FOLLOW THE FIRE

07-25-21 This message may be viewed live streaming video at youtube.com and tabernacleofmoses.org today Sunday at 11:00 am, and repeated 24/7 thereafter. The video, audio, and study notes are archived.

 

LEST AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT ATTEMPT TO DETER YOU

(Mark 5:1-5) And they [Jesus and His disciples] came over [eastward via their Gospel ship] unto the other side of the sea [a symbol of humanity], into the country of the Gadarenes [1]. And when he [Jesus] was come out of the ship [the ship of life], immediately there met him out of the tombs [the tombs of death] [2] a man with an unclean [Gk: (uncleansed); impure; specif. demonic: foul] spirit [an angel, i.e., a fallen angel] [3,4], Who had his [rather than “their,” thereby indicating “oneness”] dwelling among the tombs [the graveyard (cemetery)] [i.e., the dead memories of sins]; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains [by men], and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him [5]. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying [Gk: screaming, shrieking], and cutting himself [6] with stones [symbols of the Law]. 

1.    Commentary: “the Gadarenes” =  a land in the wilderness east of the Promised Land (a type and shadow of Heaven) and east of the river Jordan (a type and shadow of the Holy Spirit guarding the Promised Land) which the tribes of Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh asked for and received from Joshua (a type and shadow of Jesus Christ) instead of his offer of land in the Promised Land. An offer from Joshua that the tribes of Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh refused, esteeming the land in the wilderness better (richer, more fertile, more to their liking) than the as yet unexperienced Promised Land west of the river Jordan. This choice of where to “live” is something to personally think about, like Lot who “lingered” (Gen 19:16), and Moses who, “as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb 11:24-26), did not linger.

2.    tombs = Gk: a remembrance (place of interment): grave.

3.    (Psa 104:4) [God] Who maketh his angels [Heb: messengers] spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: [the messages of God are delivered in the fire of Holy Words by good angels who are spirits]

4.    (Heb 1:7) And of the angels he [God] saith, Who maketh his angels [Gk: messengers] spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire[the messages of Satan are delivered in unclean words by evil angels who are spirits]

5.    tame = Dict: 1. changed from a wild to a domesticated state, as animals trained for use by man or as pets. 2. like a domesticated animal in nature [temperment]; gentle and easy to control; docile.

6.    Commentary: “cutting himself” = Why? Because he knew, (subconsciously) in his heart of hearts, in his collective unconsciousness, that he was a sinner being continually controlled by unclean spirits (devils, demons, fallen angels), but the Lord God has provided “a way to escape.”

 

A WAY TO ESCAPE

(Mark 5:6-9) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he [the good of his spirit in ascendency] ran and worshipped him [1], And [the evil of his spirit in ascendecy] cried [Gk: screamed, shrieked] with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee [until I am judged] by God, that thou torment me not. For he [Jesus] said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean [Gk: (uncleansed); impure; specif. demonic: foul] spirit [i.e., a fallen angel] [2,3]. And he [Jesus] asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion [a Roman Legion numbered about 6,000 soldiers/warriors]: for we are many. 

1.    (1 Cor 10:13) There hath no temptation [“no trial regarded as enticing to sin” Amplif.] taken you [“that is beyond human resistance” Amplif.] but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [Gk: permit] you to be tempted [Gk: tested] above that ye are able [to overcome]; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

 

THE PILLAR OF FIRE

(Exo 13:20-22) And [in their escape from Egypt] they [the Hebrew people] took their journey from Succoth [Heb: (in) tents], and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness [of Sinai near Suez bordering the Red Sea]And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud [Heb: a cloud (as covering the sky)] [for their protection from the Holy heat of the LORD], to lead them [on] the way [to the Promised Land (to Heaven)]; and by night [the LORD went before them] in a pillar of fire, to give them light [Heb: illumination: kindle, set (them) on fire]; to go [on their journey] by day and night:  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before [Heb: (from) in front of] the people. 

 

FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE

(Deut 4:22-24) But I [Moses] [1] must die in this land [because “he smote the rock twice” Num 20:11], I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land [i.e. the Promised Land, Heaven]Take heed [Heb: beware] unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image [Heb: an idol: a carved image], or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.  For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 

1.    Moses = Heb: drawn out (of the water), rescued.

a.     (Gen 1:1-3) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [Heb: the dark; fig. misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness] was upon the face of the deep [Heb: an abyss (a surging mass of water)]. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said, Let there be light [Heb: illumination (happiness)]: and there was light [that was drawn out of the waters]

b.    Where did the Light (fire) come from?

2.    (Heb: 12:29) For our God is a consuming fire.
 

Amen

FOLLOW THE FIRE