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This study may be freely posted on other bbs' and distributed to others provided this leader remains with the study text at all times. *************** BASIC TYPES IN GENESIS CHAPTER ONE *************** PART ONE The studies which follow are VERY IMPORTANT to God's TRUE people today. Most people will find it difficult to understand them fully unless they have some background in other areas of types. For this reason, we are laying some BASIC foundations of Bible truth in the next few chapters which will HELP to make the remaining chapters of this book much more easy to understand. Jeremiah 4 4:22 For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 4:23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light. 4:24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 4:25 I beheld, and, lo, [there was] no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. 4:26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger. 4:27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE CONTEXT OF THE ABOVE SCRIPTURE IN YOUR BIBLE. We have proven hundreds of times in past studies that the reason God put only a few details about various historical events in the Bible was because He was NOT CONCERNED with the literal details, but rather with the SPIRITUAL pictures He was striving to portray. I am not saying that the Bible does not have any meaning for us in a literal sense, but for many ages mankind has been led astray with the thought that he could simply read the Bible and take it for what it appeared to say ON THE SURFACE. Most people do not understand the truth concerning spiritual things because they do not even have the literal correct. They do not have the literal correct because they are reading the Bible and seeing nothing more than what the words SEEM to say. FALSE religion follows the theory that you get saved, and then your spiritual growth just HAPPENS. They do not see it broken down into twelve distinct stages with each one having twelve steps within itself. They do not realize that those stages are broken down so precisely by the scriptures that it is possible for you to learn to identify the stages of growth. They do not recognize that those stages are based upon God's foreknowledge and His foreordained plan. Thus we can say that PROFESSED "CHRISTIANITY" today believes in what we could describe as spiritual evolution. They are teaching (in effect) that a person starts out as a tiny single-celled creature spiritually, and that they will ULTIMATELY EVOLVE into a SPIRITUAL BEING. We KNOW that is NOT TRUE! We do not gradually EVOLVE spiritually. WE MOVE UP THE LADDER IN DISTINCT STEPS! When we study the Creation story in Genesis one, we see that on the VERY FIRST DAY, the PRINCIPLE OF LIGHT was manifest. God said, Let there be light: and there was light. We will show you later in this study that this is a picture of our initial salvation. Without light there can be no life (PHYSICALLY OR SPIRITUALLY). Some people believe that the light of the first day of creation came from the Sun, moon, and stars. They believe that He kept them hidden until the forth day. Those people seemingly do not recognize that there can be light without "light bearers". You might say, "How can that be so?" God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (I John 1:5). God can create and bring forth light without using any obvious source of light Genesis 1: 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. The typical Bible student today thinks that in a single twenty-four hour period of time that the world suddenly became covered with vegetation. Genesis 1:12 is not saying, "let the earth be covered with grass (instantly and miraculously)". It is saying that God wanted the earth to begin to GROW GRASS! That shows a PROCESS; and God would have started it (as He always does) by SOWING SEED (Matthew 13). In order for the earth to produce grass the seed must germinate, sink its roots into the soil, draw nutrients from the earth, and draw energy from the light above. Therefore, the light that was present had to be a form of light that could sustain life and enable growth. The EARLY stages of spiritual growth are best detailed here: Day 1 = Reuben is spiritual conception (LIGHT = LIFE). Day 2 = Simeon is the tiny forming embryo during first 2 months. Day 3 = Levi is from the third month to BIRTH. Day 4 = Judah is birth (LIGHT SOURCES CAN BE SEEN). It is not until the stage of BIRTH (Judah) that the baby is able to see the light of day. So the "light" the little baby "sees" (UNTIL THEN) is a miraculous process. It receives a transferral of light from its mother. It does not actually see the direct light until it is born, even as our world did not see a visible SOURCE of light until the fourth day. Please go back and read our opening text. Notice that God is speaking of SPIRITUAL things; YET He uses the exact wording that Moses was inspired by God to write in the first part of the second verse of Genesis. We have studied enough types in the past to EASILY see that this is God's way of giving us a KEY to understanding Genesis ONE. In Jeremiah FOUR, God is referring to His ELECT in a LOST condition. Their "EARTH" (fleshly life...2 Corinthians 4:7) is "without form and void". In other words, when you and I were LOST, our fleshly life was without any REAL VALUE OR PURPOSE. We were not of any benefit to God whatsoever. We also know from scriptural principles that the next statement in Genesis 1:2 was also true of us when we were LOST. Our "DEEP" (our inner man or SPIRIT) was in "darkness". Genesis ONE tells us there was light from the FIRST day. When we were LOST in sin, our lives were without form and void. Darkness was upon the face of the deep, and we were in a dreadful (spiritual) condition. God must BEGIN the work. Before we can proceed ANYWHERE in our spiritual experience, He must speak light into our "HEART". That light sustains us until we grow enough to actually "see" light bearers. After we are spiritually "BORN", we can spiritually "SEE" and comprehend the lives of those whom God has allowed us to set "under" to receive His light. They become actual "LIGHT BEARERS" to us. We have shown in past studies that the "MOON" symbolizes the CHURCH (as a reflector of Jesus' light). The "SUN" represents Jesus (Malachi 4:2), and that "sun" is manifest to us through the spiritual "BODY OF CHRIST". The "stars" portray INDIVIDUALS who give light to us such as our pastor, and other saints who help us along the way. Revelation one speaks of the star symbol as representing the "angels" (Greek word means message bearers) to the seven churches. That particular passage is a reference to the pastors of those churches. HOWEVER, all TRUE CHRISTIANS who give light to others are SPIRITUAL "STARS". I would like for you to consider this thought: How long does it take in the realm of spiritual growth for a Reuben to become a Simeon? There is no set time in any of the stages. I can assure you that when you move from Reuben to Simeon, you are moving from evening to morning. Notice, Genesis one starts out, Let there be light, and in the fifth verse it says, And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. In describing each day's circumstances it says, "the evening and the morning". Why does He always stress the evening first? It is because when you grow spiritually, you are always moving out of a condition of darkness in comparison to the light of the new stage of growth you are moving into. If you are growing from Reuben to Simeon, you are moving from darkness to light. If you are growing from Simeon to Levi, you are STILL moving from darkness to light. In every stage of our spiritual growth, we are moving from darkness to light if we are progressing. If we are NOT progressing in that manner, we are BACKSLIDING! II Corinthians 4: 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.... Since our earth (our flesh-life) is illustrated by planet Earth, we have to recognize two possibilities in the life of a Christian: l. The moment God speaks life into a person's spirit, God simply "zaps" him with some kind of spiritual power, and all of a sudden he is spiritually grown. Does it happen that way? No. 2. After God CREATES "LIGHT" in your life, you have to go through a process of SEPARATION (like the "waters from the waters"), GROWTH, and spiritual development until you become FINISHED to the degree that God can "REST" from His work on you. Can we learn something about the LITERAL events of creation from this spiritual principle? Yes we can, if we consider that God is timeless. A thousand years or even a hundred thousand years makes no difference to him. If God was consistent in His laws, His ways, and the manner of his works (and He was), He planted some seeds and said, Let the earth bring forth (Genesis 2:11). How long does it take for seeds to grow and produce? Is it twenty- four hours? How many trees ever grew to maturity in twenty-four hours? Evolution is as false as it can be, but it is being pushed to emphasize the long periods of time in which the world has been in existence. We agree that this world has been in existence for a long period of time, but evolution as Darwin and others explain it is false. Genesis 1: 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so. Do you think that the waters were gathered together instantly? Could it have been a process that distributed a lot of geological evidence to show thousands or even millions of years passing? Could the evidence of a planet encompassing flood have originated in THIS "DAY". Could some of the OTHER evidence have come to pass in the "days" following THIS DAY? The words and it was so in verse 9 means "it happened" in the manner that God specified. They do not even imply an instantaneous event. I KNOW there will be people who read this and say, "HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN A MIRACLE WORKING GOD". That is where you are VERY WRONG!!!!! I have personally experienced MANY GREAT miracles from God. BUT THAT IS NOT our subject. THIS event was accomplished by God in such a manner as to ILLUSTRATE the TRUE plan of salvation. Notice that this TYPE in Genesis one not only contradicts many of the theories of the religious world, it also proves the following (so called) "PLAN (S) of salvation" WRONG! (a) SALVATION BY PRAYING FOR FORGIVENESS. Can you imagine this world that was "without form and void", and whose "deep" was in "darkness", getting convicted of its condition, and asking to be "forgiven" or "saved" or "born again", etc.??? (b) SALVATION BY WATER BAPTISM. Can you imagine telling this world which was TOTALLY UNDER WATER that in order for it to be "saved" it must GO UNDER WATER???? (c) SALVATION BY REPENTANCE AND GOOD WORKS. Try to picture some preacher telling this "world" such a doctrine in that day. His sermon would have to declare that IF THIS WORLD wanted to be delivered from its dreadful condition of being "without form" and "void" (as well as being in darkness), IT WOULD HAVE TO REFORM FROM ITS CONDITION IN ORDER THAT IT MIGHT BE DELIVERED FROM ITS CONDITION. (d) SALVATION BY CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. Which "church" should it join. In the dark, one looks about as good as another. Does it make any difference? There are other theories of salvation in the religious world today, but these I just mentioned cover about 99% of the teachings in today's churches. I realize that these are ALL FALSE, and I hope that the reader can see that fact, NOT ONLY FROM THIS TYPE, but from multitudes of OTHER scriptures and TYPES throughout the Bible (see our other Bible studies for more help in studying these things). I hope the reader will bear with me now as we look back at the LITERAL side of this picture for another thought. This study will constantly shift back and forth between the spiritual lessons, and the literal lessons contained in Genesis one. I would say that OVER ninety-nine per cent of the people in religious systems today believe that God created the world in six twenty-four hour days. When the geologists, archaeologists, and the various other scientific explorers offer evidence to believe that this planet has been around longer than six thousand years, RELIGIOUS PEOPLE say "it cannot be because that would make the Bible false". The Bible is not false, but we MUST face the facts friend; there are MULTITUDES of scientific PROOFS that this planet is OLDER than 6000 years. I KNOW there are many people writing books to try to explain away these scientific FACTS, but many of their explanations are FALSE! We must understand what God is trying to convey. He shows a six thousand year period from Adam to the end of time for the sake of pointing out spiritual truths to us. That is definitely in the Bible. However, He does NOT in any way tell us this that this Earth was created only 6000 years ago. He NEVER says ANYTHING in the scriptures to indicate we are to believe the "days" or ages of creation were 24 hours long. Let us look at the spiritual to see the natural. When God works on our flesh, does He sow the "seed" of His word IN ALL AREAS AT ONCE? In other words, does He point out EVERYTHING WRONG in our lives all at once? Remember, our fleshly lives are pretty VOID of any means of FRUIT production when we are first given SPIRITUAL LIFE. If God pointed out ALL the "bare" spots on our "earth", we would really have a problem pressing on. Instead He works with us a step at a time. I do not believe that God sowed a solid covering of seed on this literal planet. I believe that He sowed SOME seed. When that planting grew to a full producing stage, those trees and other plants sowed more seeds, and it continued to produce in that fashion. I am fully convinced this fact is true by looking at other illustrations from the realms of nature (that God created to illustrate "DEEP" spiritual truths; ROMANS 1:21). Everything that God has given life is capable of reproducing itself. In the spiritual realm, God sows a small seed of the WORD OF GOD to bring conception (James 1:18, First Peter 1:23) and it reproduces until it grows and fills the entire life. Men farm to produce more than what they plant. People work because they intend to get ahead. They are sowing their labors in order to produce something. That is God's basic law. He made us that way. Based on that thought, we must expect that God sowed some of each kind of seed upon the earth, and those bearing after their kind filled the earth. THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN A GREAT AMOUNT OF TIME. Look at the illustration in Noah's ark. There was a great region where all of the people and animals were wiped out. God saved enough people and animals so they could reproduce and fill the region again. I believe God used the same plan when He "sowed" the earth INITIALLY. Why would God get in a hurry to finish the Earth when He had all ETERNITY to accomplish His task? God FOREKNEW all that would happen during the "TIME" of this world. He also KNEW how to LITERALLY accomplish the tasks in order to ILLUSTRATE spiritually what HIS REAL purpose was in the creation. Notice 2 Corinthians 5: 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Did you notice that word in verse 17; "CREATURE"? It is translated from the SAME Greek word that all the words "CREATION" come from in the Bible. It means ORIGINAL FORMATION. Paul is simply stating that since GOD'S TRUE PEOPLE are not suppose to judge by the "seeing of the eye" or the "hearing of the ear" (let other people have a chance to understand and measure up to God's will OF THEIR OWN ACCORD), then we do not KNOW one another after the FLESH LIFE. Therefore, since the only way we are to "KNOW" one another is SPIRITUAL, we can get along REAL WELL. WHY??? Because EVERY TRUE CHILD OF GOD is a NEW CREATION!!! In other words, the old condition of "DARKNESS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP", and "EARTH without form and void" is GONE!!! When we have spiritual life, we have a NEW LIFE; a NEW BEGINNING!!!!!!! Romans 1:20, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Notice again the verses we quoted from Genesis one on page 2 of this study. The text keeps saying, after his kind. The emphasis of producing "after his kind" shows the process of generations. The grass may grow quickly, but what about the trees yielding fruit? God planted a few, and the seeds from those were carried to other places where they produced seed and eventually became forest. God has illustrated it time and time again in the spiritual realm. We can go back to Noah. He was a righteous man in the eyes of God. God brought truth to Noah concerning the construction of the ark, and what needed to be accomplished. Noah managed to convey that information to his wife, his three sons, and the sons (fulfilling their responsibility) along with Noah's help conveyed that truth to their wives. That one individual (NOAH) produced another "seven". Let us move on to Abraham. Abraham produced Isaac, and Isaac produced Jacob. Jacob produced the twelve patriarchs, who produced the twelve tribes of Israel (the nation of Israel). Again, you start with one tree and you end up with millions of trees. We as spiritual Israel are "trees planted by rivers of water" bringing forth fruit (Psalm 1). Literal Israel was a type of spiritual Israel; therefore, we can look upon them in a sense as being like spiritual trees. Abraham was the first "tree", but as time passed he produced millions of "trees". God looked upon His SPIRITUAL CREATION in that same manner. Paul realized that fact when he penned Hebrews 7:9-10. We can come right down to the time of Christ and New Testament salvation. Jesus was like one tree which brought forth the seed which produced more trees. Those trees reached out and produced other trees. It still works the same today. When we become fruit trees and sow the seed, we produce more trees "after our kind". The type holds up the fact that this third day could have been hundreds or thousands of years. God does everything by definite principles, and THIS is one of His principles. We know that before light was spoken, there was a definite period of time that passed when the world was in a condition of turmoil, darkness, and "without form and void". This is the TIME during which God "BEHELD" the earth's condition. Let's read again the text, and I will ADD the MEANING (symbolically) in CAPITALS ENCLOSED IN PARENTHESIS. Jeremiah 4: 4:23 I beheld (LOOKED UPON AND TOOK TIME TO OBSERVE) the earth (THE FLESH LIFE OF HIS ELECT), and, lo, [it was] without form (HEBREW MEANS "WASTE; WORTHLESS; VAIN; VANITY"), and void (HEBREW MEANS "EMPTY"; A "VACUUM" WHICH SUCKS IN ALL KINDS OF WORTHLESS FILTH); and the heavens (THE SPIRITS OF GOD'S ELECT...NOTICE IT IS PLURAL), and they [had] no light (UNTIL GOD SENDS TRUTH TO HIS ELECT, THEY ARE "LOST SHEEP" OF THE SPIRITUAL HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND "DARKNESS" IS UPON "THE FACE OF THE DEEP"). Jeremiah 4:24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I will show you how we can use this spiritual lesson to gain MORE understanding about the early days of this planet. Scientists have come to the conclusion that our planet did a lot of VOLCANIC spewing in the past. Isn't that what Jeremiah was inspired to say about the creation in order to illustrate the spiritual lesson? What do lost people do when they are without form and void? The "MOUNTAINS" or highly regarded (exalted) areas of their life seem so important to them that they get mad and SPEW from those areas; ESPECIALLY THE HIGH PLACES OF THEIR RELIGIONS! Even after you are saved, it takes the Lord awhile to help you learn to "cap" those volcanoes. Scientists have found evidence of what could have been millions of years of building up the mountain ranges. All of that could have happened before the first day that God spoke light into existence. How long do lost people go on spewing and spouting? Some ERUPT for quite a while. I hope that as we bring the first part of this study to a close, the reader will especially take note of the following: (1) All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3). (2) Before God makes us NEW CREATIONS (2 Corinthians 5:17), we are ALL spiritually "DEAD" in trespasses and sins and need to be "quickened", or in other words, GIVEN SPIRITUAL LIFE (Ephesians 2:1-). (3) In this spiritually "dead" condition, our FLESHLY, PHYSICAL lives are "without form" and "void" (empty; worthless; vain; selfish and of little TRUE benefit to others; NO BENEFIT TO GOD...Jer. 4). (4) This spiritually "dead" condition causes our "HEARTS" or spirits to be in spiritual "DARKNESS" (1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 2:8-9, John 1:5 and 3:19, Romans 2:19 and 13:12, Ephesians 5:8 and 11, etc.). (5) In this condition, we cannot do ANYTHING to contact God, or to gain salvation. WHAT CAN A "DEAD" PERSON DO??? The Bible shows that God's "face" is turned away from the lost, and His ears are not open to THEIR CRY. Salvation HAS to come to us because of GOD'S WILL. He PERSONALLY CALLS ALL HIS ELECT, and EVERYONE He calls ends up "GLORIFIED" (Romans 8:30). IT IS NOT OF ANY WORKS THAT WE CAN DO, BUT IS THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD (Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 10:13-17, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23). (6) In this state of darkness, OUR ONLY HOPE is for GOD to "BEHOLD" our "earth" and our "deep" ("heaven"), and to say to us, "LET THERE BE LIGHT". When HE SPEAKS IT, IT HAPPENS!!!!!!! Then, even as we see the tremendous growth and development of PLANET EARTH, and the BEAUTIFUL results of the many years that have passed, we can KNOW that God will also help US to GROW and BEAR FRUIT SPIRITUALLY (John 15:1-). Then when we reach our heavenly "glory" someday, we will be REWARDED for the "fruit" that we have produced. WHAT ABOUT YOU FRIEND?????? ARE YOU GROWING IN THE THINGS OF GOD? HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN "LIGHT BEARERS" OF THE FOURTH "DAY" SPIRITUALLY? ************** BASIC TYPES IN GENESIS CHAPTER ONE *************** PART TWO We begin part two of this study by reminding you of these "KEYS": (1) Literal ISRAEL under the Old Covenant is a type or symbolic picture of SPIRITUAL ISRAEL under the New Covenant. (2) When we speak of Israel, we are actually speaking of the children of JACOB, whose name God changed to "ISRAEL". The "children of Israel" represent the people of God. JACOB (as (Israel) represents Jesus. Even as ALL the children of Israel (as a nation) are "seen" spiritually in him, even so, all SPIRITUAL ISRAEL are seen Biblically to be "IN CHRIST". (3) As Jacob labored SEVEN years to earn the woman he loved (Rachel), even so, Jesus (as God with God...John 1; and as the Lord the King of Israel) labored through the seven periods of time in the Old Testament age to earn HIS spiritual "wife" (Jeremiah 3:14, etc.). As Jacob got the WRONG woman (as reward for all his hard labors) BECAUSE OF THE LAW (the oldest had to marry first according to the LAW ...Genesis 29:26), even so, Jesus got the WRONG "WOMAN" (LITERAL ISRAEL) BECAUSE THEY WERE BOUND UNDER THE LITERAL LEGALISM OF THE LAW OF MOSES. (4) Jacob ended up INITIALLY married to LEAH, whose name means "WEARY", "TIRED", or even "FAINT". The woman he really loved, RACHEL, has a MUCH better meaning pictured in her name. It means a EWE, or female SHEEP. The emphasis upon FEMALE shows her to be a fit bride for the "lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world". Literal ISRAEL was always growing "TIRED" or "WEARY" in their striving to serve the Lord as a "husband". They did NOT make a good "BRIDE" for Jesus. (5) As Jacob was able to marry RACHEL one week later, BUT STILL HAD TO LABOR ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS IN ORDER TO PAY FOR HER, even so, Jesus, after the short period of his ministry ONLY to the "lost sheep of the house of the house of (literal) Israel", was able to "marry" HIS TRUE LOVE; the NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. However, even though He has been "married" to the church for nearly 2000 years, he has been "working" out his "debt" in order to fully "pay for her" (It is NOT his fault that she is not fully "paid" for...HE HAD WORKED TO GET HER; that debt is spiritual "Laban's" REQUIREMENT BECAUSE OF THE LAW; because of the "LAW" he is forced to have to pay for "LEAH" too). IT IS AT THE END of that time when the SPIRITUAL (symbolic) RACHEL has her "womb" opened, and bears JOSEPH and BENJAMIN (Genesis 30 and 35). (5) Once RACHEL is fully PAID FOR, she bears JACOB (ISRAEL'S) TWO MOST PRECIOUS SONS. Even so, once SPIRITUAL Rachel (the BRIDE of CHRIST pictured in Revelation 21) is fully paid for, SHE TOO bears the children that Joseph and Benjamin portray in spiritual symbolism. Joseph represents the ELEVENTH stage of spiritual growth, and Benjamin represents the HIGHEST (TWELFTH) stage of spiritual growth. If the reader has spiritual understanding, it SHOULD be very significant that RACHEL does not produce ANY CHILDREN except Joseph and Benjamin! (6) The two wives and two handmaidens are NOT ONLY pictures of the two covenants, but in another spiritual dimension, also portray a picture of the NEW TESTAMENT church age. In order to understand this picture, one must remember that the TWELVE sons of Jacob are like other types, and are multidimensional. We have shown in past studies how that types not only can have two opposite sides to their "picture" (good and bad...depending on the context), but can also portray different "dimensional" aspects of the truth and must be looked at CLOSE UP, as well as in the OVERALL picture. Generally, when the 12 tribes are looked at as a WHOLE UNIT (from a POSITIVE VIEW), they portray in some manner the 12 stages of spiritual growth (such as we can see in Genesis 49). However, in this "picture", we have a contrast presented. Please consider the following pictures: _______________________________________________________________________ Literal Rachel * Much time passes while * Rachel is FULLY "PAID" initially married * Jacob finishes "paying" * for; NOW she can bear to Jacob/Israel. * because of the "LAW". * Joseph and Benjamin. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiritual Rachel * Nearly 2 thousand years * In the last of the 7th married to ISRAEL * pass during which Jesus * seal age, the church is (spiritual..Jesus)* has to deal with (type) * "PAID" for in full...NOW beginning in first* SPIRITUAL ringstrakes & * ALL TRUTH can be brought century church. * speckled "cattle", etc. * forth...ALL 12 "FRUITS". ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PENTECOST-------- * Seven Seal Ages * LAST "DAY"... 7 TRUMPETS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MORNING...SUN RISE* Sun goes down at noon...* EVENING LIGHT; Zechariah Jesus = SUN Mal. 4* Amos 8:9...apostasy.....* 14:7-8 "LIVING WATERS". ----------------------------------------------------------------------- God removes Adam's* THE "earning" process of* The "bride" is finished SIDE (see study). * building the "BRIDE" is * during this time. Her 12 ribs are taken * underway but requires a * "WHITE" garments are to begin work of * large amount of time. * PREPARED for the special building "BRIDE". * Satan counterfeits! * "MEETING" in the air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LEAH: Heb."weary",* ZILPAH: Heb."to trickle"* RACHEL: Heb."EWE" "tired", "faint". * 2 CHILDREN = DIVISION * 2 CHILDREN = DIVISION BORE 6 CHILDREN; * BILHAH: Heb."timid" * ISRAEL'S FINEST....... 6 = highest degree* from root meaning to * SPECIAL LOVE......... of man's SELF- / "PALPITATE". "FEARFUL" \ SPECIAL ROBE........ RIGHTEOUSNESS. / 2 CHILDREN = DIVISION \ SPECIAL "FEEDING".. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DAVID /SOLOMON|10|2|ASSYRIA-\ Israel in \ Age of ALL 12 KING! / many |T |T|BABYLON \DARKNESS for \ stages of growth Goliath / wives |R |R|CAPTIVITY \ 400 years. \ MANIFEST (at the IS /picture |I |I|Few true \ No true word \ last). JESUS has Defeated./PAGANISM.. |B |B|saints in \from God. Age \ come. WORD is /Red Dragon. |E |E|fiery furnace\of MULTIPLE \ now preached / |S |S| \False PROPHETS\ in TRUTH. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st |2nd /3rd |4th \ 5th |6th |7th SEAL |SEAL /SEAL |SEAL \SEAL |SEAL |SEAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHITE |RED |BLACK |PALE (grn)|MARTYRS |"SUN" DARK |AFTER SILENCE HORSE |HORSE | HORSE |HORSE | |MOON BLOOD |7 TRUMPETS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CHRIST.|PAGAN |"ROMAN" |PROTESTANT|SAINTS |WORD DARKEN|PREPARATION. EARLY |ROME |CATHOLIC| CHURCH |TRY COME|Blood GUILT|FULL TRUTH CHURCH |OPPOSE | CHURCH | BEGINS |OUT. |ON CHURCHES|PREACHED. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 A.D.|700 YRS|<-------- 1260 YEARS ------------------------->10/14/84 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Remember, by our calendar, the Herod who had the children killed when Jesus was almost 2 years old died in 4 B.C. Bible types PROVE that Jesus was born in 7 B.C. by our present calendar. There was only ONE year between 1 B.C., and 1 A.D. Jesus began his ministry when he was about 30 years old (born mid October) in 24 A.D. From this chart and the many others we have studied in the past, we can see that the last generation of this time world will experience the spiritual growth (as pictured by the types in the CREATION story of Genesis one) that results from the going forth of FULLNESS of God's eternal WORD. Notice the following: DAY ONE------ Genesis 1:4 "...it was good". DAY TWO------ Genesis 1:7 "...it was so". DAY THREE---- Genesis 1:10 "...it was good". DAY FOUR----- Genesis 1:18 "...it was good". DAY FIVE----- Genesis 1:21 "...it was good". DAY SIX------ Genesis 1:25 "...it was good". Only ONE day was not spoken of by God as the results being "GOOD". Two is the symbol for DIVISION, and division alone is NOT GOOD. We must have something else take place OTHER than JUST division before such division can be labeled either good OR bad. II Corinthians 5: 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ [he is] a new creature (this Greek word is USUALLY translated "CREATION"): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. What was our OLD CREATION like before we became "IN CHRIST"??? DARKNESS was upon the face of our "DEEP"; our SPIRIT! This should help us see that is anyone is TRULY "IN CHRIST", that old condition of SPIRITUAL DARKNESS (inability to "see" the light of spiritual pictures from the scriptures) is DONE AWAY WITH. That is precisely what Paul is speaking about in 2 Corinthians 3 concerning "blindness" before one comes to Jesus Christ. That is ALSO what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 2:14 when he says the "natural man" (a person NOT "in Christ") cannot receive (or "see") the things that are spiritual. The FIRST DAY God begins to work the process of our salvation, HE SPEAKS THE PRINCIPLE OF LIGHT into existence in our hearts. The very NEXT DAY (stage) of our salvation is when He begins to bring SEPARATION in our lives. To fully understand this picture, we must examine the "waters" that he separated. We must also realize that SUCH SEPARATION IN ITSELF (without any further work) IS NOT GOOD. Genesis 1: 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so. 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. Notice the following: 1. If you weigh 150 pounds, GRAVITY causes you to exert 150 pounds upon the surface of the earth. 2. How much do you suppose the water in all the oceans weighs? 3. How heavy do you suppose the water was upon the face of the earth BEFORE GOD divided the waters FROM the waters, and thereby REMOVED most of the water from the face of the earth? 4. The water that God removed from the face of the earth and put OUT BEYOND the "firmament" (our solar system), was obviously far more water than He left here. 5. What effects do you suppose that tremendous weight of water exerted upon the earth??? Do you think it may have been enough to form such things as coal, oil, diamonds, etc.???? How long would that have taken???? The first day was OBVIOUSLY a LONG DAY!!! Let us look at TWO of the pictures which are portrayed in type by God separating the waters FROM the waters. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TYPE ONE: God separates the WATERS | TYPE TWO: God separates the of TRUTH (illustrated by texts such| "waters" (people...good and bad) as Ephesians 5:26, Deuteronomy 32:2| in our life so we don't run with etc.), FROM the polluted waters of | the same crowd (1 Peter 4:3-4). the EARTH'S SEAS. | God's SAINTS become our "family". Consider what the dividing of the waters from the waters represents to us SPIRITUALLY and you will see that there is a TREMENDOUS WEIGHT of water which influences people's lives. Remember, when we FIRST see the "LIGHT" (when God initially brings us to spiritual CONCEPTION), our lives are not only worthless, empty, and in darkness spiritually, but we are PRESSED down at first by the WEIGHT of SPIRITUAL SEA WATER (people's, nations, multitudes, and tongues... Revelation 17:15). One of the FIRST necessities in our Christian life is that God help us to get victory over the BULK of these "waters". We can NEVER get past the FIRST DAY in our Christian growth UNTIL we break free from the HUMAN FLESHLY ties with people, and begin to live our lives in fellowship with those who are traveling the same ETERNAL ROAD. As long as the waters are ALL there pressing upon us, the WEIGHT is TOO heavy for us to ever produce fruit. Even though the PRESSURE may be building materials that WILL be useful later, we CANNOT make use of those materials UNTIL the WATERS ARE DIVIDED in our life. On the second "day" God creates a firmament (which He calls heaven) to divide the waters from the waters. So when did God INITIALLY create the material for the heaven and the earth? We COULD call it day ZERO, as an entire "DAY" or age had not passed. However, in order to prevent confusion, and to eliminate the need of much explanation along THOSE lines, let us just consider that when God STARTED creating, it was DARK. It was actually equal to the morning BEFORE the first day. Notice that since the initial creation was in darkness, God inspired Moses to write, "And the evening and the morning were the first day". (1) It is EASY to see that the DARKNESS mentioned was still the EVENING period of the "first day". (2) Later, when Jesus said, "Let there be light", then the MORNING of the first day began. Look back at the type of the Passover picturing Jesus Christ in Exodus 12. What did God say about the Passover? He said that month would be the beginning month for the Israelites. What did the Passover lamb picture? The initial means of salvation through Jesus Christ as our "lamb". When you get saved, time starts. Until you get saved, time has not started. So, it was in the work of CREATION; there was NOT a first day (the LIGHT part of the day or age) until God said, "let there be light". When a person is lost, how old are they spiritually? They are ZERO (you are not ONE year old until you have finished your first year). Do the lost people and the saved people PRESSURE such a person? They cannot help it; they are "sea water" (Isaiah 57:20, Revelation 17:15, Jude 13a, etc.). Till you get saved AND BEGIN TO GROW SPIRITUALLY, all God can do is let the people put pressure on you. There will be all kinds of pressures from all directions. That is exactly like it was with this planet. The waters were completely surrounding it, and CRUSHING it with a heavy "BURDEN". Finally, God spoke light into existence, and THEN proceeded to DIVIDE the waters! The dividing of the waters was like a SECOND work of GRACE, but THANK GOD; the works of GRACE DID NOT CEASE THERE!!!!!!!!!! Just think for a moment; YEARS ago God began to send the PRINCIPLE of light to His people. HOWEVER, it was not until years later that He sent the "SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS". IT CERTAINLY was not the next 24 hour day. The Sun is used as a symbol of Jesus Christ in Malachi 4:2, But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.... That is a picture of Jesus coming in the flesh, and manifesting the word of God. Jesus said that after he went away, the church would be the light of the world (the MOON reflecting the SUN'S light). The Sun is the "word" of God, but today it is manifested through the church. After God has spoken light into our "hearts" (when we are conceived spiritually), on the second day there is a CREATION work but it is not enough. It takes day two and three together to produce something good. In spiritual growth, Simeon and Levi are two stages of the same thing. We know that the child developing in the mother's womb symbolizes the Simeon and Levi stages of spiritual growth. In the same sense, God had to separate the waters from the waters, AND HE ALSO HAD TO separate the dry land FROM the waters to allow the plants to grow. In other words, He is not separating the waters from the waters JUST to have something to do. He has a GOAL in view. He is striving to bring forth some kind of fruit from this planet, but it takes the works of both days to accomplish that. Therefore, He does not mention anything about the second day being good in itself. There are many religious teachers and preachers who say that the waters God removed from the earth are the moisture that forms the clouds in the sky. They say that God separated the waters from the waters by leaving the oceans on this planet, and causing the other moisture to form as clouds in the sky. THAT TEACHING IS FALSE! Genesis one tells us that God PUT THE FIRMAMENT (which He called "heaven") BETWEEN the two batches of water. Then later, He created the SUN, MOON, and STARS, and put them IN THE FIRMAMENT. That means the rest of the waters are BEYOND ALL THE STARS! See how false teachers FAIL to even READ the Bible correctly!?!? Psalm 148: 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that [be] above the heavens. 148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. 148:6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. False religion teaches a theory of SINLESS PERFECTION. They claim that WHEN YOUR "EARTH" is cleaned up (waters separated; dry land brought out of the sea), THEN you are saved. Jesus taught the Pharisees in Matthew 23 that the INSIDE has to be cleansed FIRST, and then the PROCESS of outward cleansing WILL TAKE PLACE as the result. Since bearing SPIRITUAL FRUIT is based upon the separation of our waters AND the bringing forth of DRY LAND, we must see that even though light (LIGHT PRODUCES LIFE) begins on the FIRST DAY, we are not even NEAR the stage where we can begin to GROW FRUIT until the THIRD DAY. On the second day the waters were completely engulfing the earth. That is the spiritual condition of a spiritual "Simeon". During this stage of spiritual growth, God REMOVES a great deal of the "WATER" WEIGHT from off our earth (our flesh life). He does this by causing many people who are close to us IN THE FLESH to turn against us because of our SALVATION and the TRUTH (Matthew 10:33-39, Luke 14). It is FOR OUR OWN GOOD, although a Simeon does not usually have enough spiritual vision to understand that. God is TRYING to help "Simeon" grow up and produce fruit. There are DIFFERENT LEVELS OF "FRUIT", but the kind Simeon will first produce is pictured by the next stage (LEVI). On the third "day" (Levi stage), God separates the dry land from the seas, and begins to plant those areas. He takes the remaining FLESHLY PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES, and moves them all together AWAY FROM OUR DRY LAND. This allows some of the dry land to begin to rise above the "sea", so He can plant it and help it to begin to produce fruit. This picture shows us that an individual's fleshly life begins to greatly change in the third stage of spiritual growth. Does that sound right? What is number three? Number three is the number symbolizing the FLESH LIFE in the Bible (our third dimensional life). The flesh does not show up until the third day, since before that time it is covered with "waters" (the influence of NON CHRISTIAN friends and relatives whose lives FLOOD over our own. Verse 10 says, ...and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas.... Verse 9 says, And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto ONE PLACE.... They are in one place, but they are seas (PLURAL). Any globe will show that there are seven seas; yet they are all connected as one. There are also seven continents, and they are all connected through the center of the earth. Many people today find it difficult to YIELD their lives to the SIMPLE and VERY PLAIN teaching of the Bible. It tells us to be SEPARATE. God says that His people are a "PECULIAR" (ie. SEPARATE) people. If we want to belong to God, we MUST grow up spiritually so that our lives will be separated from the world. WE MUST grow and produce fruit. Jesus said in John 15 that ALL His true people produce "fruit", and the means of our doing that is to be PRUNED!!!!!!! IT REQUIRES SOME SEPARATING OF THE OUTER PART OF THE "BRANCH" FROM THE PART THAT IS CONNECTED TO CHRIST. Here are some CHECKS by which we can determine if we have grown enough spiritually to pass the first THREE stages. DAY ONE: REUBEN. This is the FIRST part of our Christian life. This stage is where God GIVES US LIGHT IN OUR SPIRITS (takes us out of spiritual darkness). The MAIN attribute is that ONCE WE HAVE LIGHT, we begin to "see" our dreadful condition of our FLESH LIFE; our worthlessness and our emptiness. From this time on, as our LIGHT becomes ever brighter (as we grow), we should see ourselves MORE AND MORE in need of help from God. In the eyes of our fellow Christians, we should become BETTER and BETTER, but in our own sight, we should see ourselves as WORSE AND WORSE. That is because of brighter "light", and the resulting clearer "MIRROR" of the Word of God. This FIRST STAGE of spiritual life is when we begin to get "HUNGRY", but we don't know HOW to eat or "chew the cud" spiritually. Therefore, our "MOTHER" (spiritual...the CHURCH) has to nurture us with SPECIAL "FOOD" while we grow "within her". DAY TWO: SIMEON. This second stage of our spiritual growth is when God begins to MOVE PEOPLE out of our life who hinder us. He also moves FALSE DOCTRINES (which are ALSO represented symbolically by the MIXTURE water) out of our spiritual lives. He begins to build a FIRMAMENT (heaven) in our lives....... temporarily an empty one, but one in which He soon will place LIGHT BEARERS (when we reach JUDAH...the fourth day). The WEIGHT of the TREMENDOUS amount of "MIXTURE" waters rapidly becomes less and less as God DRIVES such "waters" out of our lives. The initial WEIGHT of the "waters" is very difficult to bear, but gradually this subsides as God DIVIDES the "waters" (ie. moves some people, doctrines, and bad influences out of our lives). LEVI: DAY THREE. This is the great day for our "3"; our FLESH LIFE. Although we do not become SINLESSLY PERFECT (in our flesh) in this stage, we DO GROW tremendously during this time, even as a human baby does much physical growing during the last 7 months in the mother's womb. When we emerge from this stage of growth, we actually LOOK like we might be a CHRISTIAN (just as a baby looks more human than when it was just an embryo). This is the stage when God moves the remaining PEOPLE PRESSURES into the background of our life (they remain a spiritual threat...7 "SEAS"). During this stage is when we begin to REFUSE to let anyone or any thing keep us from being at church to receive the WORD of God when it is sent forth. Those pressures that would prevent us from bearing FRUIT are pushed off into the background in our lives. Even though the "SEA" (people, doctrines, and THINGS) are still NEAR US, they NO LONGER FLOOD OVER US. We are now able to RISE above them. We are learning how to PUT GOD FIRST IN ALL THINGS!!!!!! When God sends His word to His people, WE ARE THERE TO RECEIVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *************** BASIC TYPES IN GENESIS CHAPTER ONE *************** PART THREE In our last two chapters on this subject, we have found there are many spiritual pictures presented in the first chapter of the Bible which give us far greater understanding of God's plan of Salvation than is commonly realized by most religions. One thing that becomes very evident immediately (to the honest heart who searches into this beautiful picture) can be portrayed as follows: a. The "earth" is a type of the FLESH LIFE (2 Cor. 4:7, etc.). b. Initial salvation is portrayed by the works of the FIRST DAY. c. After the first day, OUR "earth" is FAR FROM "SINLESSLY PERFECT", and in fact needs MUCH more "growth" before it can harbor anything that even faintly LOOKS LIKE a "human being" (spiritually). d. Even so, our experience of salvation is a GROWING process, and initial "creation" (spiritual light/life) is just a START! What if we could have lived when God was creating the Earth, and could have looked at this planet from a great distance out in space? What would our impression of it have been? We would have seen a planet covered with water, and with volcanic activity prevalent ALL OVER IT! What would our opinion have been concerning future possibilities for this planet? I believe we would have firmly stated: 1. There is no hope for life to ever exist on that planet. 2. SO (symbolically speaking) that planet is not an honest heart. 3. It will never be good ground or produce fruit. 4. Anyone with two eyes can see it is doomed forever. We cannot expect any more than the same picture from a lost person until God says, "Let there be light," and begins a day by day process of changing and transforming their life. This should help us to see why we cannot judge by "APPEARANCES". One of the BASIC proofs that this world was not created in six days lies in the fact that most of the stars are MILLIONS of light years away. Since a "light year" is the distance that light travels in a years time, this would mean that if this planet is only 6000 years old, then any stars further than 6000 light years away would not be visible to us YET!!! _______________________________________________________________________ **** DAY ONE ******** DAY TWO ******* DAY THREE ******* DAY FOUR **** evening/morning * evening/morning * evening/morning * evening/morning create | create * SEPARATE WATERS * gather waters on* "LET THERE BE heavens| light; * INTO TWO GROUPS * earth together; * LIGHTS (sun, & earth| divide * BY PLACING THE * dry land appears* moon, stars) in without| light * UNIVERSE IN THE * vegetation and * FIRMAMENT which form | & dark * MIDST OF THE TWO* trees propagate.* between WATERS. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MILLIONS OF * MILLIONS OF * MILLIONS OF * HOW LONG??? YEARS??? * YEARS??? * YEARS??? * ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiritual REUBEN* Spiritual SIMEON* Spiritual LEVI * Spiritual JUDAH ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Is SPIRITUAL SUN* * * SPIRITUAL BIRTH. (Jesus) already * * * Light bearers do in the "heavens"* * * NOT BEGIN HERE, at this time??? * * * but are 1st seen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Since our "SPIRITUAL HEAVENS" (firmament) is OUR HEART (spirit), then we know that from the time we are spiritually conceived (Reuben), JESUS and the FATHER both dwell and manifest LIGHT within our hearts. However, we are SO tiny (spiritually speaking) and our spiritual eyes are not developed, so we do not SEE that light (KNOWINGLY...we only INDIRECTLY EXPERIENCE ITS BENEFITS) UNTIL we are BORN (JUDAH) spiritually. This means that while the light sources are present in our "heaven", it does not affect the length of our "days", etc., since we cannot actually SEE IT. There is NO SPECIFIC TIME for the development of these stages of spiritual growth. Scientists believe that in the early ages of this planet, it was covered by a heavy "CANOPY" or covering. That would have "BLINDED" this PLANET from envisioning the LIGHTS in the firmament. It would have taken MILLIONS of years for the light of many of those stars to reach here anyway. They would not have been seen even if there WERE NO CANOPY. The fourth "DAY" or age of creation could have been the time when God (gradually as a process) removed that canopy, and "LET THERE BE LIGHTS IN THE FIRMAMENT". If we look at the spiritual types, WE KNOW that LIGHT BEARERS are present in the SPIRITUAL "UNIVERSE" of honest hearts LONG before they actually VISIBLY LOOK UPON THEM (in a spiritual sense). Someone will say, "but if this is true, then it would PROVE that the days were 24 hour days". That is NOT SO! To fully understand this, a person would have to be familiar with the changes in the earth in the day of Noah's flood. They would have to understand what took place when (at that time) God "knocked" this earth about 23 and 1/2 degrees (23.4) OFF ITS AXIS! THAT changed the situation tremendously, as you will see if you read our Bible study on that type. THAT VERY EVENT is what started the SEASONAL effects upon our planet. Before that time, there WERE NO SEASONS! We must ALWAYS keep in mind that there are PLENTY OF PROOFS to show that at one time, regions of this planet (such as Siberia) were TROPICAL CLIMATES. In ages past, this earth was under MUCH different circumstances than it is today! The seasons themselves have made a tremendous difference in our planet. In this study, we primarily need to realize the following: A: Salvation is pictured in the Creation story (Jeremiah 4). B: We cannot be saved until God speaks "LIGHT" into our hearts. C: Salvation consists of 12 major stages of spiritual growth. D: During the first three stages, we cannot really "see" light sources. E: In "Judah", when we are SPIRITUALLY "BORN", our "eyes" see light. F: The light SOURCES were there all the time; we were not ready to see. G: The MAJOR "light" source (SUN) is manifest by the "body of CHRIST". H: The "body of Christ" MANIFEST does NOT consist of all saved people. I: To be a part of the "body" MANIFEST, we MUST have GREAT "LIGHT"! J: Otherwise, we are part of the REFLECTOR....the spiritual "MOON". K: Even the SUN is not perfect (IT HAS SUN SPOTS). Same spiritually. L: The "body of Christ" MANIFEST has GREAT LIGHT, AND SUN "SPOTS". M: In some people's lives, Reuben to Simeon takes a LONG TIME. N: In some people's lives, Simeon to Levi, and Levi to Judah does too. O: LITERALLY, the FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH DAYS WERE LONG! P: Salvation begins when God says, "let there be light". Q: Before that, we are in darkness spiritually; can't ASK Him for help. R: The "earth" and "deep" did not PRAY for light or help. S: The planet did not REPENT!!! T: GOD chose to bring to pass the work of FINISHING CREATION. U: After LIGHT, the darkness had to be SEPARATED FROM THE LIGHT. V: After we are first "saved", DARKNESS has to be taken from us. W: Next the "waters" in our life have to be separated from each other. X: Next, God helps us to push the remaining "waters" off to the side. Y: Our spiritual "DRY" or cultivatable "land" comes forth to PLANT. Z: We begin to have VISIBLE GROWTH and FRUIT production in our lives. Isn't it wonderful how God has used the CREATION (and things created) to portray the "INVISIBLE THINGS OF GOD" (Romans 1:20)? There is something that we can learn about the creation that is seen by looking at this situation in reverse. In other words, by looking at what we KNOW to be truth SPIRITUALLY, we can learn about the NATURAL events. When Genesis 1 says that God "CREATED" the heavens and the earth, that is EXACTLY what happened. Creation is the process of making something out of NOTHING. HOWEVER....... when God said, "LET THERE BE LIGHT", He was NOT creating LIGHT, but rather bringing it into use in the work He was accomplishing. To understand this, we need to consider the spiritual picture. God CREATED the material from which our bodies are made, IN THE BEGINNING (when He created all things)!!! Jesus, as God equal with God (John 1) DID ALL OF HIS CREATING IN THE PAST (study Colossians 1). Since that time, when our parents PRODUCE us as their children, our physical existence results from the formation of our bodies from materials which were CREATED LONG AGO. Even so, our SPIRITS were formed LONG AGO, and until God brings SPIRITUAL LIGHT into our lives, and begins the process of SPIRITUAL GROWTH, we remain "without form and void" as well as in SPIRITUAL DARKNESS. When God says, "Let there be light" (in our spiritual experience), HE DOES NOT CREATE LIGHT, but rather brings that which has ALWAYS BEEN into our life. As we grow spiritually, we will eventually be able to see the LIGHT- BEARERS that God is using in our behalf. I stress this point in order that we may see that NOT everything God did in Genesis 1 was a work of actual CREATION. For example, when He said "Let there be a firmament", he was only positioning what He had ALREADY created. Even so, when He said, "Let there be lights IN the firmament of the heaven...", He was only POSITIONING what He had already CREATED. Now I need to ask the reader an important question. DID GOD CREATE MAN'S PHYSICAL BODY ON THE SIXTH DAY??? Genesis 1 says: 1:26 And God said, Let us MAKE man in our image, after our likeness.... 1:27 So God CREATED man in his [own] image in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. While God had to CREATE man's SPIRIT (in His own IMAGE), He only "MADE" man (physically) at this time, and that was in His "LIKENESS" AND "IMAGE". Genesis 2: 2:7 And the Lord God FORMED man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. If you check the Hebrew word for "formed", you will find that it means "to mold or shape." Creation is making something from nothing. Formation is the making of something FROM something. Our bodies were FORMED from dust, and dust was created BEFORE the first day. Let us check this spiritually. We know that a lost person has not yet experienced even the first DAY of creation (spiritually). Such a person is STILL "lost" in the FIRST "EVENING". However, they DO have a physical body. If God speaks "LIGHT" into their heart, and they press on in their spiritual experience and growth, the day will eventually come when they can end up in the SPIRITUAL IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD. NOTICE HOW WRONG FALSE RELIGION'S MESSAGE IS: 1) Many churches teach that a new Christian is sinlessly perfect. 2) They teach that if your EARTH has not measured up, you aren't saved. 3) God brought LIGHT to do away with the darkness upon the DEEP. 4) That LIGHT did NOT do away with the condition upon the EARTH. 5) That EARTH was STILL "without form and void" until the THIRD DAY. The reader should ALSO realize that EVEN ON THE THIRD DAY, the earth did not reach a state of perfection that could be used to picture "SINLESS PERFECTION". It CERTAINLY was greatly IMPROVED, but there was MUCH work to be done upon it even after that time. Let us look at an illustration that may make this more clear. To understand the following graph, please keep in mind that there are 12 levels of development in each of the 12 stages of spiritual growth (144 total). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | LEVEL 12 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX| 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | LEVEL 11 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | LEVEL 10 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX| 9 |XXXX| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | LEVEL 9 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | LEVEL 8 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | LEVEL 7 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | LEVEL 6 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | LEVEL 5 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | LEVEL 4 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | LEVEL 3 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | LEVEL 2 ------------------------------------------------------------- XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | LEVEL 1 ------------------------------------------------------------- Reub. Sim. Lev. Jud. Zeb. Iss. Dan Gad Ash. Nap. Jos. Benjamin ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To understand this chart, we must realize that even though a child of God is advancing FORWARD in their GROWTH, they must also DEVELOP in those stages which they have attained. For example, this chart illustrates the spiritual growth of a person who has attained the stage of DAN, but has not fully completed that stage yet. This person's SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING is IN DAN, but THEIR LIFE IS NOT FULLY MEASURED UP IN ANY STAGE YET. Try to remember that SPIRITUAL GROWTH is TOTALLY dependent upon SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. The fulfillment of that growth (development in one's life and experience) is dependent upon MEASURING UP TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THAT STAGE. It would be possible to be IN DAN, and to have very few sections developed (shown by XXXXs). However, before a person gets FINISHED WITH DAN, they will have to move UP in the previous stages to at least level 7, and therefore when they move into Gad will fill a minimum "50" in that spiritual "grid". We will show that more from other types in a later study, but I am sure many readers will see the simple symbolism right away. The reason that such growth is required in DAN is because it is the FIRST STAGE OF SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD. From Gad on up, God will use a person in a MUCH greater manner than ever before. In order for Him to do that, we must have not only sufficient understanding of spiritual things, we must also have measured up to sufficient TRUTH in our physical lives so that our SPIRITUAL understanding will be evident to others who look upon our PHYSICAL LIVES for evidence of our growth. The reader should be able to see from the chart that even though a person is in the "THIRD DAY" of "creation" in their spiritual life, they are STILL being "created" or "formed" in the first and second days of their experience. In other words, our earlier SPIRITUAL LIFE is STILL developing even though we move into GREATER things spiritually. That helps us to understand the manner in which God created and formed this planet. Even though he began the processes which are described in Genesis 1 on those days, those processes continued to develop during the following days as well. In other words, while we REALIZE that the common belief of EVOLUTION (ie. a process whereby NOTHING became MANKIND, via the amoeba to ape route) IS A LIE OF THE DEVIL, we must also realize that a degree of EVOLUTION did go on in each of the basic STEPS which God brought to pass. Every stage of Spiritual growth is a definite WORK of God. You cannot "evolve" spiritually from Reuben to Simeon (for example). However, the 12 levels in each stage involve the process of SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION. That is why there are so many GEOLOGICAL evidences of evolution upon the earth today. THERE was such a process in effect for millions of years, but ONLY developing within each STEP of God's creative works. MAN has not evolved much, as he has not been around long enough. We know that LIGHT produces manifestations of LIFE in water. Simple forms of life such as algae and amoebas, etc., show up in "PURE" water when the LIGHT reaches it. Therefore, we EXPECT that God allowed such to happen in the first DAY when He spoke LIGHT into the picture. REUBEN is the stage of conception....... A SINGLE CELLED EGG receives the SEED, and begins to "EVOLVE" into a more complex manifestation. That process will involve several CRISIS experiences which will eventually produce an ADULT HUMAN. Before that human even sees the LIGHT BEARERS (after birth), he will have gone through the spiritual equivalents of REUBEN, SIMEON, LEVI, and entered into birth (JUDAH). Even then, his life will have barely begun. No wonder that Scientists have found so many fossils which show that the little sea critters were the first forms of life on the planet. We should expect that, if we understand the types. Was there somewhat of a process of LIMITED evolution taking place during those MILLIONS of years??? There are certainly multitudes of scientific evidence PROVING that happened. Does the scientific findings today prove the Bible WRONG??? NOT AT ALL!!!!!!! In fact, they VERIFY the TRUTH that the Bible is teaching. They ONLY prove the doctrines of many of the FALSE RELIGIONS to be in error. Thank God that TRUTH is always proven by the CREATION (Rom. 1). WE CAN SUMMARIZE WHAT WE HAVE STUDIED SO FAR AS FOLLOWS: (1) Man without God's LIGHT (truth) is in the following condition.... a...His FLESH or OUTER MAN (earth) is "without form..void". b...His SPIRIT or INNER MAN (deep) is IN DARKNESS. (2) Because of his condition, he is WORTHLESS, and can do NOTHING to help himself. He cannot ask God for help, and he cannot pray to God for forgiveness (he is SPIRITUALLY "DEAD" so has no means to commune with SPIRITUAL LIFE....GOD...John 9:31, etc.). The miracle of God speaking LIGHT produces LIFE!!! This is also illustrated by "seed" (James 1:18, 1 Pet.1:23). (3) LIGHT (spiritual & literal) is MANKIND'S GREATEST NEED!!!! With proper understanding of GENUINE TRUTH man is able to grow up to be blessed as "BENJAMIN" ("SON OF THE RIGHT HAND"). Just as it is impossible for PHYSICAL LIFE to exist without PHYSICAL LIGHT, even so it is impossible to have SPIRITUAL LIFE without spiritual "LIGHT". Since we can now easily see the importance of "LIGHT", this part of our study CANNOT be complete without answering ONE MORE question about "light". It is a question that I am often asked, but is the ONE QUESTION that I don't like to answer. It is not that I mind the Bible teachings that answer this question. The problem is that FALSE PREACHERS have made such a BIG ISSUE of part of this subject, that I prefer not to have to teach on it. MANY PEOPLE in the world today will label a preacher as FALSE if he even reads the texts of scripture which deal with this subject. I can't say that I really blame them, as false religion teaches it for personal gain. THAT IS UNGODLY, and DREADFULLY WRONG!!! I can easily count on the fingers of one hand the times that I have preached or taught on this subject in the 15 years that I have been preaching to this congregation. I think that by now, it SHOULD be easy to see that I don't like to have to preach or teach on it, but I have had quite a few people asking questions on these very lines during the last few weeks, so the Lord IS helping us to see parts of it. The question that people so often ask me is, "HOW CAN I OBTAIN GREATER BENEFITS FROM THE "LIGHT" THAT GOD IS SENDING, AND THEREBY GROW UP MORE QUICKLY"? In order to answer that question, we must examine the Bible PRINCIPLES that pertain to the subject. First, we realize that SPIRITUAL "LIGHT" (fulness of TRUTH that God is sending forth for OUR DAY....not just traditions of MEN from the past) is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in our lives. It is worth more than all the world, and if we are to obtain it from God, WE MUST SHOW HIM THAT WE TRULY FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT HIS "LIGHT". In order to TEST us in this area, the Lord will allow MANY different events to take place in our lives (throughout the course of our spiritual growth...not all at once). Those events will FORCE us to choose between PHYSICAL NEEDS and BURDENS, versus our efforts to be faithful in our attendance at a TRUE church (where the fullest "LIGHT" is being preached). God will test us from time to time to allow US to see WHAT IS the most important thing in our life. God realizes that HIS importance to us is no greater than the importance of His "LIGHT" (which allows us to personally "SEE" and "KNOW" Him spiritually). He will use those things, or those people that are NEXT (in order of importance) in our lives to test us (ie. FAMILY, POSSESSIONS, JOB, FRIENDS, MONEY; whatever is very important to us). There is a basic BIBLE principle that shows us HOW God tests our faith. We find that the scriptures picture the following: a) OBVIOUSLY, the GREATER the work we desire to do for God, the GREATER the "LIGHT" that is needful to do it. b) In order to gain such "light", we must first prove to God how important He is in our life. That is why Joseph had to suffer so much (prison, false accusations, outcast from family, etc.) before God could use him in such a GREAT MANNER. If you understand what Job did after God restored his health (a subject NOT commonly understood by most people), then it is easy to see why it was necessary for him to suffer so much FIRST. We see the same principle illustrated in the life of Jesus and others. c) The reason that it costs us such sacrifice (in order that we might be used of God in some great manner) is because of the HIGH RATE of "RETURN" in ETERNAL REWARDS. I am NOT talking about the common silly theories that are generally preached and believed in religion today. I am speaking of differences of abilities, talents, and powers manifest in our resurrected bodies (as we have taught in past studies), as well as differences of responsibilities, etc. which God will reward us with in Glory. Those are dependent upon our spiritual growth, but our spiritual growth is totally dependent upon our understanding of "LIGHT". That "light" is given us ULTIMATELY dependent upon our sacrifices for God and the work of His kingdom. d) Sacrifice is NEVER a "burden" upon the people of God IN THE LONG term. However, God DOES generally let us feel enough "burden" (temporarily) to at least experience some degree of testing (some cases are worse than others), so as to prove whether our sacrifices come from our FLESHLY MIND, or our HEART. I have heard many sermons as a child on the "widow's mites". Those sermons left me the impression (as a child) that God took everything she had. That did not seem very nice. After all, how would she LIVE until she could get some more money. Years later, as an adult, I learned the "secret" of those texts. I came to realize that GOD NEVER NEEDS ANYTHING FROM US (IN REALITY)!!!!! He could allow His people to DO AWAY with tithes and offerings, and STILL could get His work done. SO MANY PEOPLE today feel that giving to God is a TASK! They forget that GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER. They give out of a feeling of DEBT, or because some false preacher PUSHED them to do so. It is sad that most people today do not understand the HEART of the POOR WIDOW! I will never forget an experience that I had years ago talking to a Brother who did not understand the "widow's heart". He felt that the RICH people should support the work of God, and the poor people not have to shoulder that responsibility. It is sad that he did not see the truth of the matter as the widow lady did in Mark 12 and Luke 21. The fact is, POOR PEOPLE need to follow her example MORE than rich people do. THIS should PROVE that God has some other purpose for our offerings than just simply to support His work in this world. If support for His work were the main reason, then POOR WIDOWS such as this one would not even COUNT in the picture. Their "mites" would not go far in spreading the TRUTH today. That fact and Jesus' comments about the widow lady should help us to see that God's purpose is NOT a financial one; it is a TEST OF OUR LOVE FOR HIM AND FOR HIS "LIGHT". Many years ago, when we first began to preach around the country, our income was next to nothing. We REFUSED to go on welfare (did not want people to look down on the church) so we lived on very little income. At first, I did not understand the principles I am telling you about here, and for a long time put very little money in the offering at church (I had worked for almost two years making SEVEN DOLLARS a week pastoring at the time;....at the last of that period I was given TEN TO TWENTY dollars a week). My thought was this; We were serving God FULL time (I THOUGHT that was the reason that we were poor), so I was "giving" to him the DIFFERENCE in between what I was making, and what I COULD have been making in secular work had I quit preaching and taken a job in my field of training (electronics). At the time, that SEEMED to be a very plausible reason for using ALL our income to buy food, gas, clothing (Goodwill and Salvation Army clothes, which to be honest, are STILL GOOD ENOUGH FOR US TODAY), etc. For several years, my family had to live on next to nothing SIMPLY BECAUSE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND GOD'S PRINCIPLES. I am sorry to have caused them such problems, but at the time I had NO idea of how God looked at the situation. The problem was NOT that God wanted a couple dollars or so of my SEVEN dollar income each week. The problem was this; I WAS FAILING TO EXERCISE FAITH IN ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL "TEST" AREAS OF LIFE. Do you think the Lord would have let me starve my family, EVEN IF I GAVE IT ALL TO HIM LIKE THE WIDOW LADY DID??? You should read 1 Kings 17 and take notice of the test that Elijah put THAT widow lady through. She was picturing the SAME truths as the one who cast in her two mites. Can you imagine how most people would react to Elijah under those same circumstances TODAY??? Can you imagine what MOST people would have told him when he said, "MAKE ME A LITTLE CAKE FIRST". Most people would have been ready to STONE HIM (or worse), and as a result, MOST PEOPLE WOULD have starved to death. The important thing for us to remember is that IF WE VALUE "LIGHT", GOD WILL TEST OUR DEDICATION TO THAT "LIGHT". There are MANY scriptures that more or less indirectly show this truth, but one passage deals with it directly. During the last few weeks, several dozen people have asked me, "HOW CAN I GROW UP MORE QUICKLY"??? I did not want to have to explain this, so gave most of them GENERAL answers. However, I feel the Lord is dealing with me to at LEAST give a brief coverage of this principle here. Malachi 3: 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 3:9 Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation. 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it]. 3:11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. Much of false religion uses the tenth verse to teach that if you give money to God, He will give you MORE money in return. THAT IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE, and THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS SCRIPTURE IS SAYING!!! We are teaching on "LIGHT", and it should be EASY for the reader to see the connection in this text. The words, "WINDOWS OF HEAVEN" should INSTANTLY tell you something about what God is saying to His people here. WHAT IS A WINDOW??? WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE??? Obviously, when God OPENS the windows, He is speaking of ONE OF TWO THINGS...EITHER: 1. He is going to pour out LITERAL blessings. 2. He is going to pour out SPIRITUAL blessings. Anyone with even a small amount of Bible knowledge should realize that God does not send LITERAL THINGS down from "heaven" to bless His people. When the Bible speaks of blessings from "heaven" (especially in the New Covenant age), it DEFINITELY is speaking of SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS. Since God did not say that He would open the DOOR of heaven, but rather the "WINDOWS", we need to understand what that term would mean to the people of Israel in THAT DAY (and it is STILL TRUTH for today). As the reader should realize, in the days when Malachi was written (and even in the days when the FOURTH chapter of Malachi was fulfilled; Jesus and John the Baptist's day), "WINDOWS" were not made of the glass and plastic materials that we have today. They were generally boarded up, but hinged or fixed in such a manner that the boards or shutters over the windows could be opened TO LET IN LIGHT! This can be seen by carefully considering such scriptures as; Genesis 8:6, 2 Kings 13:17, Proverbs 7:6, Acts 20:9, etc. Those texts make it plain that the windows were able to be opened. THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT was to let in light and fresh air. THEY DID NOT HAVE GLASS-LIKE substances that would allow them to see out WITHOUT opening the windows. Genesis 6:16 shows that the ark had ONE window, and it was in the TOP of the ark. REASON??? Obviously facing upwards toward the LIGHT! Is that not the MAIN reason for windows in buildings YET TODAY; TO LET IN LIGHT??? Someone might say, "But WHY would God base the amount of "LIGHT" that He would send to bless us upon LITERAL THINGS such as "tithes" and "offerings"??? That is EXACTLY the question that we are striving to answer here. NOTICE: (1) God does NOT NEED any person's money or material goods. (2) God CAN (if He desires) CREATE anything that He should need. (3) Yet God says we COMMIT ROBBERY if we fail to give His tithes. (4) That means the "TITHE" is not a "GIFT", but a DEBT we owe God. (5) As most people realize, the TITHE is a fixed amount (10%). (6) Offerings are determined by our generosity and love for God. (7) God does not measure by the AMOUNT of offerings we give. (8) God measures the SACRIFICE in our offerings (like the widow). (9) Basic Bible PRINCIPLE...WHAT WE WANT TO REAP...MUST SOW. (10) If we want to reap a LITTLE "LIGHT", give God little (%). (11) If we want to reap a LOT of "LIGHT", must SHOW HIM OUR FAITH. (12) If we expect Him to just hand it back, we deceive ourself. (13) If we are more concerned about PHYSICAL THINGS, don't GIVE!!!!! (14) The "MEAT" in God's house refers to SPIRITUAL "MEAT" ("light"). (15) God's house is the "CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD" (1 Timothy 3:15). (16) The PURPOSE of the tithes and offerings is to provide "LIGHT". (17) The "LIGHT" will be provided in "GOD'S HOUSE"; the true church. (18) If we do our part, the "light" will be ALL WE CAN HANDLE! (19) God WILL rebuke the "devourer" (physical AND SPIRITUAL). (20) Thus we have a part in determining HOW MUCH "light" we get. Many people think they get just as much out of a message as anyone else. That is not so. God uses this principle in ALL HIS WORKS. What is sad is the fact that MOST people never realize HOW MUCH THEY ARE MISSING! Someone might say, "But I have been getting LOTS of "light" from the preaching, and I have not DONE ANYTHING to earn it". That is because IN THE EARLY STAGES of SPIRITUAL "CREATION" (our spiritual experience), GOD DOES NOT require us to do very much. IF OUR SPIRITUAL "MOTHER" is getting "LIGHT", we will get SOME too (a form of spiritual umbilical cord brings it to us). However, as we GROW, we start to be given MORE AND MORE responsibility by God. THEN, if we don't fulfill that responsibility, we begin to MISS much more than we could ever realize. That is when God begins to expect us to do OUR part. There will be those who read this who may throw false accusations at what I am saying, and at my motive for saying it. Some will surely say that I am just trying to get more money for myself, or for the church. The fact is, this church is doing fine financially, and so are we. In fact, I don't spend nearly all I make now on our own personal needs, but try to use what I can (after tithes and offerings) to benefit the work of God and to help others (and I am NOT saying that to boast). If I make more, that is just more to seek the Lord's guidance for its use, and therefore more responsibility for me to carry. This teaching is NOT for the purpose of fund raising for the church; it is to benefit God's people. I cannot be a true pastor and hide this fact. I KNOW that one reason the Lord has blessed MY FAMILY so much since those early days of testing is because we try to follow this principle. It would NOT be right for me to hide it from others just because SOME people are going to judge me wrongly for teaching it. NOTHING in life is free, except INITIAL SPIRITUAL LIFE. HOWEVER, I think it is a good idea for ALL of God's people to occasionally ask themselves, "WHERE WOULD I BE AND HOW MUCH WOULD I HAVE, BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD?" We also need to keep asking ourselves, "WHAT IS "LIGHT" WORTH TO ME? IS IT WORTH GOING THROUGH THE TESTS GOD SENDS MY WAY???" The answer to that is in this question; WHAT IS HEAVEN WORTH TO YOU? *************** BASIC TYPES IN GENESIS CHAPTER ONE *************** PART FOUR As we continue our study of Creation, I would like to demonstrate to the reader one of the very FALSE teachings that is commonly taught in churches today. It is sometimes referred to as the Augustinian theory, but is most commonly called by the term, "accountability". It is GENERALLY spoken of as the "age of accountability". Briefly, the doctrine states that all babies born into this world have spiritual life, and that at some point later in life, they fall into darkness. I hope the reader will take careful notice of the type we are studying, and therefore will see ONE of the multitudes of proofs that such a doctrine is from the devil! The FIRST "day" or age of Creation began with DARKNESS. Even so, OUR lives begin in darkness BOTH IN A SPIRITUAL AND IN A LITERAL SENSE (Psalms 139:15-16). Even as LITERAL conception takes place in the "darkness" of the womb, SPIRITUAL conception takes place in the SPIRITUAL DARKNESS of conditions that surround a lost soul. Notice: *********************************************************************** Creation of PLANET EARTH & HEAVENS * Creation of OUR "HEAVENS & EARTH" ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Initial Creation LEFT BOTH the * Initial CREATION of HUMANS leaves LITERAL HEAVEN ("deep") AND EARTH * OUR "HEAVENS" (spirits) in a state in a state of "DARKNESS" and VOID * of SPIRITUAL DARKNESS (LOST), and of any WORTH! It takes MORE works * OUR fleshly lives in a state of of God to change this situation! * worthlessness until we grow some. ********************************************************************** Surely the reader can see from this that when we come into this world, we are in the NIGHT which PRECEDES the day (of OUR first "day" or age of existence). Don't forget what God inspired Moses to write in Genesis one; "the EVENING (darkness FIRST) and the MORNING (then LIGHT) were the FIRST DAY". The Christian life IS NOT a process of going from LIGHT to DARKNESS, but is JUST THE OPPOSITE! We DO NOT come into this world as "CHRISTIANS", NOR ARE WE able to be baptized or sprinkled in order to make us "Christians" when we are babies. GOD MUST WILL THAT WE RECEIVE THE SEED (James 1:18), and must send it to us. In that manner He says, "LET THERE BE LIGHT"! We need to notice another aspect of this type. ADAM was created PHYSICALLY (the physical element of his being) on the EVENING of the FIRST "DAY". Genesis 2:7 speaks of God using that which was ALREADY created (the "dust of the ground") to FORM man. The MATERIAL from which man was made was ALREADY created at this time. 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 shows ADAM to be a type of Jesus Christ, who is the "SECOND ADAM". We need to understand that while JESUS was conceived MIRACULOUSLY by a virgin, even so, ADAM'S initial formation was a SORT of "VIRGIN" birth. Most people have heard UNCULTIVATED SOIL called "virgin" soil. God used "VIRGIN" soil to FORM Adam. So how long did it take to FORM Adam??? I realize God COULD have done it in a split second! God COULD have created EVERYTHING in the same length of time. He did not NEED seven "days" of ANY LENGTH! He did it that way to picture the spiritual TRUTHS that are illustrated in symbolic form. My personal belief is that ADAM GREW UP after God initially "FORMED" him, even as JESUS GREW after that He was miraculously conceived. Even so, the "BODY OF CHRIST" must grow spiritually today. God is trying to "FORM" us so we can be faithful and blessed servants. He forms our lives today in a SPIRITUAL "paradise"; HIS TRUE CHURCH. He is preparing us for the SEVENTH DAY (notice the Bible does not mention THAT day having a morning or evening) which is a PICTURE OF ETERNITY!!! Someday, we shall REST with our Lord, and be free of TRIALS FOREVER! There are two things that I want to stress before we proceed further: 1. The light was given on day one because of the condition of darkness upon the face of the deep. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep... (Genesis 1:2). The deep refers to the waters. 2. The light SOURCES (Light "BEARERS") of day four were given because of the condition of the earth. That light was to shine upon the earth. And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth... (Genesis 1:14- 15). God gives us the PRINCIPLE of light (which "teaches us"... 1 John 2..... things no one else need teach us) to remove the darkness from OUR HEARTS (OUR SPIRIT....our "DEEP"). In that text of scripture, John deals with the fact that NO ONE needs to be taught to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. It is INSTINCTIVE in the life of EVERY CHILD OF GOD. In fact, he said that is the best way to know if we truly ARE children of God. God THEN gives LIGHT BEARERS (PASTOR and elders in congregation) to shine upon our EARTH (our flesh life) and show us how to live. They also give us better vision of things that surround us in our spiritual lives. If we could picture how dark our physical lives would be without the Sun, Moon, and Stars, then we could better understand WHY God gives us TEACHERS of His word. Without the light bearers of the fourth "day" of Creation, we ALL would be blindly GROPING around our entire lives. That is a good picture of people who try to serve God without the teaching and instruction of a TRUE, GOD CALLED and SENT PASTOR! They may have light in their hearts (their "deep"), but they don't have any light for their FLESHLY LIFE! Would you agree with me that God did not just haphazardly throw this world together? He knew what He was going to do with every single particle of matter during the entire time of this world's existence. One of the theories of modern day religion says that God will have to find every piece of earth that ever made up an individual's body, and bring them all back together in the resurrection.I guarantee you there have been shared particles of earth. Our bodies are constantly sloughing off dead cells. Those cells have been a part of our earth, but they are being passed through our system and then through the sewer system. In some countries of the world, the sewers run directly into the gardens to provide fertilizer. Those discarded CELLS from HUMANS produce fruits and vegetables which are eaten by OTHER people. Therefore, cells from one person's body may become part of another person. THAT WILL NOT POSE ANY PROBLEM AT THE RESURRECTION. God will provide enough of the OLD cells to reproduce the body of each lost person. SAVED PEOPLE GET NEW BODIES which are very much UNLIKE our old bodies. PRAISE GOD....we will NEVER have to live in these OLD bodies EVER AGAIN!!! GLORY!!! It is BECAUSE of this fact that we need to realize the IMPORTANCE of growing up spiritually, and accomplishing great things in the work of God. The Bible teaches VERY plainly (both in the types, and in scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 15), that God's people will have different degrees of "glory" or abilities in their resurrected bodies. Our enjoyment and appreciation of Heaven will totally depend on what we DO with our salvation while still in THIS LIFE. Unfortunately, those who do not realize that and do not GROW UP as they should will find out TOO LATE to do anything about it. We need to seek for all the LIGHT that we can get in this life so we will be able to gain the greatest benefits in eternity. Genesis 1: 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. That SEEMS to say that God created both man and woman in the sixth day, doesn't it? NOTICE GENESIS 2: 2:7 And the Lord God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. In the second chapter of Genesis, God formed man from the dust of the ground; planted a garden; caused the garden to grow; and brought all the living creatures to Adam so he could name them. Then God went through the process of forming Eve. In this same chapter a MAJOR problem arises. CONSIDER: (1) So far we have seen that EVEN THOUGH GOD COULD have created the world in ONE MOMENT..........HE DID NOT DO SO! (2) Even though God COULD have easily created the world in SIX 24 hour days, HE DID NOT DO SO (so as to portray spiritual truth). (3) Therefore, WHATEVER HE DOES during this time will be for the SAME PURPOSE! It will follow the SAME principles. (4) While not ENTIRELY IMPOSSIBLE, do you think that Adam REALLY named all the creatures in 24 hours or less? Since their names are symbolically significant, would it not have been necessary for him to observe them for a time in order to properly NAME them? If the reader will recall our Bible Study on the meaning of NAMES (in scripture), you will realize that for Adam to do this would have probably taken YEARS! To "NAME" means to identify characteristics, and that definitely requires considerable observation of the creatures and their habits. The Bible does not in ANY WAY imply that God GAVE Adam the names for the animals! (5) While many people will question what we are teaching based on Adam's "age", they are failing to realize that ADAM did not come under the sentence of SPIRITUAL DEATH until he was cast out of the GARDEN. Therefore, since LITERAL DEATH (PHYSICAL) is for the purpose of showing in TYPE the conditions experienced in SPIRITUAL DEATH, we can KNOW of a certainty that Adam did not begin to AGE (DIE) physically until he sinned and fell under the sentence of SPIRITUAL DEATH. Thus, thousands or more years COULD have passed before Adam began to "age" and "DIE". (6) God told Adam and Eve to "replenish" the earth. The usage of this term as translated in 1611 (King James Version) has caused many people to teach that the earth had already been populated ONCE BEFORE. I realize that this teaching WOULD have some basis, IF this word was accurate in meaning as rendered from the Hebrew text. However, upon close examination, we find that the Hebrew word is simply declaring to Adam and Eve that they should "FILL" the earth with their offspring. Even the Biblical TYPES do not teach a PREVIOUS habitation of EARTH. (7) IF....God created and formed EVE on the same "day" as Adam, then the types will have to bear witness to that fact. ALSO....if that is the case, then Adam and Eve FAILED to begin to populate the earth UNTIL they fell into sin at a MUCH LATER DATE. Since the sixth "day" WAS a very long period of time, they disobeyed God's command and purpose for a VERY LONG TIME IF they were both created and formed on the sixth "DAY". PLEASE READ LEVITICUS 12:1-5. Notice the following: A) If a woman bears a MAN child....she is UNCLEAN SEVEN days. B) If a woman bears a FEMALE child....she is UNCLEAN FOURTEEN days. Why did God set things up that way??? Was He just wanting to make life more difficult or complex??? Was He PREJUDICED against girls??? We should realize by now that EVERYTHING God created and EVERY law or ordinance that He imposed upon man was for the purpose of giving SPIRITUAL understanding. These types are NEVER precisely the same picture. If they were, the entire world would understand the WORD OF GOD (whereas He does not WANT that to be...Matthew 13:10-17, 1 Corinthians 2:7-14, 2 Corinthians 3). Instead, they each one portray different details of the same basic pictures. For example: *********************************************************************** Jacob labors 7 * Jesus labors 7 ages * The seven ages of the OLD years for his * during the Old Test. * COVENANT were like developments beloved Rachel,* period in order to * leading to the manifestation of and because of * "earn" His "bride". * Jesus; the 2nd ADAM (1 Cor.15). the "law" gets * The LEGAL bride is * At that time, Jesus was READY LEAH instead. * wrong one, so 7 MORE * for the spiritual "EVE" to * ages in NEW COVENANT.* begin to "FORM" from His "side" *********************************************************************** Jacob (Israel) * Jesus "labors" for 7 * Since the BRIDE is taken FROM labors 7 MORE * MORE (seal) "ages" in* Jesus, and built FROM HIM, she years for his * the NEW COVENANT so * has ALREADY been in "creative" TRUE BELOVED; * He can receive His * process for 7 "AGES" before RACHEL. * TRUE BRIDE. * this second 7 ages (total 14). *********************************************************************** It SHOULD be easy to see that the "MOTHER" of "Jesus" (symbolically speaking), the PEOPLE OF GOD (Matthew 12:46-50, Galatians 4:26, etc.), was UNCLEAN during the entirety of the SEVEN AGES of the Old Covenant. At that time, those of LITERAL ISRAEL had to either be CLEANSED........or be forever cast off as God's people. Those who received Jesus were "CLEANSED", but those who did not were "left desolate" (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 23, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, etc.). In the SAME sense, it has now taken ANOTHER seven "ages" (the seven seal periods of time presented in Revelation as well as in the seven parables of Matthew 13) IN ORDER TO FINISH THE CLEANSING OF THE FEMALE CHILD........THE "BRIDE" of Christ! Since SHE is taken FROM Jesus' side (symbolically), HER CREATION required BOTH the OLD AND NEW COVENANTS to become completed in order to finish cleansing her. In Revelation 21 we see a picture of her when she is FINISHED (after the seventh TRUMPET begins to sound...Revelation 10:7). At that time her "GOLD" (symbolic of the WORD OF GOD and the salvation which it produces in God's people....we ARE what we "EAT") is CLEAR AS CRYSTAL (NO MORE FALSE manmade ideas or doctrines mixed in with the real material). In other words.......when we reach the NEW JERUSALEM stage in the first decade of the 2000s, we will FINALLY have a cleansed "MOTHER AND CHILD"; a purified "BRIDE" for Jesus to receive unto HIMSELF. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!! We SEEM to have a conflict on our hands. In one sense the scripture seems to imply that the woman was created on the sixth day. Yet, at the same time the picture shows that the woman was formed from Adam's rib section at a later period of time. Could they both be right? Could the woman have been CREATED the first week and FORMED the second week (ie...did Jesus CREATE His BRIDE ("church") during the OLD COVENANT, and FORM it during the NEW COVENANT...Acts 7:38...etc.)? Do the two sisters (Leah and Rachel) show only PART of the complete picture? If we spiritually "feed" upon the types portrayed by the Old Testament "church", does that mean we are "made" (FORMED spiritually) from the materials which God "CREATED" in the Old Covenant "church" (AGAIN...WE ARE WHAT WE EAT)??? Absolutely! So the types help us to better understand what SEEMS to be a discrepancy in the scriptural account! God CREATED the MATERIAL (Adam's right side) from which EVE was FORMED on the SIXTH DAY....the day He created ADAM. Yet He "MADE" or formed EVE at a LATER TIME. Genesis 2: 2:22 And the rib (The translators call it the "rib", but we know that it was the twelve ribs on the right side.) which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 2:23 And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (NOTICE: TAKEN OUT OF MAN....from HIS ALREADY CREATED BEING). Adam said, This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. If Eve was made from just one rib, he should have said, "this is bones of my BONE". Adam said she was made out of his "BONES". What did Adam mean by "flesh of my flesh"? From the meaning of the Hebrew word, that rib section could included all the flesh that was there as well. That Hebrew word actually has reference to the whole side. If God literally took only one rib bone, Eve was NOT bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. However, if God took twelve bones and the flesh around them, this statement would be true. Someone might say, "Adam could not have lived with all of those parts removed." Friend, you need to remember that God was doing this to illustrate SPIRITUAL THINGS TO COME. This was a miraculous work. God removed those body parts from him and still (as his "redeemer"...see the fulfillment of the type hinted at in Isaiah 44:6) left him WHOLE and complete. Symbolically the Church (the Bride...Ephesians 5:22-33) will be built out of the "blood and water" that flowed from Jesus' SIDE. We will NOT be created, but we will be built (spiritually speaking). The Church is a spiritual bride, a spiritual "Eve" (for the second Adam; to be HIS "helpmeet"). Will the Church which is manifested as the Bride, the Lamb's wife in these last days be created from ENTIRELY NEW materials that have never before existed? NO! We know she will be built out of materials that have been manifest ever since God gave them to His people in the OLD COVENANT (and in fact...material which has been around for eternity). She will be built from the word of God. Her "walls of salvation" (Revelation 21, Isaiah 60:18, Isaiah 26:1) will be built from "gold" as clear as crystal. Her "gates" are made of "pearls" (Revelation 21:21, Matthew 7:6, Matthew 13:45) of DIVINE TRUTH. These "pearls" (like the LITERAL) are divine truths that do not need man to CUT or SHAPE in order to beautify them. Her "walk" will be guided by the STREET OF "GOLD" (notice it is NOT PLURAL in Revelation 21:21 and 22:2). Since there is ONLY ONE "street" in the "NEW JERUSALEM" (the CHURCH...THE "BRIDE" OF CHRIST...Revelation 21:1-10), there will only be ONE WAY TO WALK...ONE WAY TO BELIEVE THAT IS TRUTH. This "BRIDE" is not an initial CREATION. It is a FORMATION PROCESS using materials that are from ETERNITY. When the seventh trump begins to sound, the mystery of God is finished. If you will study Paul's usage of the term "MYSTERY", you will notice that it ALWAYS ties in with the truth concerning God's building of HIS CHURCH (ie. SALVATION, UNITY, RESURRECTION, etc.). For example, in Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul speaks about the relationship of man and woman in marriage, and then actually QUOTES Adam's words concerning the formation of HIS BRIDE. THEN, he proceeds to say, "this is a great MYSTERY: But I speak concerning Christ and the CHURCH". I know this will not be understood by most readers, but as we have detailed to our congregation here, there is a "7" connected with the first two trumpets; a "7" connected with the third and fourth trumpets; and a "7" connected with the fifth and sixth trumpets. THEN....the "MYSTERY of God is finished", and the NEW JERUSALEM becomes a REALITY for God's TRUE PEOPLE who are walking in the fulness of LIGHT!!!!!!! The SEVENTH TRUMPET is the WORST of the THREE "WOES" for the WORLD, and for the FLESH. HOWEVER, for God's people it is a GLORIOUS DAY that allows preparation WITHIN the "ARK" for the soon coming RESURRECTION. Genesis 1: 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.... This verse does not MENTION "CREATION". 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. There is nothing contradictory in that scripture if we recognize that God CREATED THE MATERIAL for both male and female from day one through day six. He FORMED the physical attributes or manifestation of MAN on the sixth day. The material from which He made man from was all ready created, but He built it into a physical likeness of HIMSELF on that sixth day. Later, IN THE NEXT WEEK, God began the process of forming EVE. While HE COULD have made her in a split second, the type shows that God did so as a PROCESS in order to illustrate the SPIRITUAL. God has called us to help form the SPIRITUAL "BODY" (SEVEN TRUMPET ANGELS represent the SPIRITUAL......'7'...... BODY OF CHRIST) to SOUND the SEVEN trumpets in order to prepare for the manifestation of the GLORIOUS "BRIDE" OF CHRIST. As of this time (SPRING 1987), we are entering the last year of sounding the first TRUMPET (NOTE: We are editing this message into printed form in February 1991, which is during the final year of sounding the SECOND TRUMPET). It will soon be time to begin the second stage of outreach to God's people. Those who God desires to be part of this initial "body" will be coming in during the next couple of years, as the "SPACE TO REPENT" of the second trumpet reaches into the sounding of the THIRD TRUMPET. The years are quickly passing, and the time for SPIRITUAL "RACHEL" to fully belong to SPIRITUAL "ISRAEL" (Jesus) is drawing closer and closer. While it is TRUE that there are some years left to work the works of God, that time is fleeting. I believe that the day when God presented the FINISHED WORK (Eve) to Adam was one of the MOST GLORIOUS occasions ever to come to pass in this time world. In fact, we need to realize that the ENTIRE PURPOSE of this world is the FORMATION of SPIRITUAL "EVE" in these last days. The GREATEST EVENT to ever involve mankind will take place in the near (not too many decades away) future. However, ONLY God's people who are walking in PRESENT TRUTH at that time will be able to enjoy the GLORY of that day. Will you be PART of the NEW JERUSALEM??? WILL YOU be part of those who enjoy the BLESSED PRIVILEGE that God's people have looked forward to through the ages??? Every detail; every time period; and every event that will come to pass is given in prophetic types for God's people to learn and understand. FRIEND...God wants you to be part of this IF you are truly an "HONEST HEART". Are YOU honest hearted enough to put the things of this world in the BACKGROUND of your life, and PUT GOD FIRST??? Are you MORE CONCERNED with pleasing HIM than pleasing yourself??? If so, you need to DIG IN and get down to business while there is still TIME. There is SO much work to be done, and SO many HONEST HEARTS that need to hear the TRUTH that God is sending for TODAY. If you and I are to be part of THIS SPECIAL MINISTRY, we must get down to business NOW!!!!!! Within a year from now, MANY things are going to begin changing at an accelerated rate in the religious world. I KNOW there are changes taking place NOW in what CALLS ITSELF the CHURCH OF GOD. I also KNOW there HAVE BEEN many changes taking place for some time. In fact, we first began to study about THESE changes over 15 years ago. God has given PRECISION DETAILS in the many thousands of scriptural types. The NEED of the hour is that God's TRUE people will allow Him to OPEN their SPIRITUAL "EYES", and OPEN their SPIRITUAL "EARS", in order that they might "SEE", "HEAR", and understand what the SPIRIT is saying to us today. God has not given the teachings for today in just a few texts. Instead, they are HIDDEN in EVERY passage of scripture throughout the Bible. As Paul said, they ARE indeed a "MYSTERY" (1 Corinthians 2:7). *************** BASIC TYPES IN GENESIS CHAPTER ONE *************** PART FIVE Genesis 2: 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. The words "CREATED" and "MADE" should mean much more to us now because of what we have been studying. We have found that God created some things and yet MADE many others. There is a difference! To create means to make something from absolutely nothing. To make something is to take material which is ALREADY created, and form it into something different from its basic CREATED form. As we have seen, God DID THAT in forming the natural world, and HE DOES THAT when He forms our SPIRITUAL LIVES as well. God does two different works in our spiritual life. The moment we are conceived, we are spiritually ALIVE ("NEW CREATIONS"). The creation work is done, but the MAKING of our spiritual BEING has barely begun. GENESIS 2:4 These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. The word "GENESIS" means GENERATIONS. Therefore, notice: Genesis 5:1 - Generations of Adam's seed. Genesis 6:9 - Generations of Noah. Genesis 10:1 - Generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 11:10 - Generations of Shem. Genesis 11:27 - Generations of Terah. Genesis 25:12 - Generations of Ishmael. Genesis 25:19 - Generations of Isaac. Genesis 36:1 - Generations of Esau. Genesis 37:2 - Generations of Jacob. It SHOULD be evident that each of these lists of GENERATIONS declares who PHYSICALLY evolved from the previous GENERATION (singular) in the list. When the Bible speaks of someone being begotten by someone else, it is speaking of a form of EVOLVING. People who believe that God CREATES each and every human body in an individual CREATIVE work are accusing God (among other things) of CREATING illegitimate babies. God did not do that; MAN IS TO BLAME. God CREATED the first man; FORMED the first woman FROM part of that man; and ever since has left the FORMING OF BODIES UP TO MAN! I often hear of people who BLAME God for their child's BIRTH DEFECTS, etc. IT IS NOT GOD'S FAULT!!!!! There are MANY genetic influences which (through the generations) cause such afflictions upon the human race. Many of those are the results of the SIN of generations past. God has NO PART in ANY SIN, yet many people BLAME Him for the results. Even as the Book of Genesis declares the GENERATIONS of the various MEN who were used by God in different manners to portray spiritual lessons in type, EVEN SO, Genesis 1 shows the GENERATIONS of the development of this planet and its inhabitants. Would you expect ANYONE to believe that the generations of ABRAHAM (for example) consist of: ABRAHAM...lived ONE 24 hour day? ISAAC.....lived ONE 24 hour day? JACOB.....lived ONE 24 hour day?......and so on!?!? Yet nearly EVERYONE today who carries a Bible expects you to believe that the GENERATIONS of the HEAVEN AND EARTH took place in 24 hour increments. Isn't it AMAZING how MIXED UP people can get???? Let us look briefly at another PROBLEM in our context. Genesis 1: 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. PLEASE notice the following: 1) The WATERS are said to "bring forth" LIVING, MOVING CREATURES. 2) The WATERS are said to "bring forth" "FOWL" that fly. 3) The WATERS are said to have "brought forth" whales and "every living creature that moveth", as well as "every winged fowl". Genesis 2: 2:19a And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; ........................... NOW NOTICE THIS TEXT SAYS: (1) The "GROUND" was used by God to FORM every beast of the field, AND every fowl of the air. Is this a contradiction, OR another of God's ways of revealing TRUTH while HIDING many aspects of that truth from the LOST world? If this is JUST a literal account of creation, it would seem that it gives TWO possibilities for the MATERIAL God used to form the animals. Yet when we see this passage in a SPIRITUAL light, we realize that it shows BOTH the BODY and SPIRIT....(both that which is formed from "WATER", and that which is formed from "EARTH") in the lives of God's people. WATER = the WORD and SPIRIT of God (Eph. 5:26, John 7:37-39) EARTH = the FLESH life of man (2 Cor. 4:7, many TYPES) l. We have found there is definitely spiritual SYMBOLISM to prove that the earliest forms of life in the plant and animal realm were INDEED single celled creatures, and THOSE were CREATED by God during the LIGHT portion of the FIRST EPOCH or age of CREATION. 2. We have mentioned that the separation of the waters lessened the pressure on the single celled creatures (as we can easily SEE from the spiritual types that are pictured in this creation event. This made it possible for GROWTH of those life forms. This is proven by the TWELVE stages of spiritual growth. 3. The plant life and the trees began on the third day. 4. Further development of the earlier forms of plants and animals took place after the sun came forth on the fourth day. THEN, we see a STRANGE picture of the formation and development of the HIGHER creatures which populated the world during the fifth and sixth "days" or EPOCHS of "creation". In a sense, evolutionists RECOGNIZE STEPS of evolutionary development (which they feel to be the result of adaptations and genetic "freaks"). However, even though evolutionists recognize steps, they are continually trying to remove those "STEPS" (ie. search for "missing LINK"). That should not surprise us. Look at false religion today. If you stress to a false preacher that there are STEPS of spiritual growth taught in the Bible, he probably will not argue with you. Quite a few of them recognize the "steps" of birth, babyhood, and manhood. However, there are MASSIVE contradictions between what they would ADMIT, and what they teach for THEOLOGY. Most preachers today teach you are "saved", and then you just move up a sort of INCLINED plane little by little as you grow spiritually. They do not see the DEFINITE "STEPS" of spiritual growth that the Bible teaches. We MUST grow STEP by STEP through all 12 stages if we are to be prosperous and blessed in eternity. How many of you have ever tried to slide up or down STEPS? Sliding up steps is next to impossible. It is much easier to climb up the steps. This is important because people are assuming if they get saved, go to church, and "live for God" that they will slide up the spiritual "ladder" (Jacob's LADDER is a type of this), and one day they will reach the top. You do not go up steps that way. You have to make some DEFINITE MOVES to climb up steps. As time goes on everyone in the congregation will recognize those stages of growth more and more. When that happens, you will be able to see when you are coming up to the next STEP, and step UP for it instead of running headlong into it. Definite steps require a Supreme Being. An evolutionary INCLINED PLANE does away with the need for a CREATOR, because it teaches a process of gradual evolving. In spiritual matters, if you have definite steps of spiritual growth, you must have a God who can bring those steps to pass. In false religion people convince themselves that they are moving upward and getting better, but they are actually sliding on the horizontal plane. They will come to a standstill that is as far as they can go. At that point they will think they have reached the top of the scale, but that is actually the end of the Reuben step. That is REALLY not the TOP, but instead is the time to take a definite move UPWARD (step up) in one's spiritual life. Since God MIRACULOUSLY brings to pass our spiritual CONCEPTION, that REUBEN "STEP" is the first one we get to take. It is a TINY one, but we are spiritually TINY at that time. BENJAMIN |"son of right | hand" | | | JOSEPH | <--MUCH fruit | | Naphtali| Asher| GAD | DAN | <----- SPIRITUAL ADULT | | <--- Matt. 4 symbolic of this test Issachar| Zebulun| Judah| <------ BIRTH SPIRITUALLY | Levi| Simeon| Reuben| <----- INITIAL CONCEPTION (James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23) | | LOST| <---- "without form and void"..."darkness...face of deep" So WHY is this so important? Why do God's people need to understand these STEPS of growth? People do not want to make definite commitments, but they must if they are going to grow spiritually. A definite commitment will cost you something. You must make a definite move before you can step up to the next step of spiritual growth. It is fine to move along on the horizontal, but that is only taking you to the point where you can gain the strength and get prepared to take the next step upward. The eternal rewards and the GLORY of the (highly developed...spiritually.... 1 Cor. 15) RESURRECTED BODY is going to be WORTH any and ALL difficulties we must face in order to attain this GROWTH. Have you ever come to the place where you felt that you were up against the wall (spiritually) and could not seem to progress forward? You must recognize that there is a definite move that you must make. It will cost you something. There are going to be commitments that you have to make in your life. You will find it necessary to make some changes in your way of doing things. God is trying to prepare you for GLORY!!!!!!! We know that when a little baby is within its mother's womb, it STILL requires light to live; EVERY LIVING THING DOES! That baby receives an indirect form of light up until it is born (spiritual Reuben, Simeon, and Levi). When it is born, it comes out into the sunlight. That happens to be the fourth stage (spiritual Judah...the step of TRUE PRAISE) even as the sun, moon, and stars were set in place on the fourth day. Once you are in spiritual Judah, it is absolutely essential that your "earth" (your flesh life) be constantly turning toward the sun if you are going to get light. The process of walking in the light could also be referred to as the process of your "earth" constantly turning toward the sun. When Jesus spoke of the "lightning" moving from the east to the west (Matthew 24), the translators used the wrong term. You know that lightning does not all originate in the east and go to the west. Lightning does not travel in such a manner. It travels up and down. However, from this planet the sun seems to always be moving from east to west. We KNOW that the sun is NOT MOVING, but the EARTH is turning to represent a continual moving to expose ALL the "earthen vessel" to SUNLIGHT! That is the ONLY way you can have SPIRITUAL GRAVITY at work in your life! If you want to be able to "WALK" spiritually, YOU MUST HAVE SPIRITUAL GRAVITY AT WORK IN YOUR LIFE. While the "STEP" is small for a REUBEN, it gets a bit bigger for SIMEON and more so for LEVI. JUDAH is quite a bit higher "step" than the previous ones. What this means is that the COST of dedication and involvement in spiritual things will become increasingly HIGHER as you GROW. While a REUBEN may get by with some things that God HATES, as he grows he will find that the chastisement increases, and that God deals with him in a continually MORE SEVERE MANNER (Hebrews 12:5-13). When he reaches Issachar, he will find himself BLISTERED spiritually if he does not measure up to the will of God. Before he can complete DAN, he will have had to REALLY sacrifice and dedicate himself as Paul taught in Romans 12:1-2. God will NOT let one of His children become a spiritual adult WITHOUT COMPLETE SACRIFICE OF ALL THINGS FROM THE HEART. He MAY not require the LOSS of all things in a literal sense, BUT HE WILL require that all things be surrendered IN HEART! If God sees a person is an honest heart, and that they WANT to surrender ALL to Him, He will HELP them in that surrender by TAKING away those things that are a hindrance. It is for that reason that we should strive to GIVE UP ALL in our hearts. For example, if God sees that a person's job is a hindrance to their spiritual growth, He would RATHER them surrender (in their heart) to give up the job. HOWEVER, if they are not able to do so, God will generally TAKE it from them in order to help them get the victory over such a hindrance. In the same manner, if God sees that an honest hearted person is DESIRING to put Him first, but are having trouble because of someone in their life, He will quite often TAKE that person FROM their life in order to remove the hindrance. HOWEVER.....He will FIRST give the person a chance to get victory ON THEIR OWN, as that is how we earn rewards! WE DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL HERE and understand something VERY IMPORTANT! God will ONLY take something (that is spiritually harmful) away IF HE GAVE IT TO US! There are MANY things that we have which God has given. That includes our family, our possessions, and many people would not even have their JOB if God had not given it to them. However, there are ALSO many things that ARE NOT God given. For example, if a person gets saved and has difficulty overcoming bad habits (such as smoking, drinking, etc.), THEY MUST NOT EXPECT GOD TO TAKE THOSE AWAY. It WILL be necessary for the person to BRING THEIR OWN FLESH under control and FORCE themselves to QUIT THOSE THINGS in order to please God. God will HELP His children to OVERCOME those things, but ONLY when we DO OUR PART in casting those aside. God's children who are STILL in the first three stages are TOTALLY dependent upon the spiritual "MOTHER" (GOD'S TRUE CHURCH) for their feeding and growth. However, since we are PHYSICAL as well as spiritual beings, it is common for God's people to have TROUBLE STAYING in such a position. People are sometimes destroyed spiritually because they turn against the BRIDE of Christ; THEIR SPIRITUAL MOTHER. If a person is in Reuben, Simeon, or Levi, and they begin to hold things against the TRUE CHURCH, it is as if they were like a LITERAL fetus in their mother's womb who begins to cut itself off from the sources of life in their mother's body. If a person becomes cut off from the sources of life, they MISCARRY and die (LITERALLY AND SPIRITUALLY). We are going to quote a manuscript from a Science Library Series which was published by Life Magazine. It is the edition on WATER. These people are evolutionists, but notice some of the concepts that they are writing about. They at least recognize some basic truths. I QUOTE: "Waters of life is more than a poetic phrase. Life actually arose in water to start the long line of evolution that links primitive animals and plants (which are virtually nothing but water), to man who is two-thirds water. Before birth much of man's life is spent in water in the sheltering membranous sack of his mother's womb, and water flows through his body to the day he dies." "Man can live several weeks without food. One Indian fakir survived 81 days with no nourishment whatever, but without water, the longest any human being can expect to live is 10 days. Some bacteria flourish without oxygen, but neither they nor any other form of life can grow without water. It defies barriers to penetrate the living cells of plants and animals, and it overcomes gravity to climb the highest trees, bringing nutrients to their top most branches." "The earth's water was there when the planet was formed. It lay in the oceans before the present atmosphere was created, and it was this circumstance, according to one theory, that led to the development of life. Today, the oxygen in the atmosphere absorbs much of the sun's ultraviolet radiation, but eons ago this energetic portion of the solar spectrum beat down uninterruptedly upon the great primeval seas. Mixed with the waters in those days were substantial quantities of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide, providing all the chemical elements necessary to give rise to living molecules. The powerful ultraviolet radiation may have stimulated the arrangement and rearrangement of these elements into one pattern after another until finally, purely by chance, compounds that could duplicate themselves were formed. If such random synthesis, stimulated by the sun and supported by the water, continued over hundreds of millions of years, life could have evolved." (KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS "PURELY BY CHANCE" IS THE MAIN ERROR IN THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION...THERE WAS NOT CHANCE IN THE MATTER AT ALL AS GOD CREATED LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) "Life's watery beginning continues to be reflected in all living processes, plant and animal. The simplest single celled organisms are surrounded by and permeated with water. It moves in and out of their walls, bringing food and oxygen along and taking waste away. The principle is the same, but the processes are more complicated in higher forms of life. With few exceptions plants make their own food from water and air. To survive they must act like pipelines, taking water out of the soil, delivering it to cells for use, and emptying whatever is left over into the air. The water absorbed through the fine root hairs underground travels upward through bundles of long microscopic tubes penetrating the stem and branches and passes back into the atmosphere as transpiration through tiny leaf spores call stomata, which also serve as entrance and exit ports for the carbon dioxide and oxygen, which are essential for photosynthesis and growth. One square inch of leaf may contain as many as three hundred thousand stomata, most of which are on the underside, and they release an astonishing amount of water." The authors and publishers of this book are strong believers in Darwin's theory of evolution. The statement about life beginning purely by chance is TOTALLY IN ERROR, but they are correct when they say that originally every thing was encompassed with water. They are correct when they say the oceans existed long before the atmosphere above us. We know that did not take place until God separated the waters from the waters in the second day of creation. We have stressed to you that there HAD TO BE a tremendous amount of time that passed in these first "days" or EPOCHS (ages) of CREATION. We are NOT teaching these things to attempt to get along with scientists and evolutionists. WE ARE teaching these things because GOD SAID that He created all things in order to PICTURE SPIRITUAL TRUTH (Romans 1, Psalms 19, etc.). Today, preachers all over the land are trying to bring spiritual "LIFE" to men and women by getting them to: A. REPENT \ B. PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS\ C. BE BAPTISED IN WATER \ THESE WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED THIS PLANET. D. LIVE RIGHT / E. ACCEPT JESUS / Since a LOST person is spiritually "BLIND", "DEAF", "LAME", "DEAD", "WITHOUT FORM AND VOID", and in spiritual "DARKNESS", how can they approach God for help???? When anyone tries to convince you that these methods being used by modern day religion are means of salvation, remember, every single TYPE in the Bible proves them FALSE. Can you see some television evangelist preaching hell fire and brimstone to this planet trying to get it to come into the light and repent? It would not have done any good. It would have fallen on what you could call deaf ears, and it still does today. Could you get that planet to confess, cry a few tears, and pray the "sinner's prayer"? None of these things would have helped. How about water baptism? Water baptism was instituted for a particular purpose, and if similar circumstances were to warrant it in today's world, it would STILL be useful for that same purpose, but there is no saving grace in baptism. Church joining would not have helped the earth. From the very beginning of God's plan, He has pointed out the fact that it is impossible to be saved, to have life, or to have light except through the word of God. Several years ago we studied how God put the universe together in order to illustrate spiritual things. We looked at some of the various types of atoms and their different number of electrons within their rings which orbit around their nucleus. We also found that some element's atoms do not have sufficient electrons to fill their outer rings. Water is made of two atoms of hydrogen joined with one atom of oxygen. Hydrogen atoms have one electron, and oxygen is composed of eight electrons; two in the inner ring and six in the outer ring. Oxygen is capable of having eight electrons in the outer ring, and hydrogen is capable of having two electrons in the outer ring. Any time an atom has an outer ring that is not completely filled, it is unstable. An unstable atom is always looking for another atom with empty spaces in its outer ring of electrons so it can lock up with it and borrow some electrons to fill it own gaps. BOTH Hydrogen and Oxygen are UNSTABLE. Water is formed by these two types of unstable atoms when the two hydrogen atoms loan their single electrons to fill the outer ring of the oxygen atom. In turn these two hydrogen atoms lock into the two outside electrons next to the gap. Those two electrons orbit within both the hydrogen and the oxygen atoms. This fills both the hydrogen and the oxygen rings and makes a stable molecule. E . . . E 2 HYDROGEN ATOMS OXYGEN > . . _______ ATOM . . ./ \ E . . | E + | . . . \_______/ . E + E _______ . . . / \ E . . | E + | . . .\_______/ . . E . . . E As the result of this lopsided arrangement, water is somewhat different than most substances. When you cool most substances, they shrink and become more dense. If water was the same, ice would sink. God turned the tables on the elements when He formed water. Water expands when it cools. If it were not so, we would not be able to live in this world today. In the cold regions of our world the water would freeze and sink to the bottom of the oceans. This would continue until entire bodies of water would be frozen solid. In the warm season the sun would thaw a little water on top which would freeze back very quickly as soon as the weather became cool. This does not happen because when water freezes it floats on the surface and insulates the water under it. When the sun shines on the frozen water, it melts and the temperature of the water is able to rise again. For this reason water is the temperature regulator of this world. If water became more dense when it froze, we would have a globe completely covered with ice today. The water tempers the climate and enables our planet to be as warm as it is. Scientists have estimated that the variation in temperature between our summer and winter would be over a hundred degrees if it were not for the oceans. ISN'T IT AMAZING that people want us to believe it all just EVOLVED that way??? God does not use water ONLY to sustain life, He allows us to have a place fit to live because of water. If you bring that over into the spiritual, it still holds true. The "water of LIFE" provides us with a tempering of our SPIRITUAL "CLIMATE". God has so formed His WORD that its individual "elements" are ALL LACKING in themselves, but when they are LOCKED UP TOGETHER they become STABLE SPIRITUAL MOLECULES; the "WATER OF LIFE". Most people today fail to understand this VERY IMPORTANT aspect of the WORD OF GOD. They pull out portions here and there (like separating individual "ATOMS"). They fail to heed Peter's admonishment about not PRIVATING any prophecy of the scripture. All they can see in Peter's writing is the thought of NO ONE PERSON TEACHING SOMETHING that no one else teaches (2 Peter 1:20-21). They FORGET that when Jesus first began to preach, HIS DOCTRINE was PRIVATE (taught ONLY by him). They forget about what Paul the Apostle called, "MY gospel". They fail to see that the REAL meaning of Peter's words, and therefore they also fail to understand the scriptures as a whole. EVERY symbol in scripture is like an ATOM. There are ALWAYS two sides to the picture portrayed by EVERY BIBLE SYMBOL, even as there are always both a negative and a positive in EVERY atom (electrons are NEGATIVE; protons are POSITIVE). That is why JESUS is called the "lion of the tribe of Judah" in Revelation 5:5, while the DEVIL is called a "roaring lion" in 1 Peter 5:8. That is ALSO why WATER symbolizes: 1. TRUTH (the word of God). 2. GOD'S TRUE PEOPLE (we ARE what we eat and drink). AND ALSO SYMBOLIZES: 3. FALSE DOCTRINE and LOST PEOPLE who spiritually "feed" on the false doctrines (Revelation 17:15 compared with Revelation 13, Jude 13). People seem to believe that Christianity must teach that God CREATES every individual grouping of atoms and molecules that appears in this world. THAT IS NOT SO! God created the ORIGINAL MATERIAL, and man has done quite a bit of REARRANGING of that material (on his own). If our human bodies were created INDIVIDUALLY by God, we would all look exactly alike. Everything God CREATES must be PERFECT. HOWEVER, when man starts FORMING it, who knows what the end result will be? God CREATED the materials from which harmful DRUGS are made. HOWEVER, we cannot BLAME GOD for those DRUGS. God CREATED the MATERIAL from which ALCOHOL and CIGARETTES are made, but we cannot BLAME HIM for what man makes of them. Even so, God has CREATED the materials from which we are ALL MADE, but we CANNOT BLAME GOD for deformed babies and other various kinds of BIRTH DEFECTS! That is why WE CANNOT blame God for SPIRITUAL "BIRTH DEFECTS" within the CHURCH. The church is the spiritual "MOTHER", and even though GOD is the PERFECT FATHER, the "MOTHER" has plenty of imperfections to pass on to the "BABIES". In fact, we need to realize that WHAT OUR SPIRITUAL "MOTHER" (the church we attend) "EATS" spiritually, is going to affect us throughout our spiritual LIFE! Her spiritual "GENES" are also going to have a GREAT AFFECT upon our spiritual development. This means that the spiritual "mother" is a tremendous influence upon our development in the first three stages of spiritual growth. Beyond those stages of growth, there gradually becomes less and less influence from the mother, and more and more PERSONAL responsibility. If a spiritual mother were to only feed on some particular "PET" doctrine, her "babies" would not be spiritually healthy. In the same sense, if a preacher only preaches on a few "pet" doctrines of his denomination, then the "babies" will not be properly NOURISHED. We need to also realize that when a preacher tells people how to live (right and wrong....sin and righteousness), THAT IS NOT SPIRITUAL "FOOD". I believe in giving God's people instruction as to how to live to please Him. Such instruction is of GREAT IMPORTANCE to God's children who are ALREADY "BORN", and need to be properly TAUGHT. However, you cannot teach a baby VERY MUCH while it is in the mother's womb. In fact, you can ONLY influence it by being a GOOD EXAMPLE as a "MOTHER". That SHOULD be our GOAL as God's children; to grow up spiritually so we can function as part of the spiritual "mother"; the church (spiritual "JERUSALEM" as contrasted with the LITERAL..Gal. 4). We read in Genesis 2:4 about the generations of the heavens and the earth. We realize that science can positively prove there were many creatures that once lived but are extinct today. We know that just because Adam did not live in Noah's day does not mean that Adam never lived. Just because dinosaurs do not live today does not mean they never lived. Fossils of many different dinosaurs have been found, and those are the only evidence left of some of the creatures which have lived upon this earth. If you were to have lived in Seth's day, you would not have thought that Adam was "extinct", would you? Adam was living at the same time as Seth. Adam was not "extinct" until the fifty-sixth year of Lamech. The time finally came when people did not know Adam. THEY ONLY KNEW ABOUT HIM. Even so, we have not PERSONALLY seen any of the dinosaurs, but we KNOW ABOUT THEM. Someday, I hope God allows me to write a Bible study about the "SPIRITUAL DINOSAURS". For now I will have to be satisfied with just a mention of that type. I think it should be EASY for the reader to realize that the SPIRITUAL WORLD also once experienced such GIANT "creatures". Today, we still have some GIANTS around, but they are somewhat different than those of OLD. Unfortunately, many people today STILL WORSHIP the GIANTS of the past! Religious DENOMINATIONS are forms of spiritual DINOSAUR WORSHIP!!! *************** BASIC TYPES IN GENESIS CHAPTER ONE *************** PART SIX The types begin to get a little more complex on the fifth day. This is due to the fact that since SEVEN and TWELVE are both symbols of basically the same thing, it was necessary for God to represent 12 stages of spiritual growth in a SEVEN day period. The fifth day pictures THREE of these stages, and therefore pictures spiritual growth THROUGH the stage of DAN. Notice: REUBEN \ SIMEON \________ Stages from conception to "BIRTH." LEVI / JUDAH / ZEBULUN \ ISSACHAR >--------- Stages from "WALKING" to ADULTHOOD. DAN / GAD \ ASHER \_________ Stages of ADULT LABORS AND EXPERIENCE. NAPHTALI / JOSEPH / BENJAMIN >---------- Stage of FULLEST RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Varied (as all stages) by 12 levels. The first (Zebulun) stage of the FIFTH day is pictured in this passage: Genesis 1:20, And God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life............. The Hebrew word translated "MOVING" here is a real help to our understanding of this type. This word and its root word are also used in these texts: Leviticus 11:10 "MOVE" Leviticus 11:20, 29, 31, 42 "CREEP" Genesis 7:21 "CREEPETH" and "CREEPING" Leviticus 5:2, 11:21, 23, 29, 41, 42, 43, 44, 22:5 "CREEPING" Deuteronomy 14:19 "CREEPING" Leviticus 11:41, 43 "CREEPETH" Ezekiel 47:9 "MOVETH" Genesis 8:17 "BREED ABUNDANTLY" As we can see from these texts of scripture, there are "moving" or "creeping" creatures that live in the water, and also those that FLY (Deuteronomy 7:19). While it may seem strange to think of a BIRD (vs. 11) as a CREEPING thing, we need to understand the MEANING of the Hebrew word used in these scriptures. It pictures a SWARM, FLOCK, or MASS of such creatures. In fact, the passage noted above in Genesis 8:17 COULD have been correctly translated "multiply in great masses". While this may AT FIRST GLANCE seem strange as a picture of spiritual Zebulun, we need to think in terms of the actual cells that form the human body, and our ability to observe them as they grow. We cannot observe (very easily) the development of an embryo within the mother. We can however, observe quite easily the growth that takes place AFTER a baby has been born. At which of these stages of growth do we notice the greatest MASS development (ie. the greatest amount of actual PHYSICAL growth.... the number of CELLS manifest)? (1) From BIRTH to about age 2 years (walking and talking); JUDAH? (2) From about age 2 until about thirteen; ZEBULUN? (3) From teens to full maturity in adulthood; ISSACHAR? I am sure you will agree that the greatest growth (manifestation of cellular "mass" or "swarm") takes place during number 2 above; the stage of ZEBULUN! Genesis 1: 1:20b... and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the firmament of heaven. 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Let us look at the stages of Issachar and Dan. These two levels become more difficult to distinguish between, even as is the case in the natural realm. From this point on in our growth, the differences will not be easily observed. They will be more manifest INWARDLY than they will be seen OUTWARDLY. Spiritual Issachars (teenagers) are symbolized by the WHALES. I realize that in many people's minds the whales MAY seem to be the equivalent of adults. However, SIZE is not everything, and there are SMALLER creatures which are FAR ADVANCED intellectually above the whales. For example, the DOLPHIN is such a creature. The Hebrew word translated "moveth" in Genesis 1:21 is NOT related to the word we just studied in the Zebulun stage. It means to glide or move swiftly, and shows the GREATER DEVELOPMENT of the SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD in type. A child of God has learned (at this stage) to SPIRITUALLY MOVE much more quickly in their Christian "walk". The DOLPHIN is an excellent example of this type. While spiritual TEENS (Issachar) may ACT LIKE spiritual WHALES, the Lord will soon "cut" them down to size when He puts them through the severe tests that allow one to become a spiritual "DAN" (adult). That test is typified (as we have taught in the past) in Jesus' testing and temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4), as well as Job's test, Joseph's time in prison, etc. When we grow through the stage of Dan (when FINISHED we are a spiritual adult), we are COMPACTED spiritually (humbled), and we "shrink" from WHALES to DOLPHINS, etc. We lose our "BIG" image in our own sight (remember how "BIG" and "SMART" most teens THINK they are until they mature), and become TRULY wise with the wisdom of God. A dolphin symbolizes spiritual Dan. Dan is the seventh stage, and the stage of safety. We have stressed to you before that "stony ground" never gets to Judah, and "thorny ground" NEVER finishes DAN. Once you have progressed into Dan, you are able to comprehend and gain the assurance that you have in Christ. No wonder the dolphin LOOKS so happy. He represents something that is worth being happy about. When a child of God experiences the various tests and trials of going THROUGH Dan, it is for our own good! God knows that we NEED that spiritual EXERCISE in order to grow STRONG spiritually. Therefore, He allows the enemy to come against us at that stage, knowing that we are able to bear it. Though we suffer somewhat for a time, the THRILL that awaits us is like the experience of the caterpillar who has emerged from his cocoon. Before we complete Dan, we are just "crawling" along spiritually, but once we finish that stage, we are able to emerge as a SPIRITUAL BUTTERFLY!!!!!! OH the beauty of that creature with its glorious and colorful wings. It is STILL UGLY except for its wings, but they are SO BEAUTIFUL that most people never notice the UGLY PARTS! What a blessing to FINALLY "sprout" wings, so we can MANIFEST the beauty of the Lord. Remember, in some of our past studies we have seen how God uses various COLORS to portray different truths! Even so, when we get (spiritual) BUTTERFLY WINGS (when finished with DAN), we are able to manifest TRUTH in a BEAUTIFUL MANNER! God can USE us in a much greater way than when we were just UGLY caterpillars. I fully realize that even the BEST CHRISTIANS are STILL UGLY in themselves (spiritually speaking) and so are butterflies. However, we thank God for the beautifying work of the WORD/SPIRIT of God that enables us to have SPIRITUAL WINGS! OH THE BEAUTIFUL HUES OF COLOR that are manifest in such a Christian! Such a child of God is able to tell others about the truth in such a wonderful fashion that the BEAUTY becomes almost too GLORIOUS to comprehend. If you have not yet completed Dan, then friend, you are missing SO MUCH that God has for you! I sometimes counsel with people who I feel seem to be questioning the value of Salvation in their life. I think the BIG problem lies in the fact that so many people cannot SEE very far ahead because they are still CRAWLING around as spiritual caterpillars. In fact, I have talked with Christians who seem to feel that they are CONSTANTLY "tripping" in their spiritual "walk". It is NO WONDER, considering many FEET a caterpillar has with which to "walk". It stands to reason he would "TRIP" often. Just think what a difference it will make to that caterpillar when he can SOAR ABOVE those things he is always tripping over. Just think how different his life will be when he can ride the AIR CURRENTS, and can quit wallowing in the mud! Have you ever witnessed to someone, and told them about glorious TRUTHS; ONLY to have them almost RUN from you in terror? NO WONDER... a CATERPILLAR CAN be a "scary" critter to some people. In fact, some people don't have any better use for them than to SQUASH them. That is why you begin to feel your spiritual life is one CLOSE CALL after another. Friend, what you need is to go ahead and BUILD YOUR COCOON. God WILL NOT do it all for you. You are going to have to make some definite MOVES in your Christian life that will cause you to be WRAPPED UP for awhile, but you MUST be willing to go through those things in order to experience the future BENEFITS!!!!!!! NO PAIN...NO GAIN!!! Some people seem to feel they have GROWN UP spiritually, just because they have "flown" just a little. However, WHO WANTS TO BE A SPIRITUAL CHICKEN (ZEBULUN), when they can become a spiritual EAGLE??? Who wants to remain a WHALE, when they can become a DOLPHIN??? WE MUST recognize that God has put us here for greater things than the typical DAILY GRIND that most people live!!!!!!!!! We need to obey Peter's words and follow Jesus' example. Jesus not only fulfilled the type of the LAMB, but he was ALSO the LION of the tribe of Judah! One of the most COMMON statements that little children make is "some day when I grow up". Most ALL little children look forward to growing up. That is why many times you will hear parents reminding their children that they need to eat certain healthy foods so they can "GROW BIG AND STRONG", or something similar in meaning to that statement. In the same sense, EVERY TRUE child of God has a burning desire to GROW UP SPIRITUALLY! However, that is an IMPOSSIBLE TASK unless we teach them to eat right SPIRITUALLY, and provide the proper spiritual FOOD for them to eat. If WE fulfill that task, then the responsibility falls upon THEIR SHOULDERS to eat what has been provided. When God's children are eating well, He then gives them plenty of opportunity for spiritual exercise. I am not talking about the NORMAL problems and trials of life. Even most LOST people go through those. I am speaking about the very ABNORMAL tests that begin to take place in one's Christian life as they "grow up". Those kinds of tests are usually VERY EXTRAORDINARY, and in fact will generally cause OTHER people looking on to comment about the STRANGE EVENTS. We need to USE those events to give us opportunity for spiritual exercise INSTEAD OF FLEEING FROM THEM. They are God's means of helping us grow, and we can ALWAYS be sure that "ALL THINGS WILL WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD" if we truly love the LORD and strive to please him in all things. The SIXTH DAY OF CREATION WAS ALSO A PICTURE OF MORE THAN ONE STAGE OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH. Genesis 1: 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. This phrase "living creature" includes all the classifications that He mentions in verse 24. We will find that the stages of the sixth day can be broken down as follows: CATTLE: spiritual GAD CREEPING THING: spiritual ASHER BEAST OF THE EARTH: spiritual NAPHTALI MAN: spiritual JOSEPH The term "creeping thing" is translated from the Hebrew word which means "swiftly moving or swiftly gliding". This would picture very swiftly moving creatures. It is STRANGE that the translators rendered it as "creeping thing". I realize that the ORDER of these creatures DIFFERS in verses 24 and 25. However, we need to remember that God OFTEN does this sort of thing in order to confuse and blind the world to His TRUTH. Each of these basic catagories portray what a child of God will learn and manifest spiritually in each of these stages of growth. NOTICE: (A) CATTLE: Such creatures fall into the catagory of animals that provide FOOD and/or LABOR for man's benefit. One of the initial characteristics of a person becoming an ADULT is that they begin to shoulder responsibility in behalf of others. Gad is a manifestation of one who has FINISHED DAN, and is now a spiritual adult. Such a person will generally be FAR MORE CONCERNED about living in such a manner that will rightly influence and benefit OTHERS, than about their OWN personal comforts and WANTS. (B) CREEPING THINGS: As we have mentioned, such creatures are SWIFTLY MOVING, and therefore are capable of OUTRUNNING their enemies. This would include such creatures as the FOX and the WOLF. While those creatures DO have their bad side in Bible symbolism (as does the SERPENT for example), they ALSO have their good side (Jesus even used the SERPENT as an example of the WISDOM his followers should manifest). In the stage of ASHER, we learn how to INCREASE our already advancing knowledge about our spiritual enemies, and learn to speedily OUTRUN them so they cannot defeat us. We are ALSO then able to OUTRUN our PREY, and therefore become even MORE effective as workers for God. The "SLY" fox characteristic CAN become useful in winning others for the Lord as long as we combine OTHER good characteristics with that one to control it. (C) BEAST OF THE EARTH: This characteristic picturing NAPHTALI has to do with the exercising of strength and dominion. God used the "BEAST" symbol several times in the book of Daniel to portray conquering and reigning kingdoms and rulers. Whereas the stage of GAD demonstrates the STRENGTH to labor, and the stage of ASHER demonstrates the STRENGTH to move swiftly toward a prey or against an enemy, NAPHTALI demonstrates a STRENGTH to LEAD others. Many people assume that whenever God wants someone to LEAD others, He wants them to become a PASTOR. However, if you will study the chapter on TRUE PASTORS in our book on "SPIRITUAL AIDS", and if you will search even further into the truth of this matter, I believe you will agree that God does not CALL nearly so many pastors as people think! There are MANY positions of leadership in God's work OTHER than the pastoral position. In order that one can truly do a good job of fulfilling one of these positions, it is necessary that they be a spiritual NAPHTALI. However, there are almost NO children of God who have enough spiritual understanding to be in this stage at this time (MARCH 1991). We have passed out our SPIRITUAL I.Q. QUIZ all over the country, and MOST people badly fail it (most cannot answer 10% of the questions). It asks questions that an ISSACHAR should be able to answer, so is FAR from being a NAPHTALI "quiz". However, as time passes, more and more of God's TRUE people will attain this stage, and in so doing will be able to help to lead others in the right paths. (D) MAN: We see in man's FORMATION on the sixth day a picture of the second highest level of spiritual attainment; the JOSEPH level. This stage is very special in God's sight, and is of course only slightly below the HIGHEST STAGE of spiritual achievement which is BENJAMIN. Keep in mind that MAN was formed LAST on the sixth "day". This would have been near the END of that day! Spiritual Josephs begin to TRULY MANIFEST the "image and likeness" of God in the SPIRITUAL REALM. That is why God saw fit to allow Joseph and Benjamin to be born to the wife that Jacob loved so much, and worked so hard to pay for; RACHEL. Those two boys were Rachel's ONLY CHILDREN. Yet, because they WERE her children, ISRAEL (Jacob) loved them MORE than his other sons. It is in JOSEPH (the eleventh stage of spiritual growth) that we get the COAT OF MANY COLORS (spiritually). Before that time, we have only (in type) had the benefit of watching it being MADE for JOSEPH. I am NOT saying that the lower stages of spiritual growth do not have "white robes". THOSE ARE IMPUTED, while the "coat of many colors" is POSSESSED by JOSEPH! OH what a blessed privilege that God allows us to grow spiritually so we can become more and more LOVED and BLESSED by Him. There are SO many people today who are PRAYING that God will give them MORE blessings. However, GOD MUST follow His own principles, and HE CANNOT give greater blessings to His children except we EARN them by GROWING UP spiritually so we can be a BLESSING to Him! I KNOW that people all over the land are hollering, "GOD'S BLESSINGS COME TO US BY GRACE AND NOT WORKS". However, they are getting things a bit confused. INITIAL SALVATION comes to us by GRACE and NOT WORKS. The blessings we receive IN SALVATION come to us as REWARDS for faithful service to God. The SEVENTH day is NOT truly a day of CREATION, for in it man GROWS as he walks and talks with God in perfect fellowship during the time of REST. While the seventh day DOES picture ETERNITY in some aspects, it is a MULTI-LEVEL type just like all the rest. In the SEVENTH day, man ADVANCES! I am NOT saying that Adam GREW physically. He WAS CREATED a fully mature man (physically speaking). However, there are OTHER aspects of growth OTHER than the physical. Do you suppose that Adam LEARNED anything during the seventh day? If so, can we say that he "GREW IN KNOWLEDGE"? Would this "knowledge" have been a special kind, seeing as how he was WALKING and TALKING directly with the Lord? We have already shown that the previous "days" were VERY long periods of time. It SHOULD be easy for the reader to see that THIS DAY also was very lengthy. I know that some people will not agree, as they will be deceived by the span of Adam's life as given in the scriptures. However, until man was cast out of the garden, the process of "DYING" did not begin. Adam DID NOT age until that time, and therefore he could have lived in the garden for MANY hundreds of years. During this seventh day, Adam would have been given MUCH understanding of the principles of God, and that is ALSO true of our experience in BENJAMIN today. It is for this reason that EVERY child of God needs to put their whole heart into the process of GROWING UP spiritually. Most people cannot even imagine what they are missing by not having achieved this stage of spiritual growth. This typical picture presented in the creation story can help us to understand the development process of our Christian lives. For example, it should be easy to see that the living creatures upon this planet during the first three "days" were SEA CREATURES, and very undeveloped compared to the creatures God formed LATER. In the same manner, we realize that REUBEN, SIMEON, and LEVI (the first three stages) are ALL equal to steps of HUMAN development within the mother's WOMB. Those stages ALSO take place in the WATER! Therefore, such Christians do not REALLY KNOW where their "food" is coming from. We need to be VERY careful here.... Some people may take that statement and say, "I knew where my spiritual food was coming from RIGHT FROM THE START". Friend, you need to really think about this carefully. WE HAVE AN INNER "MAN", and an OUTER "MAN" to consider in this matter. While we may be PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY aware of many things, that is only HEAD KNOWLEDGE. I am speaking about HEART KNOWLEDGE when I say that the first three stages of spiritual growth do not really KNOW where their food is coming from. Let me give you a typical example. A person can be brought into contact with the truth as God leads them. They can then begin to realize the false teachings that are preached in various types of churches across the land. In their HUMAN WISDOM (head knowledge), they will begin to comprehend the dangers of attending those churches, and perhaps will even realize that funeral and wedding services are actually FALSE RELIGION'S OPPORTUNITY to indoctrinate people into their FALSE SPIRITED activities. They will begin to feel more and more conviction when they listen to or watch the false preachers on radio and television. HOWEVER, since that knowledge is (at first) ONLY HEAD KNOWLEDGE, and not yet entered into their heart, they will very likely CONTINUE to be involved in some of those activities of false religion, and therefore will find themselves often chastised by the Lord. Eventually, when they are "BORN" spiritually, and begin to grow in "JUDAH", they will start to realize (in their HEART as well as their MIND) the dangers, and will stay away from spiritual BABYLON no matter what form it uses! WHY??? Simply because they will begin to SEE who "MOMMY" is spiritually, and will be satisfied with HER "MILK". As time passes, and the child of God GROWS in the TRUTH, they will learn to TRUST "mommy", and will be more and more satisfied with HER "COOKING". With some people this may take YEARS to reach this stage, but it CAN be reached in a matter of WEEKS if a person really strives to gain the understanding. If a person has been raised in a religion that makes them feel they already KNOW a lot of truth, they will generally be SLOWER to grow as a result. GROWTH will be greatly dependent upon our realization of our NEED to grow. Joseph is the FIRST STAGE wherein we can produce SPECIAL FRUIT for God's service TOTALLY as a result of our OWN EXPERIENCE, and not just jointly as a part of the spiritual "body". In Joseph we begin to comprehend depths of spiritual truth that we never knew existed before. I realize that to a degree that experience DOES happen in each stage of spiritual growth, but in Joseph it becomes MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED! I believe the best way to understand JOSEPH'S special position is to study HIS LIFE, and to carefully examine how GOD USED HIM! The greatest advantage of "BENJAMIN" lies in the spiritual REST which accompanies that stage. I am not taking away from the assurance of the stage of DAN, and I am not taking away from the blessedness of each successive stage. However, I don't believe that ANYONE can really comprehend the wonderful privilege of the stage of Benjamin until they have the understanding to achieve that stage. Growth does NOT END with the initial stage of Benjamin. Instead, God has given 12 levels in that stage that are MUCH more difficult to obtain. Those provide a challenge through one's entire Christian life! It is OUR PRIVILEGE to continue to strive to obtain the greatest "PRIZE" in eternity by finishing EVERY ONE of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some people reading this may wonder about man's responsibility in the garden in Eden. Genesis 2:15 says man was to dress and keep it. The word translated dress means "to work or labor in behalf of something or someone". The word translated keep means "to nurture, protect, or to shelter." Why would the trees in the garden have to be protected? The animals were told that they could eat green herbs. You will not find anywhere in the Bible where God planted green herbs in the garden. God planted the garden for the production of food for man (spiritual Joseph and Benjamin). He planted it with herbs bearing seed (grains), and trees bearing fruit. If a cow was in the garden and saw some corn growing there, do you think she would have said, "I will not bother the corn because it belongs to man"? If a chicken was there and came across the corn would it have said, "That is Adam's food"? No, of course not. They were just animals, and as is typical, they would have been looking out for themselves. If Adam had given them half a chance, the corn would have been eaten before he even got so much as a taste. Man had to protect the garden from the other animals. God told the animals they could eat the green herbs, but does that mean that they were always going to do so? In the same sense, as we grow spiritually and receive more understanding, we gain access to higher levels of spiritual "plants" (food). However, we have a responsibility to protect those "PLANTS" from those who are not grown enough for God to give the right to "feed" upon those things. Remember, we all MUST grow through these levels. As we have studied in the past, when we become a fowl, we have finally become able to rise above the "earth", and are "flying" in the midst of heaven. We have been able to overcome the GRAVITATIONAL pull of the flesh, and are rising above it more and more. The "cattle" stage allows us to begin REALLY chewing the cud. At that point we are more COMPLETELY processing the word of God in our hearts. Many think they are chewing the cud, but they never get it FULLY digested. They say, "I have thought it over, and I have listened to the tape". That is fine, but until you get to the stage of "cattle", you will not be able to FULLY chew the cud. Once you have achieved the stage of "cattle" and move beyond it, you will never stop chewing the cud. We accumulate those levels and characteristics. We still are made up of the same material as the lower levels of "plants and animals". Everything that God formed in the earlier stages, He perfected to its finished work in man. When God gathered the dust to make man, do you think that He gathered just any dust? There had been plants growing on the earth, and they died and returned back to the dust. When they returned to the dust, they formed a soil that was made up of every nutrient they had drawn in through their roots, and everything they had taken out of the air. I believe that when God made man, He gathered soil containing some of everything He had previously formed. That is exactly what He does in the spiritual realm. As He is forming you into a spiritual Joseph, He takes all your levels of spiritual growth, and COMBINES THE BENEFITS OF THEM to move you into the formative process of Joseph. The fleshly part of your spiritual development comes to its fullest growth by filling the 12 levels of each stage through JOSEPH. The Benjamin stage is ENTIRELY spiritual. We will prove to you later that is why the Benjamin stage (the seventh day) has no end. There is no evening or morning in Benjamin because there is no limitation to the development of that level of spiritual understanding. ONLY in that stage will you have the opportunity to continue in the development and exercise of your spiritual wisdom forever. If you stop short of Benjamin, you'll NEVER progress further; EVEN IN ETERNITY! In our NEXT book on Genesis One and Two, we will continue our coverage of this very important subject. Thanks for studying with us! 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