ONE FAMILY PLAN
The Paradigm Shift
“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL.” (1 Cor 2:13)
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED." (I Cor 2:14)
Yes. The Physical. Always The Spiritual…
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. HOWBEIT THAT WAS NOT FIRST WHICH IS SPIRITUAL, BUT THAT WHICH IS NATURAL; AND AFTERWARD THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL.” (1 Corinthians 15:45-46)
Stop. Reconsider. Scripture is NOT what most believe. Think allegory… parable… Spiritual
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20, NIV)
Everything around us… EVERYTHING, the physical world is a lesson in the Spiritual. It is ALL about the Spiritual! The trees, the birds, the ice, the wind – all of it. Pay attention. GOD IS THE GREAT POET. All these things tell a story, the most amazing story of all… LOVE!
“As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow,
so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.” (Job 24:19 NIV)
Who sins? Those who do NOT LOVE! We live in a graveyard filled with the physical appearance of the living. Yet the world is dead. As I have said before, we live in a crypt. This, my friends, IS the Lake of Fire. Our God IS a refining Fire. "For our God is a consuming FIRE." (Heb. 12:29)
Physical ‘fire’ is symbolic of God’s Spiritual Fire. As gold is physically refined so shall we be spiritually refined.
“WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE, BECAUSE WE LOVE EACH OTHER. ANYONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE REMAINS IN DEATH.” (1 John 3:14 NIV)
Where is death? IN THE LAKE OF FIRE, of course! Hades IS the place of the dead…
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” (Rev 20:14)
“Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:15)
This whole ‘freewill’ things makes us all gods in our own eyes. It is a lie with which we will all have to deal. It is HE that drives us before the Wind – His Spirit – His Refining Fire. As Nebuchadnezzar, we will be ‘tossed about’ UNTIL will are perfected.
“You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm.” (Job 30:22 NIV)
“…He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.” (Psalm 52:5 NIV)
“If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’” (Job 9:12 NIV)
“The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.” (Job 24:9 NIV)
“‘I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,’ declares the Lord.” (Amos 4:11 NIV)
He will keep sticking us back in the Fire UNTIL we are purified… over and over UNTIL we are perfect.
“The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’” (Zechariah 3:2 NIV)
FIRE is a Spiritual Truth, a telling of the story of God’s Judgment and Mercy…
"Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by FIRE; and the FIRE shall try every man’s work of what sort it is." (I Cor. 3:13) "And of the angels He says, Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of FIRE." (Heb. 1:7) "For EVERY ONE shall be salted with FIRE, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." (Mark 9:49) "…For He is like a refiner’s FIRE, and like fullers’ soap." (Malachi 3:2)
Those that will trust God are NOT looking for a physical city, not a city of this world but a Spiritual City… New Jerusalem. Again, ALL the physical is ALWAYS the Spiritual.
“For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10 NIV)
Those that bring trouble will be weeded out, uprooted… cast into the Fire
“Joshua said, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.’ Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.” (Joshua 7:25 NIV)
“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:49-50)
Our physical ‘battles’ depict what really goes on behind the Spiritual scene. God is our only hope. Love is our only hope.
“Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22 NIV) “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:8 NIV)
Again, the ‘physical shield’ is NOT the point.
“All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield.” (Psalm 115:9 NIV)
Our ‘Head’ is Christ. As we live in Christ we are shielded.
“Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.” (Psalm 140:7 NIV)
It is NOT the physical ‘sword’ or ‘spear’ but the Spiritual Sword of the Spirit!
“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:47 NIV)
We will all be spiritually consumed, tried in His Refining Fire… this is not a physical battle. This is NOT a physical furnace. This is NOT a physical Fire!
“When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and HIS FIRE WILL CONSUME THEM.” (Psalm 21:9 NIV) "FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE." (Heb. 12:29)
“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV) “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV)
Buildings are constructed every day. It has always been. The ‘physical’ is a shadow of the ‘spiritual’ -
“They serve at a sanctuary that is A COPY AND SHADOW of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you MAKE EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN shown you on the mountain.’” (Hebrews 8:5)
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, DWELLETH NOT IN TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS…” (Acts 17:4)
We are compared to stones in the building of a house…
"you also, AS LIVING STONES, are BEING BUILT UP AS A SPIRITUAL HOUSE for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)
“We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of THE TRUE TABERNACLE, WHICH THE LORD PITCHED, AND NOT MAN.” (Heb 8:1-2) “For CHRIST IS NOT entered into the holy places MADE WITH HANDS, which ARE THE FIGURES OF THE TRUE; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us…” (Heb 9:24)
It is NOT the ‘physical’ law but the ‘spiritual’ -
“THE LAW IS ONLY A SHADOW OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE COMING—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.” (Heb 10:1, NIV)
Physical blood is SPIRITUAL LIFE! Blood without the water (the Spirit) is dead.
“But flesh with THE LIFE thereof, which IS THE BLOOD thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Gen 9:4)
“For THE LIFE OF THE FLESH IS IN THE BLOOD: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 11:11)
“For IT IS THE LIFE OF ALL FLESH; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for THE LIFE OF ALL FLESH IS THE BLOOD thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.” (Lev 11:14) “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS TO TAKE AWAY SINS. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’” (Heb 10:4-7, NIV)
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, EXCEPT YE EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN, AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YE HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU.” (John 6:53)
The River – the physical rivers, the spiritual meaning…
“SWARMS OF LIVING CREATURES WILL LIVE WHEREVER THE RIVER FLOWS.” (Ezekiel 47:9)
How many “baptisms” are there? ONE! ONLY ONE!
"There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE BAPTISM, ONE God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Eph. 4:4-6)
And it is NOT the physical!!
“…baptism now saves you--NOT THE REMOVAL OF DIRT FROM THE FLESH, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:21, NASB)
We do NOT get SPIRITUALLY clean by being baptized in PHYSICAL WATER!
"Now ye are clean through the WORD which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:3)
"...and WASHED us from our sins in His own BLOOD." (Rev. 1:5b)
"...the WORDS that I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT, and they are life." (John 6:63)
Bread… the Body of Christ
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and THE BREAD THAT I WILL GIVE IS MY FLESH, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
There is only ONE BREAD… Jesus Christ, of which we will all partake… His Body
“And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD…” (Ex 29:23)
“For we being many are ONE BREAD, and ONE BODY: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Cor 10:17)
We will all ‘drink’ of the Spiritual Living Water…
“For BY ONE SPIRIT ARE WE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been ALL MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT.” (1 Cor 12:13)
Until then… NOT a ‘physical famine’ but a spiritual…
“‘THE DAYS ARE COMING,’ DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD, ‘WHEN I WILL SEND A FAMINE THROUGH THE LAND— NOT A FAMINE OF FOOD OR A THIRST FOR WATER, BUT A FAMINE OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the lord, but they will not find it. In that day the lovely young women and strong young men WILL FAINT BECAUSE OF THIRST.’” (Amos 8:11-13)
Spiritual eyes, spiritual ears…
“The man said to me, ‘Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you…’” (Ezekiel 40:4)
Spiritual ‘Heads’ NOT physical
“But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3 NIV) “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” (Ephesians 5:23 NIV)
“and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. HE IS THE HEAD OVER EVERY POWER AND AUTHORITY.” (Colossians 2:10 NIV)
A Lamp… Light – ‘Head’ – Spiritual! How are words a light? Everything we ‘see’ in the physical is a picture of the Spiritual!
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness!” (Job 29:2, 3 NIV) “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.” (Proverbs 10:6 NIV)
Oil, Wind… The Spirit of God
“He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.” (Leviticus 8:12 NIV) "…and THOU SHALT ANOINT IT [the altar], to sanctify it." (Exodus 29:36) “YOU SHALL ANOINT THE ALTAR of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy.” (Ex 40:10) “And YOU SHALL ANOINT THE LAVER AND ITS BASE, and consecrate it.” (Ex 40:11) "…AND ANOINT HIM [Aaron], and sanctify him…" (Exodus 40:13) “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS ON ME, because HE HAS ANOINTED ME to proclaim good news to the poor…” (Luke 4:18)
As the Wind is a picture of the Spirit of God… Born again, Born of the Spirit… we will go wherever God pleases…
“You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7-8)
The NOURISHING SAP (HOLY SPIRIT) feeds the (spiritual) OLIVE TREE:
“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in THE NOURISHING SAP FROM THE OLIVE ROOT, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THE ROOT, BUT THE ROOT SUPPORTS YOU.”
(Romans 11:17-18, NIV)
God’s refining Fire… His Spirit… Judgment
“At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, ‘A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.’” (Jeremiah 4:11-12)
Fire, Ice, Soap, Wind, Grass in the field, Trees, The Body, Stars… on and on and on
“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?” (Job 38:8-11 NIV)
The Living Water as Rain, as Hail…
“He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?” (Psalm 147:17 NIV)
“Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.” (Isaiah 30:20 NIV)
It is the paradigm shift. Do you see it?
“He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.” (Isaiah 30:23 NIV)
“In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.” (Isaiah 30:25, 26 NIV)
“See, the Name of the Lord comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire. His breath is like a rushing torrent,
rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray.” (Isaiah 30:27, 28 NIV)
“THE LORD WILL CAUSE PEOPLE TO HEAR HIS MAJESTIC VOICE AND WILL MAKE THEM SEE HIS ARM COMING DOWN WITH RAGING ANGER AND CONSUMING FIRE, WITH CLOUDBURST, THUNDERSTORM AND HAIL.” (Isaiah 30:30 NIV)
“Every stroke the Lord lays on them with his punishing club will be to the music of timbrels and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.” (Isaiah 30:32 NIV)
“TOPHETH HAS LONG BEEN PREPARED; IT HAS BEEN MADE READY FOR THE KING. ITS FIRE PIT HAS BEEN MADE DEEP AND WIDE, WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF FIRE AND WOOD; THE BREATH OF THE LORD, LIKE A STREAM OF BURNING SULFUR, SETS IT ABLAZE.” (Isaiah 30:33 NIV)
We are to rely on God’s Spirit, NOT the physical…
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.” (Isaiah 31:1 NIV) “But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; THEIR HORSES ARE FLESH AND NOT SPIRIT. When the Lord stretches out his hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together.” (Isaiah 31:3 NIV)
Lions, Shepherds, Birds…
“This is what the Lord says to me: ‘As a lion growls, a great lion over its prey—and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against it, it is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor—so the Lord Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.’” (Isaiah 31:4 NIV) “Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it.” (Isaiah 31:5 NIV) “For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.” (Isaiah 31:7 NIV)
Nations… Sword – spiritual!!
"Assyria will fall by no human sword; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. They will flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor.” (Isaiah 31:8 NIV)
“‘Their stronghold will fall because of terror; at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,’ declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 31:9 NIV)
“He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.” (Psalm 105:32, 33 NIV)
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?” (Job 38:22, 23 NIV) “I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.” (Isaiah 28:17 NIV)
“The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” (Revelation 8:7 NIV)
“From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.” (Revelation 16:21 NIV)
Torment (Gk testing of metals)… refining of gold… a tested Stone
“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, A TESTED STONE, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.’” (Isaiah 28:16 NIV)
A covenant we make with death… We are depending on Egypt’s horses…
“‘Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.’ The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.” (Isaiah 28:18, 19 NIV)
“See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.” (Isaiah 28:2 NIV)
The Kingdom, The Temple within… This occurs spiritually in each of us
“Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.” (Revelation 11:19 NIV)
Again, snatched out of the Fire…
“I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,' declares the Lord.” (Haggai 2:17 NIV)
“lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding…” (Psalm 148:8 NIV)
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38 NIV)
“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.” (Zechariah 14:8 NIV)
“He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.’” (Revelation 21:6 NIV)
“The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.” (Job 26:5 NIV)
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13 NIV)
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:48 NIV)
“For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33 NIV)
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51 NIV)
Grass… People… Trees… People
“May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow…” (Psalm 129:6 NIV)
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NIV)
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isaiah 44:3 NIV)
“They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” (Isaiah 44:4 NIV)
“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” (Psalm 37:1, 2 NIV)
We die, we spring up again and again…
“Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.” (Psalm 90:5, 6 NIV)
“You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth.” (Job 5:25 NIV)
“For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall…’” (1 Peter 1:24 NIV)
“THE GRASS WITHERS AND THE FLOWERS FALL, BECAUSE THE BREATH OF THE LORD BLOWS ON THEM. SURELY THE PEOPLE ARE GRASS.” (Isaiah 40:7 NIV)
“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:17-20 NIV)
“He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.’” (Luke 21:29-31 NIV)
“All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. ‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’” (Ezekiel 17:24 NIV)
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12 NIV)
“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4 NIV)
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” (Proverbs 11:30 NIV)
“The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.” (Daniel 4:20-22 NIV)
And for the pride of Nebuchadnezzar…
“Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’” (Daniel 4:23 NIV)
This is no more a physical tree than this is a physical city – or robes… it is ALL spiritual
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14 NIV)
“The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9 NIV)
“When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.” (Ezekiel 47:7 NIV)
“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12 NIV)
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7 NIV)
“down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2 NIV)
The physical body tells a spiritual story… the story of Christ…
The Body of Christ
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV)
“Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:15-20 NIV)
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don't need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don't need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it…” (1 Corinthians 12:21-24 NIV)
“so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:25, 26 NIV)
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV)
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:26 NIV)
As lively stones
A Temple
A building
“As you come to him, THE LIVING STONE—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, ARE BEING BUILT INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE to be a holy priesthood, OFFERING SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4, 5 NIV)
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, WRITTEN NOT WITH INK BUT WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV)
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” (Isaiah 40:22 NIV)
“He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust.” (Psalm 78:46 NIV)
“There THE FIRE WILL CONSUME YOU; THE SWORD WILL CUT YOU DOWN—they will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!” (Nahum 3:15 NIV)
Cattle…
“Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight?” (Job 18:3 NIV)
“He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.” (Psalm 78:48 NIV)
“How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering.” (Joel 1:18 NIV)
“Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.” (Psalm 22:12 NIV)
Dogs…
“Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.” (Psalm 22:16 NIV)
“‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.’” (Mark 7:27, 28 NIV)
“THEY ARE DOGS with mighty appetites; they never have enough. THEY ARE SHEPHERDS who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain.” (Isaiah 56:11 NIV)
“Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.” (Philippians 3:2 NIV)
The Sea, the Earth, and the Heavens…
“Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them…” (Psalm 69:34 NIV)
“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.” (Psalm 96:11 NIV)
“The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” (Psalm 135:6 NIV)
People dwell in the Heavens (Godliness). People dwell in the Earth (a form of Godliness). People dwell in the Sea (no form of Godliness).
“Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12 NIV)
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” (Revelation 5:13 NIV)
The Physical, The Spiritual
“As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne THE IMAGE OF THE EARTHLY MAN, so shall wet bear THE IMAGE OF THE HEAVENLY MAN.” (1 Corinthians 15:48, 49 NIV)
From which side of the earth was the Lord standing when there was day and there was night… Day 1? Not literal –physical but literal -spiritual!!
“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:11 NIV)
“SUCH ‘WISDOM’ DOES NOT COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN BUT IS EARTHLY, UNSPIRITUAL, DEMONIC.” (James 3:15 NIV)
“AGAIN HE PRAYED, AND THE HEAVENS GAVE RAIN, AND THE EARTH PRODUCED ITS CROPS.” (James 5:18 NIV)
