a If we sow in prayer, we will reap His answers.
a Visions are a major key for the Holy Spirit to prepare the ground, open people, and build faith for that which is to follow.
a Like the Mona Lisa, the true Church of G.o.d is a woman of high stature and moral reputation which the enemy takes particular delight in painting as a woman of low moral standing.
a When an interpretation for a vision or dream is not immediately forthcoming, we can be sure that G.o.d will bring an interpretation to the genuine enquirer in His time and with our best interests at heart.
Endnote 1. M. Comte, "The Mona Lisa Masterpiece," The Advertiser (September 28, 2006), 33.
Chapter Seven.
Counterfeit Interpretations by the occult.
By Adam F. Thompson..
The Source of Interpretations.
As established in the first chapter, G.o.d has poured out His Spirit on all flesh in accordance with the prophecy of Joel, And it shall come to pa.s.s in the last days, says G.o.d, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28).
It should also be evident, after reading the opening chapters, that it is G.o.d"s will for us, through the Holy Spirit, to prophesy and to have dreams and visions. However, it is one thing to have dreams and visions; where we go to obtain their interpretation is an entirely different matter. Many unknowingly turn to the occult in their desire for answers.
At this point, it is important to understand that the devil is not a part of the G.o.dhead. He is actually a fallen angel, a created being, and he cannot create anything but mayhem. While it is impossible for him to constructively create, he is the master of imitation and deception. As the thief (see John 10:10) he will, through imitation, attempt to steal the glory that rightly belongs to G.o.d and rob the inheritance that belongs to the saints. Consequently, when we look at those who dabble in occult practices, such as tarot cards, astrology, palm-reading (even interpreting dreams), what we see is the devil imitating and perverting what G.o.d has for the saints. Likewise, when people go to clairvoyants, they are visiting counterfeit prophets and seers. Clairvoyants have an inherent sensitivity to the spirit realm and most likely have familiar spirits operating in their lives (see Acts 16:16; 1 Sam. 28:7). Having bought the devil"s liea"that they are clair-voyanta"they enter the heavenlies illegally and a.s.sist the devil in seizing what G.o.d has for the saints.
Once we understand that G.o.d is the Creator and the devil is the imitator, we don"t have to fear that Christian dream interpretation or the gifts of the Spirit are vehicles to bring us into the occult (see 1 Cor. 12). G.o.d initiated our spirituality, not the devil. The occult is a mutation of what G.o.d had originally planned for us. Consider that a counterfeit Pica.s.so painting has no value unless there is an original. Operating in the image of G.o.d as spiritual beings simply moves us into G.o.d"s original plan. The fall of humanity robbed us of this primary calling to walk and talk with G.o.d as fellow spirit-beings (see Gen. 3). However, it was not the plan of G.o.d that we should remain without a spiritual dimension. And so, through His death upon the Cross, Jesus once again made a way for us to fulfill our true spiritual nature. Born-again believers have been re-created to become the Spirit-led people G.o.d intended them to be (see 2 Cor. 5:17)a"able to prophesy, move in the gifts of the Spirit, and interpret dreams and visions. This is nothing new. It is what we were created to do. Jesus did not die for us that we would merely be saved, but that we would be saved, filled, and empowered by His Holy Spirit and fulfill the perfect plan that He has for us. Those who enter the heavenly realms using occult practices are doing so illegally according to the Word of G.o.d, and place themselves under a curse and at enmity with G.o.d (see Lev. 20:6; Deut. 18:11-12; 1 Chron. 10:13).
The Danger of Half Truths Jesus told His disciples, ". . .when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. . ." (John 16:13). Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will reveal, "all truth," that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The devil, on the other hand, likes to feed us partial truths. You may be thinking to yourself right now, What does that mean? The devil knows that half-truths are more destructive, addictive, and convincing than blatant lies. Being deceived and anesthetized by a half-truth often keeps us away from the whole truth. How blatantly real this is! The devil has effectively swamped the spiritual arena with many half-truths, making it harder for the righteous to make it through unscathed. Every weekend we witness religious door-knockers sincerely pounding their beats trying to coerce others into their organizational web of half-truths. If you have ever tried to converse with those believing a half-truth, then you have experienced the ensnarement of half-truths and the a.s.sociated difficulty of breaking the mental strongholds they create.
Similarly, at the Fall, satan said to Eve, "You will not surely die. For G.o.d knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like G.o.d" (Gen. 3:4-5). Now while that is partially true, it is not the whole truth. The devil, acting like the slick salesman he is, peels off all the benefits, but conveniently omits to tell the shortcomings or consequences of his proposal. It was true that humankind would become like G.o.d in one dimension (choosing between good and evil), but he did not tell them that their disobedience would bring humankind into sin, suffering separation from Almighty G.o.d.
This reminds me of an incident that happened about 20 years ago. A female friend got saved and was born-again. However, being a young Christian, she was very ignorant about the Word of G.o.d and what was right and wrong. After her conversion, the grace of G.o.d was fully on her life, yet she was robbed spiritually due to her lack of knowledge. She had arranged to be baptized, but in the week prior, she went to a clairvoyant, one whom she had been consulting regularly before her salvation. The clairvoyant did not know she was going to get baptized, but as he was giving his prophecy into her life, he told her he sensed she was going to go near water. She said, "Yes, that"s true," and it drew her in. The clairvoyant said, "If you are going near water, that is dangerous. You must stay away from water." That really confused her and brought fear into her, and unfortunately she did not get baptized, but went back into the world. This is a cla.s.sic example of how the enemy can reveal some truth to deceive us.
A similar thing happened when Jesus went into the desert after His baptism. The devil tried these same tactics of half-truths on the Messiah. Praise G.o.d, Jesus overcame the devil! The devil threw truth at Jesus, even using Scripture to try and deceive Him. However, as the Word of G.o.d personified (see John 1:14), Jesus, pulsing with Spirit and Life (see John 6:63), was able to outmaneuver and humiliate the enemy. Though Jesus was at the end of a 40-day fast, it was the devil who withdrew, needing respite after this encounter (see Luke 4:13).
Jesus defeated the devil on the same grounds that you and I do, through living the Word. Notice that I did not say, "By quoting the Word of G.o.d." Many people can quote the Word of G.o.d, but fewer are living it! Our victory is not in knowing the Word of G.o.d, but in Jesus (the Word of G.o.d) knowing us (see Matt. 7:22-23). We are to so absorb the Word of G.o.d that it is no longer we who live, but He who lives in us (see Gal. 2:20). G.o.d is still empowering the "Word become flesh" today, by His Spirit.
Jesus not only won the opening round, He went on to win the ultimate victory at Calvary. The Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him in heavenly places. The Bible says that we share in that victory. Paul states that G.o.d has ". . .raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).
This means that, in Christ, we also have overcome the worlda"with its l.u.s.tsa"and are victoriously seated, by faith, in Heaven. The Holy Spirit has also given us discernment and spiritual gifts to hear from G.o.d so that we understand all the truth (see John 16:13). When we know truth, anything short of it sets alarm bells ringing. As believers, we have a responsibility to be immersed or baptized in the Worda"through study and applicationa"so that we can detect the faintest hint of falsity. We need not turn to the occult or the New Age for interpretation, because the interpreter is "on-board" within us, and He will draw from the deposit of the Word within us to bring the interpretation.
Summary: Chapter Seven.
a Where we go to get our dreams and visions interpreted is important. Many turn to the occult in their desire for answers, not realizing the consequences of their actionsa"placing themselves under a curse and at enmity with G.o.d.
a The devil is the master of imitation and deception.
a As the thief, the devil steals the glory due to G.o.d and the inheritance that is rightly the saints".
a Going to clairvoyants or palm readers or using tarot cards, astrology, and New Age dream interpretation materials is effectively opening oneself up to counterfeit prophecy and deception.
a Jesus did not die for us that we would merely be saved. G.o.d also made provision with the infilling of the Holy Spirit for His children to live as the true spirit beings they were destined to be. Dream and vision interpretation is just exercising our spiritual senses in the Holy Spirit so we go on to receive our G.o.d-given inheritance.
a The devil likes to feed us half-truths. These not only deceive us, but also keep us from exploring the whole truth.
a Half-truths create mental strongholds that have the potential to rob us spiritually.
a Our victory over the devil is not in merely quoting the Word of G.o.d, but in Jesus (the Word of G.o.d) knowing us!
a When we know truth, anything short of it sets alarm bells ringing. Therefore, we have a responsibility to be immersed in the Scriptures through study and application.
Chapter Eight.
Beyond Dreams and Visions.
By Adrian Beale.
A Statement of Doubt and Unbelief.
Near to my home is a church with a notice board which at this very moment reads, "The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not available today." What a statement of doubt and unbelief! This billboard is an announcement that what goes on behind those doors is merely intellectual and dead religion. A denial of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is a blatant denial of the Word of G.o.d and is a prime example of those who claim it is possible to know G.o.d apart from His Spirit.
In building a scriptural response to such a declaration, let us consider a few points. In 21 chapters, the apostle John outlines the life of Jesus as G.o.d become man. Of those 21 chapters, which span a period of three years, almost a quarter of the book (chapters 13a"17) is allocated to the upper room discourse, which took only a few hours. This stark contrast of content allocation against time says that the communion around the Last Supper is vitally important and is not captured without purpose. Prior to His departure, in the midst of that intimacy with His disciples, Jesus promised that He would send His replacement. He said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16).
Take note how long Jesus said His replacement would be with us. He said forever! Now, considering in greater depth the words Jesus used here, we also discover that the word another is the Greek word allos, which means "another of the same quality." There is a Greek word which describes "another of different quality." That word is, heteros.1 Let me ill.u.s.trate this. If I gave you a tennis ball and then said, "I will give you another ball" and proceeded to give you a golf ball, I will have given you another (heteros) ball of a different kind. If I am to give you another (allos) of the same kind, I would have to give you another tennis ball. Therefore, in choosing to use the word allos, Jesus meant that He would send someone exactly the same as Himself. This means that we cannot only be sure that the Holy Spirit has come, but also that He is of the same essence and quality as Jesus and that He is here forever. It is also not unreasonable to expect, because they are the same, that the replacement would have a ministry like the One He replaces.
If at this point we add Peter"s declaration that the Holy Spirita"the Promise of the Father (see Luke 24:49)a"is available "to all who are afar off" (Acts 2:39), we immediately recognize that the statement on the billboard is in violation of Scripture. Peter"s p.r.o.nouncement not only confirms Jesus" promise that this gift is not limited by time, but also confidently a.s.serts that it is not restricted by distance either. Are we distant in distance or time? Then it is for us!
Our current common understanding of the word helper (see John 14:16) is also far from its biblical usage. The word helper is the Greek word parakletos, which comes from a word which means "to speak to" and "to encourage." It describes someone who is a legal advisor or advocate.2 This is why Jesus says in the previous verse, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). When we are legally right with G.o.d by keeping His Word, the Holy Spirit (as the Parakletos) comes forward as the representative of Christ and is empowered to undertake for us while Jesus is absent from the world. The Holy Spirit will only undertake in line with the Word.
Finally, take note of the words Luke uses to open the Book of Acts. "The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach " (Acts 1:1). Does Luke say, "all that Jesus completed"? No! He deliberately says that his former worka"the Book of Lukea"only portrays what Jesus began to do and teach. That beginning, as seen in the ministry of Christ, is continued because the Holy Spirit is poured out so that all believers are empowered to do even greater works (see John 14:12). In using the words, do and teach, Luke also silences any ambiguity about Jesus" continued ministry through the Holy Spirit. We can be sure that if there is proper teaching there will also be doing to confirm that Word (see Mark 16:20). The Book of Acts is then a confirmation and proof that Jesus has not finished, that He has not packed up shop and gone home, but that He is still continuing both in doing and teaching today by His Spirit. To say that the gifts of the Spirit are not for today is a statement inspired by the devil, propagated by those who seek to strengthen their own religious position (see Matt. 12:24) and who are mindful only of the things of people (see Matt. 16:23).
While most churches would not make a blatant confession like the one this chapter opens with, the obvious lack of the gifts of the Spirit flowing in the Church today may indicate that we are settling for such a belief in our hearts.
G.o.d Awaits an Invitation G.o.d is the Master Craftsman. He is capable of engineering the events in people"s lives with incredible precision. The Bible is full of examples of what may look like just a random sequence of events that then turn out to prefigure events in the life of Christ. Some examples are the life of Joseph (as discussed earlier), Abraham"s offering up of Isaac on Mount Moriah (see 2 Sam. 12:1-15), and the death and resurrection of Jonah, to name a few. One such sequence in the life of Christ reveals truth about the Holy Spirit that I would like to share now. We are likely to miss this gem without the opportunity provided by this longitudinal preview.
John"s Gospel records that after He had fed the five thousand, Jesus perceived that the people would come and take Him by force and make Him king (see John 6:15). This same Scripture says that when Jesus saw what was about to happen, He departed alone to the mountain. This is very significant.
There was to be a day when Jesus would accept the people"s accolades as their king, but this was not it. That day was yet to come and was manifest as the day of His triumphant entry into Jerusalem (see Luke 19:37-40). The prophet Daniel records that day in prophecy with pinpoint accuracy. He says that recognition of Meshiach Nagid (Messiah King) would take place 173,880 days3 from the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (see Dan. 9:25-26). On the exact day prophesied by Daniel, Jesus entered Jerusalem, accepted recognition as their king, and was subsequently executed as the nation"s subst.i.tutionary sacrifice. This is all recorded in Daniel"s prophecy.
Therefore, when John records that Jesus went up the mountain alone, he is showing us something deeper. In Mark"s account of this episode, he tells us that Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, and then He went up the mountain to pray (see Mark 6:45-46). John adds, "Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea" (John 6:16).
If we make a parallel between going up the mount and Jesus entering Heaven (see Heb. 8:5), recognize that evening is a metaphor for Jesus" departure (see John 9:4-5), and also note that Jesus is praying for His disciples in Heaven (see Heb. 7:25-26; Rom. 8:34), an incredible insight is revealed to us.
In outline, what we see is: a Jesus broken as the Bread of Life (see John 6:35) a Feeding an innumerable number of people a Being proclaimed king a Rising up into Heaven a His physical absence from the earth a Praying for His disciples a The disciples making their way across the sea of humanity.
Hopefully you can appreciate that what we are seeing outworked here is a prophetic prefiguring of what was about to happen.
Therefore, when Jesus comes down to His disciples and observes their struggle rowing (see Mark 6:48), we see His current response to our own need when we are likewise working in our own strength. As eye-opening as that may be, what is even more remarkable is what Mark next records. "Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have pa.s.sed them by" (Mark 6:48b). Did you see that? Jesus sees their struggle "and would have pa.s.sed them by. " What was He doing? Couldn"t He see their need? What was He waiting for?
Before we offer an answer, let"s consider also how He appeared to them on the sea. Mark says, "But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out" (Mark 6:49 KJV). They perceived Jesus as a spirit, a point echoed in Matthew"s Gospel, but they were mistaken because Jesus was physically walking on the water. It is no coincidence that their misconception is recorded because this is how Jesus pa.s.ses by us today, as the Holy Spirit. Stop and think about that for a moment. What is He waiting for? He is waiting for a faith-filled invitation (see Matt. 14:28) and a ceasing from our own works of the flesh (see John 6:21) before He enters into our boat.
Jesus reinforces this truth when He appears, unexpected and unrecognized, after His death, to two disciples on their way to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13-31). The Bible records, Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. " And He went in to stay with them (Luke 24:28-29).
How amazing! After achieving the greatest victory in the history of human-kinda"resurrection from the deada"here is Jesus awaiting an invitation before entering into communion with His disciples. Only in the light of the forthcoming ministry of the Holy Spirit can we fully explain this anomaly. It ill.u.s.trates the disciples" ignorance and emphasizes their need for sensitivity. The truth here is that although the Holy Spirit is incredibly powerful, we are in need of heightened spiritual awareness to commune with Him.
An Awakening to Relationship This is a lesson that is seen in the life of Elijah. Elijah had a tremendous victory on Mount Carmel, a victory that included calling down fire, killing 450 false prophets, breaking a three-year drought through prayer, and outrunning the king"s chariot (see 1 Kings 18:19-46). Yet, in the very next chapter, we see G.o.d contrasting power with the inner voice of the Holy Spirit to break a wrong mindset within Elijah. The Scripture records, Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord. " And behold, the Lord pa.s.sed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).
Like Elijah, we can be so caught up with the ministry or the manifestation of G.o.d"s power that we miss the need for relationship with Him. As in all relationships, it is only in heart-to-heart communication that we truly hear what the other is saying. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is developed when there is less room in our own hearts for self. Elijah had a fixation that he was the last G.o.dly man standing (see 1 Kings 19:10,14). This was a wrong mindset, brought to the surface by Jezebel"s death-threat, which took advantage of burnout due to his overwork in the ministry. G.o.d"s mighty demonstration of power to Elijah highlights the need to appreciate the distinction between a manifestation of G.o.d and G.o.d Himself. In the light of this, we are always to remember that visions and dreamsa"as a manifestation of the power of G.o.da"are not an end in themselves and, though they lead us in the purposes of G.o.d, they are ultimately to direct us deeper in our relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Following this object lesson, G.o.d commissions Elijah to anoint two kings and Elisha. It is interesting to see that Elijah caught what G.o.d was trying to convey because, like Enoch before him, he was taken up as one who walked with G.o.d (see Gen. 5:24). Perhaps more revealing is the fact that Elijah did not personally anoint the two kings, Hazael and Jehu, as he was commissioned by G.o.d to do, but that Elisha, his understudy, did (see 2 Kings 8:13-15; 9:1-3). What does that say? It says that, in getting closer to G.o.d, Elijah lay down his life by pouring it into his successor. In doing that, he created and developed an unquenchable hunger and sensitivity for the Holy Spirit in Elisha. This hunger was openly displayed on the day in which Elijah was taken up. (If you haven"t read Second Kings 2:1-14 recently, please stop here and take the time to familiarize yourself with its contents.4) This was an appet.i.te that would not stop for repeated offers of rest or be dissuaded by the voice of his peers (see 2 Kings 2:2-6). He would not settle for conversion (symbolized by Gilgal) nor be content at coming into the House of G.o.d (symbolized by Bethel). Under Elijah"s training, Elisha developed such hunger that he would not be satisfied merely with a demonstration of G.o.d"s power (symbolized by their trip to Jericho). He was prepared to lay down his life (Jordan, which means "descender" or "death") and was rewarded with a double portion of the Holy Spirit!
Have We Forgotten the Cost?
Somehow, we read about the great exploits of Old and New Testament saints and even of Christ Himself, and yet we forget the cost. Considering Jesus for a moment, whilst we recognize and reverence Him as the G.o.d-Man, it is important to remember that He did not perform His miracles as G.o.d, but as a man. The miracles He worked were those of a man empowered by the Holy Spirit, to show us how it is done. Yes, that"s right. He was as totally reliant upon the Holy Spirit for ministry as we are. Why else did He need to be anointed? As Luke records, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19).
And elsewhere it says, How G.o.d anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for G.o.d was with Him (Acts 10:38).
It is easy to lose sight of the fact that as a man (like all the Old Testament greats before Him), Jesus needed an anointing of the Holy Spirit to ministera" an anointing birthed and renewed in prayer. Again, in Luke, the Gospel that speaks about Jesus as a man, we read, When all the people were baptized, it came to pa.s.s that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended. . . (Luke 3:21-22).
The anointing is poured out in prayerful relationship. It is no coincidence that we see Jesus in prayera"in the wilderness (see Luke 5:16), before He chose His disciples (see Luke 6:12), before Peter"s confession of faith (see Luke 9:18), at the transfiguration (see Luke 9:28-29), before teaching His disciples to pray (see Luke 11:1), and after feeding the 5,000 (see Matt. 14:23)a"and it should be noted that on the night of Jesus" betrayal that Judas knew where to find Him because He often withdrew to that place to pray (see Luke 22:39; John 18:2). It was not so much that He went to prayer because He was about to minister, but rather that His ministry flowed out of His relationship with G.o.d, as marked by prayer.
Not only does the Bible record that He prayed, but it also captures His desire for prayer, "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35). And on another occasion He "continued all night in prayer to G.o.d" (Luke 6:12). Jesus was pa.s.sionate about prayer. It was like oxygen to Him.
Sadly, we lack that fervency today. Many mistakenly believe that it was different for Jesus and that we could never attain to His level of ministry. That is a lie that hampers our spiritual progress. For the most part, we are like the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane; our spirits are willing, but the flesh is weak.
When you meet someone genuinely pa.s.sionate for the things of G.o.d, it is truly inspirational. I have been fortunate to work with such a person on this project. In more than 20 years of ministry, I have not met another person who has the ability to consistently move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit like my coauthor. It is not surprising that the unction with which he moves has come at tremendous personal cost. Though he has already shared about his two-year investment praying in the Spirit, he hasn"t told you about the 40-day fasts, or the countless nights on his face before G.o.d in prayer, or his prayer-partnership with his best friend, Todd. It shouldn"t be any surprise, then, that his unquenchable pa.s.sion for souls and obedience to G.o.d will cause him to leave his office to minister to a dying soul on the other side of the city or to openly preach the Gospel on the city streets. It has also led him to encounter typhoons in the Philippines, to be eaten by fire ants in the jungles of Southern Mindanao, and to cause the churches in which he was ministering in India to be "stoned" by Hindu fundamentalists.
So far in this chapter, we have confirmed the presence of the Holy Spirit with us today. We have discussed the need for increased sensitivity to commune with Him, and we have seen the difference between a manifestation of G.o.d and G.o.d Himself. We have also explored how this revelation comes with a call to a deeper personal relationship with G.o.d. This led us to recognize the cost of prayerful relationship for the anointing we seek.
Seeing Ourselves in the Mirror It has been long said that the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. The premise on which this is based is that the New Testament opens Old Testament truth that was previously hidden from human understanding. While this is true, it is also worth noting that the Old Testament in its physical and positional "types" opens to us deeper understanding of our spiritual standing in the New Testament. So that we can take this discussion farther, it is worth looking at two very revealing parallels in the Old Testament to appreciate where we stand in the plan and purposes of G.o.d today.
1: Moses, Joshua, and Judges Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, but it was Joshua who led them into the Promised Land. Though Joshua began to clear Canaan of opposition forces, the Bible also records that, . . .the children of Mana.s.seh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out (Joshua 17:12-13).
The Book of Judges follows Joshua and describes this same inability to push home the advantage gained through Joshua"s invasion. We read, But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day (Judges 1:21).
The first chapter of the Book of Judges records this failure to drive out the inhabitants by the respective tribes: Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan (see Judg. 1:29-34). Why did they fail to take hold of all that G.o.d had promised them? In the next chapter we read, "And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. " But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, "I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their G.o.ds shall be a snare to you" (Judges 2:2-3).
The reason that Israel failed in their conquest was that they began to settle down and relax when the job was only half done. They embraced the values of the society around them and consequently paid dearly for their spiritual apathy.
2: Elijah, Elisha, and Gehazi As we have already discussed, Elijah pa.s.sed on the mantle to Elisha, who received a double-portion of the Spirit that was upon his mentor. Elisha had someone who he was likewise preparing to pa.s.s on the baton to. His servant and understudy was Gehazi. However, after G.o.d had healed Namaan the leper through the ministry of Elisha, Gehazi went after Namaan to receive the reward his master had turned down (see 2 Kings 5:20-27). On Gehazi"s return to Elisha, his master"s words to him are particularly enlightening. Elisha says, Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? (2 Kings 5:26) As is indicated by the words, "Is it time," Gehazi had no idea where he stood in the purposes of G.o.d. He also had no appreciation of the anointing he would have received if only he had not sought material security.
3: John the Baptist, Jesus, and. . . ?
Now, to bring this closer to home, Jesus said that the ministry of John the Baptist was a parallel to that of Elijah. Speaking of John, Jesus said, "And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come" (Matt. 11:14). And He also said, But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him. . . Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:12-13).
So John held a parallel spiritual role to that of Elijah. It was not by chance that Jesus" baptism took place in the Jordan, the same place where Elijah pa.s.sed the mantle on to Elisha. And the Jordan was also the place through which Joshua would lead the children of Israel so that they could enter their Promised Land. Like Moses before him, John prepared the people by leading them in renewal in the wilderness so that they, likewise, could come into the Kingdom being opened by Christ (see Matt. 4:17, 12:28). It is no coincidence that the name Joshua is the Old Testament equivalent of the name Jesus in the New Testament. Are you getting this? Moses and Elijah are a type of John the Baptist. Joshua and Elisha were foreshadows ofJesus. Gehazi holds the same position as the children of Israel in the Book of Judges, but who holds this position today? Who did Jesus pa.s.s the mantle on to? Answer: the Church. Whoa!
Table of Parallel Roles Exit Entry Conquest Moses Joshua Judges Elijah Elisha Gehazi John the Baptist Jesus The Church Could it be that G.o.d was forewarning us that the Church, like the children of Israel, would be p.r.o.ne to embrace the world and stop short of G.o.d"s intended goal?
Entry Versus Conquest I hear some say, "But didn"t Jesus do it all for us?" To answer that question, let"s go back to Joshua"s crossing of the Jordan River for a moment. The Scripture records that Joshua said, "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan" (Josh. 3:11).
What does the ark represent? Well, what did it have in it? It had the two tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments, Aaron"s rod that budded, and a piece of the manna from the wilderness. The tablets represent the Word of G.o.d, Aaron"s rod represents resurrection, and the manna represents the bread of the wilderness. Who is the Word of G.o.d, the Resurrection, and the Bread of Life? Jesus is all three! So the ark here represents Jesus. What does Jordan mean? Jordan means "descender" or "death." So the ark entering into the Jordan represents Jesus pa.s.sing into death. What happened when the feet of those who bore the ark touched the waters of the Jordan? The Bible says, when the feet of the priests touched the water, That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away [all the way back to] Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho (Joshua 3:16).
When the anointed bearers of the Ark entered the river, the water retreated all the way back to a town called Adam. If we recognize that "the wages of sin is death. . . " (Rom. 6:23) and that it is no coincidence that the town was called Adam, we will realize that we are foreseeing physically a spiritual truth yet to happen in Christ"s death upon the cross. When Jesus entered into death (the Jordan), the flow of sin was rolled back to Adam. Hallelujah! The children of Israel subsequently built a memorial with 12 stones, which represent the 12 apostles (see Matt. 16:18), and then symbolically cut off the flesh through circ.u.mcision before proceeding to take the Promised Land. Was the Promised Land given to them through the ark causing them to cross over on dry ground? Yes and No. Yes, G.o.d had made a way, and no, they had to clear the land as they were led by G.o.d (see Josh. 5:14-15). As we have already seen in the Book ofJudges, Israel failed to press home their advantage. Flanked by fear, they chose rather to embrace the society they were sent to conquer. Today, we can see whether Jesus has done it all for us by looking at the equivalent of land clearing and simply asking ourselves a rhetorical question: Are there still those oppressed of the devil and unsaved in our world?
Jesus would have pa.s.sed the disciples by, and likewise the Holy Spirit is walking past our boat right now. But could it be that, like Gehazi, we are p.r.o.ne to miss where we stand on G.o.d"s timeline and find ourselves clamoring for superficial security in our homes, cars, and retirement plans?
Like Elisha before us, we cannot afford to be content to just arrive at conversion (Gilgal) or to stop at the house of G.o.d (Bethel) or be satisfied by a display of G.o.d"s power (Jericho). Let us rather cut off the flesh (crossing over the Jordan) and push in to receive all of the Spirit that Jesus has for us! Let us not forget that Jesus has said, Most a.s.suredly, 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).
In these words, He is promising us a double-portion of His Spirit. Are we as hungry for the Spirit of our Master as Elisha was? Are we prepared like Elisha for the tests of perseverance? Or are we comfortable just to adopt the fatalistic stance of our peers?
We can and should get excited about dreams and visions, but we are not to settle here. G.o.d has so much more for us than we could ever imagine. Dreams and visions are but a catalyst to awaken and revitalize a sensitivity and hunger within us for the Holy Spirit. Lifting our spiritual eyes, we see that there is a Kingdom to be won and the offer of a double-portion anointing to lead us into complete victory. If this book does anything, let it create within you a pa.s.sion for the Holy Spirit that will not be satisfied with anything less than the fullness of G.o.d!
Summary: Chapter Eight.
a The Holy Spirit is exactly like Jesus and comes to complete the work that Jesus began.
a The Promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit) is available to everyone independent of distance and time.
a Wherever there is correct teaching, there will be accompanied doing of the works of Christ. The Book of Acts is confirmation that Jesus has not finished His ministry.
a The ministry of Christ outlines the ministry of the Holy Spirit today.
a One such series of events sets out: a Jesus broken as the Bread of Life a Feeding an innumerable group of people a Being proclaimed King a Going into Heaven a His physical absence from the earth a Praying for His disciples a The disciples struggling in their own strength across the sea of humanity a Christ coming to them as the Holy Spirit a The need for increased sensitivity in dealing with the Holy Spirit a Although the Holy Spirit is incredibly powerful, we are in need of increased sensitivity to commune with Him.
a The life of Elijah ill.u.s.trated the importance of making the distinction between a manifestation of G.o.d and G.o.d Himself.
a Dreams and visions are manifestations of G.o.d; they are not an end in themselves. They are to direct us into a deeper relationship with G.o.d.
a The miracles Jesus performed were of a man anointed by the Holy Spirit, to show us how it is done.
a The anointing is poured out in prayerful relationship.