God's Voice From Heaven
When I was a thirty year old man in Seattle I often thought that I would like to live until the year 2,000. Wow. I didn't think it was coming this soon. I told my daughters that I had lived in two centuries. "Yeah, dad, so has everyone." So maybe it is just celebrating year 69 which gets me excited about bearing witness, anxiously listening for the Lord's signal. Only the internet allows us to go into all the world as Jesus commanded.And seeing the hunger and thirst all over the world for just simple Biblical answers, I soon tire of all of the human and financial resources being spent on getting ready for Sunday services "to meet God." My brother in law said, "Well, I can't be there Sunday night, guess I will miss Him." And if you like "Turkey Soup for the Soulless" this is not the place.
I am posting the first letter out of the hopper today.
Jesus said that without being born AGAIN of Water and Spirit or Water and the Word you CANNOT, SHALL NOT enter into His kingdom or rule which is the Ekklesia or Christian synagogue or school of the Bible. The seven "spirits" of Isaiah 11:1-4 which would rest on the BRANCH are all related to forms of spiritual knowledge. Jesus said "My Words are Spirit and Life." Therefore, you might join a venue for Rock and Roll peddled as "worship" but Jesus Christ WILL NOT be your free-of-charge Teacher until He washes your spirit or mind. Only then do you have access to the seven spirits represented by the Menorah or Candlestick which gave LIGHT to the Holy Place along with the table of bread and the incense altar. Each Christian "priest" must look into the Most Holy Place with their own prayers. Then, you can enter into the Most Holy Place to meet God. Jesus said that the ONLY new PLACE is the human spirit as it gives heed to the Spirit of Truth through the Word. Don't believe the lie that "musical teams" lead you into the presence of God: that makes them claim to be God standing in the Holy Place. Not in the vilest pagan temple could singers and musicians enter into the holy precincts on the penalty of death. Don't follow people making "Christianity" viler than paganism. If you are part of the 5 out of 13,000 congregations then you have become a laughing stock just like the musical idolatrs at Mount Sinai which forfeited and continues to forfeit the Covenant of Grace.
People who refute this have a "spirit" which intends to hurt you real bad.
AT the baptism of Jesus, after the descent of Holy Spirit, when the Father spoke, who heard His voice? I've read that the crowd heard thunder. Did John, any of the crowd hear? Or was Jesus the only witness to this. Do you know of a scriptural reference to answer this?
Thanks, Alfreda
Thanks for your question, Alfreda. I am not sure of all of the meanings of the sounds people heard from heaven (from above or from the sky).
Remember that Jesus said that if you have seen me you have seen the Father, and "I have the Father with Me." And Thomas cried: "My Lord and my God." The manifestations of the Spirit were signs. Signs stand for something else. For instance, a sign on the road reading Paris does not mean that the sign is Paris. And when Jesus said that He would send another Comforter (John 14:16) He said, "I will come to you" (v. 18). Later, He said that He who has my commandments and keeps them, is the one who loves me and therefore we will come and make our abode with him. So perhaps this means, as Paul said, "He is not far from all of us." Maybe we should not work so hard trying to hear Him.
In several passages, the signs are to prove that Jesus was Whom He claimed to be: God manifest in the flesh. According to Paul, Full Deity dwelled in Him (Colossians 2:9). This means that the One God is made known under the human symbols of Father, Son and Spirit. This is also pictured as Message, Word and Breath in many of the early writings.
The sign at the Baptism proved to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah. This also allowed John to confirm that he was the witness to the new Spiritual kingdom and not the founder. As a result of the supernatural sign, John could testify as an eyewitness to others:
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. John 1:30
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. John 1:31
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit (wind and fiery tongues at Pentecost) descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. John 1:32
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. John 1:33
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1:34
In another account, Jesus came to be baptized of John to fulfill all righteousness. Fulfill means to "fully preach" the connection between baptism and righteousness:
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, Luke 3:21
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:22
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Luke 3:23
You may remember that in the Mosaic Law, the priesthood began at age 30. This was changed later to age 20 and this put a huge number of Levites on "food stamps." The priests was anointed with oil which I believe is symbolized by God pouring out His Spirit Word at this time.
The Dove is also the Rock Pigeon. This was the bird Noah sent out to bring a message about the condition of the earth. The dove is also a symbol of peace and Jesus said that He came to remove the burdens of spiritual anxiety laid upon their backs so that they could meet Him beside still waters and in the privacy of their silent prayer closet. The Jews prayed for themselves and you can still see them at the Wailing wall in Jerusalem. The "prayer cloth" is their prayer closet so that they can meet God individually. They do not think of God afar off needing help to find: He is there at the wall or behind the wall.
Again, if we understand John's witness, this was not to prove that the Father is sill up in heaven (the sky) while the Son is in the water and the Spirit is half-way. This was a sign to identify Jesus as the Messiah so that John the Baptist could be the second human witness.
In another supernatural witness:
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. John 12:26
To serve means to "wait upon as a menial, host or deacon."
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. John 12:27
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. John 12:28
From Zechariah we know that the Branch would bear the name Joshua or Jesus. In this hyphenated term, it means Jehovah-Saves. He would be both king and priest sitting on one throne.
The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. John 12:29
Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. John 12:30
I suppose that this means that people may hear whatever their souls have been conditioned to hear. The common people heard Jesus gladly but the secular and religious leaders could not hear the words of a Spiritual kingdom. In Matthew 13 Jesus said that He used parables to hid the truth from them because they would just rebottle the water of the word and retail it.
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God (for) themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30
Later, Jesus could say:
Woe unto you, lawyers for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. Luke 11:52
The other event was as Paul was on the road to Damascus. There was a great light. The others heard a voice but saw nothing. Perhaps the message is that we should just listen to Jesus and not build tents for Moses, Elijah or even Jesus but just "hear him." Jesus is still our only Teacher through His Word which He said is "Spirit and Live" (John 6:63)
And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Acts 22:7
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? (Kurios, God) And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. Acts 22:8
We began this discussion of Jesus promising to personally return as Holy Spirit or Another (of the same kind) Comforter. Then, He said, "I will come to you" (John 14:16-18.
Therefore, when the Apostles are confronted with God or the Spirit His One Name is Lord (God) Jesus (man) Christ (Anointed).
Well, as usual, you got more than you wanted but it is free. Hope this helps. I will welcome any question which you have or listen to any comments.