The Lion, Eagle, Ox and Man, part 2

Previously I wrote about the Living Creatures, found in Ezekiel’s vision and in John’s Revelation. I spoke about the Lion, and today I will write about the Eagle, Ox and Man.

The flying Eagle represents the Spirit of Wisdom (Eph 1:17). When an eagle flies, he sours on high where he can take in the whole picture of what is happening. The Eagle sees God’s purposes and how they can be accomplished on the earth. Before time began, God destined that wisdom should come to us (1 Cor 2:7). One with the Spirit of Wisdom will understand, and help implement, God’s purposes.

 God’s plans are eternal, and therefore He gives insight about the times and the season, as He did with the sons of Issachar (1 Chron 12:32). Because of their understanding, they knew what the people of God should do. This aspect of the Spirit of Wisdom helps men to implement the appropriate words and actions. This believer will glimpse what has gone before, what should take place in the present, and for what purpose the works are being done. Those who are interested in this present life, who love the world and what they have to gain by it, will not be given the Spirit of Wisdom.  Just as earthly wisdom begins with the fear of God, so the Spirit of Wisdom comes to the same. Those who love the world are not in love with God, neither do they honor and fear Him (1 Jn 1:15-17).

The Ox represents the enabler of the works of God, the reason we become human sacrifices (Rom 12:1). He is the Spirit of Prophecy. Jesus told His disciples that He could “do nothing by himself; He can do only what He sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (Jn 5:19). Seeing God’s works is important. The only way we can do them on this earth is to “see” them in heaven. We can know what His “good, pleasing and perfect will” is by laying our lives down as a living sacrifice (Rom 1:1-2), just as an ox was laid down as a sacrifice in the Old Testament Temple.

Though most Christians believe prophecy is the ability to foretell the future, that is not its entire ministry. Foretelling the future occurs not because of a special anointing, but because God’s plans and the works He appoints to men are on a continuum that is from the beginning of time, to its end. The ability to see the future is connected to that which the Lord has on His heart to share, and not on “seeing” into events that have not yet taken place. Simply put, prophecy is hearing and seeing from God. This enables men to do the works of God, which is a pleasing sacrifice to Him.

John the Baptist said that Jesus would be One who “testifies to what he has seen and heard,” (Jn 3:32). The Testimony of Jesus, therefore, is the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev 19:10). One who hears the Lord speaking within, and does those works He sees from on high will be given the Spirit of Prophecy so that he can grow in his sensitivity to what God is showing and speaking of concerning the works of the Kingdom. The Spirit of Prophecy equips one to become perfect in obedience, as Jesus was when He walked the earth. Any man who does not lay his life down as a living sacrifice eventually will not want to

say and do what he hears and sees, and therefore will not receive the Spirit of Prophecy. However, the wise will see that it is the Testimony of Jesus by which they overcome their enemy, satan (Rev 12:11).

The fourth creature has the face of a man, and represents the Spirit of Truth. Man is called to be the “amen” to God’s words through his obedience. Satan challenged God’s words to Adam and Eve in the garden, bringing doubt and eventual separation from God (Gen 3:1). God has purposed that the final “amen”, or agreement to His words would come from Man himself, therefore defeating satan.

Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit of Truth would “come to teach you all things and (He) will remind you of everything I have said to you,” (Jn 14:26). Love of the truth keeps God’s people from falling away, or becoming deluded (2 Thess 2:10-12). The Word of God, written on our hearts, is an ever-present sword which divides truth from error. Therefore we see His promise of discernment to those who fear Him. “They will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not,” (Mal 3:18).

The Spirit of Truth ministers to Man by laying the foundation of the Word in order that Wisdom, Revelation, and the Prophetic Works of God can be built upon it. When he speaks of what is “yet to come,” (Jn 16:13) the Spirit of Truth equips men to pray, speak and act in order to bring those things to pass. This is an example of how the Spirit of Prophecy builds on the foundation of Truth. The Spirit of Truth also divides the intentions of the heart and the words and actions of men between good and bad, and truth and error so that one will use the Spirit of Wisdom to build on the foundation of truth. And he uses the Word of God written on our hearts to bring Revelation to us. In all these ways God’s ministry through the Spirit of Truth equips us to be like Jesus, the Word of God in the flesh. Without loving truth, we would lack the foundation upon which true ministry is built.

Let us seek God for all His gifts so that we may be complete, equipped for the works He predestined for us to do from the foundations of time (Eph 2:10).

Why Judgment?

Since I am writing lessons from the Book of Revelation, the topic of God’s judgment will come up.  Why did God choose to judge Man’s sins, and why do we live in a fallen world because of Adam and Eve’s sin? We tend to look at all Man, everywhere and in every time, as thinking, believing, and acting like we do.  God describes the world more like a woman in childbirth, and the creation groaning until we are birthed. (Rom 8:19 & 23; 2 Cor 5:4). Mankind is in a developing state, spiritually, and believers will one day become Sons of God.

We find another clue to the developing state of Man in Daniel 12:3; "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."

Daniel saw that, in a much later time, men would be busier, and smarter.  But those who have “insight” would reflect the glory of the Son of God and have a permanent place with Him “like the stars forever and ever.”  We see that our time now has a tremendous increase in knowledge and busyness and could well be the time Daniel was shown.

So, what does the developing nature of Mankind have to do with judgment?  First, men and women were not always able to learn by deductive, inductive or analytical thought.  If we look at the religions that existed around the time that Moses received the Law for the Hebrews, many of those other religions had less informed ideas.  They believed that God needed human sacrifice so that their crops would grow and the harvest come in.  Relating God’s favor to good outcomes by doing wrong is the beginning of superstition.  It is small-minded to believe that Man’s thoughts affect God and cause the world to revolve around Man, as if God has no plan or thoughts of His own. And so, in earlier times men believed their thoughts were “good” and every man did what pleased him, according to his belief system (Judges 21:25). Man was not accountable for his life, because he was the one who led and approved it.

God wants a relationship with Mankind.  Abraham pleased God and was called His friend.  It is written, “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD.”(Gen 18:19).  Though Abraham could have taught his family to follow his own ideas, his relationship with God brought God’s ideas into the family and it was the beginning of relationships with God. God caused Abraham and His family to follow, and to become accountable to His revealed word either by blessing them, or judging them.

God continued with Abraham’s lineage by establishing His relationship through Moses. He gave the Hebrews the Law, which not only held Man accountable to God, but to their fellow man. A man could not blame the weather, other gods, or any other superstitious thing for his own behavior.  The man himself was responsible. If he took another man’s possessions, he himself had to restore them plus some.

As the nation of the Hebrews, later called the Jews, progressed, God sought to establish more of a relationship with them, calling them his bride.  He used analogies of unfaithfulness when describing their behavior, for the Jews were promised to Him, and God loved them.  He called them His own people, and said that He wanted to dwell amongst them.  When they strayed and were acting like a spiritual harlot, God judged them.  When the Jews repented of having other gods and returned to God, He forgave them.  This taught the Jews that God loved just like they loved.  He had feelings of being hurt, and anger, just like they did.  And so the relationship between Man and God developed further.  If God had not held the Jews accountable for their behavior, their belief system would have become polluted by the religions around them, and they would have gone into darkness.  That was not God’s plan for Man.

God wants an honest relationship with His people.  David wrote “Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.” Ps 51:6). God dealt with the Jewish leaders about thinking that their own thoughts were before God’s, and for calling good evil and evil good (Is 5:20).  God was developing Man’s relationship with Him because He had truth, wisdom and revelation for us. God was preparing His people to have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). God did not want men to go back into darkness, making up truth to excuse the pollutions from the world that had entered their hearts.  God wanted a holy people, set apart from the world.

One day we will literally give account of ourselves. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:12).  All throughout time God has disciplined and judged Man so that we would know about God and follow His ways.  His judgments have been disciplinary in intention, so that Man would know Him and have a good outcome.  But God’s coming judgment at the end will bring eternal rewards and punishments.  The righteous, or as Daniel said, those who have “insight”, will shine.  They have walked in relationship with God. I believe at that time that the purpose of judgment will be fulfilled, for Man will then know good from evil, right from wrong, God’s ways from the ways of the world.

God bless you as you walk with God this day.

Lion, Eagle, Ox and Man part 1

In John’s vision each of the living creatures had their own face; that of the man, ox, lion or eagle. Before Christ, God’s words to men were “packaged” to contain that which He would give men individually as gifts after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In reading God’s words in the Old Testament we see Truth, Wisdom, Revelation, and Prophecy intermingled. Now they are individual gifts to those that follow Christ.

It is important that we do not look at the creatures with our own understanding. God has His purposes for the symbolism He chooses, each representing God’s ministry to Man. Also of note, they are not called angels. Though they are spiritual beings, the creatures embody aspects of God’s ministry to Man and their faces are visual representations of each distinct part of God’s nature which He imparts to His believers.

Ezekiel saw flashes of fire that traveled between each beast (Ez 1:13). This represented the One Spirit of God which communicated between each of the Living Creatures. It is difficult to write about the distinct faces of each Living Creature separately because their ministries interact with each other. What the Spirit of Prophecy builds up in us, the Spirit of Wisdom builds upon, and so it goes. Our nature becomes transformed each time the Holy Spirit ministers to us. In like manner, when we receive the ministry of the Spirit of Prophecy, Wisdom, Truth, and Revelation, our minds are changed. We begin to think more like God thinks, and to understand deeply what is the inheritance of the saints (Eph 1:18).

Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would take that which is His and give it to us (Jn 16:14). God purposed that we should be given ministry for our benefit, and to equip us for the works of the Kingdom of God. Paul’s prayer to the Christians at Ephesus was that they be given the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation so that they might know God better (Eph 1:17). The Lion symbolizes the inherent right to the knowledge the believer will rule by: Revelation. The saint with the Spirit of Revelation will learn and understand God’s nature and His ways.

We can understand the symbolism of the Lion by looking at Jesus being called the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” (Rev 5:5). When Jacob prophesied to Judah concerning his inheritance, or what he had a right to, Jacob called Judah the “lion’s cub” (Gen 49:8-10). Therefore we know that the Lion has to do with inherited right. This was fulfilled in Jesus, who came from the lineage of Judah, revealed knowledge about His Father to Man, and Who now rules. One with the Spirit of Revelation knows the Father and is included in His family. Without knowing the Father’s ways and nature, revelation is mere imagination.

Revelation takes those pieces that are known in part and combines them into a whole (1 Cor 14:29-30). The Spirit of Revelation brings deep understanding into what God’s purposes are for speaking, for with the revelation comes the part of God’s nature that is being imparted. It is not a gift of interpretation, but a gift of revealing to men the heart of God behind the symbols. The more the Spirit of Revelation is at work in a believer, the more he will know God. However, if a man seeks to serve himself and not God, his works will be rejected (Mt 7:21-23).

Change in Heaven part 2

Yesterday I wrote about a change in heaven brought about by the sacrifice of Jesus, our Savior; God wanting to have a personal relationship with His people.  Today I will write about another change, which concerns the positioning of the living creatures. This builds upon the believer being able to hear and be guided by God through His Holy Spirit.

In Ezekiel’s vision, the creatures were below the sea of glass and the throne. The sea of glass was like a ceiling above them, towards which they reached their wings. In John’s vision the creatures are positioned “in the center, around the throne” which rests upon the sea of glass. Their proximity to the throne shows God’s desire to talk to believers. The four creatures symbolize ministry to God’s servants.  Not only can they hear what the Lord is saying, but we can too, because Jesus provided a place for us in the heavenlies.  “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus . . .”(Eph 2:6). In John’s vision we no longer see a ceiling, but are near the throne and can hear the Lord directly.  As a side note, this angers satan, who was cast out of God’s presence. He no longer has access to the throne of God and so he will go after those who hear God (Rev 12:17).

Another difference between Ezekiel’s vision and John’s vision is that Ezekiel saw each living creature as having four faces; man, ox, lion and eagle. Each of the four creatures had the same four faces. These represent facets of God’s ministry to Man, for the four living creatures came with God to Ezekiel during a time of ministry. In John’s vision each of the living creatures had their own face; that of the man, ox, lion or an eagle. They were “differentiated”. Some would say each creature specialized.  This represents the fact that, before Christ, God’s words to men were “packaged” to contain that all that He had to say to men.  After Jesus rose from the dead He gave men gifts individually to accomplish God’s ministry. In reading God’s words in the Old Testament, we see Truth, Wisdom, Revelation, and Prophecy intermingled. Now they are individual gifts that are given to those that follow Christ, for the purpose of ministering to the body of Christ.

God is showing us the four living creatures so that we would see those spirits which are aspects of God’s ministry to us from heaven, and which are intended to reside on God’s ministers on earth. Facets illustrate aspects of the nature of someone or something. We are seeing parts of God’s nature in the four living creatures; parts that He wants to share with His believers. His Spirit is weakened when men’s ministries do not rely on what is imparted by God because men’s hearts do not contain His full counsel. God brings His full counsel through those who are seated with Christ in His Throne, listening so that they can impart in ministry to others (Rev 3:21).

Because the creatures are now before the throne, they receive from the Lord, and give to men. So we see that when the creatures speak, the elder’s reaction is to lay their lives down and worship God, submitting themselves to their Creator. There is a relationship between the creatures and the elders, not seen in Ezekiel’s vision. When these spirits minister to men, they are taking from heaven and giving to men, each creature according to the facet, or part of God that he represents.

I will write soon about the 4 faces on each living creature. Have a good day, and God bless.

Changes in Heaven

When we think about what Jesus did for us, our thoughts often go to salvation.  But His life, death and resurrection did more than save our souls. The death and resurrection of Jesus did more than redeem those that believe in Him: it gave all believers the Holy Spirit. Before this, God’s relationship was mostly through leaders upon whom the Holy Spirit rested, such as His prophets or kings. After Jesus rose from the dead, believers were invited to be sons and daughters of God in whom His Spirit dwells. God’s purposes for Man are seen also in the spiritual realm.   Jesus’ victory on the cross caused a change in heaven. I will write about how scripture shows us this change in the book of Revelation.

The book of Revelation has symbolism of the four living creatures that fairly well matches a vision given to the Prophet Ezekiel.  Ezekiel’s vision (Ez 1:4-25) was given approximately 593 BC. John’s vision (Rev 4:6-9) was approximately AD 95.  John’s vision varies from Ezekiel’s vision of the four living creatures in significant aspects. Please read these scriptures so that you are familiar with what I am writing about.  

The differences between Ezekiel’s vision and John’s vision show a change in heaven. The first difference  is that Ezekiel sees the creatures with their spirits in their wheels, which were covered with eyes and follow the Spirit of God. In John’s vision, the creatures had no wheels, but they themselves were covered with eyes. The wheels represent God’s leading, which previously had come from an external source and rested upon the human spirit. Now God’s leading rests upon His believers.

Jesus said “If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23). God wants to abide with us, and lead us by His Holy Spirit.  He seeks a personal relationship with each believer instead of a relationship only with kings and prophets.

The eyes represent the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). The believer is led by the Spirit of God directly, and is covered with the mind of Christ. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears and He will tell you what is yet to come.” (Jn 16:13). God not only will guide us, and abide with us, but He will speak to us about what is true, and about what is to come.  The Jewish nation knew about God, but did not know God. However, this same God now wants to reveal His thoughts to His people. We see that the relationship between God and Man is becoming closer as Jesus brings people into the family of God.

Tomorrow I will write about more differences between Ezekiel and John’s visions of the four living creatures, and the changes Jesus wrought for us in heaven. Have a blessed day.