HE PREPARED
A PLACE FOR US
PART 2
March 1, 1998 pm
MF Blume
1Joh 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have
heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness
at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness,
we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Reve 4:5 And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps
of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Reve 21:23 And the city had no
need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God
did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.
STUDY SO FAR FROM THIS MORNING'S REVELATION:
- This morning God revealed
to us that the place of fellowship Jesus went to prepare for us was represented
by a crystal sea with seven lamps
- There we saw God's throne
- There is where we fellowship
with God and His Son.
- this is very similar to
returning to the Garden of Eden where we walk with God
- It is being "in the light"
as He is in the light, where we have fellowship one with another.
- We read many references
about God's LIGHT, where in Him is no darkness at all.
- One of them is the reference
to the New Jerusalem
- It is also indicative of
a place Jesus prepared for us.
- Jesus was ready to be crucified
when He told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them
in John 14.
- He was going to die.
- He was going to suffer
- He said that they would
sorrow for a time, but that He would return and their sorrow would turn to
joy!
John 16:5-7 But now I go my way to
him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither
goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled
your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for
you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:16-24 A little while, and
ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because
I go to the Father. Then said [some] of his disciples
among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and
ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and,
Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith,
A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were
desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of
that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little
while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and
lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your
sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath
sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the
child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into
the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but
I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh
from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it]
you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive,
that your joy may be full.
HOW JESUS WOULD RETURN TO
GIVE FULNESS OF JOY:
- He is speaking about the
day they would see Him again.
- This is a very important
revelation we all need to understand.
- They would sorrow because
He had to go by way of suffering
- He would leave them
- But He left to prepare
a place for them
- And when He would return
they would not only joy, but also IN THAT DAY they would ask
the Father directly in Jesus' name, and He would give them what they asked
for.
Jesus is coming again in the
rapture for His Church, to reign for 1,000 years in the millennium, but
these verses are not talking about that.
- Jesus said IN THE DAY HE RETURNS, they would have full joy and ask
the Father directly in Jesus' name what they wanted.
- THAT HAS ALREADY COME TO
PASS!!!
- WE CAN PRAY TO THE FATHER
IN JESUS' NAME TODAY.
EXAMPLE:
Acts 4:29-30 And now, Lord, behold
their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they
may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs
and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
- Here, the disciples prayed
directly to the Father in the name of the Son.
- They already fulfilled
the blessing Jesus said could only occur when He came back after having left
to prepare a place for them.
- He said they would have
FULNESS OF JOY
- JOY THAT NONE COULD TAKE
AWAY
- Paul said he learned to
be content in whatever state he was in
- When you have fullness
of joy, you have joy that cannot be taken by the world, because it did not
come from the world.
- you have joy that stays
even when things are going bad
- I WANT THAT KIND OF JOY
ALWAYS.
Jesus said we cannot go where
He was going.
- He was going to the Father.
- to secure a place for us.
- when he returned, in that
day, we could pray directly in Jesus' Name without asking a Son of God who
stands with us to do it for us.
- in that day we would ask
the Son nothing. We would ask the Father in the name of the Son, but not
the Son.
- More about this later.
Jesus left Jerusalem and was
taken in the Garden of Gethsemane to be crucified.
- while taken, the disciples
wept just He said they would
- they sorrowed over their
King being MURDERED
They did not even think that
He would leave them through way of DEATH.
- they did not realize that
being killed was the manner in which in which He would leave them
DAVID'S EXAMPLE
To appreciate what God was trying
to say to us, let us continue to follow Jesus' experiences.
- In John 17 He prayed and
then in John 18 we read the following.
John 18:1-2 When Jesus had spoken
these words, he went forth with his disciples over
the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which
he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the
place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
- He crossed the Kidron Brook
after He prayed to enter a Garden where Judas betrayed him.
DAVID'S PARALLEL CIRCUMSTANCES:
Long ago a parallel situation
occurred.
David's son, Absalom, was stealing
the hearts of the people away from the King David. He was plotting to take
over the Kingdom, and slowly succeeded in garnering the emotions and love
of the people.
Like Hell taking over Jerusalem
in Jesus' day, ready to kill Jesus, Absalom caused David to leave the City,
and in leaving he crossed KIDRON just like Jesus.
2Sam 15:22-23 And David said to Ittai,
Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and
all the little ones that [were] with him. And all the country wept with a
loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the
brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
- Jesus said the hearts would
sorrow as He went but it was necessary to prepare a place for us.
- David's people wept as
David left, also.
- And like Jesus, David passed
over Kidron.
2Sam 15:24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites
[were] with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down
the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing
out of the city.
- THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
was also taken across KIDRON
- But David told Zadok to
return it to Jerusalem
- DAVID WOULD BE BACK.
2Sam 15:25 And the king said unto
Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in
the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me [both] it, and
his habitation:
Jesus left Jerusalem and crossed
the Kidron brook, and entered the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed
Him.
As David walked away from Jerusalem,
up by way of the Mount of Olives, and he wept as he looked at the city.
2Sam 15:30 And David went up by the
ascent of [mount] Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered,
and he went barefoot: and all the people that [was] with him covered every
man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
Jesus wept also as He left Jerusalem.
Matt 23:37-38 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
[thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth
her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate.
And we read that He wept while
atop Mount of Olives.
Matt 24:3 And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives,...
As David walked we read that
a man from Saul's family cursed David and threw dirt at Him
2Sam 16:5-6: Shimei
Shimei called David to the dirt.
But David let him be. So similar
to Jesus when He was to be taken, they ripped his beard from his face, spit
on Him, all the while 12 legions of angels were ready to throw all Jerusalem
to hellfire.
- But Jesus had to go and
die, and he allowed the soldiers to take Him
And later David crossed Jordan.
- Absalom chased after him
and crossed Jordan.
- Over the river of death,
on the other side of Jordan, Jesus won a victory for all mankind
- David was chased by Absalom,
and David's men arranged events so that Absalom's men were run into the woods,
and the woods that day took more men in death than the sword.
- And Absalom himself met
a strange death which isheds forth insight into the greatest Gospel message
we will ever read in the entire Bible.
2Sam 18:9-10 And Absalom met the
servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under
the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up
between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that [was] under him went
away. And a certain man saw [it], and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw
Absalom hanged in an oak.
2Sam 18:14 Then said Joab, I may
not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through
the heart of Absalom, while he [was] yet alive in the midst
of the oak.
- on a tree, Absalom and all
his power over the people was killed and defeated.
- Jesus Christ took sin
and death and all Satan's Kingdom and on a tree, the old rugged cross,
defeated all of it!!!
- The HEAD of Satan was caught
by the work of the cross
- The HEAD represents the
authority and power of the devil.
- The heart of satan's
kingdom itself was struck and defeated by three darts: Death, Burial and
resurrection, that would all occur because of the cross.
David even had a man similar
to Judas, who was counsellor but followed Absalom to be Absalom's counselor,
named Ahithophel.
- Ahithophel betrayed David
to Absalom.
- but circumstances changed
so that Athithophel was defeated and here is what followed...
AHITHOPHEL
2Sam 15:31 And [one] told David,
saying, Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said,
O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
2Sam 17:23 And when Ahithophel
saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and
gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself,
and died,
and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
"AHITHOPHEL" is interpreted
in ENGLISH, "my brother is foolish"
- How foolish!
- he was with the KING!
And left the King for a usurper who was doomed to die... LIKE JUDAS
JUDAS
- ...who had been Jesus treasurer
held the treasure of the Priests who plotted against Jesus.
Matt 27:5 And he cast down the
pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Walk out on Jesus and betray
Him, and join Satan's league, and though the devil will reward you with gold,
it will be cursed, and you will die like a fool, backslidden and away from
God.
AFTER THE BATTLE AGAINST
ABSALOM, HAVING SEEN ABSALOM SLAIN ON A TREE, DAVID RETURNED TO JERUSALEM
2Sam 19:15 So the king returned,
and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to
conduct the king over Jordan.
2Sam 19:39 And all the people went
over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai,
and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
DAVID CAME BACK TO JERUSALEM.
- we said earlier that JESUS
already came back in one manner, though He will yet come again in a Body
as He went away.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which
is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
And then we read...
John 14:18 I will not leave you
comfortless: I will come to you.
- The Spirit form of Jesus
is the HOLY GHOST
- And when the disciples
waited in Jerusalem in the upper room, The Holy Ghost filled them and it
was IN JERUSALEM.
Jesus returned TO JERUSALEM.
- He crossed back over the
river of Jordan -- river of death -- as the COMFORTER.
- HE WOULD NOT LEAVE US COMFORTLESS
- The day he crossed back
over, He said that they would pray to the Father directly.
- ever since then, we can
pray in Jesus' name.
One of the most important blessings
that have to do with being in the place Jesus prepared for us is receiving
the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
- Jesus said that when He
returned their joy would be made full.
- Paul said the Kingdom of
God is righteousness peace and JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST
The only way we can interpret the fact that upon Jesus' return, the disciples
could pray directly to the Father, and then see them doing so after the day
of Pentecost, is by saying the Holy Ghost is the Spirit form of Jesus that
He used to come back to the disciples to Jerusalem. - He said He would leave Jerusalem, and
return and a plface would be prepared for them upon His return, and they
would have fullness of joy and also a direct line to the Father.
- THIS PROVES JESUS IS
THE HOLY GHOST
THE LIGHT OF THE CITY:
- We showed that the NEW JERUSALEM
is the place of LIGHT or fellowship where we walk in the light as He is in
the light.
- The Glory of God lit the
City and the LAMB is the light thereof.
- The Sun is the origin,
glory, and the light comes from the sun
- The Father is the glory
and the Son is the light
- This means that we cannot
see God since He is a Spirit, but God manifested Himself in flkesh and that
flesh came forth from God to us so we could relate to the Father.
- Jesus as Son is like the
light and the Father is like the sun.
- God manifested Himself
in flesh so that we could relate to Him.
- I cannot touch thje sun,
but I can touch the light that comes from the sun.
- This is how John explained
Jesus Christ.
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in
the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was
not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth
in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
1Joh 1:1-3 That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen
with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of
the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness,
and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye
also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the
Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
- Book of Hebrews (12:22)
said that we are come to MOUNT ZION, HEAVENLY JERUSALEM
The Garden of Eden was supposed
to develope into a CITY
- We see the stones that make
up the New Jerusalem, in the Garden of Eden.
- More about this in another
sermon later on.