During the first day of creation, God introduced His way of living. This was
followed by the second day of creation which established a place of learning,
the Kingdom of Heaven. The third day of creation addressed disciples
(students) who were given the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Upon entering the Kingdom of Heaven, a disciple needs instruction in God's
way of living. This help is provided in the form of school administration.
The administration consists of authority, teachers and the tools necessary
to accomplish the Lord's purpose in the lives of His disciples. The Lord was
good to supply these needs.
"Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the
night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in
the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. Then God made two great
lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day
and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good."
(Gen. 1:14-18)
LIGHTS
Lights are helpers or teachers that serve to guide man into the Kingdom of God. They are
needed to help man discern between that which is good and that which is evil.
The Light of the Father
The sun, being the greater light, represents the Father.
"For the Lord God is a sun and shield;..." (Ps. 84:11)
"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and
in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)
This light contains truth concerning the righteous ways of God. As the earth turns, man is
exposed to truth (day) and error (night). This is truth. This is error. This is truth. This is error.
This goes on and on; 365 times a year for as many years as one lives. Where man is clearly shown
the difference between truth and error, he has no excuse when he chooses error.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by
the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,"
(Rom. 1:20)
The Light of the Son
The moon, being the lesser light, represents the Son.
"It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky."(Ps.
89:37)
Jesus was the faithful witness to the power and glory of God the Father.
"and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,..." (Rev. 1:5)
The moon does not generate light of its own. It reflects light from the sun. The Son is a
reflection of the Father.
"Jesus said to Him,...He who has seen Me has seen the Father;" (John 14:9)
Jesus emphasized that the things He taught came from the Father.
"...and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." (John
8:28)
"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command,
what I should say and what I should speak,...just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John
12:49,50)
When He was addressed as the "good teacher" by a particular ruler, He chastised the ruler for not
recognizing that His teachings came from the Father.
"Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' So
Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." (Luke
18:18,19)
The ruler did not perceive Jesus as speaking on behalf of God the Father nor as being the Son of
God. The ruler perceived Him as a man speaking with authority and wisdom. In Genesis 1, light
was considered to be good.
"And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." (Gen. 1:4)
Since Jesus was the light of the world, it stands to reason that He would also be considered good.
In order to perceive Him as good, one must see Him as God and as the light of the world. Jesus
represented the true characteristics of God the Father.
The Light of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is symbolically represented by the earth's atmosphere. We don't have to
see the sun in order to see the light of the sky. The light from the sun is dispersed through the
atmosphere to the earth. The dispersal of light in the atmosphere is characteristic of the
omnipresent nature of God.
"'Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?' says the Lord; 'Do I not fill
heaven and earth?' says the Lord." (Jer. 23:24)
The Holy Spirit, as a teacher of God's attributes, is discussed in John 14 and 16.
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth,...But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,
He will teach you all things." (John 14:16,17,26)
The Light of the Angels
The stars represent the angels. The relationship of angel to stars is mentioned in Revelation
1:20.
"...The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches,..." (Rev. 1:20)
Stars are flames of fire. In Hebrews 1:7, angels are representated as flames of fires.
"And of the angels He says: 'Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire."
(Heb. 1:7)
Angels are commissioned to serve as ministering spirits.
"Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit
salvation?" (Heb. 1:14)
Light from a star emanates from itself. It is not like the moon that reflects light from the sun.
With this independence, an angel's word may not agree with the Father's word. Angels can
teach false doctrine.
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have
preached to you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8)
Therefore, it is necessary to test spirits who communicate in whatever fashion.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,..." (1 John 4:1)
AUTHORITY
With respect to authority, the Father is above the Son, the Son is above the man and the man is
above the woman.
"But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the
head of Christ is God." (1 Cor. 11:3)
Together, the husband and wife rule over their children.
"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord." (Col. 3:20)
Angels are also subject to the authority of Christ.
"who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers
having been made subject to Him." (1 Pet. 3:22)
Christ is the head of His Body, the Church.
"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior
of the body." (Eph. 5:23)
Church leaders are subject to Christ and are placed over the brethren to guide them.
"And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the
Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at
peace among yourselves." (1 Thess. 5:12,13)
Ministering spirits, by nature of being instructors or guides, rank above the disciples as well as
other men.
"What is man that you are mindful of him,...You made him a little lower than the angels;...
(Heb. 2:7)
As such, the disciple should respect the authority of angels. However, a disciple should always
test the spirit and make sure that the angel's word does not contradict the Holy Scriptures. False
doctrine does not have authority over man. In the area of government, Christ is over the leaders
of nations who are in turn over local governments who are in turn over the citizens. As disciples,
we must obey the laws of the land and submit ourselves to every ordinance. 1 Peter 2 and
Romans 13 cover this area in detail.
"Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king
as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and
for the praise of those who do good." (1 Pet. 2:13,14)
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God,
and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists
the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves." (Rom. 13:1,2)
In the area of business relationships, we are to serve our employers well and yield to their
uthority.
"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh,...in sincerity of heart,...for you
serve the Lord Christ." (Col. 3:22-24)
Promotions come from God. He places people in higher positions based on a number of
factors. One major factor is "yielding to authority". Those who are promoted may not
necessarily be Christians, as many Christians have trouble yielding to authority. What people do
with this authority, when it is granted to them, is subject to God's judgments.
Rebellion against authority causes ministry to suffer. Ministers who rebel against God's
principals are subject to removal from their positions. In response to Saul's rebellion, the
kingdom was taken from Saul and handed to David.
"But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His
own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you
have not kept what the Lord commanded you." (1 Sam. 13:14)
Children who honor their parents will live long on the earth.
"Honor your father and mother,...that it may be well with you and you may live long on the
earth." (Eph. 6:2,3)
It is with authority and truth that the helpers teach the disciples. They teach the principles
that will bring man in line with a righteous heart. Man's actions will demonstrate his progress as
he applies the teachings.
JESUS IS GOD
One of the most difficult relationships to describe in the Bible is that of
the Father and Son. They are spoken of separately, yet, they are said to be
one and the same. They are said to have different personalities, yet they
are one. How can this be?
One way to explain the relationship of the Son to the Father is in mathematical terms of sets and
subsets. A set contains two or more elements. A portion of these elements is a subset. For
example, a set may consist of the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Subsets of these numbers would be: 1;
2; 3; 1 and 2; 1 and 3; or 2 and 3.
The entirety of God is a set of all His attributes. A subset of these attributes is the Word (Logos)
of God. The elements or attributes of the subset are also found in the set.
The personality of the Father is based on His entirety or the set. The personality of the Son is
based on the subset of the Father. This makes the personality of the Father and Son different. If
God is perfect, the elements of the subset, being the Son, are also perfect. Therefore, the
nature of the Son is perfect, being a subset of perfection.
When we pursue perfection in the Kingdom of Heaven, the perfection is a subset of God.
Since each person views God differently, each person perceives a different subset of divine
elements. Some of these subsets may overlap each other. Nevertheless, the perfected subset,
being common to some of the attributes of God's perfect nature, becomes a son. Therefore, when
we are in the Kingdom of Heaven, the perfect nature in us qualifies us as sons of God.
"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,...to redeem those who were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has
sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,...and if a son, then an heir of God through
Christ." (Gal. 4:4-7)
This is not to say that the complete set of elements in man's character is perfect. Only a subset is
perfect. It is this perfect subset that qualifies us to be called sons. As the perfect nature expands
and the imperfections disappear, man's overall nature approaches perfection in terms of God's
nature as revealed through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If man, being imperfect, was to attempt to attach a name to God in order to describe His perfect
nature, he would fail. When Moses inquired as to the name of God, God responded by saying, "I
AM WHO I AM." (Ex. 3:14). The only true knowledge of God is found in the "Word" of God,
that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. If we were to attach a name to God that described our true
knowledge of Him it would have to be "Lord Jesus Christ".
When theologians state that Jesus is God and at the same time state that Jesus is not God, there is
an element of intellectual correctness to this. The Word, as we know it, is God, but not the entire
nature of God. The Father is the totality of God. The Son is the expression or Word of God that
we know. The Father appears to us only by what we know through His Son.
Man being imperfect cannot fully comprehend God. God is to a person to the degree which He is
revealed to that person. God is what you know about Him. What a person thinks he knows about
God may not necessarily be correct. When asked to describe God, each person will often respond
with a different perception. Each person's concept of God is different, just as no two snow flakes
are alike.
For example, place a covered box with different colored sides on a table. Place one person
opposite each side. Remove the cover and question each person as to what color the box is. Each
one will respond with a different answer. If the box is viewed from a different position, a new
perspective of the box is revealed. The same holds true for God. If we view God from different
aspects, our perception of Him changes. The more aspects we are able to see, the greater our
knowledge is of Him.
Regardless of how the box is perceived, the box is still a multi-colored box. So too, God doesn't
change because we perceive Him differently. He remains the same. His attributes do not
change.
"For I am the Lord, I do not change;..." (Mal. 3:6)
If the box is moved far away, we cannot see its characteristics. The further we move from God,
the less we know of Him. The closer we come to Him, the more we know Him.
ANOTHER HELPER, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
At the conclusion of "the last supper", Jesus made the following comment:
"...But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a sack; and he who has no
sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." (Luke 22:36)
When Jesus was about to be arrested (vs 47), those who were with Him said,
"Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" (Luke 22:49)
Before Jesus responded, one of them (Peter) struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his
right ear. Jesus said,
"Permit even this." (Luke 22:51),
and He touched the servant's ear and healed him.
In performing this healing, the Lord was in a sense saying to His followers, "This is not what I
meant when I said to purchase a sword." It was not unusual for Jesus to use physical things to
demonstrate spiritual teachings.
For example, in the parable of the sower, Jesus uses seed to represent the word of the Kingdom.
In the parable of the tares, the field represents the world, the good seeds are the sons of the
Kingdom and the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
The spiritual application of the sword can be found using Biblical interpretation. In Ephesians 6,
the brethren are commanded to put on the armor of God.
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"
(Eph. 6:17)
The Greek form of "word" in this verse is "Rhema". The Rhema of God is the sword of the
Spirit.
Returning to Luke 22, two swords are mentioned.
"Then they said, 'Lord, look, here are two swords.' and He said to them, 'It is enough.'" (Luke
22:38)
The two swords are Logos and Rhema.
The context of Luke 22 has Jesus giving them a departing message. During His ministry, Jesus
had fulfilled the roll of the two swords. When He left, they would be left without the Rhema of
God. The Logos would not leave them, as the light was shining before He arrived.
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness,..."
(John 1:4,5)
The Greek verb for "shines" in the above passage is better translated as "continues to shine". This
means that the light was shining and is still shining. Before John the Baptist arrived on the scene,
no one understood the light.
"...and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:5)
When John preached in the wilderness, this condition changed.
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came to bear witness of the
Light, that all through him might believe. That was the true Light which gives light to every man
who comes into the world." (John 1:6,7,9)
What was different about John the Baptist that he was able to bring understanding to the light?
"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He
will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb." (Luke 1:15)
John was filled with the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist's activities near the Jordan River was attracting the attention of the Jews. The
Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to question John the Baptist concerning these
activities.
"Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, 'Who are you?'" (John 1:19)
In response to their questions, John told them that he was not the Messiah nor one of the
prophets who were prophesied to return to Israel.
"And they asked him, saying, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor
the Prophet?" (John 1:25)
John responded by saying,
"...but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." (John
1:31)
Jesus, being the light of the world, would not have been recognized as the Messiah, because the
darkness would not be able to recognize Him. The only way Christ could be revealed to Israel was
that the Jews be prepared to recognize Him.
While standing with two of his disciples, John looked at Jesus as He walked and said,
"Behold the Lamb of God! The two heard him speak, and they followed Jesus." (John
1:36,37)
Why did the disciples follow Jesus? John the Baptist took knowledge of God's attributes as he
knew them, and by way of the Holy Spirit, gave understanding to them. As they began to
understand God, the fullness of God was beginning to be revealed to them. It was this
understanding that caused them to see the glory of the Father in Jesus. John had prepared the way
for the Messiah by gathering disciples and revealing the glory of God to them.
They did not understand the Logos until the Rhema of understanding showed up. This is why
Jesus told them that they were to purchase "a sword" and not two swords; for the Logos was
always with them. The one who presented the two swords did not understand this relationship.
This was one of the reasons why the Jews found it difficult to accept Jesus. They were expecting
a Messiah who would raise up a powerful sword against the Romans and drive the "heathens"
from their land.
A very common misinterpreted phrase is found in Romans 10.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17)
The "word" spoken here is translated from the Greek word "Rhema". Many readers will translate
"word" as "Logos" and use this to justify reading scripture. Reading scripture is most certainly
necessary, but the verse is better translated as: Therefore, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the understanding (Rhema) of God.
John the Baptist was able to give understanding to his disciples because he was filled with the Holy
Spirit. John was wielding the sword of the Spirit as he cried in the wilderness,
"Make straight the way of the Lord," (John 1:23)
Knowledge of God's attributes become the building blocks of maturity. The blocks are assembled
through the activity of understanding. The fittings are true if understanding is provided by the
Holy Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit of truth provides the understanding that links knowledge
together in such a way that we may know the fullness of God.
"How that by revelation He made known to me (Paul) the mystery...by which...you may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known to
the sons of men, as it now has been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets."
(Eph. 3:3-5)
On one hand, the word contains a pattern or guide. On the other hand, the word draws from this
pattern to provide a proper application of the pattern to a situation. If a proper balance of pattern
and application is used, the end result of the situation will stand the best chance of adding to the
glory of God. Jesus demonstrated this dichotomy of the word of God during His ministry using
parables and miracles.
Jesus was the sword that pierced the darkness. He was the sword of knowledge. Blessed with true
understanding via the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Jesus wielded two swords. Or perhaps, a sword
with two edges. It is this sword that will eventually defeat the world. When Jesus departed, He
told the disciples about a sword that would come and help them. This sword was the Spirit of
truth who would come and give them true understanding of the knowledge of God.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away,
the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you....However, when He, the
Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own
authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will
glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:7,13,14)
Jesus instructed His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they received the sword that they
were to purchase.
"...He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father...
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;..." (Acts 1:4,8)
The Rhema began to flow to them when they had gathered in Jerusalem.
"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing wind, and it filled the whole
house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues of fire, and one sat
upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:2-4)
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not restricted to those in the upper room.
"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls
were added to them." (Acts 2:41)
The two swords (Logos and Rhema) were alluded to in the vision of the lampstand and
the two olive trees.
"And he said to me, 'What do you see?' So I said, 'I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid
gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at the left....Then I answered
and said to him, 'What are these two olive trees, one at the right of the lampstand and the other at
its left?' And I further answered and said to him, 'What are these two olive branches that drip into
the receptacles of the two golden oil drains?'...So he said, 'These are the two anointed ones, who
stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.'" (Zech. 4:2,3,11,12,14)
The two olive trees are Logos and Rhema. They appear to be the Son and the Holy Spirit. The
two trees are a picture of the attributes of the Son and the Holy Spirit; Knowledge and Under-
standing. When the oil of understanding (Holy Spirit) is mixed with the oil of knowledge (Son),
the resulting mixture is wisdom.
"For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;" (Prov.
2:6)
"...out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, ..." (Rev. 1:16)
When Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit, Logos and Rhema were joined together. It was at
this point that the Son acquired wisdom, and this pleased the Father.
"And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens
were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and
behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"
(Mt. 3:16,17)
WISDOM
After the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son, Jesus became our wisdom. We are to seek this
wisdom.
"God...made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth...so that they
should seek the Lord" (Acts 17:24-27)
"I (wisdom) love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and
honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness." (Prov. 8:17,18)
"There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it."
(Prov. 21:20)
Therefore, it is prudent that we purchase the oil of wisdom, in order that we may become one of
the wise virgins. We must accept the Son, and be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
But, what of this wisdom that is symbolic of the attributes of the Father? What is in the bowl on
top of the lampstand in Zechariah 4? It is best described in Proverbs 8.
"...And my voice is to the sons of men....Listen, for I speak of excellent things, and from the
opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth shall speak truth;...All the words of my
mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him
who understands, and right to those who find knowledge....I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and find out knowledge and discretion....Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse
mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. By
me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the
earth. I love those who love me,...Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and
righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice
silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause
those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries. The Lord possessed me at the
beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the
beginning, before there was ever an earth....When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He
drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above...Then I was beside
Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight,...for whoever finds me finds life, and
obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate
me love death." (Prov. 8)
As one can see, the bowl contains the fruit of the Spirit, rewards, eternal life and the seven Spirits
of God.
"And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord....But with righteousness He
will judge the poor,..." (Isa. 11:2,4)
The five wise virgins had prepared themselves by purchasing their oil ahead of time and by
keeping their lamps filled. The bride of Christ are those filled with the oil of wisdom. She has
taken on the attributes of the Father without becoming the Father. For who can be as great as the
Father?
THE TRINITY
This brings the trinity, or the triune personality of God, into perspective. What we know of God is
God. Logos (Jesus Christ) and Rhema (Holy Spirit) are the sum total of knowledge and
understanding a person has of God. The son represents knowledge of the Father, and the Spirit
represents understanding of the Father. The depth of our wisdom depends on the amount of
knowledge and understanding of God's attributes, as well as a proper balance between the two.
In His teachings, Christ provided knowledge and understanding of God's nature. These elements
were needed to fulfill God's will for man.
BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Jesus, being the Logos, needed to be baptized with the Holy Spirit in order for people to
understand Him when He presented Himself before them. The people needed to see
righteousness in its completeness. Notice the relationship between understanding and baptism in
the story of Philip and the eunuch. The eunuch became a changed person when he was able to
comprehend the light. This permanent change was a baptism. To display this change in his life,
he wanted to make a public demonstration of this by way of water baptism, as Jesus did when He
met John the Baptist.
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him....for thus it is fitting
for us to fulfill all righteousness." (Mt. 3:13,15)
Christians who strive to become sons of God will please the Lord when they elect to receive the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are to sell our garment (worldly ways) and purchase the sword of
the Spirit. Upon fulfilling righteousness, we will put on a garment of fine linen. The need to
display righteousness and to be pleasing to the Lord is demonstrated in the parable of the wise and
foolish virgins.
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to
meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were
foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a
cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins
arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us
and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the
bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was
shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered
and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'" (Mt. 25:1-12)
The virgins appear to represent those who were cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and had
committed themselves to Christ. The five wise virgins acquired for themselves the key of David.
That is, the knit together heart-to-heart relationship with Christ.
"These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens
and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens:" (Rev. 3:7)
David's heart contained the fullness of God. It was this grace that gave David strength to
overcome Saul and become king.
The wise virgins had purchased their oil early on and were prepared. The foolish virgins were not
prepared and were told to go to those who sell and buy oil from them. In Luke 22:36, they were
told to sell their garment and buy a sword. Buying of oil, together with the buying of a sword,
suggests the relationship of oil and the sword as being quite close. The similarity appears to be in
the area of the concept of the fullness of God.
THE TWO CHERUBIM
The Word in the forms of Logos and Rhema can be seen in the construction of the mercy seat in
the Tabernacle of Moses. The Lord directed Moses to make two cherubim of gold and place them
at the two ends of the mercy seat.
"And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two
ends of the mercy seat." (Ex. 25:18)
These two cherubim represent the word of God in the form of Logos and Rhema. God said that
he would speak to Moses from between the two cherubim.
"And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from
between the two cherubim..." (Ex. 25:22)
When Solomon built the temple, he made two cherubims out of olive wood and placed them in
the inner sanctuary.
"Inside the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high....Also, he
overlaid the cherubim with gold." (1 Kings 6:23,28)
These two cherubim represent knowledge and understanding of God. The olive wood used to
make the cherubim appears to be symbolic of a source for God's word.
In Zechariah, there were two olive trees next to the lampstand.
"Two olive trees are by it, one at the right and the other at its left." (Zech. 4:3)
In Genesis 3, cherubim were placed at the east of the garden of Eden along with a flaming sword
which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. The sword was the veil of the
Tabernacle of Moses. When Christ died on the cross the veil was rent in two. At this point, man
had access to the tree of life. They had to pass by the cherubim to get to it. They had to hear the
voice of the Lord, i.e. Logos and Rhema on their approach to the tree of life.
THE TWO WITNESSES
The number two, as a symbol in Scripture, is the number of witness.
"It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true." (John 8:17)
"But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established." (Mt. 18:16)
The two witnesses are Logos and Rhema. In the transfiguration on the mount, two men
appeared.
"Then behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and
spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (Luke 9:30,31)
These two men were serving as witnesses testifying of what was to take place concerning Jesus'
death. The character of the two witnesses were different. Moses represented Logos in the form
of the law, and Elijah represented Rhema in the form of a prophet.
"For the law was given through Moses," (John 1:17)
"...We have found Him of who Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote...Jesus of
Nazareth,..." (John 1:45)
Moses and Elijah are mentioned together in the very last passage of the Old Testament.
"Remember the law of Moses, My servant,...Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet" (Mal.
4:4,5)
Here again, Elijah was singled out as the "prophet" when mentioning the law and prophets.
"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he
(John the Baptist) is Elijah who is to come." (Mt. 11:13,14)
John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias, a priest, and was educated in the Holy Scriptures as
evidenced in John.
"He (John the Baptist) said: 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way
of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." (John 1:23)
John's relation to Elijah was not from the fact that John knew the Logos, but from the fact that he
possessed Rhema from the Holy Spirit.
"He (John the Baptist) will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah," (Luke 1:17)
In 1 Kings, it is interesting to note the relationship between the voice of God and fire. In speaking
to the people, Elijah said,
"Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God
who answers by fire, He is God...." (1 Kings 18:24)
In Acts 2, the apostles experience the voice of the Holy Spirit during the appearance of fire.
"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the
whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and
one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:2-4)
The fire is the Rhema of God. With the baptism of the Holy Spirit, comes power.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;..." (Acts 1:8)
Elijah was walking in the spirit and power of God. He passed this on to Elisha before Elijah was
taken up in a whirlwind.
"...And Elisha said, 'Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.'" (2 Kings 2:9)
Elisha went on to demonstrate the power of the Spirit.
Spirit and power is associated with the prophet. The voice of the Lord that gives understanding of
God's ways, as spoken through the prophet, is Rhema. The written law that is based on the
knowledge of God's ways is the Logos. Rhema and logos were the two witnesses in the
transfiguration on the mount.
In Revelation, two more witnesses are mentioned.
"And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred
and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
standing before the God of the earth." (Rev. 11:3,4)
Notice the relationship of the two witnesses to olive trees. During the days of their prophecies,
their demonstrations of power will be similar to that of Moses and Elijah.
"And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.
And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut
heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn
them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire." (Rev. 11:5,6)
In Exodus 7,8 and 9, Moses turns water into blood and the Lord sends plagues upon the earth.
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah proclaims a drought upon the earth, and in the beginning of chapter 18, he
proclaims the sending of rain. In his competition with the prophets of Baal (chapter 18), Elijah
demonstrated the power of God when fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice. As a
result, the people seized the prophets of Baal and executed them.
The witnesses could literally be Moses and Elijah. It appears that the witnesses are two ministers
of God going forth and preaching using Logos and Rhema.
In Matthew 28, Jesus commanded His servants to go forth and teach all nations.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you;..." (Mt. 28:19,20)
In Revelation 11:9&10, those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see the dead
bodies of the two witnesses and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over their deaths. The
names and deeds of Moses and Elijah are known by most Jews, Christians, the people of Islam, as
well as others of the earth through the great works of missionaries and through advances in
multi-media technology. The two witnesses will not be recognized as to who they are, just as
Christ was not recognized by the Jews as to who He was.
Christ came using the swords of Logos and Rhema. The two witnesses will come as swords of
Logos and Rhema. They will be hated not only by the Jews, but by Christians alike (Unless they
are prepared in advance to recognize them).
AT DAY'S END
Christ's death was a type of what will happen in the latter days. There will be a lack of
understanding concerning Christ. People will have knowledge of Christ, but will lack
understanding of Him. The Jews had knowledge of the Messiah to come. Their lack of
understanding caused them to not recognize Him when He came.
The same thing will happen in the latter days when the latter day rain falls upon the earth. Those
who witness in the spirit and power of Elijah in the latter days will be accused of being "of the
devil".
"Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so
that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw....But when the Pharisees heard it they said, 'This
fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." (Mt.
12:22,24)
Those who are anointed with oil from the two olive trees will be able to recognize them. They are
the ones who approach the ark of the covenant and listen to the words of the cherubim. Wise are
those who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven and receive instructions from the helpers; the Father,
the Son, the Holy Spirit, angels and those men who are sanctified by God to fulfill the great
commission.
So, who will recognize the two witnesses when they arrive? How many Christians, Jews and others
of the world will persecute Moses and Elijah (Logos and Rhema) when they return?
"So the evening and the morning were the fourth day." (Gen. 1:19)
copyright 1996 by Dana George Cottrell