Mark 16 points to the resurrection of the Lord. He rose in the body of glory. The light of glory or Shekinah Glory shines to three groups of the sons of God as follows:
Mark 16:14
16:14. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
The eleven disciples refer to those who do not believe in the resurrection of the Lord.
They also refer to the hard-hearted. Such people need to be shone by the light of God's glory.
The facts found in the hard-hearted are as follows:
Ezekiel 11:19-20
11:19 "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
11:20 "that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
He will become our God and we become His people. We are living in the mighty hand of God as follows:
- Verse 9-11, Mary Magdalene.
- Verse 12-13, two disciples going to Emmaus.
- Verse 14, eleven disciples.
Mark 16:14
16:14. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
The eleven disciples refer to those who do not believe in the resurrection of the Lord.
They also refer to the hard-hearted. Such people need to be shone by the light of God's glory.
The facts found in the hard-hearted are as follows:
- Not hearing the Word of God, not obeying the Word.
Exodus 7:14,16
7:14. So the LORD said to Moses: "Pharaoh's heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.
7:16 "And you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness"; but indeed, until now you would not hear!
The hard-hearted does not want to serve God, even being unfaithful and leaving the service and ministry.
John 21:3,7
21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.
The example of one who is hard-hearted and rejects the Word or rejects to do the service to the Lord is the eleven disciples catching fish. The Word was to make them the fishers of men, but they became fishermen. They disobeyed the Word and left the service and ministry because of seeking physical matters.
The consequences are as follows:- Catching nothing and being in total failure.
- Being naked, meaning being ashamed, falling into sins, and living in curse such as sorrow, bitterness, suffering, up to perdition.
- Catching nothing and being in total failure.
- Keeping sins and hiding them.
Jeremiah 17:1-2
17:1. "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; With the point of a diamond it is engraved On the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars,
17:2 While their children remember Their altars and their wooden images By the green trees on the high hills."
Meaning not confessing sin, but blaming other people as well as God.
Consequently, the sins are engraved on the heart and permanent. The sins will also be engraved on the horns of the altar, meaning there is no forgiveness anymore. The sins become permanent and unforgivable.
1 Kings 1:50-52
1:50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
1:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, "Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"
1:52 Then Solomon said, "If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die."
The one holds the horn of the altar is a worthy man. Such person dares to confess the sin seriouslyto God and other people. Being forgiven, do not repeat it. As a result, there is forgiveness of Jesus' blood and not one hair of him/her shall fall to the earth, meaning he/she is really saved.
On the contrary, keeping sins will make not one hair be delivered from judgment. - Being thirsty, there is no satisfaction but spiritual dryness.
Exodus 17:3-4
17:3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!
The consequences are as follows:- Murmuring always, never giving thanks to God, but gossiping.
- Seeking the satisfaction of the world until falling into the sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, being drunk, gambling, and drugs abuse as well as marrying-giving in marriage.
Living in such sins, a servant of God will cause the dryness among the congregation, and it becomes a debt of blood nothing is able to pay it.
Do not leave the ministry when you have a sin, but leave the sin and return to ministering God.
- Murmuring always, never giving thanks to God, but gossiping.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
11:19 "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
11:20 "that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
He will become our God and we become His people. We are living in the mighty hand of God as follows:
- The mighty hand of God delivers us from the slavery of sin and problems, even the impossible one.
Leviticus 26:12-13
26:12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
26:13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. - The mighty hand of God is able to bless us from our life in the world and our descendants until the eternal life.
Ezekiel 37:26-27
37:26 "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.
37:27 "My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
The obedient heart is a strong foundation to receive heavenly blessings. - The mighty hand of God is able to wipe away our tears, meaning to lead us to beautiful and joyful future life up to New Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:3-4
21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."