THE
PATH “WAY” OF EVERY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE TO HEAVEN
08-01-22
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.
FOREWORD
(Matt
14:21)
And they [in a “desert place” (Matt 14:13) on the east (wilderness)
side of the Sea Galilee] that had eaten [the supernaturally
multiplied five loaves and two fishes] were about five
thousand
men, beside women and children [i.e., fifteen thousand
persons altogether].
THE
PATH “WAY” TO HEAVEN, WHICH WE ARE NOW EXPERIENCING
(Matt
14:22-24)
And straightway Jesus [Heb: Jehovah-saved: Joshua]
constrained [Gk: to
necessitate: compelled]
his disciples [Gk: learners, pupils] [students] to get into a ship [a container (the
church) composed
of the assembly of wooden priest-boards], and to go before
him unto
the other side [of the 7 miles wide Sea of Galilee],
while he
sent the multitudes [of unbelievers] away. And
when he had sent the multitudes [of unbelievers] away
[i.e., repeated for emphasis], he went up into a
mountain apart
to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there
alone. But
the ship was now in the midst [Gk:
middle] of the sea [of
Galilee],
tossed [Gk: tortured: pained, tormented] with
waves
[“toiling in rowing” Mark 6:48]: for the wind [of
the world, i.e., Satan] was contrary [Gk: opposite;
fig. antagonistic].
(Matt
14:25-27)
And in the fourth watch of the night [6 am, about
sunrise]
Jesus went unto them [rising from the east, unto the disciples],
walking on the sea [the sea is
a symbol of
humanity; “walking on,” is thereby expressing His dominion as
King of
Kings, Lord of Lords]. And when the disciples saw
him walking
on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit
[Gk:
“phantasm”; a spectre] [i.e., they did not recognize Him, just as when
they
were fishing, the disciples, excepting John, did not recognize
the man
on the shore (John 21:4)]; and they cried out for fear. But
straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be
of good
cheer; it is I; be not afraid [Gk: frightened].
(Matt
14:28-33)
And Peter [Gk: a (piece of)
rock] answered
him and said, Lord [Gk: supreme in authority], if it
be thou,
bid me come unto thee on the water [indicating a measure
of
belief, and unbelief]. And he [Jesus]
said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he
walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw
[Gk:
looked at] the wind boisterous [Gk: forcible:
mighty,
powerful], he was afraid [Gk: frightened];
and beginning to sink [Gk:
submerge: drown],
he cried, saying, Lord [Gk:
supreme in authority], save [Gk: deliver or protect:
heal,
preserve, make whole] me. And
immediately [Gk: at once]
Jesus stretched
forth his hand, and caught [Gk: seized: layed hold upon,
took hold
of] him, and said unto him, O thou of
little
faith [Gk: lacking confidence (in Christ)], wherefore didst thou doubt [Gk:
waver in
opinion]? And when they [Peter and Jesus]
were come
into the ship [the church], the wind ceased. Then
they that were in the ship came and worshipped him,
saying, Of a
truth thou art the Son of God.
(Mark
6:45-52)
And straightway he constrained [Gk: to necessitate:
compelled] his
disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side
before unto
[Gk: near to] [under] Bethsaida [Heb:
fishing-house] [on
the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee], while he sent
away the
people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a
mountain
to pray. And when even was come, the ship [fig. the
church]
was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And
he saw
them toiling [Gk: tortured:
pained,
tormented] in rowing [toward
the
Promised Land, toward Heaven]; for the wind was contrary
unto
them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and
would have passed by them. [Why?] But
when they
saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and
cried
out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith
unto them, Be
of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he
went up
unto them into the ship [into the church]; and
the wind
ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and
wondered. For they considered not
the miracle of the loaves: for
their heart [Gk: mind (thoughts)] was hardened [Gk: (a kind of
stone); to
petrify; fig. rendered stupid or callous: blinded].
(John
6:16-21)
And when even [Gk: evening]
was
now come [about 6 pm], his disciples went down unto the
sea [of
Galilee], And entered into a ship [the
church],
and went over the sea toward Capernaum [also located on the
northern
shore of the Sea of Galilee but farther westward than Bethsaida].
And it
was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by
reason
of a great wind that blew. So when they
had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs [a
furlong
is 1/8 of a mile = 3.125 to 3.75 miles, or, the disciples had rowed about
3
½ miles] [1,2], they see Jesus walking on the sea, and
drawing nigh
unto the ship: and they were afraid. But he saith unto them, It is
I; be
not afraid. (John 6:21) Then they willingly received him
into the
ship [a type and shadow of His second coming]: and immediately the ship [the ship
and crew, the
church, the assembly (congregation) of believers (disciples)] was
[instantly
transported, “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor 15:52), over the
remaining
3 ½ miles] at the land [at the Promised Land,
i.e., a type
and shadow of Heaven] whither they went [3].
1.
Commentary:
Both Matthew [v.24] and Mark [v.47]
have the gospel ship (the church) located “in the midst [Gk:
middle]
of the sea” when Jesus returns (fully) to them. However, John [v.19]
describes
the same location more precisely for a
great lesson
and a wonderful prophecy.
2.
Commentary:
“they had rowed about five and twenty
or thirty furlongs” = The northen Sea of Galilee was approximately 7
miles wide. Jesus appeared to His disciples walking on the water in
the
morning dawn which was 12 hours after the previous “even” (evening at 6
pm)
when disciples had embarked to sea in the ship. Thus, the disciples had
been
rowing in the storm of tribulation for twelve hours.
3.
Commentary:
How hard, how harsh, how punitively
severe was the incredibly hostile blinding storm that was
powerfully,
forcefully, aggressively blowing upon and directly against
the
disciples of Jesus Christ (the same
blinding
storm that is now blowing upon and directly against you).
May we note that the faithful (sent) disciples were pained,
tormented, “worn
out” (Dan 7:25) by the extreme difficulty of ministering, striving
to come
closer (more intimate) to God, rowing (laboring, toiling)
against
the antagnostic winds of the world, i.e., against Satan who is “the
god of
this world” 2 Cor 4:4). Please consider that the average walking
pace
of most persons is 3 miles per hour, and in comparison, that the
“extreme
difficultly of the disciples rowing” is biblically exemplified by the
fact
that, as we come upon them (“in the midst of the sea”), the disciples
had rowed
only about 3 ½ miles in their
thus far twelve
hour journey into the “boisterous” storm that was violently surging
in the 7
miles wide Sea of Galilee, whereas a person could have
normally
walked an unopposed 3 miles per hour x 12 hours of time equaling 36 miles in the same
amount of time. Oh how terribly frustrating and mentally
painful
that laboriously slow continuously struggling pace must have been,
and is, but they
were even
then still gaining, parting (dividing) the water of the word of
God (Eph
5:27) with each dip of every oar-stroke, “here a little, and there a
little” (Isa
28:10). Please then note that when Jesus Christ returns, the remaining
unfinished (and therefore forever unexperienced)
3 ½
miles “to the other side” (Matt 14:22; Mark 6:45), i.e., to the
Promised
Land, to Heaven, contextually symbolizes the final 3 ½ years named the Great
Tribulation which we (as further evidenced by John
6:21 & 1
Thess 4:17) shall not ever experience, that is, the Great
Tribulation which is to immediately commence once Jesus Christ, in
His
fullness (the full mind of Christ), returns to/for/into the church [i.e., the Gospel
ship,
collectively]. (Rom 8:18,19). Awaken, look up… do you see Him
coming? God bless you.
Amen