclusions, lets look at John 14: 6 once again: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14: 6.) The word “through” is very important as it gives us a sense that we enter into Jesus at a certain point, and then pass “through” to the other side of Him, where we then come into the presence of Father. This adds support to our case as this is precisely the structure of the Tabernacle built in the time of Moses. At that time the tribes of Israel aligned on all sides of the Tabernacle. There was an entryway that lead into what was called the Outer Courtyard. In the middle of this courtyard was a tent like structure that was called the Holy Place, and it also had a single entrance. The inside of the Tabernacle was divided by a curtain and the area behind the curtain was called the Most Holy Place where the Father dwelt. By the way, this curtain or veil as it is sometimes called, is the same one that was torn in two at the time of the death of Jesus on the cross. In any event, what we see here is that there is a pathway to the Father defined here, and interestingly, there are exactly three entryways that must be passed through to get to the Father. Could these be the spiritual Way, the Truth and the Life that Jesus was referring to? More details on this will be coming in future postings.
The Chanbers of the Tabernacle
So, at this point we have correlated this parable of Jesus to the Tabernacle. We have seen that there is substantial evidence supporting such a proposition. But the Tabernacle is an Earthly object and since we view the words of Jesus as parables, then we must look for a spiritual interpretation, especially since a purely physical interpretation seems unrealistic. So, at this point one has to ask if there is scriptural support for a spiritual Tabernacle? A Tabernacle that resides in a spiritual place like heaven, because if there is, then that scripture would validate much of what we are presenting in this post.
Jesus, the Spiritual Tabernacle
Here is an authoritative scriptural support for a spiritual tabernacle in heaven:
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God (Rev 21:2-4.)
So, this is what Jesus was talking about. The disciples did not know this at the time as the revelation did not come to John until many years after the death, resurrection and the ascension of our Lord into heaven.
In our next posting we will attempt to dig deeper into the correlations between John 14: 1-6 and Revelations 21: 2-4 and find further strength to support what we have presented here today. We will also take a closer look into what is meant by the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Until then, may all of God’s blessings be upon the readers of this post!
The Messages of Jesus are Understood by the Spiritual Interpretation of His Parables
Today we look at the parables of Jesus for insight into how we can better understand the messages He has provided us in the Gospels. This understanding is critical in answering a number of questions I have received from readers seeking validation of some of the messages we have delivered.
Questions About the Tabernacle and the Claims of Jesus
For example, a number of readers have asked for authoritative scriptural support that Jesus is claiming to be the fulfillment of the Tabernacle when He stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14: 6.) They have also asked me to provide scriptural verification that the entryways into the Tabernacle are called the Way, the Truth and the Life.
I plan to present answers by way of a number of postings. The strategy is to build a foundation of principles, in a line upon line manner, that lead the reader to the verification that they desire.
Jesus and Parables
The disciples often had difficulty understanding Jesus, just as many of us do today. Often, the reason for this is because Jesus came to deliver spiritual messages about the Father and the Kingdom of Heaven, while we on the other hand, are prone to relate everything to the physical world around us.
Jesus And The Multitude
As a result, Jesus would often speak to us by way of parables that paint His spiritual messages in the colors of our real world experiences. The Gospels contains numerous examples of the parables of Jesus. However, it should be noted that parables did not always help in our understanding. In at least one example, Jesus had to explain a parable to His disciples.
Here is a section of Matthew’s Gospel about Jesus and His parables:
Matthew 13
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Parable of the Sower
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Disciples are Sent out
The Purpose of Parables
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should[a] heal them.’[b] 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who 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 grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures[c] of meal till it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and the Parables
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”[d]
The Parable of the Tares Explained
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
This scripture is very revealing in that it presents a number of the parables of Jesus, and then goes on and gives us the translation of some of them so that we can see how His parables work. It shows how He presents a seemingly real life story like the parable of the Tares, and uses it to deliver His spiritual message. In this example He uses the parable to describe the reality of the spiritual forces in our lives and spiritual destination that all mankind is moving toward. The parable presents a case for the purpose of Jesus coming to Earth, which is to sow the good seeds of the Father. It substantiates the reality of the devil and his evil deeds, the work of the angels at the time of the harvest, and most importantly, it presents the fire in hell as the destination for all who follow the works of the devil, and the glory of life forever in the kingdom of heaven with the Father who follow Jesus in the pathways of righteousness.
So, the foundational principle of the posting is that Jesus delivered His spiritual messages via parables. This is true because the scripture states: 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them.
The founding principle is that these messages should not be taken literally, but rather viewed as spiritual messages. This principle is a key foundation to understanding Jesus, and properly understanding His message: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
The things that are revealed in the parables of Jesus are critical to understanding things that have been mysteries to all mankind. This is true because the scripture states: 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”[d]
All of this insight into parables and the words of Jesus is critical in helping us understand what Jesus was saying when He stated:, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6.) This in turn will lead to an understanding of why the entryways of the Tabernacle are called the Way, the Truth and the Life.
In our next posting we will provide additional scriptural support that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle. After this, we will take an in-depth look at the Way, the Truth and the Life in subsequent postings. See you all next time. God bless you all.
I had a reader comment that I was a false teacher. He based his opinion on my statement that Jesus claimed to be the entryways into the Tabernacle when He said; “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” The problem according to this reader is that there is no direct scriptural reference to support such a statement. So, in this posting I will begin to address these issues. The first thing I would like to present is a statement from Paul that comes from 1st Corinthians 4:
1. Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
I am content on Paul’s statement as I am not concerned by the opinions of men and I am prepared to let the Lord be my judge. This is because I have only shared my personal journey with the Lord, a journey that has revealed many things to me and hopefully my readers as well. This journey was motivated by my desire to better understand Jesus, a task that included a quest to understand what He meant when He said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” This quest led me to the answers I have communicated on this site. It was a quest that included a comprehensive search of the bible, and reaching out in prayer asking for answers. Based on this I would say that the teaching of Jesus is that we should not Judge, not even someone we believe to be a false teacher. This is in line with the statement of Jesus that proclaims: “Judge not lest you be judged!” In addition, please understand that I should not be considered by any of you as your teacher, as it is written in Matthew 23:
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ,[b] and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Jesus Speaks to the Multitude
So as you can see that you have only one teacher. Your learning has to come by way of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. My part in all of this is to present my journey with the Lord to you, in the hope that the Holy Spirit will enlighten you pathway as He did for me. In my next posting I will address the other issues identified in the first paragraph. Until that time, may all of God’s blessings be upon you. Papa Joe
In our last posting we took a look at the covenant God made with Abraham, a covenant that became the foundation of the three most prolific religions in the world. This covenant promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations and that the land of Canaan would be their possession.
However, all the men of Abraham’s family would have to be circumcised as a visible sign of the covenant. I have included the scriptures of Genesis 17 that communicate the essence of this message here for your review:
for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan (the Promised Land where there are many mansions) where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. ” 9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant (the new covenant is a covenant of selfless love), you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised (symbolic of casting away one’s own flesh). 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you (as our love for one another is a sign to others that we follow Jesus.) 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. ”
Now, one of the things we spoke of last time was that this covenant of circumcision was prophetic of Jesus in many ways. So today we are going to drill down a bit on this idea so that we can see the scriptural foundation for this statement.
Lets start with the act of circumcision itself. Circumcision is the act of cutting away the foreskin of the part of a man that defines him to be a man. God asks Abraham to do this to all the men in his family as a sign that he was in covenant with God. This seems peculiar to say the least and one has to wonder why this would be the case. We hope to address this as we tie the covenant of circumcision to the ministry of Jesus Christ.
As we alluded to in our prior posting, the very idea of circumcision seems outrageous on the surface and yet it contains a powerful message for all the generations that followed. The message is that we were not created as physical creatures but rather as spiritual creatures who were created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Since God is spirit,
John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
then we are also spiritual creatures, otherwise we could not have been created in Gods image. We took on our physical bodies when Adam and Eve chose to know evil. It was then that they discovered for the first time that they were naked and sought to cover themselves. This means that they took on the flesh of their physical bodies.
Adam and Eve in the Garden
It was at this time that God also told the woman that her childbearing would come with pain,
To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Gen 3:16
and so, what we see here is that mankind took on a major transformation because of our desire to know both good and evil. From that point on we were all born as spiritual creatures encapsulated in physical bodies.
Prior to the fall from the Garden there was never a report of Eve giving birth to children, only afterwards did she give birth to children. The point of all of this is that we are not our bodies!
Interestingly, science proves that we are not our bodies as well. Scientists have proven that each cell in our bodies is replaced every seven years. Therefore, we are not physically the same being that we were just seven years ago. We are not the baby that we were when we were born, nor are we the teenager that we were in our youth. Yet, there is a consistency that continues to be us despite the physical change in the bodies we inhabit, and that consistency is our spirit. This is the message of the covenant of circumcision: our flesh is irrelevant in seeking eternal life with God. This message is verified by the words of Jesus as reported by John the disciple:
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
Therefore, it is our spiritual nature that is important to God as we are to seek God in spirit.
Jesus came to us teaching us by way of parables and therefore one way to view covenant with Abraham is as a parable. This parable tells us that to be in covenant with God we must cast away our own flesh as worthless. In addition, it tells us that the people who we come in contact with must be able to determine that we are in covenant with God as a result of our interaction with them. They must be able to see a visible sign that we have turned our back on our own physical life in favor of a spiritual relationship with God.
Jesus spoke the following words:
Matthew 16:25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
So how do we do this? The casting away of our own flesh is the giving of our life toward loving one another. This love is not self centered but rather others centered.
John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
It is a love that is enacted by following the lead of the Holy Spirit of God. When we walk in the Spirit of God we will be led into spiritual warfare where the dominions of power and evil are brought down. It is then that we truly enter into the ministry of Jesus Christ. The reason for this is because at this point we begin to do the things that Jesus did.
John 14:11-13 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
The Holy Spirit
In this regard Jesus confirms the covenant of circumcision by giving up His own body so that He would receive the punishment that we otherwise would justly deserve. He took on the wiping, the spitting, the beating, the thorns in His head, the nails in His hands and feet, the taunting and humiliation of being hung on the cross so that all of us could achieve forgiveness of our sins and live under the new and better covenant that He earned for us.
This is the degree of love that He showed us as He suffered on the Cross, giving up his flesh willingly for us. This is the example that Jesus gave us. It is proof that the flesh profits us nothing as Jesus was resurrected from the dead and then ascended into heaven to be with the Father once again. This is the example that he left us. This is how He wants us to love one another. To love others like He loved us!
Jesus at the Tomb
Jesus also said that we should do the works that He did in His ministry. That means that we should see answers to our prayers. We should see people healed, demons cast out and people raised from the dead. These things come from the Spirit of God. They are acts of love. To tap into this our spirit must become one with the Holy Spirit of God.
John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
This is what is required. We must become one with God in spirit and this in turn means that we have to turn our backs on our own flesh. This is exactly what Abraham and Jesus did. It is what the apostles of Jesus did as they all died marters for the Gospel of Jesus. Truly, it is the narrow path that leads to God.
SEEKING JESUS 