American Black Nightshade and Reincarnation--- huh?

[Mr E]

Questions. We see Jesus Christ asking …pleading…the Father in the garden if the crucifixion can be avoided? I would say he did fear death but what he feared substantially more was there not being Fruit unto God. Just an observation. I’m not sure I can not fear death. But what I fear more is death with a life lived that was empty and in vain. No fruit unto God.

To me that is what takes the sting out of death. That God has given (granted)Freedom (Liberty) to bear Fruit unto God prior to death, made free from sin by the body of Christ, and to not fear being “barren” or “unfruitful”.

Does that make sense? To me death use to be the scariest. But now the scariest is…I know for certain this time is fragile and unpredictable. The scariest of all is: if I don’t know God and all of this is empty and useless and pointless and increases and profits none. In vain. That is terrifying. I do think Jesus wrestled with death, but bowed to “Your Will be done, Father.” Fearing more …not enduring for the Joy set before Him.

I don't think he was pleading to avoid the crucifixion. That doesn't mean that he was looking forward to suffering it.

"Let this cup pass from me" -is a reference to his body-- his physical self. He's actually welcoming the end of his time, while anticipating the cruelty of what he must endure before that end comes. It's like being told you have a terminal illness. You can be unafraid of the death (oh death, where is your sting) and confident entirely of the promise that the end is not the end, and yet fearful of the pain and physical decline that will come before death takes you.

I have known many firemen, cops, soldiers and the like who truly have no fear of death. None of them wanted to drown, burn, or get shot.

 

[Mr E]

Also…thinking about this divine design in us to fear death that keeps us out of the ditches. Where people don’t just run around sawing off body parts and clashing into things. Keeps us from shooting ourselves or hanging ourselves, since there is no fear in death. We should want to finish the course set before us, fearing more that hanging ourselves puts an end to opportunities to bring forth Fruit unto God? I get depressed. Doctors sometimes will ask …are you suicidal? I’m depressed yes. Not suicidal. I’m eager for there to be Fruit. If I do something like exiting …I’m not sure there’s been Fruit unto God. Waking for opportunities

This requires an acknowledgment that- first of all, our life is a gift. It was given to us, and it should never be wasted, taken for granted or in some manner- pissed away. Secondly-- our life is not our own. He prayed- whatever will be.... not my will, but Thine, in recognition that he wasn't to be the one to determine his fate, or the timing of things. This is true for all of us, as in truth- we all have a terminal illness and/or a death sentence already. In humility we accept the idea, and leave the timing to God.

 

[Victoryinjesus]

I don't think he was pleading to avoid the crucifixion. That doesn't mean that he was looking forward to suffering it.

"Let this cup pass from me" -is a reference to his body-- his physical self. He's actually welcoming the end of his time, while anticipating the cruelty of what he must endure before that end comes. It's like being told you have a terminal illness. You can be unafraid of the death (oh death, where is your sting) and confident entirely of the promise that the end is not the end, and yet fearful of the pain and physical decline that will come before death takes you.

I have known many firemen, cops, soldiers and the like who truly have no fear of death. None of them wanted to drown, burn, or get shot.

That makes sense.

 

[Mr E]

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following:

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown. The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well. The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
1. Eternal life
2. The crown that is life itself, and unharmed by the second death.
3. Hidden manna and a white stone on which is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
4. Authority to rule over nations and the morning star.
5. Dressed in white and never have your name erased from the book of life.
6. Made a pillar in the temple of God and write on him new names.

 

[Mr E]

Just like it's helpful to have at least a most basic understanding of gardening, farming, or fishing to understand his parables-- it's helpful to have a basic understanding of construction to make sense of this heavenly temple of God. In the heavenly sense, the temple (house where God dwells) is a solid structure. Having a stone foundation, supporting members, a roof overhead, and so forth. This, all of this, is in the spiritual sense-- and it's so easy to forget that these things seen in spirit and described in such detail are spiritual aspects-- and of a spiritual nature that we then associate with physical counterparts we understand, that are earthly in nature. It's so easy to forget in fact, that many of those who had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of this heavenly home, proceeded to make an earthly copy-- or facsimile of what they had seen in heaven, later on earth. It was something God said not to do. Don't make copies, He said-- the second commandment.

"Don't make a likeness of anything in heaven."

But folks can't resist. They see this amazing temple in heaven, a throne upon which sits a King-- and we end up with temples and king's throne rooms on earth. The very guy whom God told not to make copies, immediately went and started making copies, even of the commandments instructing him never to do so. I guess he thought those rules were only for others. And those who followed after him did the same, building temples as earthly representations of God's house above.

Jesus came and told us that God doesn't dwell in such houses. His kingdom is spiritual and it exists within us. We are the earthly representation of that heavenly temple. Our bodies are His house. But folks forget.

With Christ as the cornerstone, everything is made level and square from that first foundational block. Then stone by stone, one beside another, one on top of another the foundation is connected and built out and up from that cornerstone. With 'living stones' the house of God is constructed upon the apostles and prophets, upon the twelve in various ways, with certain meanings associated. And as with any engineering project, these columns are set firmly upon the foundation directly, and they extend upwards from this solid base. Every column having a strong footing that provides strength and security for the structure. The columns are connected at their base to the foundation and above by heavy members-- beams, that in turn support the roof- but it's the columns that transfer the weight of the roof and it's supporting beams back down directly to the foundation. The columns are key.

If your body is the earthly representation of God's spiritual temple, then it's not a difficult thing to envision columns of supporting members for this physical house. And the association is made complete by these new names that the overcomer/victor is given.

Rev 19:6

He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

 

[Mr E]

Long before John had his vision, we had already seen this heavenly temple. After all, it was the heavenly temple that Moses was shown that he made an attempt of copying in the desert, with tents and curtains and images of gold. A tabernacle. It was this same heavenly temple that David- through his son Solomon made 'better' copies of, out of stone and cedar. The first 'temple' only to have it destroyed by the Babylonians, who tore it down, right to the foundation and no trace of it has ever been found. The people made captive and 'the best of them' were carted off to serve as slaves. But prophets like Daniel had 'the word' of God come to them, informing them that the temple would be rebuilt and sure enough, in time a Persian King defeated the Babylonians and this Cyrus saw fit to allow the captives to be set free and return to Jerusalem where, under Zerubbabel a new temple was constructed.

New kindoms and empires arose, first the Greeks and then the Romans-- and yet another temple improvement was undertaken and with permission from his Roman overseers, Herod made a better copy of this temple first envisioned by Moses, but also seen by prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The last chapters of Ezekiel describe the heavenly temple in greater detail than even Moses had put to words. He begins like this, and the description goes on for nine chapters of detail.

In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

Foundations, pillars, beams, supporting members of a heavenly temple. A heavenly city. A heavenly kingdom. Heavenly, all. Not on earth, but in the spiritual realm. Intricate detail.....

And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

 

[Mr E]

You. Me. We.

We are the city-- the heavenly city, with those foundations and pillars and beams. We are the living stones it is built upon and we become the house and temple of God-- the place He lives in, His throne room is in us, and this is what it means to be in Christ-- Christ in us, us in Christ, to be in the Father's house, and to have the Father living in us- through His son. This is what it means to be that city-- that John describes again for us, in great detail and remarkable imagery as 'the bride' anticipating the mystery of a union.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Yet there are Christians among us to this day that think the answer to everything is the construction of a new temple on earth- in Jerusalem where again a king like David will descend and sit upon a throne and rule his kingdom. It ain't happening. Well, in truth-- it will happen, but like all of the other false copies, it will be a charade and a mockery of the kingdom above. You'd think we would have learned by the things Jesus taught, but what he taught has been explained away, twisted and turned into things he never said.

Like-- "You must be born again."

 

[Mr E]

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following:
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.


Isaiah 6:1
I saw the Lord seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Rev 4:2
Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne, and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside.

They never rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful,
Who was, and who is, and who is still to come!”

 

[Waiting on Him]

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following:
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.


Isaiah 6:1
I saw the Lord seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Rev 4:2
Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne, and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside.

They never rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful,
Who was, and who is, and who is still to come!”

It’s really crazy all the cubits. I guess to put it all into perspective a cubit is roughly 1.5 feet

Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
— Genesis 7:20

As we see here roughly 22 feet of water covered all the mountains in that area. Hope this helps!

I wonder sometimes how many cubits the son of man was lifted?

 

[Mr E]

It’s really crazy all the cubits. I guess to put it all into perspective a cubit is roughly 1.5 feet

Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
— Genesis 7:20

As we see here roughly 22 feet of water covered all the mountains in that area. Hope this helps!

I wonder sometimes how many cubits the son of man was lifted?

It's interesting that the angels use 'a man's measurement.'

The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel are written on the gates. There are three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side, and three gates on the west side. The wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. Now the city is laid out as a square, its length and width the same. He measured the city with the measuring rod at 1,400 miles (its length and width and height are equal). He also measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s. The city’s wall is made of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls—each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The main street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God—the All-Powerful —and the Lamb are its temple.

Most interesting of all--- in this city, described as a bride-- which depicts us-- his church, the body of Christ, the temple of God--- there is no other temple. It's just us. We become the city of God, the temple of God and the body of Christ, and in all of this, unity.

Remember his prayer-- How he first prayed- "Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." Yet he also prayed-- "I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one." John 17:15


“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men know that you sent me. I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”


He isn't hoping and planning and engineering a physical city of God on earth. Nor a physical temple. The foundation he laid, he was a part of-- the cornerstone, and from it the temple is raised, stone and pillar and post, beam and roof.... member by member and we are that temple on earth already. That is, we already serve in the house of God. His temple already exists, and we are the physical image here below, of His city above.

 

[Mr E]

1. Eternal life
2. The crown that is life itself, and unharmed by the second death.
3. Hidden manna and a white stone on which is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
4. Authority to rule over nations and the morning star.
5. Dressed in white and never have your name erased from the book of life.
6. Made a pillar in the temple of God and write on him new names.
7. Sit with me on/in my throne, like I sit with the Father on/in His throne.

The earth, the physical is an image of that heavenly reality above.

Miciah-- 1 Kings 22:19
Isaiah 6:1
Ezekiel 1:1
Daniel 7:9
John Rev 4:1

-all describe God's throne-- where He sits, rules and reigns.

I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing beside him on his right and on his left.

I saw the Lord seated on a high, elevated throne.

---an enormous cloud, with lightning flashing, such that bright light rimmed it and came from it like glowing amber from the middle of a fire. In the fire were what looked like four living beings. In their appearance they had human form...

While I was watching, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His attire was white like snow; the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was ablaze with fire, and its wheels were all aflame. A river of fire was streaming forth and proceeding from his presence.

I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne, and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal.

It's the seat of judgment and these seven spirits that are standing before this throne are so judged, as I've just reviewed.

But there is more. Zechariah 3, and Job 1 alike, describe appearing before this throne as a place where even Satan presents himself. The accuser comes before the judgment seat as a kind of prosecutor, speaking against the one standing. And in Zech 3 in particular, we see Yeshua judged.

The one we know to be -the lamb.

 

[Mr E]

The lamb is a spiritual 'animal.' It's not physical... it's not from a flock of sheep. It's spiritual, and the whole scene is in spirit. Neither is it human.

When John (the baptizer) saw Jesus coming toward him, he declared- "Behold the lamb of God." But just as Jesus was not a high priest on earth, neither was he a lamb on earth. It's the heavenly reality that we need to keep in mind. In the heavenly realm, Jesus IS a high priest and in that role he is the one offering this lamb as a gift and sacrifice to God. It's this scene that John has some personal knowledge of, just as in spirit he had previously seen the spirit descend (like a dove) and rest on a man, whom he later recognized as Jesus. A dove. A lamb. A lion. Jesus was none of these, yet these are various spiritual attributes given as spiritual representations -- spiritual concepts that we can then associate with the spiritual nature of things. If only Moses had made these associations with the spiritual things he had seen, but he didn't. A whole generation of people were led astray, wandering in the wilderness, going in circles-- and Moses himself denied entry into the promised land. But Moses had no understanding of these spiritual creatures.

In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside. They never rest day or night, saying:

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful,
Who was, and who is, and who is still to come!”


And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns before his throne, saying:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
since you created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created!


These 24 "throw themselves to the ground"-- and offer "their crowns" -- They leave their home above, giving up their lives (the crowns they had been awarded) as an offering, in service to the one upon the throne. And they do so willingly, with no fear of the second death, which can never harm them. They have already, previously conquered over death and they can lay down their life and take it up again.