Continuing today answering the question, where is this going? It is answered from the perspective of the short term, to our further realizing where we stand, and in the longer view further into the unity of our perfection. In our realizing these we are able to cognitively comprehend what is real – and this as seeing the physical, and understanding the unseen but knowable through use of our intellectual capacity to rightly reason by abstract thought (rational modeling.)
Spiritually the message is written in Ezekiel 46 telling of our entering the temple together with the prince as he enters, and this as seen in the words of Peter, recorded in Acts 3. The premise is as discussed in the prior post, our knowing first hand and in doing we are draw into the perfection of the life of Christ reproduced in us, He having produced us after His own kind, in the image and likeness of the Father.
Before looking at these chapters we must understand the image and likeness first happen in Christ and then reproduced in us. This is the core of what is being imparted to us in Hebrews 1 and 2, chapter 1 telling of the son being spoken into his human existence (as the word become the light) by the Father in heaven, and chapter 2 speaking the purpose as His coming to bring many sons (children) to glory.
Here are the specific verses:
Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 2
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto you.
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God has given me.
We know verse 13 here is a partial quote from Isaiah 8, which end telling of our together being the sign from the LORD of Hosts. This the same sign we discussed in the prior post where we gather to the LORD, diligently seeking His wisdom/counsel, as Sheba came to Solomon first hearing of him, and then upon seeing for herself confirming. Isaiah 8:13 tells of the same sanctification spoken of above in Hebrews 2:11, both passages telling of separating ourselves from the same crowd Isaiah 8 later defines as those sitting in their rut of confusion and self-created darkness.
Isaiah 8 ends also telling of the same people cursing God and their king, as if blaming them for their confusion. Isaiah 9 follows with the contrast of those who have been sanctified, (joined to the LORD in holiness/purity of thought and mission,) and their being those who this word has lighted upon.
Isaiah 8
13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwells in mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
Isaiah 9
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before you according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
We know when we are told of this as being as in the day of Midian it is referring us to Judges 7. The pattern is of Gideon with a small elect remnant first putting to flight the Midianites, by the sword of the LORD (the word of God.) We know that after the Midianites were in full retreat all God’s people were called to join with Gideon and this elect remnant, and as one to defeat the enemies that had been impoverishing God’s people. We are told this in Judges 6:6 where we also read that because of this God’s people had called (cried) to the LORD. We are later told by the LORD as He converses with Gideon that He has raised up Gideon to join the people together as one to deliver them from their oppressors.
Judges 6
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my LORD, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent you?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my LORD, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man.
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in your sight, then shew me a sign that you talk with me.
We see in this final verse Gideon ironically asks for sign, as he is unknowingly the sign itself. The verses that follow connect this “sign” to the Hebrews passages above, and to Hebrews 12 when it speaks of our being joined together in heavenly Jerusalem, of hearing the voice of correction and of our God being the consuming fire. It is also what connects to Ezekiel 46 and then Peter’s words in Act 3.
Judges 6
18 Depart not hence, I pray you, until I come unto you, and bring forth my present, and set it before you. And he said, I will tarry until you come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto you; fear not: you shall not die.
What follows here in Judges 6 is Gideon building and altar to Jehovah-shalom, meaning Jehovah (gives or is) peace. The LORD then tells Gideon to destroy the altars of false worship and to do so in an ordered way.
This takes us to the porch (also Solomon’s porch) mentioned in Ezekiel 46, and it being also mentioned is Acts 3.
Here following is the pertinent portion of Ezekiel 46 telling of the porch as the entryway tied to the house. The Hebrew word translated “porch” is ‘uwlam, from ‘alam, meaning to tie (the tongue,) and is translated as put to silence, or to be dumb (as in a voiceless donkey, rebuking and forbidding the madness of the false prophets. 2 Peter 2:16)
The porch is where all are put to silence. If you have read along with the recent posts you should understand the deeper meaning in the following. It tells of the feast we have been engaged in, and of the sacrifice in preparing and delivering it each day. It begins with silence and in it hearing the voice of the LORD, and with it comes peace and the inheritance of the sons.
Ezekiel 46
8 And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.
9 But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that enters in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that enters by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.
10 And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth.
11 And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
12 Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate that looks toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the Sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate.
13 You shall daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: you shall prepare it every morning.
14 And you shall prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD.
15 Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.
16 Thus says the Lord God; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance.
17 But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them.
18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.
The Greek word translated porch is stoa, meaning a colonnade, from the word stao, meaning stand. Here we see it as something in a fixed positon at the entry to the house, and the porch being where this preparation occurs as we become silent and prepared to listen. Stoa seems to be the origin of the word stoicheion we have often discussed, and showing its meaning of the stand (orderly arrangement) upon which decisions are based. We know this word as the “elements” that melt away in the fires we read of in 2 Peter 3. In this we also see the full meaning of James’ statement is James 3 about on man being able tame the tongue of these unsilenced mouths (the words men speak in opposing the LORD) being is what sets the fire of hell.
James 3
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor lists [wills.]
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This [lying against the truth – as bitter words against the sweet] wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
This takes us to words of Acts 3 and meant to be read by us at this very moment in time. Hear the Word of the LORD!
Acts 3
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch [where those who having their stand corrected have been readied to enter by] that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel you at this? or why look you so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yea, the faith which is by him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he has so fulfilled.
19 Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the LORD your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in your seed shall all the kindred [families] of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
