Friday, April 11, 2014

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

Your next is found in Hosea 12 and again listen closely to what is here revealed;
“Ephraim (means Bethlehem) feeds on the wind, and follows after the east wind: he daily increases in lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
The LORD has also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob (Israel) according to his ways; according to his doings will He recompense him. He took his brother by the heel (this is to trip up or restrain, in Mat. 10:36, 26:23; Romans 9:11) in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Yes, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication to Him: he found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke with us; Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial. Therefore turn to your God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on your God continually. He (Ephraim) is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loves to oppress. And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labors they shall find no iniquity in me that are sin. I that am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt will yet make you to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast. I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yes, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields. 
 
Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall He leave His blood upon him, and His reproach shall his Lord return to him.”


Our last reference is in John's synoptic gospel at the Last Passover meal Jesus is to share while on earth, in 13 beginning at verse 3 through 21; “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and would return to God; He rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself.
 
After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then came He to Simon Peter: and Peter said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet? Jesus answered him, What I do you know not now; but you shall know hereafter. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash you not, you have no part with Me. Then Simon Peter said, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. To this Jesus said, He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet, but is clean every bit: and you are clean, but not all. For He knew who should betray Him; therefore said He, You are not all clean. So after He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and was set down again, He said to them, Know what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord: and you say well; for I am. If I then, be your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say to you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than He that sent him. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me. Now I tell you before it comes about, that, when it is come to pass, you may believe that I am. Verily, verily, I say to you, He that receives whomever I send receives Me; and he that receives Me receives Him that sent me. (John 13:26-27; Psalm 41:9, Mat. 10:36, 26:32, Mark 14:20)

When Jesus said this, He was troubled in spirit, and testified, saying, Verily, verily, I say to you, that one of you shall betray Me.

I pray the Lord peal off the foreskin of your heart to both see and hear just what it is the Spirit here is saying to us all. Because both John the Baptist and Jesus did not tolerate mans Religion which in their case was typified in Judaism. For this purpose He said, "that he that betrays Me has lifted his heel against Me." It was said of Judas that Satan had taken it to entry his heart to do as Satan intended. If Judas had not desired for Jesus to as a military leader to over through the Romans in an all out uprising Satan could not have done so. Because of what was said in Gen. 3:15 in these words; I will put enmity between you and the woman,” keeping in mind at all times that the word “heel” means to supplant, hinder and restrain or hold tightly. Judas therefor was a similitude and metaphoric for the Jewish Religion and indeed the worlds Religions which were defeated on the cross of the LORD, as He was bond to the tree, or cross, by both the nails in His hands and feet along with cords of hemp or rope, by the betrayal of Judas and his self rule. The worlds Religion in effect hung Him as a requirement of Deuteronomy 21 where it states this in verses 22-23; “If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that your land be not defiled, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.” Religion and indeed Satan's power of sin and fear of death associated with it binds man to his nature, self rule. For it is recorded that he said that he would exalt himself above God and His knowledge, or the True and correct knowledge of Him. This could not keep Jesus, the Messiah of Israel there because in this one action the effects of mans fall were reversed through His vicarious death and mans redemption made open for all through this act of Love, a total selfless regard.

I remain in a puzzled attitude of mind because I want the LORD to reveal just what the passage of scripture means, where it says that His enemies will become His footstool. I have looked at all referenced passages with this word in its text and have found nothing to convince me that they relate to heel in any sense. In Hebrews 10:13 it states this: “From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” Here and here alone does the word footstool relate to self in its many uses, so the word is telling me that God's greatest enemy in mankind is self. Mans Religion promotes self and self love as the ruling force above the knowledge of God when it is heard with mans blinders removed. We have to rethink the grabbing of the heel by the youngest and the youngest son then being a supplanter, a promoter of self and who became a prince who struggled with God and won.    

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