ÂPeace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 4:6
4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
There were four living creatures in the midst and around the throne. The four living creatures refer to four men who ever lived in the world in the ambience of the throne of Heaven, until they were really lifted up to the Heaven. They were Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and Lord Jesus.
Revelation 4:7
4:7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
The conditions of the four living creatures are as follows.
The connection among the four conditions will form a cross.
Thus, the way of the cross is the only way to enter the throne of Heaven.
The four living creatures experienced the flesh crucifixion in order to live in the ambience of the throne of Heaven in the midst of crooked, evil, unclean, and cursed world until they were lifted up to the throne of Heaven. Likewise, we must also experience it until we are lifted up on the throne of Heaven when Jesus comes at the second time.
The throne of Heaven was surrounded by the four living creatures. On earth, Jesus was accompanied also by four disciples [Matthew 4:18-19,21-22]. Similarly, our ministry on earth must be the same as the one on the throne of Heaven.
Numbers 10:14,18,22-23,25
10:14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
10:18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur
10:22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
10:23 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
10:25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
In the Old Testament, the journey of Israelites from Sinai to Canaan was led by the four tribes who held banners as follow:
Song of Solomon 2:4
2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
The banner is the same as the love of God that gives victory.
The banqueting house means as follows:
How do we get the banner of God's love?
John 21:15-19
21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
21:16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
We receive the love of God through the right and good shepherding. We must be always in the shepherding pen. This refers to the Holy Place in Tabernacle. There are 3 kinds of equipment that refer to the perseverance in doing the three main services as follows:
John 10:9-10
10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
We must get through a narrow door to enter the shepherding pen. Once we enter, we find the love of God that is the great grace of God. It is the same as finding everything.
Our body, soul, and spirit attach to the Trinity of God like a branch that attaches to the true vine. We experience an intensive and continued purification by the sword of the True Teaching that is shaper than any two-edged sword. We are purified, starting from the heart as the center of our life and the target of shepherding.
John 21:17
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
Peter was grieved, meaning he experienced the purification of heart until he was grieved, cut, and pierced by the sword of His Word. If we are never pierced by His Word in ministry, our life will be the same as Judas Iscariot whose sin kept / buried in his heart until the entrails gushed out someday.
Peter was grieved because of some reasons as follows:
Proverbs 28:13
28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Peter was filled with the love of God after leaving sin. He received the mercy of God so he could love God more than anything.
If we are in the shepherding pen, God will preserve and protect our lives. There will be sweet fruit, we just need to wait.
John 21:18-19
21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
The proof of having the love and the great grace of God is to stretch out our hands to God, meaning to become obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore. Therefore God will also stretch His loving and merciful hands to embrace us. God will always remember, notice, care, and struggle for us, until He says "it is finished" upon the cross. The results are as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 4:6
4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
There were four living creatures in the midst and around the throne. The four living creatures refer to four men who ever lived in the world in the ambience of the throne of Heaven, until they were really lifted up to the Heaven. They were Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and Lord Jesus.
Revelation 4:7
4:7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
The conditions of the four living creatures are as follows.
- Like a lion that refers to the character of Jesus as the King.
- Like a calf that refers to the character of Jesus as the Servant.
- Like a man that refers to the character of Jesus as the Man who suffered up to His death on the cross.
- Like a flying eagle that refers to the character of Jesus as the glorious Son of God.
The connection among the four conditions will form a cross.
Thus, the way of the cross is the only way to enter the throne of Heaven.
The four living creatures experienced the flesh crucifixion in order to live in the ambience of the throne of Heaven in the midst of crooked, evil, unclean, and cursed world until they were lifted up to the throne of Heaven. Likewise, we must also experience it until we are lifted up on the throne of Heaven when Jesus comes at the second time.
The throne of Heaven was surrounded by the four living creatures. On earth, Jesus was accompanied also by four disciples [Matthew 4:18-19,21-22]. Similarly, our ministry on earth must be the same as the one on the throne of Heaven.
Numbers 10:14,18,22-23,25
10:14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
10:18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur
10:22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
10:23 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
10:25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
In the Old Testament, the journey of Israelites from Sinai to Canaan was led by the four tribes who held banners as follow:
- The tribe of Judah refers to the lion.
- The tribe of Reuben refers to the calf.
- The tribe of Ephraim refers to the human.
- The tribe of Dan refers to the flying eagle.
Song of Solomon 2:4
2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
The banner is the same as the love of God that gives victory.
The banqueting house means as follows:
- The marriage supper of the Lamb where Jesus as the Heavenly Bridegroom meets the perfect Church as His Bride.
We must bring His victory banners to keep carnal marriage in righteousness, purity and unity until we are in the marriage supper of the Lamb. - [Revelation 20] The 1000 years Kingdom of Peace.
- [Revelation 21-22] The New Jerusalem, the eternal kingdom of Heaven.
How do we get the banner of God's love?
John 21:15-19
21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
21:16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
We receive the love of God through the right and good shepherding. We must be always in the shepherding pen. This refers to the Holy Place in Tabernacle. There are 3 kinds of equipment that refer to the perseverance in doing the three main services as follows:
- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service to have the fellowship with Holy Spirit God in the gifts.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion to get the fellowship with the Son of God in the Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Worship Prayer Service to have the fellowship with Father God in the love.
John 10:9-10
10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
We must get through a narrow door to enter the shepherding pen. Once we enter, we find the love of God that is the great grace of God. It is the same as finding everything.
Our body, soul, and spirit attach to the Trinity of God like a branch that attaches to the true vine. We experience an intensive and continued purification by the sword of the True Teaching that is shaper than any two-edged sword. We are purified, starting from the heart as the center of our life and the target of shepherding.
John 21:17
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
Peter was grieved, meaning he experienced the purification of heart until he was grieved, cut, and pierced by the sword of His Word. If we are never pierced by His Word in ministry, our life will be the same as Judas Iscariot whose sin kept / buried in his heart until the entrails gushed out someday.
Peter was grieved because of some reasons as follows:
- He realized that he did not have the love of God because he had rejected the cross.
- He was sorry and confessed his sin to God and others. After being forgiven, do not sin anymore.
Proverbs 28:13
28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Peter was filled with the love of God after leaving sin. He received the mercy of God so he could love God more than anything.
If we are in the shepherding pen, God will preserve and protect our lives. There will be sweet fruit, we just need to wait.
John 21:18-19
21:18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
The proof of having the love and the great grace of God is to stretch out our hands to God, meaning to become obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore. Therefore God will also stretch His loving and merciful hands to embrace us. God will always remember, notice, care, and struggle for us, until He says "it is finished" upon the cross. The results are as follows:
- The love and grace of God is sovereign, meaning they cannot be enslaved by anything.
Deuteronomy 7:8
7:8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It means the hands of God's great grace are able to redeem us from any sins up to the peak which is sin of eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage. We live in righteousness and become the instrument of righteousness.
Psalms 5:12
5:12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. - We cannot be separated from the love of God. It is same as the love of God is unbeatable.
Romans 8:35-37
8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
8:36 As it is written:"For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
It means that we are in the embrace of the hands of God's great grace. So we cannot be separated from God whatever happens to us. We love God more than anything. We are leaning to His chest; our life and death are in the hands of the great grace of God. He conquers bigger / stronger enemy and gives victory to us. God help us right in His time. The hands of God's great grace fight for us. - The love of God is always victorious, meaning it cannot be defeated by anything.
Zephaniah 3:16-18
3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.
3:17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
3:18 "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whom its reproach is a burden.
The love and great grace of God give us victory over the fleshy wills and feelings. It means the hands of God's great grace change and renew our lives from physical men to spiritual ones like Jesus.- We are faithful and fervent in spirit in ministry until the end line. It is the same as jasper stone, meaning a fervent longing.
- Do not be afraid, meaning to be truthful and to believe. It means being as clear as crystal.
2 Chronicles 20:2-3,12
20:2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).
20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
20:12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
Being truthful and believing in God is the same as looking at Jesus, stretching our hands to God, and worshiping Him. Therefore He will work with His hand of love and great grace.
2 Chronicles 20:17,24
20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."
20:24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
The multitude became dead bodies. All kinds of challenges and obstacles will be overcome. We will be in victory with God until the end line. We will rejoice on the glorious clouds when Jesus comes the second time until we enter the eternal city of New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:11-12
21:11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
21:12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
- We are faithful and fervent in spirit in ministry until the end line. It is the same as jasper stone, meaning a fervent longing.
God blesses us.