Revelation Part 6

MF Blume (mfblume@ns.sympatico.ca)
Mon, 27 Jan 1997 01:16:21 -0800


THE SEVENTH DAY

(Candlesticks thoughts continued)

The seventh day is the day of rest. Completion. Psalm 91 is a 
Psalm for the Sabbath. 

     A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing 
	to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto 
	thy name, O most High: 
	Psa 92:1 

We thank people when they have done something for us. This 
describes God's work, not our own. God must accomplish this change 
in our lives. It is His Spirit which builds the temple. Zechariah 
saw a vision of candlesticks! 

     And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, 
	and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the 
	top of it, and his seven lamps  thereon, and seven pipes 
	to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two 
	olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, 
	and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and 
	spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, 
	my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered
	and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I 
	said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, 
	This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not 
	by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the
	LORD of hosts.
	Zechariah 4:2-6

The candlesticks were fed by oil from two olive trees. This means 
that the church is the temple Zechariah was prophesying about in 
this book, which encouraged the two main personalities, the two 
olive trees, who were the ministers of temple restoration, Joshua
and Zerubbabel. Zechariah is a book of prophecy given to these two 
men during their efforts to rebuild the temple. 

This book has significant truths regarding the temple of the 
Church - the extension "branches" of Christ the vine, as the 
candlesticks typify. It is not human strength, nor power, but 
God's Spirit which does the work. By God's Spirit we are changed 
(2 Cor 3:18). By the Spirit the world was renewed (Psalm 104:30). 
Spirit ministry is not human intelligence and wisdom, for such 
things cause the cross to lose effect in our lives.  

     For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: 
	not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be 
	made of none effect. 
	1 Cor 1:17 

     For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom 
	knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of 
	preaching to save them that believe. 
	1 Cor 1:21 

So it is His work. 

     For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will 
	triumph in the works of thy hands. O LORD, how great are 
	thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.  A brutish man 
	knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. 
	Psa. 92:4-6

Only the spiritually-inclined people, whose hearts have been turned 
towards such spirit ministry, can appreciate how God works. The 
fleshly, brutish wisdom seekers cannot comprehend this work of 
God's Spirit. They exert no faith.  

     When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers 
	of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed 
	for ever: 
	Psa 92:7 

The wicked are like the grass that is gone after a season. Compare 
the wicked with the saints who have been worked upon by God: 

     The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall 
	grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in 
	the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our 
	God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they 
	shall be fat and flourishing; 
	Psa 92:12-14

God rested on the Sabbath day after working the renovation in 
Genesis' six days. His work was finished. And when He works upon 
the believers, and accomplishes the imprinting of His image into 
their hearts, they, His workmanship, shall abide forever. As
Psalm 104 said, the glory of the Lord shall endure forever. The 
saints are the glory of God. 

                  

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In Christ,  
Michael F. Blume   
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/mfblume/mblume.htm
http://www.netdot.com/jwg7192/writings/mike.htm