Christian
Media
Communiqué
THE GREAT EXCHANGE
Part XXXIX
In our last installment of The Great Exchange,
we noted the characteristics of the allegorical usage of the terms the land and
the sea – recognizing the land (or the sand, ground, earth,
dirt, plain, etc) usually denotes the existence of the physical world.
Conversely, we see how a sea, a lake, a fountain, or a body
of water seen in a Scriptural description commonly points us to a Spiritual
setting. These two locales are also seen as the Shadow and the Substance,
with the latter in a heavenly setting, and the shadow seen in the earthly
reflection of the substance.
We’ve found it useful to combine the terms, and
periodically refer to the earthly realm as the Shadowland. In
exploring how the Sand and the Sea are also seen as the Shadow and the
Substance, we will compare two Biblical passages which resonate with each other
(see the book The Sand And The Sea for more).
In the Gospels, where Jesus is going to travel to the land
of the Gadarenes (where he finds the demoniac in the tombs), we see he
traverses over the sea to reach the unfortunate man he is going
to free from the oppressive spirits named Legion.
“When he was entered into a
ship…there arose a great tempest in the sea…his
disciples came to him…saying, Lord save us: we perish. And he saith unto
them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the
winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:23-26).
As the Spirits in the Gadarene madman must have known He was
coming to what they considered to be their territory, it’s likely the
“tempest” which raged in the “sea” was related to their
presence. We also note that Jesus reproached the fear exhibited
by the disciples.
In an associated passage, the disciples are again in a ship,
and in that instance, we also find the “sea” is rough, and the ship
is tossed about from the wind and the water.
“But the ship was now in the midst
of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in
the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on
the sea” (Matthew 14:24, 25).
This story has all the same elements as the journey over the
sea to the land of the Gadarenes, as the disciples are also in fear in
this account. At his point, we should note the New Testament makes it clear
that God does not desire us to be in fear.
“For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound
mind” (II Timothy 1:7).
This is germane to the present look at the disciples on the
ship, as Jesus tells them “be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27).
In fact, this is the very episode where Peter exhibits miraculous power
as well, for until the fear of the circumstances grips him, he
was able to walk on the water with Jesus.
“And Peter answered him and said,
Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And when Peter was
come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to
Jesus” (Matthew 14:28, 29)
Most of us remember the facts of the story, for we see that
as Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, he is actually walking on the
water; but when he sees the circumstances of the tumult in the wind and the
water, the doubt surfaces, and he starts to sink in fear.
“But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried saying, Lord,
save me” (Matthew 14:30).
We suspect the Apostle James had this episode in mind when
he wrote the following:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God…But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed” (James 1:5, 6).
This is the same passage which refers to the instability of
the “double minded man” (James 1:7). Moreover, since the
context of our probe into the concept of doubling is pointing us
to the understanding that we are NOW in the kingdom of God – which is the
supposedly literal one thousand year “Millennial Reign” of Christ doubled
– the ability to manifest the miraculous power of God is somehow related.
“Let not that man [who
wavereth] think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double
minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6, 7).
In fact, considering that Peter has just walked on the water
in the faith of Christ, we also note that when they disembarked from the ship
and landed in Gennesaret, miracles among the people immediately followed.
“And when the men of that place had
knowledge of him…they brought unto him all that were diseased: and
besought him that they might touch the hem of his garment: and as many as
touched were made perfectly whole” (Matthew 14:35, 36).
It is self evident that faith is required for
something as dramatic as a physical healing, but since the Apostles –
exemplified by James -- have connected the “wavering” or the double-minded
nature inherent in doubt, we can’t help but suspect the belief that we
are in the kingdom of God NOW, has a relationship to the power that can be
accessed by the sons and daughters of God in the present venue.
We also recognize that when the Apostles were able to
perform amazing feats of supernatural power, these things occurred before the body
of Christ was divided into differing theological camps. Thus, our
mission of reconciling the doctrinal division that has occurred, will likely be
a requisite step in the progression towards the supernatural power which is
forecast to resurface in the Scriptures.
“Then shall the righteous shine
forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43).
The good news is, since the Christian era is a Temporal
Recapitulation of the Old Covenant, wherein the transition from the
time of physical Israel into the New Covenant is repeated, and the Christian
age is clearly in decline, we stand on the verge of a profound sequence of
events – and a “third day.”
It is clear that Apostles like Peter would have possessed an
extraordinary measure of faith, as even though he doubted and needed
rescuing by Christ, he had indeed walked on the water – albeit for a
short time.
Further, we recognize that it is later in his ministry that
Peter was able to appropriate miraculous power, as the chronology indicates. A previous
chapter of The Great Exchange has noted the details of the first
miracle performed by the Apostles after Christ’s ascension.
“Now Peter and John went up
together into the temple…And a certain man lame from his mother’s
womb was carried…And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said,
Look on us. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have
give I thee: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts
1:1,2,4,6).
Obviously, this is in stark contrast to the Disciple who was
sinking in doubt, when a tumultuous sea briefly convinced him he was in the
water, instead of the kingdom of God.
The infusion of faith in Christ which must have occurred
when the disciples saw the resurrected Jesus is inestimable, but the believer
is scheduled to recapitulate the faith of the Apostles as the Christian age
transitions to what could be called the “third day” – which
follows the “two parts” comprised of the Old Covenant, the New
Testament, and that which is directly ahead.
Clearly, the body of Christ is the “third part”
that is refined and purified, for the astonishing events that are set to occur
during the transition from the present age to the next. Following the
“script” in which the sequential events recur, we recognize the pattern
from the previous age will guide us.
“And it shall come to pass, that in
all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off [and
expire]; but the third shall be left therein. And I will
bring the third part through the fire, and will refine
them” (Zechariah 13:8, 9)
With the knowledge we’ve already addressed concerning
the Sand and the Sea, we note this astonishing sequence is specified to occur
in the Land (or the “Sand”). This series of
statements is awesome enough, but we frequently fail to read the next verse,
and it is equally profound.
“Behold, the day of
the Lord cometh [the third day], and thy spoil shall be divided
in the midst of thee” (Zechariah 4:1).
As the end of the Old Testament era is the template serving as
an example for us, it would be foolish to do anything less than become
intimately familiar with the events transitioning from the Old Covenant to the
New Covenant.
“While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are
seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (I
Corinthians 4:18).
When we examine the sequential details of the emergence of
the miracles seen in the Christian era, many details emerge. After
Christ’s ascension, the Disciples were gathered in the famous “upper
room” (yet another phrase with allegorical implications), for the LORD
had told them to tarry in Jerusalem, as they were to receive power for their
mission.
“Ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth” (Acts 1:8).
As they waited for days for the LORD’s promise, a
recurring theme is seen in several verses.
“These all continued with
one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14).
In the next chapter, just before the descending of the Holy
Spirit (in the famous baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of the Old Testament
ritual known as the feast of Pentecost), we see the same thing.
“And when the day of Pentecost was
fully come, they were all with one accord in the place” (Acts
2:1)
The promise of the Father which Christ referred to was, of
course, the giving of the power of the Holy Spirit, which swept through
Jerusalem like a mighty wind.
“And suddenly there came, a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting” (Acts 2 :2)
The promise of the Father, which Jesus referenced, is found
in the prophecy of Ezekiel, where the prophet speaks of the
“first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5) of the “dry
bones” of Israel.
“Then said he unto me, Prophesy
unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus
saith the lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and
breathe upon these slain, that they may live” (Ezekiel 37:9).
As we’ve repeatedly sought to document, the prophecies
of Ezekiel, wherein the LORD’s favor returns to His Old Covenant people,
was fulfilled when Jesus brought His Life to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel.
This “breath” that was delivered through the
“four winds,” is also mentioned in the prophet Daniel
– and it occurs during the Christian era, in the context of the
Lion, Bear, Leopard, and Diverse fourth beast prophecies.
“Behold, the four winds
of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts
came up from the sea” (Daniel 7:2).
As we’ve repeatedly shown the Christian era is in view
(with the lion the British Empire, the bear the Soviet Union, etc), this confirms
the prophecies refer to the inauguration of the Christian age, as the breath of
the LORD empowered the Apostles at Pentecost.
However, the implications of what is obviously Futurist
prophecy being fulfilled, and how this impacts the present effort to harmonize
the Amillennial perspective with the Futurist, will have to wait
for the next installment of The Great Exchange.
-- James
Lloyd
To Be Continued
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Christian Media has an eye-opening, on-demand video
elaborating on the crucial facts seen in the above article —
which also includes predictions concerning the enormous turn of events
associated with the present political tumult in America – especially with
reference to the American diplomatic recognition of Jerusalem as
the capital of the political state known as Israel.
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